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![Official portrait of Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001035_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
6,663 records where Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2013
Congratulates: (1) the Boston Red Sox on winning the 2013 World Series, and (2) the St. Louis Cardinals on winning the 2013 National League Championship.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Enhanced Security Clearance Act of 2013 - Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM): (1) to implement the enhanced security clearance system (i.e., the database established by OPM under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004) within one year after enactment of this Act; and (2) not less than twice every five years, to review, using such system, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of information relating to the security clearance or access to classified information of each individual who is appointed to a position that requires such a clearance or access (covered individual). Requires such security clearance system to: (1) integrate information from various sources, including government and commercial data sources, the major consumer reporting agencies, and social media; and (2) include relevant information on individuals who are being considered for, or have been appointed to, a position that requires access to classified information. Exempts from the reporting requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act any communication made in connection with the granting, denial, review, or revocation of a federal security clearance or access to classification of a covered individual.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act - Establishes the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children in the Office of Tribal Justice of the Department of Justice (DOJ). Requires the President and Members of Congress serving in specified leadership positions to appoint to the Commission individuals who have significant experience and expertise in Indian affairs and the matters to be studied by the Commission. Requires the Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of federal, state, local, and tribal programs that serve Native children, including an evaluation of: the impact of concurrent jurisdiction on child welfare systems; barriers Indian tribes and Native Hawaiians face in applying, reporting on, and using existing public and private grant resources; obstacles to nongovernmental financial support for programs benefitting Native children; issues relating to the validity and statistical significance of data on Native children; barriers to the development of sustainable, multidisciplinary programs designed to assist high-risk Native children and their families, as well as any examples of successful program models and use of best practices; and barriers to interagency coordination on programs benefitting Native children. Directs the Commission to use the results of the study and analyses of existing federal data relating to Native children to: develop plans and goals for federal policy relating to Native children in the short-, mid-, and long-term, which shall be informed by the development of accurate child well-being measures; recommend modifications and improvements to programs that serve Native children at the federal, state, and tribal level that would integrate the cultural strengths of Native communities and improve those programs; recommend improvements to the collection of data regarding Native children and the programs that serve them; and identify models of successful federal, state, and tribal programs in the areas studied by the Commission. Requires the Commission to submit a report to the President, Congress, and the White House Council on Native American Affairs on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations for appropriate legislative and administrative action.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from: (1) increasing flood insurance risk premium rates to reflect the current risk of flood for certain property located in specified areas subject to a certain mandatory premium adjustment, or (2) reducing such subsidies for any property not insured by the flood insurance program as of July 6, 2012, or any policy that has lapsed in coverage as a result of the policyholder's deliberate choice (Pre-Flood Insurance Rate Map or pre-FIRM properties). Sets forth expiration dates for such prohibitions. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (NFIA) to prohibit the Administrator from providing flood insurance to prospective insureds at rates less than those estimated for any property purchased after the expiration of such six-month period (currently, any property purchased after July 6, 2012). Directs FEMA to: (1) restore during such six-month period specified estimated risk premium rate subsidies for flood insurance for pre-FIRM properties and properties purchased after such six-month period, and (2) submit to certain congressional committees a draft affordability framework addressing the affordability of flood insurance sold under the National Flood Insurance Program. Prescribes procedures for expedited congressional consideration of legislation on FEMA affordability authorities. Permits FEMA to enter into an agreement with another federal agency either to: (1) complete the affordability study, or (2) prepare the draft affordability framework. Directs FEMA submit to certain congressional committees the affordability study and report. Amends NFIA to authorize FEMA to reimburse homeowners for successful map appeals. Makes any community that has made adequate progress on the construction (as under current law) or reconstruction (new) of a flood protection system which will afford flood protection for the one-hundred year frequency flood eligible for flood insurance at premium rates not exceeding those which would apply if such flood protection system had been completed. Revises guidelines governing availability of flood insurance in communities restoring disaccredited flood protection systems to include riverine and coastal levees. Requires FEMA to: (1) rate a covered structure using the elevation difference between the floodproofed elevation of the covered structure and the adjusted base flood elevation of the covered structure; and (2) designate a Flood Insurance Advocate to advocate for the fair treatment of policy holders under the National Flood Insurance Program and property owners in the mapping of flood hazards, the identification of risks from flood, and the implementation of measures to minimize the risk of flood.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2013
Exchange Information Disclosure Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to expand reporting requirements related to health care exchanges. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish reports weekly through March 31, 2015, on: (1) consumer interactions with healthcare.gov or subsequent sites and any efforts undertaken to remedy problems that impact taxpayers and consumers, (2) calls to the federal customer service call center, including the number of calls received by the call center, problems identified by users, and referrals of those calls; (3) all navigators and certified application counselors that have been trained and certified by health care exchanges; and (4) all agents and brokers who have been trained and certified by the federal health care exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal in commemoration of the contributions of Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, two former Navy SEAL members who sacrificed their lives on September 11, 2012, while serving as part of a U.S. diplomatic security detachment in Libya.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2013
Supports the goals of World Polio Day. Commends the international community and others for their efforts in vaccinating children around the world against polio. Condemns terrorist and militant groups that murder health care workers who are striving to save the lives of children around the world, and urges governments to strengthen the protection of such workers. Encourages continued funding by the United States and international donors to the global effort to rid the world of polio.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2013
Expresses the Senate's support for Lights On Afterschool, a national celebration of after-school programs held on October 17, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2013
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Rod Grams, former Member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on October 9, 2013, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Grams.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2013
Pay Our Military Technical Corrections Act of 2013 - Amends the Pay Our Military Act (P.L. 113-39) to specify that FY2014 continuing appropriations provided for pay and allowances to members of the Armed Forces, including reserve components, is to include cadets in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy appointed as midshipmen in Navy Reserve (including the Merchant Marine Reserve, Navy Reserve) who perform active service for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2014 are not in effect. Makes continuing appropriations for pay and allowances to civilian personnel of the Department of Transportation (DOT) whom the Secretary of Transportation determines are providing support to such members of the Armed Forces, including reserve components, performing active service during such period (under such Act only civilian personnel and contractors of the Department of Defense [DOD], and the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] in the case of the Coast Guard, whom the Secretary concerned determines are providing such support). Provides for pay and allowances to DOD, DHS, and DOT civilian personnel providing support to those in training for such service.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2013
Offers: (1) condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims killed or wounded during the violence that took place at the Washington Navy Yard on September 16, 2013; and (2) support and hope for all the individuals who were wounded and discomforted by the mass shooting. Recognizes the difficult healing and recovery process that lies ahead for the affected communities. Honors the courageous and professional service of: (1) the uniformed men and women of the Navy and other members of the U.S. Armed Forces; (2) all civilian employees who provide support for the Armed Forces; and (3) the law enforcement personnel, emergency responders, and medical professionals who responded to and assisted victims of that shooting. Remains committed to preventing the occurrence of similar tragedies.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2013
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act - Provides for compensation of federal employees furloughed due to any lapse in appropriations that begins on or about October 1, 2013, for the period of such lapse in appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2013
CHIMP Act Amendments of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, with respect to the lifetime care of chimpanzees used in federally conducted or supported medical research, to: (1) require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reserve appropriations through FY2023 for the sanctuary system and other compliant facilities, and (2) allow reservation of funds beyond a total of $30 million if the Secretary determines that doing so would enable the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to operate more efficiently and economically by decreasing the overall federal cost of supporting and maintaining chimpanzees from FY2014-FY2023. Requires such a determination to be reported to Congress and include biennial updates regarding the care and maintenance of the chimpanzees and related costs. Removes construction and renovation of sanctuary system facilities as a purpose of expenditure of the reserved funds. Requires the use of funds for other compliant facilities to be determined by the Secretary (rather than, as under current law, by the board of directors of the nonprofit entity operating the facility). Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate: (1) the research status of NIH-owned or supported chimpanzees, (2) the cost for the care and maintenance of such chimpanzees, (3) the extent to which requirements that a nonprofit private entity match funding have been met, and (4) any options for cost savings for support and maintenance that may be identified.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2013
Protecting Those Who Protected Us Act of 2013 - Appropriates for FY2014, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2014 are not in effect, such sums as are necessary to administer and provide benefits and services to veterans, dependents, and survivors under specified veterans' benefits laws, including those concerning: compensation for service-connected disability or death, dependency and indemnity compensation for service-connected deaths, pension for non-service-connected disability or death or for service, benefits for children of certain veterans, specially adapted housing for disabled veterans, burial benefits, certain educational assistance programs, training and rehabilitation for veterans with service-connected disabilities, and automobiles and adaptive equipment for certain disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces. Makes appropriations and funds made available and authority granted pursuant to this Act available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) enactment of an appropriation (including a continuing appropriation) for any purpose for which amounts are made available by this Act, (2) enactment of the applicable regular or continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any appropriation for such purpose, or (3) January 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2013
DSH Reduction Relief Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to delay from FY2014 to FY2016 commencement of the period during which the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is required to pay to any "subsection (d) hospital": (1) 25% of the amount of the disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payment that would otherwise be made to it for the fiscal year, plus (2) an additional payment amount according to a specified formula. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system [IPPS] when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.) Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to delay from the beginning of FY2014 until the beginning of FY2016 (and so eliminate for FY2014 and FY2015) aggregate reductions in DSH allotments for all states. Maintains the FY2022 DSH allotment to states under Medicaid for FY2023, with an adjustment for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2013
Designates the week of September 23 through September 29, 2013, as National Estuaries Week. Acknowledges the importance of estuaries to sustaining employment in the United States and the nation's economic well-being and prosperity. Expresses the intent of the Senate to continue working to understand, protect, and restore U.S. estuaries.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Designates September 2013 as Campus Fire Safety Month. Encourages administrators of institutions of higher education and municipalities to: (1) provide fire safety educational programs to all college students; (2) evaluate the level of fire safety being provided in both on-campus and off-campus student housing; and (3) ensure fire-safe living environments through fire safety education, the installation of fire suppression and detection systems, and the development and enforcement of applicable codes.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Designates the week of September 23-29, 2013, as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Encourages people across the United States to support programs to assist those in need of adult education, workforce skills, and family literacy programs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2013
Military Pay Protection Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, during a government-wide shutdown, to make available to the Secretary of Defense (DOD), and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) in the case of the Coast Guard, out of any amounts in the general fund of the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such amounts as necessary to continue to provide pay and allowances to members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, including reserve components, who perform active service during the funding gap. Allows for the provision of such pay and allowances, at the discretion of the DOD Secretary, to: (1) DOD civilian personnel providing support to such members, and (2) DOD contractor personnel providing direct support to such members. Makes additional funding available as necessary to prevent interruptions or delays in the performance of domestic disaster relief and recovery operations. Defines "government-wide shutdown" as any portion of a fiscal year during which none of the appropriation bills for the fiscal year have become law and an Act or joint resolution making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year is not in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Cider Investment and Development through Excise Tax Reduction (CIDER) Act - Amends the Internal Revenue to revise the definition of "hard cider," for purposes of the excise tax on distilled spirits, wines, and beer, to mean a wine: (1) the carbonation level of which does not exceed 6.4 grams per liter; (2) which is derived primarily from apples, apple juice concentrate, pears, or pear juice concentrate, and water; (3) which contains no fruit product or fruit flavoring other than apple or pear; and (4) which contains at least one-half of 1% and less than 8.5% alcohol by volume.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2013 - States as the purpose of this Act to apply the same employment benefits and obligations to federal employees in same-sex domestic partnerships and to their domestic partners as apply to married federal employees and their spouses. Amends provisions of federal civil service law to extend employment-related and retirement benefits to domestic partners of federal employees and to set forth requirements for establishing and terminating a domestic partnership, including the filing of an affidavit attesting to the existence and legitimacy of the partnership. Requires authorized officers and agencies to develop and issue guidance documentation with respect to domestic partner benefits and obligations established by this Act. Provides for a biennial review of programs under which such benefits and obligations are established. Modifies provisions relating to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) to extend eligibility for annuity and survivor benefits to current and former domestic partners of federal employees on the same basis as married employees. Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations to provide that domestic partners and former domestic partners shall be considered as spouses or former spouses for purposes of creditable service determinations under CSRS and FERS. Makes domestic partners of federal employees eligible for: (1) the federal employee group life insurance (FEGLI) program, (2) federal employees health benefits (FEHB), (3) dental and vision benefit plans, and (4) long-term care insurance coverage. Extends to domestic partners of federal employees: (1) reimbursement for taxes related to payments for travel, transportation, and moving or storage expenses; (2) payment of relocation expenses and reimbursement for related taxes incurred by federal employees transferred in the interest of the government, including employees on extended assignment; and (3) allowances for the transportation of family members of domestic partners held captive and repatriated. Modifies definitions applicable under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to include domestic partners and their children. Applies to domestic partners provisions of federal civil service law and regulations relating to: (1) voluntary transfers of leave and the voluntary leave bank program, (2) unpaid leave to care for family members under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, (3) settlement of accounts of federal employees who die without specifying a beneficiary, (4) federal employees in captive or missing status due to hostile action and employees or family members who suffer death or disability caused by hostile action, and (5) the annuity of the Comptroller General (GAO) and related survivor benefits. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to make provisions of that Act relating to financial disclosure, limitations on outside earned income and employment, and gifts to superiors and to federal employees applicable to federal employees in a domestic partnership and their domestic partners. Amends the federal criminal code to expand the applicability of prohibitions against bribery of public officials and conflicts of interest to cover a domestic partner of a federal official or employee and to include domestic partners in exemptions from such prohibitions. Extends to domestic partners of public officials the prohibitions against the employment of relatives in federal service and against receiving gifts or decorations from a foreign government.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Comprehensive National Mercury Monitoring Act - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a national mercury monitoring program that monitors: (1) long-term changes in mercury levels and important ancillary measures in the air; and (2) long-term changes in mercury and methyl mercury levels and important ancillary measures in water and soil or sediments and in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial organisms. Requires the program to be compatible with similar international efforts, including the Global Mercury Observation System and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. Requires the Administrator to: (1) select multiple monitoring sites representing multiple ecoregions that include national parks, wildlife refuges, National Estuarine Research Reserve units, and other sensitive ecological areas in which substantive changes are expected from reductions in domestic mercury emissions; (2) establish and publish standardized measurement protocols for the program; and (3) establish a centralized database for environmental mercury data. Requires the Administrator to: (1) establish a Mercury Monitoring Advisory Committee to advise the Administrator on the establishment, site selection, measurement, recording protocols, and operation of the program; (2) report on the program every two years and include, every four years, an assessment of mercury deposition rates that need to be achieved in order to prevent adverse human and ecological effects; and (3) make all data obtained under this Act available to the public through a dedicated website and on written request.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Designates September 22, 2013, as National Falls Prevention Awareness Day. Recognizes that there are cost-effective falls prevention programs and policies. Commends the Falls Free Coalition and others for their efforts to increase awareness of falls prevention. Urges the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Administration for Community Living, and others to continue developing, evaluating, and promoting interventions and programs to prevent falls.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
Trust But Verify Act or the PIN Act - Prohibits an American Health Benefit Exchange (established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) from offering health insurance coverage through the Exchange until the Comptroller General (GAO) certifies to Congress that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and any related federal agencies involved in the administration of such Exchanges, have implemented all appropriate actions necessary to safeguard the personal health and financial information of enrollees and to protect against fraud and abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include as a health care provider behavioral and mental health professionals, substance abuse professionals, psychiatric hospitals, certain community mental health centers (including one operated by a county behavioral health agency), and residential or outpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), with respect to incentives for meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHR) technology under the pay schedule for physician's services, to include as additional eligible professionals clinical psychologists providing qualified psychologist services and clinical social workers. Subjects any additional eligible professionals, including those under a MedicareAdvantage (MA) plan, to reductions in incentive payments after a certain date for failure to be a meaningful EHR user. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to treat as Medicaid providers the following additional Medicaid providers: (1) public and certain private hospitals that are principally psychiatric hospitals, (2) certain community mental health centers, and (3) certain residential or outpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities. Makes eligible professionals under the Medicaid program certain clinical psychologists providing qualified psychologist services and certain clinical social workers.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act - Directs: (1) the Secretary of the military department concerned to award the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces (members) who were killed or wounded in the attack at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009; and (2) the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to award the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom to civilian employees and contractors of DOD who were killed or wounded in such attack. Deems, for purposes of all applicable federal benefit laws, regulations, and policies: (1) such members to have been killed or wounded in a combat zone as the result of an enemy act; and (2) such employees to have been killed or wounded by hostile action while serving with the Armed Forces in a contingency operation and to have been killed or wounded in a terrorist attack. Excludes any member whose death or wound was the result of willful misconduct. Applies such provisions to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other psychological injuries that were a result of such attack.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2013
Child Care Infant Mortality Prevention Act of 2013 - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to revise the requirements for a state plan to administer a child care development block grant. Requires the minimum health and safety training appropriate to a child care provider mandatory under state or local law, and certified by the state plan, to include training on cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid, safe sleep practices, and other sudden unexpected infant death prevention strategies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2013
Fairness for American Families Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), to delay until 2015 the requirement that individuals maintain minimal essential health care coverage. Authority for Mandate Delay Act - Amends PPACA to delay until 2015 enforcement of requirements that large employers offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential coverage. Delays the effective date of related reporting requirements for such employers and for providers of minimum essential coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Captive Primate Safety Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add nonhuman primates to the definition of "prohibited wildlife species" for purposes of the prohibition against the sale or purchase of such species in interstate or foreign commerce. Makes it unlawful for a person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase a live animal of any prohibited wildlife species in interstate or foreign commerce (i.e., for pet trade purposes). Modifies exceptions to such prohibition, including by making it inapplicable to a person who is: (1) a licensed and inspected person who does not allow direct contact between the public and prohibited wildlife species, and (2) transporting a single primate of the genus Cebus that was obtained from and trained by a charitable organization to assist a permanently disabled individual with a severe mobility impairment. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2013 - Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) a Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program. Includes among Program purposes to: (1) improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and increase domestic production; (2) stimulate U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing research, innovation, and technology; and (3) accelerate the development of an advanced manufacturing workforce. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a network of centers for manufacturing innovation, to be known as the Network for Manufacturing Innovation; and (2) award financial assistance to assist in planning, establishing, or supporting such centers. Directs the Secretary to establish within NIST the National Office of the Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program to: (1) oversee the Program, (2) develop and periodically update a strategic plan for the Program, (3) establish a clearinghouse of public information related to Program activities, and (4) act as a convener of the Network. Requires the Secretary to ensure that the Office incorporates the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership into Program planning to ensure that the results of the Program reach small- and medium-sized entities. Establishes in the Treasury a Network for Manufacturing Innovation Fund for carrying out the Program. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a survey that measures the economic impact of China's rare earth monopoly on the United States and other affected nations and identifies technologies, industries, and defense systems that are now primarily produced in, or are likely to relocate to, China; and (2) report on survey results and on how the United States should initiate direct dialogue with affected nations to assess the economic consequences of such monopoly and related trade practices and promote cooperative resolutions to facilitate partnership structures that will offset imbalances caused by such monopoly.
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
Strengthening Congressional Oversight of Regulatory actions for Efficiency - Requires the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to establish and maintain a separate Regulatory Analysis Division within CBO responsible for assessing the impact of federal rules and regulations. Requires the Division to provide analysis: during the public comment period, of the prospective economic impact of economically significant proposed rules having an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or an adverse effect in a material way on the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or state, local, or tribal governments or communities; and of economically significant regulations that have been in effect for five years, including an analysis of costs and benefits to determine if the regulation is meeting the stated goals it was intended to meet.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Improving the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Rate Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the the minimum low-income housing tax credit rate for new buildings that are not federally subsidized, and (2) establish a minimum 4% low-income housing tax rate for existing buildings that are not federally subsidized.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to include military technicians (dual status) in military personnel accounts for purposes of any sequestration order issued by the President after January 1, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), upon a request by the chairman or ranking minority member of specified congressional committees, to determine if a proposed measure would result in reductions in budget outlays in budgetary outyears through the use of preventive health and preventive health services. Requires CBO, if the measure would result in such substantial reductions, to include in any CBO projection a description and estimate of such reductions and a description of the basis for such conclusions. Authorizes CBO to prepare a budget projection that includes some or all of the budgetary outyears.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Expresses appreciation to David Schiappa and his family. Commends him for his outstanding and faithful service to the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013 or the PAST Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to prescribe regulatory requirements for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.) Prohibits issuing a license to any person unless such person is free from conflicts of interest. Requires the Secretary, in issuing such licenses, to give a preference to persons who are licensed or accredited veterinarians. Replaces the current horse inspector appointment process under which the management of a horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction appoints inspectors with a new process requiring the Secretary to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire such inspectors. Requires the Secretary to publish on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's website information on violations of such Act. Directs the Secretary to disqualify a horse the Secretary determines is sore for specified minimum time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance. Prohibits a person in any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction from: (1) showing or exhibiting any horse that is sore; (2) entering any horse that is sore for the purpose of showing or exhibiting the horse; (3) selling, auctioning, or offering for sale any horse that is sore; (4) causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, auctioning, or offering for sale the horse; and (5) allowing any such activity with respect to a horse that is sore by the owner of that horse. Expands a list of activities designated as unlawful conduct under such Act to include a prohibition on showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter the gait of such horses and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. Defines "action device" as any boot, collar, chain, roller, or other device that encircles or is placed upon the lower extremity of the leg of a horse in a manner that it can: (1) rotate around the leg or slide up and down the leg, so as to cause friction; or (2) strike the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse. Excludes from such term soft rubber or soft leather bell boots or quarter boots that are used as protective devices. Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties for certain HPA violations. Expands the categories of activities the Secretary may disqualify a violator of such Act from participating in to include: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; or (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted. Permits the Secretary to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Medicare Ambulance Access Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend through December 31, 2018, certain temporary increases in rates (add-on payments) for ground and super rural ambulance services.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Designates the week of September 8, 2013, as National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week. Commends direct support professionals as integral in supporting the long-term support and services system of the United States. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the successful implementation of the public policies of the United States depends on the dedication of direct support professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Designates August 16, 2013, as National Airborne Day.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013 - Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to: (1) support the development and updating of national model building energy codes for residential and commercial buildings to enable the achievement of aggregate energy savings targets established by this Act, (2) encourage and support the adoption by states and local governments of building energy codes that meet or exceed the national codes, and (3) support full compliance with state and local codes. Directs the Secretary to provide grants to establish building training and assessment centers at institutions of higher learning to identify and promote opportunities, concepts, and technologies for expanding building energy and environmental performance. Requires the Secretary to make grants to eligible nonprofit partnerships to pay the federal share of career skills training programs to help students obtain a certification to install energy efficient buildings technologies. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to: (1) replace references to the energy-intensive industries program with references to the future of industry program, and (2) reduce the amount authorized to be appropriated for the Zero Net Energy Commercial Buildings Initiative for FY2015-FY2018. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to expedite consideration of applications from eligible small businesses for loans under the Small Business Act to implement recommendations of industrial research and assessment centers. Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require the Secretary: (1) as part of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, to conduct on-site technical assessments at the request of a manufacturer to identify opportunities for maximizing the energy efficiency of industrial processes and cross-cutting systems, preventing pollution and minimizing waste, improving efficient use of water in manufacturing processes, and conserving natural resources; and (2) as part of DOE's industrial efficiency programs, to carry out an industry-government partnership program to research, develop, and demonstrate new sustainable manufacturing and industrial technologies and processes that maximize the energy efficiency of industrial systems, reduce pollution, and conserve natural resources. Establishes within DOE a Supply Star program to identify and promote practices, recognize companies, and recognize products that use highly efficient supply chains that conserve energy, water, and other resources. Directs the Secretary to establish a rebate program for expenditures for the purchase and installation of: (1) a new constant speed electric motor control that is attached to an electric motor and reduces motor energy use by at least 5%; and (2) commercial or industrial machinery or equipment that is manufactured and incorporates an advanced motor and drive system that has greater than one horsepower into a redesigned machine or equipment that did not previously make use of the system or was previously used and placed back into service in 2014 or 2015 that upgrades the existing machine or equipment with such system. Directs the Secretary to establish a rebate program for expenditures made by owners of industrial or manufacturing facilities, commercial buildings, and multifamily residential buildings for the purchase and installation of new energy efficient transformers. Terminates the program on December 31, 2015. Directs the Secretary to issue guidance for federal agencies to employ advanced tools promoting energy efficiency and energy savings through the use of information and communications technologies. Authorizes the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), for any building project for which congressional approval has been received and the design has been substantially completed, but the construction of which has not begun, to use appropriated funds to update the building's design to meet energy efficiency and other standards for new federal buildings. Requires the Administrator for the Office of E-Government and Information Technology within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop and publish a goal for the total amount of planned energy and cost savings and increased productivity by the government through the consolidation of federal data centers during the next five years. Provides that such goal does not apply to the High Performance Computing Modernization Program of the Department of Defense (DOD).
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act - Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to specify that an unlawful employment practice is established when the complaining party demonstrates that age or participation in investigations, proceedings, or litigation under such Act was a motivating factor for any practice, even though other factors also motivated the practice (thereby allowing what are commonly known as "mixed motive" claims). Permits a complaining party to rely on any type or form of admissible evidence, which need only be sufficient for a reasonable trier of fact to find that an unlawful practice occurred. Declares that a complaining party shall not be required to demonstrate that age or retaliation was the sole cause of a practice (thereby rejecting the Supreme Court decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. , which requires a complainant to prove that age was the "but-for" cause for the employer's decision). Authorizes the court, on a claim in which an individual demonstrates that age was a motivating factor for any employment practice and in which a respondent demonstrates that the same action would have been taken in the absence of the impermissible motivating factor, to grant declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and attorney's fees and costs directly attributable only to the pursuit of a claim. Prohibits the court in such an instance from awarding damages or issuing an order requiring any admission, reinstatement, hiring, promotion, or payment. Applies the same standard of proof to other employment discrimination and retaliation claims, including claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and similar laws concerning federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Designates August 7, 2013, as National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013
Part D Beneficiary Appeals Fairness Act - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to a prescription drug plan (PDP) that provides for any tiered cost-sharing within a formulary (including a structure that provides for different co-payment or coinsurance amounts for drugs in different tiers included within the formulary), to authorize a Medicare part D eligible individual enrolled in the plan to request an exception to the tiered cost-sharing structure. States that in no case may the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) allow a PDP sponsor to make any formulary tier of the tiered cost-sharing structure (including a formulary tier used for very high cost or unique items) ineligible for lower-cost sharing through an exception.
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
World War II Merchant Mariner Service Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to accept additional documentation for verifying that an individual performed honorable service as a coastwise merchant seaman during the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on December 31, 1946, for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits under the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977. Requires such documentation to include Social Security Administration (SSA) records and validated testimony in the case of the absence of Coast Guard shipping or discharge forms, ship logbooks, documents, or other official employment records. Requires the Secretary, when determining whether to recognize service allegedly performed during such period, to recognize masters of seagoing vessels or other command officers who were authorized to document an individual for purposes of hiring for or discharging from the merchant marine. Considers any service so recognized as active-duty service for purposes of veterans' burial benefits. Makes such veterans eligible for any appropriate military medals, ribbons, and decorations. Requires the Secretary to verify that an individual performed such service under honorable conditions without regard to their sex, age, or disability during the service period.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Seniors Fraud Prevention Act of 2013 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish an office within the Bureau of Consumer Protection to advise the FTC on the prevention of fraud targeting seniors and to assist the FTC in monitoring the market for mail, television, Internet, and telemarketing fraud including recorded message telephone calls (robocalls) targeting seniors. Requires the FTC, through such office, to: (1) disseminate to seniors and their families and caregivers information on the most common fraud schemes, including methods of reporting complaints either to the FTC's national toll-free telephone number or to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network, where complaints become immediately available to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), state attorneys general, and other appropriate law enforcement agencies; (2) provide, in response to a specific request about a particular entity or individual, publicly available information regarding the FTC's enforcement action; and (3) maintain a website as a resource for information on fraud targeting seniors. Directs the FTC to establish procedures through such office to: (1) log and acknowledge the receipt of complaints by individuals who believe they have been a victim of such fraud in the Consumer Sentinel Network and to make such complaints immediately available to federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities; and (2) provide individuals with information on such fraud as well as the most common schemes.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2013 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend through December 31, 2020: (1) the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) program, and (2) the reemployment trade adjustment assistance (RTAA) program. Makes funds available through FY2020, and for the period beginning October 1-December 31, 2020 (first quarter of FY2021) for training of adversely affected workers, employment and case management services, and job search expenses and relocation expenses. Reauthorizes appropriations: (1) through December 31, 2020, for the TAA program for workers; and (2) through FY2020, and for the first quarter of FY2021, for the TAA program for firms and farmers. Amends the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 to declare that TAA program requirements in effect as of February 13, 2011, under the Trade Act of 1974 shall apply to petitions for certification to apply for TAA for workers, firms, and farmers that are filed before January 1, 2021.