United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2018
Supports the right of all Iranian citizens to have their voices heard. Calls on the government of Iran to respect the rights of the people of Iran to freedoms of speech, press, religion, association, and assembly. Condemns Iran's human rights violations. Warns Iran against any violence or retribution targeting peaceful protestors. Objects to acts of censorship, intimidation, and other restrictions on freedoms of speech, press, and expression. Encourages the President, the Department of State, and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) to work to convene emergency sessions of the U.N. Security Council and the U.N. Human Rights Council to condemn Iran's ongoing human rights violations and establish a related Security Council monitoring mechanism. Calls on Iran to cooperate with and allow visits of the U.N. Special Rapporteurs for Human Rights and the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Urges the President and State Department to work with the international community to ensure that human rights violations are part of all multilateral or bilateral discussions with and regarding Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2018
Condemns the government of Iran for: (1) funding terrorist organizations and activities; (2) oppression of its citizens; and (3) suppression of communication through interference with internet applications such as Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and Twitter. Reaffirms: (1) the U.S. commitment to promoting the freedoms of speech and assembly as universal rights, and (2) U.S. support for the citizens of Iran to establish a freely elected democratic system.
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2017
Abby Honold Act This bill directs the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women to make competitive grants to law enforcement agencies and victim services organizations to implement evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches in responding to and investigating domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2017
Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act This bill amends the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 to: set deadlines for final examination reports and exit interviews of a financial institution by a federal financial regulatory agency, and establish the Office of Independent Examination Review to adjudicate appeals and investigate complaints from financial institutions concerning examination reports. The bill also requires the establishment of an independent internal agency appellate process at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for the review of supervisory determinations made at institutions supervised by the CFPB.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2017
Congressional Harassment Reform Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to: (1) require certain discrimination and harassment awareness and prevention training for Members of Congress, officers, employees, interns, fellows, and detailees; (2) extend CAA nondiscrimination requirements and remedies to legislative interns, fellows, and detailees; (3) revise CAA procedures for certain harassment and discrimination complaints; (4) require a Member of Congress to reimburse the Treasury if an employee receives an award or settlement for the Member's alleged act of discrimination or harassment, unless the Member's request for a nonreimbursement determination is approved; and (5) rename the Office of Compliance the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2017
Help End Abusive Living Situations Act or the HEALS Act This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to take specified measures to improve services provided to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including by authorizing any defunded transitional housing projects to reapply for funding.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2017
Declares that: (1) the United States should not tolerate the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK's) possession of nuclear weapons or continued development of nuclear weapon and ballistic missile capabilities; (2) the United States and the international community should develop and implement the strictest sanctions regime and exhaust every reasonable diplomatic option to achieve the dismantlement of the DPRK's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs; and (3) the U.S. government should plan for every military contingency necessary to defend the American people and ensure regional and global security. Acknowledges that the Republic of Korea and Japan would likely face immediate retaliation by the DPRK in response to any potential U.S. military action and, therefore, any such action should be coordinated with those governments. Asserts that Congress should be consulted prior to any use of military force, recognizes that Congress possesses the authority under Article I of the Constitution to declare war, and affirms that congressional authorization is needed prior to any pre-emptive or preventative ground war on the Korean Peninsula initiated by U.S. forces.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2017
Disaster Assistance Simplification Act This bill prohibits a recipient of a disaster-recovery grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development from denying an applicant for assistance, or reducing the amount of assistance offered to the applicant, on the basis that the applicant declined disaster-recovery relief assistance from the Small Business Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2017
Skylar's Law This bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a national endangered missing advisory communications network—the EMA Network—to support regional and local search efforts for missing individuals. The EMA Network must operate in coordination with the AMBER Alert communications network (i.e., the communications network that supports search efforts for abducted children).
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2017
Prioritizing the Most Vulnerable Over Lottery Winners Act of 2017 This bill specifies how a state must treat qualified lottery winnings and lump sum income for purposes of determining an individual's income-based eligibility for a state Medicaid program. Specifically, a state shall include such winnings or income as income received: (1) in the month in which it was received, if the amount is less than $80,000; (2) over a period of two months, if the amount is at least $80,000 but less than $90,000; (3) over a period of three months, if the amount is at least $90,000 but less than $100,000; and (4) over an additional one-month period for each increment of $10,000 received, not to exceed 120 months. An individual whose income exceeds the applicable eligibility threshold due to qualified lump sum income shall continue to be eligible for medical assistance to the extent that the state determines that denial of eligibility would cause undue medical or financial hardship. With respect to an individual who loses eligibility due to qualified lump sum income, a state must provide specified notice and assistance related to the individual's potential enrollment in a qualified health plan under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Qualified lump sum income includes: (1) monetary winnings from gambling; (2) damages received in lump sums or periodic payments, excluding monthly payments, on account of causes of action other than those arising from personal physical injuries or sickness; and (3) income received as liquid assets from the estate of a deceased individual.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2017
Security, Enforcement, and Compassion United in Reform Efforts Act or the SECURE Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to achieve situational awareness and operational control of the U.S. southern border and to deter and detect illegal activity in high traffic areas. The bill authorizes National Guard and Department of Defense support to secure such border. DHS shall establish: (1) a National Border Security Advisory Committee, (2) the Integrated Border Enforcement Team program, (3) Tunnel Task Forces, and (4) a biometric exit data system to complete the required integrated biometric entry and exit data system. The bill provides for: (1) additional border control and immigration personnel, (2) reimbursement to state and local prosecutors for federally initiated immigration-related criminal cases, (3) expansion of biometric technology and data, and (4) immigration detention capacity increases. Operation Stonegarden is established in DHS. DHS shall reinstate and operate the Secure Communities immigration enforcement program. DHS may construct new ports of entry along the northern and southern borders. The bill revises provisions regarding: (1) alien apprehension and detention, (2) nonimmigrant admissions, (3) parole authority, (4) sanctuary jurisdictions, (5) unaccompanied alien children, (6) human smuggling and trafficking, (7) drug trafficking and crimes of violence committed by illegal aliens, (8) visa and passport security, (9) background checks, (10) status adjustment, (11) naturalization, (12) asylum, (13) terrorists, (14) expedited removal, (15) immigration-related crimes and penalties, and (16) DHS positions in U.S. territories.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2017
Continuation of Useful Resources to States Act or COURTS Act This bill extends and otherwise revises funding for programs related to child welfare. Specifically, the bill extends through FY2022 funding for (1) the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program, and (2) the grant program for improving courts' handling of foster-care and adoption proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 28 November 2017
Strengthening Oversight of Iran's Access to Finance Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury, not later than 30 days after authorizing a U. S. or foreign financial institution to export or re-export a commercial passenger aircraft to Iran (or, for an authorization made after January 16, 2016, but before the enactment of this bill, not later than 60 days after such enactment) and every 180 days thereafter for the duration of the authorization, to submit to Congress a report containing: a list of financial institutions that have, after January 16, 2016, conducted transactions authorized in connection with such export or re-export; and either a certification that such transaction does not pose a significant money laundering or terrorism financing risk to the U. S. financial system and will not benefit an Iranian person who for the one year preceding the certification has knowingly transported weapons of mass destruction or has knowingly provided transportation services or material support for terrorism, weapons of mass destruction delivery system proliferation, or human rights abuses in Syria, and that any such institution had appropriate policies, procedures, and processes in place to avoid engaging in sanctionable activities; or a statement that the Treasury is unable to make such a certification and will, within 60 days after such determination, submit a report on non-certification to Congress. The President may waive the requirements of this bill for up to one year at a time upon certifying to Congress that: the Government of Iran has made substantial progress toward combating money laundering and terrorism financing risk emanating from Iran or has significantly reduced its destabilizing activities in the region or material support for terrorist groups; or such waiver is important to U.S. national interests.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2017
Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to modify procedures for determining the amount of mandatory restitution in child pornography cases. Additionally, the bill amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984: to direct courts to impose additional assessments on persons convicted of child pornography offenses; and to establish a Child Pornography Victims Reserve, within the Crime Victims Fund, where the additional assessments must be deposited.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2017
Commends the Houston Astros for winning the 2017 Major League Baseball World Series championship title and for an outstanding performance during the 2017 Major League Baseball season.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2017
Fix NICS Act of 2017 This bill amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require each federal agency and department, including a federal court, to: certify whether it has provided to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) disqualifying records of persons prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm, and establish and substantially comply with an implementation plan to maximize record submissions and verify their accuracy. The bill amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to: direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a state implementation plan, including benchmarks, to maximize the automation and submission of mental health and criminal history records to the NICS; waive the grant match requirement under the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) for a state that complies with its implementation plan; reauthorize through FY2022 the NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP); establish, as a priority area for NARIP grant funding, a domestic abuse and violence prevention initiative; and create a funding preference under the NARIP program for states that establish an implementation plan and use grant funds to upload felony conviction and domestic violence records. It amends the Crime Identification Technology Act of 1998 to reauthorize through FY2022 the NCHIP program. If a state complies with its implementation plan, then the federal share of an NCHIP grant may exceed 90% of program costs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2017
Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2017 This bill amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to expand the scope of "covered transaction" subject to the review of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). CFIUS analyzes the national security implications of foreign investment in the United States. A covered transaction includes: any merger, acquisition, or takeover that could result in foreign control of any U.S. business, the purchase or lease of real estate located in the United States that is in close proximity to a U.S. military installation or to another U.S. government facility or property that is sensitive for reasons relating to national security, other investment in a U.S. critical technology company or U.S. critical infrastructure company, any change in a foreign investor's rights that results in foreign control of a U.S. business, the contribution of intellectual property to a foreign person, or any other transaction, transfer, agreement, or arrangement designed to evade or circumvent the authority of CFIUS. The bill revises other provisions relating to CFIUS, including the length of its review period, special hiring authority and funding, and authority to mandate reviews or take unilateral action.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
Gold Star Family Support and Installation Access Act of 2017 This bill directs the appropriate military department to issue a standardized Gold Star Installation Access Card to the widow and dependent children of a deceased member of the Armed Forces to allow them to gain unescorted access to military installations to attend memorial events, visit gravesites, and obtain on-installation services and benefits. The Department of Defense shall prescribe regulations to provide that a surviving spouse of a deceased member, regardless of martial status, who has guardianship of dependent children of the deceased member, is entitled to use commissary stores and MWR retail facilities to the same extent and on the same basis as the unremarried spouse of a member of the uniformed services.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2017
Corrections Oversight, Recidivism Reduction, and Eliminating Costs for Taxpayers In Our National System Act of 2017 or the CORRECTIONS Act This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to review existing recidivism reduction programs and productive activities (e.g., a prison work program) in federal correctional facilities. It amends the federal criminal code to: require the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to expand recidivism reduction programs and productive activities to all eligible prisoners; allow an additional period of prerelease custody for prisoners who earn time credits for successfully completing such programs; require DOJ to develop the Post-Sentencing Risk and Needs Assessment System; require presentence investigation reports to include certain information such as substance abuse history, military service, and veteran status; and permit a court to reduce a life prison term imposed on a defendant convicted as an adult for an offense committed as a juvenile. The Administrative Office of the United States Courts must establish a supervised release pilot program to reduce recidivism and improve substance abuse recovery. DOJ must evaluate reentry best practices and create reentry demonstration projects in judicial districts. The bill amends the Second Chance Act of 2007 to make permanent and modify eligibility for an elderly offender early release pilot program. Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Correctional Officer Self-Protection Act of 2017 The bill requires the BOP to allow a federal correctional officer to: (1) securely store firearms on BOP premises outside the security perimeter of the institution or in a vehicle lockbox, and (2) carry a concealed firearm on BOP premises outside the security perimeter of the institution. National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2017 The bill establishes the National Criminal Justice Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2017
Condemns the attack at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 1, 2017, and honors the memory of the victims killed. Expresses hope for the recovery of those injured, and applauds the efforts of law-enforcement and counterterrorism officials and emergency-medical and healthcare professionals in response to the attack.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2017
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus is 20 weeks or more. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. The bill provides exceptions for an abortion: (1) that is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. A physician who performs or attempts to perform an abortion under an exception must comply with specified requirements. A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2017
Leverage to Enhance Effective Diplomacy Act of 2017 or the LEED Act This bill directs the President to: (1) impose property-blocking sanctions against the North Korean government, business entities that trade with North Korea, including specified Chinese entities, and affiliated persons or entities; (2) prohibit the opening, and strictly control the maintaining in the United States, of correspondent or payable-through accounts by a foreign financial institution that assisted in the importation, sale, or transfer of North Korean goods or services; and (3) impose specified sanctions against a person that imports, purchases, or transfers goods or services from the North Korean government or from such entities or affiliates. The North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 is amended to extend assistance for human rights and democracy programs. The bill prescribes reporting requirements with respect to North Korea's ballistic missile and missile fuel program. The Department of State shall: (1) brief Congress on the status of U.S. diplomatic engagement with North Korea and of detained U.S. citizens, and (2) develop a diplomatic strategy to end the transfer of rocket fuels and chemical precursors to North Korea. The State Department may reduce its diplomatic presence in, and terminate or reduce foreign assistance to, countries that are not cooperating with diplomatic and economic efforts to isolate North Korea.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2017
Expresses condolences to the victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Commends the resiliency and courage of the people of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Commits to provide the necessary resources to rebuild their communities. Applauds the work and commitment of emergency responders and law enforcement officers on the ground in the aftermath of such hurricanes.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2017
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow various tax credits, deductions, and modifications to existing rules for individuals and businesses affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. With respect to individuals and businesses in the affected areas, the bill: waives the 10% additional tax on early distributions from retirement plans for up to $100,000 in distributions made on or after August 23, 2017, and before January 1, 2019; permits individuals to recontribute funds to retirement plans if the funds were distributed for a home purchase in a hurricane disaster area that was cancelled on account of the hurricanes; increases the limit and extends the repayment deadline for loans from retirement plans; allows an employee retention tax credit for employers equal to 40% of the qualified wages (up to $6,000 per employee) paid to an employee whose principal place of employment on specified dates was in a hurricane disaster zone; modifies the deduction for charitable contributions to temporarily suspend the limitations on charitable contributions made before December 31, 2017, for relief efforts in the hurricane disaster areas; modifies the deduction for personal casualty losses in the hurricane disaster areas to eliminate: (1) the requirement for losses to exceed 10% of adjusted gross income to qualify for the deduction, and (2) the requirement to itemize; and allows taxpayers to use earned income from the immediately preceding year for the purpose of determining earned income for the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2017
Safeguarding Addresses From Emerging at Home Act or the SAFE at Home Act This bill requires each federal agency and federal court to accept, for any purpose for which an individual is required to provide an address to the agency or court, an address designated to that individual pursuant to an address confidentiality program. An individual who provides an address pursuant to such a program shall not be subject to any federal regulatory, civil, or criminal penalties for providing such address in lieu of the individual's actual physical address. An address confidentiality program is a state-implemented program that provides a designated address in lieu of the individual's actual physical address to an individual who: (1) is determined to be at risk of being a victim of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking or who otherwise fears for their safety; or (2) resides in the same household as such an individual. An agency or court seeking to acquire such individual's actual address shall comply with applicable procedures of such a program. Such address shall be considered confidential and shall not be subject to a Freedom of Information Act request.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2017
Prioritizing Veterans Access to Mental Health Care Act of 2017 This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to make a veteran seeking mental health care in a non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) entity eligible for such care if the veteran provides a written statement (which may be sent electronically or made in person or by fax) that the veteran seeks mental health care from the VA and has not received timely and adequate mental health care through a VA facility or health care provider. The VA shall give health professional hiring priority to those health professionals for which there is the greatest need, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health care providers.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2017
This bill provides temporary authority for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to appoint candidates directly to certain emergency response positions, in response to a critical hiring need. HHS must first provide public notice. It may appoint candidates without regard to certain requirements of the competitive rating and ranking process (e.g., application of veterans' preference points).
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2017
Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to modify criminal penalties for an offense involving the theft of a firearm from a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer, or from their business premises. Specifically, the bill: increases from 10 to 20 years the maximum prison term, and creates a 3- or 5-year mandatory minimum prison term for an offense that occurs during the commission of a burglary or robbery. An attempt to commit an offense is subject to the same penalties as a substantive offense.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2017
Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2017 This bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include community centers, including tax-exempt houses of worship, as "private nonprofit facilities" for purposes of disaster relief and emergency assistance eligibility under such Act. A church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other house of worship, and a private nonprofit facility operated by a religious organization, are eligible for federal contributions for the repair, restoration, and replacement of facilities damaged or destroyed by a major disaster, without regard to the religious character of the facility or the primary religious use of the facility. This bill is applicable to the provision of assistance in response to a major disaster or emergency declared on or after October 28, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Supports the designation of September 11-September 15, 2017, as National Family Service Learning Week to raise awareness about the importance of family service learning, family literacy, community service, and two-generational learning experiences.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Recognizes: (1) the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15, 2017, through October 15, 2017; and (2) the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2017
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Pete V. Domenici, former member of the U.S.Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns September 13, 2017, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Domenici.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2017
National White Collar Crime Control Act of 2017 This bill amends the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008 to authorize the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance to enter into a cooperative agreement or make a grant for training and technical assistance to help law enforcement officers, investigators, auditors, and prosecutors identify, investigate, and prosecute white collar crime. White collar crime includes high-tech crime, economic crime, and Internet-based crime against children and child pornography.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2017
Employee Rights Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to: (1) make it an unlawful labor practice for a labor organization to interfere (currently, restrain or coerce) with the rights of employees to organize and collectively bargain; (2) require union recertification after a turnover in the workforce exceeding 50% of the bargaining unit; (3) require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to give 14 days advance notice before a hearing investigating an election petition; and (4) require an employer to provide the NLRB with a list consisting only of employee names and addresses of all eligible voters within seven days after an NLRB determination of the appropriate bargaining unit or an agreement on eligible voters. The bill: (1) grants union and nonunion employees the right to vote by secret ballot on whether to ratify a collective bargaining agreement or engage in a strike, (2) prohibits the use of union dues for any purpose not directly related to collective bargaining, (3) prohibits a strike without the consent of a majority of all represented employees determined by secret ballot, and (4) prohibits the use or threat of force or violence to obtain the right to represent employees.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2017
Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017 or the SAFER Act of 2017 This bill amends the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2004 to require the Department of Justice (DOJ), in providing information about the role of forensic nurses to certain health-related entities, to provide information about the role of both adult and pediatric forensic nurses. DOJ must also provide additional information on the need for pediatric sexual assault nurse examiners in responding to the abuse of both children and adolescents. Additionally, the bill amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to reauthorize through FY2022 the requirement for DOJ to allocate a certain percentage of funds under the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program for grants to audit backlogged rape kits.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2017
Rebuild America Now Act This bill amends the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to expedite the environmental review and permitting process for projects undertaken or funded by the federal government that could have significant environmental consequences. The bill states as policy that when implementing a permitting law, including specified environmental laws, agencies should seek to issue permit decisions favorably to the maximum extent practicable. The bill includes provisions regarding: lawsuits involving challenges to agency actions concerning energy production, approval of gas pipeline projects, rights-of-way through national parks, assistance to areas where air pollution levels have not met national ambient air quality standards, and state authority to review certain transportation projects and agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2017
Building America's Trust Act This bill provides for strengthening the barriers along the U.S. land and maritime borders to deter illegal activity, including through U.S. Border Patrol and law enforcement enhancements and personnel increases and National Guard use. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall: (1) establish a National Border Security Advisory Committee; (2) submit a southern border threat analysis; (3) implement the Border Security Deployment Program; (4) establish a biometric exit data system; (5) reestablish the Secure Communities program immigration enforcement program; (6) expand criminal alien repatriation programs; and (7) increase visa security at high-risk posts. The Department of Agriculture may carry out livestock or plant disease prevention/eradication operations. The bill: (1) makes it a crime to unlawfully hinder immigration, border, and customs controls; (2) requires increases in immigration and law enforcement personnel and district judgeships; (3) authorizes appropriations for specified immigration purposes; and (4) requires electronic passport screening and biometric matching at airports of entry. Operation Stonegarden is established as a DHS program to provide border security grants. The Department of Justice shall provide grants for identification of victims of cross-border human smuggling. The bill revises provisions regarding: (1) apprehension and detention of aliens; (2) nonimmigrant admissions; (3) criminal alien detention and removal; (4) parole entry of aliens; (5) sanctuary jurisdictions; (6) unaccompanied alien children; (7) human trafficking, drug trafficking, criminal organizations, and money laundering; (8) terrorism and national security; (9) gangs; (10) criminal penalties, including penalties for drug trafficking and crimes committed by illegal aliens; (11) human rights violations; (12) visa/document fraud and other grounds for exclusion; (13) student and exchange visitor verification; and (14) use of immigration-related information. An alien may not be granted any immigrant status or benefits until positive background and security checks are concluded. The Department of State shall deny or revoke the passport of a person affiliated with a foreign terrorist organization.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2017
Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Access Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to temporarily provide for transitional Medicare payment with respect to certain home infusion services furnished on or after January 1, 2019. Under current law, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services is required to establish a permanent payment system with respect to such services furnished on or after January 1, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2017
Dialysis Access Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow renal dialysis facilities to be accredited by an approved accreditation body for participation in the Medicare program. The bill also establishes a time frame with respect to initial surveys of renal dialysis facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2017
Targeting Child Predators Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to add new provisions with respect to a nondisclosure requirement issued in connection with an administrative subpoena in a child exploitation or abuse investigation. The bill modifies the process for issuing a nondisclosure requirement in a child exploitation or abuse investigation and lengthens the period of time during which a recipient of an administrative subpoena is prohibited from disclosure. It also subjects a nondisclosure requirement to judicial review, requires the administrative subpoena to include notice of the availability of judicial review, and establishes a process for judicial review.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2017
Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act of 2017 This bill requires each federal agency with annual extramural research expenditures of over $100 million to develop a federal research public access policy that (1) is consistent with, and that advances, the purposes of the agency; and (2) follows common procedures for the collection and depositing of research papers. Each federal research public access policy is applicable to (1) researchers employed by the federal agency whose works remain in the public domain, and (2) researchers funded by the agency. The bill specifies exclusions. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress regarding (1) an analysis of the period between the date on which each paper becomes publicly available in a journal and the date on which the paper is in the online repository of the applicable federal agency, and (2) the effectiveness of the policy in providing the public with free online access to papers on research funded by each agency required to develop a policy.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2017
Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to specify that communications decency provisions protecting providers from liability for the private blocking or screening of offensive material shall not be construed to impair the enforcement of, or limit availability of victim restitution or civil remedies under, state or federal criminal or civil laws relating to sex trafficking of children or sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. The bill amends the federal criminal code to specify that the violation for benefiting from "participation in a venture" engaged in sex trafficking of children, or by force, fraud, or coercion, includes knowing conduct by any person or entity by any means that assists, supports, or facilitates the violation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2017
Taylor Force Act This bill: (1) calls on the Palestinian Authority's (PA) to stop making payments to terrorists in Israeli prisons and to the families of deceased terrorists as an incentive to commit acts of terror, (2) calls on countries to cease providing direct budgetary assistance to the PA until it stops all such payments, (3) urges the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (U.N.) and the Department of State to highlight the issue and urge other nations to call for an end to such payments, and (4) expresses support for creation of a general welfare system for all Palestinian citizens. Certain assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 that directly benefits the PA may not be made available for the West Bank and Gaza unless the State Department certifies that the PA: is taking steps to end acts of violence against U.S. and Israeli citizens perpetrated by individuals under its jurisdictional control, such as the March 2016 attack that killed former Army officer Taylor Force; has terminated payments for acts of terrorism against U.S. and Israeli citizens to any individual who has been fairly tried and imprisoned for such acts, to any individual who died committing such acts, and to family members of such an individual; and has revoked any law, decree, or document authorizing or implementing a system of compensation for imprisoned individuals that uses the sentence or incarceration period to determine compensation. Certain assistance under such Act for the West Bank and Gaza may not be made available unless the State Department certifies, every 180 days, that the PA is taking verifiable steps to end acts of violence against Israeli and U.S. citizens by individuals under its jurisdictional control.
![Official portrait of Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001056_200.jpg)