United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2017
Stop Corporate Inversions Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise rules for the taxation of inverted corporations (i.e., U.S. corporations that acquire foreign companies to reincorporate in a foreign jurisdiction with income tax rates lower than the United States). The bill provides that a foreign corporation that acquires the properties of a U.S. corporation or partnership after May 8, 2014, shall be treated as an inverted corporation and thus subject to U.S. taxation if, after such acquisition: (1) it holds more than 50% of the stock of the new entity (expanded affiliated group), or (2) the management or control of the new entity occurs primarily within the United States and the new entity has significant domestic business activities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2017
Protect Children, Farmers, and Farmworkers from Nerve Agent Pesticides Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to prohibit from sale any food that contains the organophosphate pesticide, chlorpyrifos. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must offer a contract to the National Research Council to conduct an organophosphate pesticide risk assessment. If the EPA finds pesticide exposure that does not meet FFDCA standards or the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act standards, the EPA must take regulatory action not later than 90 days after becoming aware of the exposure.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2017
Bob Dole Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Bob Dole in recognition for his service to the nation as a soldier, legislator, and statesman.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2017
This bill amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend the 6% interest rate limitation on debt entered into during a servicemember's military service to any debt entered into to consolidate or refinance one or more student loans incurred before such service.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2017 This bill amends the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 to impose specified sanctions on: (1) foreign persons that knowingly assist in or provide support for fund raising or recruitment activities for Hizballah; (2) agencies of foreign governments that provide Hizballah with financial support, arms, or other assistance; and (3) Hizballah by reason of its narcotics trafficking and significant transnational criminal activities. The bill prescribes reporting requirements or reporting modifications with respect to: (1) foreign persons that knowingly assist or provide significant financial, material, or technological support for foreign persons assisting Hizballah; (2) financial institutions that are owned or organized under the laws of state sponsors of terrorism; (3) Hizballah's racketeering activities; (4) combating illicit tobacco trafficking networks used by Hizballah and other foreign terrorist organizations to finance their operations; (5) the estimated net worth of senior Hizballah officials and how their funds were acquired and used; and (6) revenue from Hizbollah's global logistics networks and legal measures available to target such networks.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Recognizes: (1) the millions of youth throughout the United States who benefit from youth sports; and (2) the parents, volunteers, and local and national organizations that make youth sports in the United States possible.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Dream Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to cancel removal and grant lawful permanent resident status on a conditional basis to an alien who is inadmissible or deportable or is in temporary protected status who: (1) has been continuously physically present in the United States for four years preceding this bill's enactment; (2) was younger than 18 years of age on the initial date of U.S. entry; (3) is not inadmissible on criminal, security, terrorism, or other grounds; (4) has not participated in persecution; (5) has not been convicted of specified federal or state offenses; and (6) has fulfilled specified educational requirements. DHS shall cancel the removal of, and adjust to the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence on a conditional basis, an alien who was granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status unless the alien has engaged in conduct that would make the alien ineligible for DACA. DHS may not: (1) grant conditional permanent resident status without the submission of biometric and background data, and completion of background and medical checks; and (2) disclose or use information provided in applications filed under this bill or in DACA requests for immigration enforcement purposes. The bill prescribes the conditions under which DHS: (1) may terminate a person's conditional permanent resident status, and (2) shall adjust a person's conditional status to permanent resident status. The bill: (1) sets forth documentation requirements for establishing DACA eligibility, and (2) repeals the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Recognizes and commemorates the legacy of Oswaldo Paya Sardinas on the fifth anniversary of his death on July 22, 2017, and honors his commitment to democratic values and principles. Calls on the government of Cuba to allow an impartial, third-party investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. Urges the United States to continue to support policies and programs that promote respect for human rights and democratic principles in Cuba. Urges the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States to continue reporting on human rights issues in Cuba and to request a visit to Cuba to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Oswaldo Paya Sardinas. Calls on the Cuban government to cease its violations of human rights and to begin providing democratic political freedoms to Cuban citizens.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea (BRINK) Act of 2017 This bill requires the President to: (1) submit to Congress a list of financial institutions that are providing financial or banking support to the government of North Korea; (2) impose specified financial and asset blocking sanctions on an institution that has knowingly engaged in such conduct, and (3) impose specified civil penalties upon a U.S. institution based upon whether it has taken steps to prevent a recurrence of such conduct. The President: (1) may suspend, renew, or terminate sanctions subject to prior congressional notification and review; and (2) may not take an action if Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval of such action. The President shall prohibit, with specified exceptions, transactions involving the manufacture, sale, purchase, transfer, import, or export of certain North Korean goods, services, or technology (covered property) by a U.S. person or such transactions that are conducted in the United States. The President may impose specified sanctions with respect to: (1) persons providing specialized financial messaging services to North Korean financial institutions or sanctioned persons, and (2) governments that fail to take specified actions against North Korean financial institutions or persons designated under a United Nations Security Council resolution. A state or local government may divest its assets from, or prohibit investment of its assets in, any person engaging in investment activities involving North Korean covered property valued at more than $10,000. The bill expresses the sense of Congress with respect to: (1) blocking of property of North Korean officials, (2) divestiture of certain employee benefit plan funds involving North Korean covered property, and (3) the Kaesong Industrial Complex and North Korean nuclear disarmament.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Democracy Restoration Act of 2017 This bill establishes that an individual's right to vote in a federal election may not be abridged due to a criminal conviction unless the individual is incarcerated for a felony sentence at the time of the election. The bill also (1) requires incarcerated individuals to be notified of the restoration of their voting rights upon release, and (2) prohibits states and local governments that do not comply with this bill from receiving federal funds for constructing or improving prisons.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2017 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to ban campaign contributions and expenditures by corporations that are controlled, influenced, or owned by foreign nationals. The bill redefines the term "independent expenditure" to include an expenditure that is the functional equivalent of express advocacy because it can be interpreted by a reasonable person only as advocating the election or defeat of a candidate. The bill expands the period during which certain communications are treated as electioneering communications. The bill prescribes disclosure requirements for campaign-related disbursements by corporations, labor organizations, and other entities, including a political committee with an account established for the purpose of accepting donations or contributions that do not comply with the contribution limits or source prohibitions under FECA.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2017
LGBT Data Inclusion Act This bill requires federal agencies that collect information through a survey that includes demographic data (where subjects self-report information or a proxy provides information about the subject or responds for all persons in a household) to establish data standards that require: a determination of which existing data sets exclude information about sexual orientation and gender identity; an identification, and a use, of appropriate methods to include questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in surveys that facilitate categorization and voluntary participation and that preserve privacy and confidentiality; and a routine assessment of needed changes in survey methods related to asking such questions. When appropriate, agencies that publish reports relying on survey demographic data must include information on sexual orientation and gender identity. Individuals shall not be: (1) required by this bill to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to an agency; or (2) subjected to fines or penalties for refusing to answer, or providing a false answer to, any survey question regarding gender identity or sexual orientation. Nothing in this bill shall be construed to permit the use of such collected information in a manner that would adversely affect an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2017
President John F. Kennedy Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of President John F. Kennedy. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, which shall be paid by Treasury to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to support the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2017
Refund Equality Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt certain same-sex couples who were legally married under state law from the three-year time limitation for filing: (1) a claim for a credit or refund of an overpayment of any tax, or (2) an election to file jointly after having filed separate returns. Certain legally married same-sex couples who were first treated as married for federal tax purposes by the application of the holdings of Revenue Ruling 2013-17 may file amended returns for previous years until the due date for the return for the year in which this bill is enacted. The bill applies only to amended returns and claims for a credit or refund that relate to a change in the marital status of the spouses. (In Revenue Ruling 2013-17, the Internal Revenue Service adopted a general rule recognizing, for federal tax purposes, the validity of a same-sex marriage that was valid in the state where it was entered into, regardless of the married couple's place of domicile.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2017
Integrity in Border and Immigration Enforcement Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to administer a polygraph examination to all applicants for law enforcement positions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). DHS may not hire those who do not pass the polygraph test. As part of background reinvestigations, DHS shall administer a polygraph examination to ICE and CBP agents who are at risk of corruption or misconduct. Additionally, DHS must randomly administer a polygraph examination each year to at least 5% of CBP and ICE agents who are undergoing background reinvestigations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2017
Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to: state that the term "intimate partner" includes a dating partner and any other person subject to a protection order under state domestic or family violence law; and expand the term "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include the use or attempted use of physical force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, by a current or former intimate partner. The bill makes it a crime to knowingly sell or dispose of a firearm to a person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of stalking. It also makes it a crime for such convicted stalker to receive or possess a firearm.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2017
Anti-Voter Suppression Act This bill nullifies Executive Order 13799 (titled "Establishment of Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity") and specifies that no funds shall be made available by any act of Congress to the commission described in the order or to any similar commission established for studying voter fraud.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2017
No Funds for Cyber Coordination with Russia Act of 2017 This bill prohibits federal funds from being used to establish a cyber security unit in cooperation with the government of the Russian Federation. It is the sense of Congress that the President: (1) should publicly endorse the assessment of the Armed Forces and the intelligence community that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 election and take measures to deter such future activities; (2) must not use taxpayer funds to engage in cyber coordination with the Russian government, a foreign adversary; and (3) should work with Congress to establish a non-partisan commission of experts to report on Russian cyber operations and other attempts to interfere in the 2016 election.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2017
Furthering carbon capture, Utilization, Technology, Underground storage, and Reduced Emissions Act or the FUTURE Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend and modify the tax credit for carbon dioxide sequestration. The bill modifies the credit to apply it to carbon oxide sequestration. (Carbon oxide refers to any of the three oxides of carbon: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon suboxide.) The bill also: allows certain new industrial or direct air capture facilities to qualify for the credit if construction begins before January 1, 2024; allows qualified projects to claim the credit for 12 years, beginning on the date the equipment was originally placed in service; increases the separate credit amounts, with respect to projects placed in service upon or after the enactment of this bill, that apply to captured carbon oxide that is: (1) disposed of in secure geological storage, and (2) used as a tertiary injectant in an enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project and disposed of in secure geological storage; expands the purposes for which captured carbon oxide may be used; establishes separate carbon oxide capture thresholds for electricity generating facilities, direct air capture facilities, and facilities used for other purposes; specifies that the 75 million metric ton cap on the carbon dioxide that may qualify for the credit applies to carbon oxide and only to projects placed in service before the enactment of this bill; and allows the credit to be transferred from the entity that owns and uses the capture equipment to the entity that disposes of or uses the carbon oxide.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2017
Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act of 2017 or the Dignity Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to establish requirements for the treatment of prisoners. It directs the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to place prisoners as close to their children as possible, provide videoconferencing free of charge, provide trauma-informed care to prisoners diagnosed with trauma, and make specified health products (e.g., tampons) available free of charge. Additionally, with respect to prisoners who are primary caretaker parents, the BOP must provide parenting classes, allow visitation from family members, and establish a pilot program to allow overnight visits from family members. Finally, the bill allows a prisoner who is pregnant or a primary caretaker parent to participate in a residential substance abuse treatment program, even if the individual failed to disclose a substance abuse problem.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Condemns the violence and persecution in Chechnya. Calls on: Chechen officials to cease the abduction, detention, and torture of individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation and hold accountable those involved in perpetrating such abuses; the government of the Russian Federation to protect the human rights of all its citizens, condemn the violence and persecution, investigate such crimes in Chechnya, and hold accountable those involved in perpetrating such abuses; and the U.S. government to continue to condemn the violence and persecution in Chechnya, demand the release of individuals wrongfully detained, and identify those individuals whose involvement in such violence qualifies for the imposition of sanctions under the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 or the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Affirms that the rights to freedom of assembly, association, and expression and freedom from extrajudicial detention and violence are universal human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Designates June 19, 2017, as Juneteenth Independence Day. Recognizes the historical significance and supports the continued celebration of Juneteenth Independence Day, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Helping State and Local Governments Prevent Cyber Attacks (HACK) Act This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission to (1) report to Congress on best practices for election cybersecurity and audits, (2) provide grants to states for implementing such best practices, and (3) develop an online voter-registration platform. The bill also requires states to (1) provide for early voting, either in person or by mail; and (2) count a provisional ballot from an individual eligible to vote, regardless of the precinct or polling place within the state at which the individual cast the ballot.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 coins, 400,000 $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins emblematic of the game of basketball. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to fund an endowment for increased operations and educational programming.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Education Relief and Reinstatement Act of 2017 This bill declares that, if a veteran is forced to discontinue a course as a result of a a permanent school closure and did not receive credit, could not transfer credit, or lost training time toward completion of the education program, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance payments shall not, for a specified period of time, be: charged against the individual's entitlement to educational assistance, or counted against the aggregate period for which such assistance may be provided. The bill applies to courses and programs of education discontinued in FY2015 or a following fiscal year. The VA may continue to pay educational assistance and subsistence allowances to eligible veterans and eligible persons enrolled in specified courses for up to 4 weeks in any 12-month period when schools are temporarily closed under an established policy based on an executive order of the President or due to an emergency situation. The VA may also continue to pay a monthly housing stipend following a permanent school closure, but only until the earlier of: (1) the date of the end of the term, quarter, or semester during which the school closure occurred; and (2) the date that is four months after the school closure.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Recognizing the Environmental Gains In Overcoming Negligence Act or the REGION Act This bill prohibits funds made available for FY2018 from being used to close, consolidate, or eliminate any regional or program office of the Environmental Protection Agency.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Expresses support for the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Recognizes that LGBTQ rights are human rights and protected by the U.S. Constitution and international treaties. Encourages the celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month in June.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Recognizes Liu Xiaobo for his decades of peaceful struggle for basic human rights and democracy in the People's Republic of China. Urges the Chinese government to unconditionally release Liu Xiaobo and his wife, Liu Xia, and the President to seek their humanitarian transfer from China so that Liu Xiaobo can seek medical treatment in the United States or elsewhere overseas.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2017
Wounded Warrior Workforce Enhancement Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to award grants to eligible institutions to: (1) establish a master's degree program in orthotics and prosthetics, or (2) expand upon an existing master's degree program in such area. The VA shall give grant priority to institutions that have entered into a partnership with a medical center administered by the VA or a facility administered by the Department of Defense. An "eligible institution" is an educational institution that is either accredited by the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education or that demonstrates an ability to meet such accreditation requirements if it receives a grant. The bill requires the VA to award a grant to an institution with orthotic and prosthetic research and education experience to: (1) establish the Center of Excellence in Orthotic and Prosthetic Education; and (2) improve orthotic and prosthetic outcomes for veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and civilians by conducting orthotic and prosthetic research.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2017
Wounded Warrior Research Enhancement Act This bill directs the Department of Defense to award grants to advance orthotic and prosthetic care for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and civilians who have undergone amputation, traumatic brain injury, and other serious injuries resulting from combat or military experience. The grants must fund research on: (1) outcomes for such patients, (2) materials used in orthotics and prosthetics, and (3) improving existing orthotic and prosthetic technology and the development of new technology.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2017
Designates June 2017 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month and June 27, 2017, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day. Supports efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense, as well as the medical community, to educate members of the Armed Forces, veterans, their families, and the public about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress. Welcomes the efforts of the VA's National Center for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and local Vet Centers to assist veterans suffering from the effects of post-traumatic stress. Encourages Armed Forces commanders to support appropriate treatment of Armed Forces personnel who suffer from post-traumatic stress.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2017
Voter Empowerment Act of 2017 Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2017 This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require states to make available online voter registration. The federal criminal code is amended to prohibit hindering, interfering with, or preventing voter registration. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 is amended to require states to promote access to voter registration and voting for individuals with disabilities. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must support pilot programs enabling individuals with disabilities to register and vote at their residences. The bill reauthorizes support for state and local governments to ensure voting access for individuals with disabilities. States must notify individuals convicted of a criminal offense under state law, upon release or upon sentence to probation, of their right to vote in federal elections. Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2017 This bill revises auditing requirements for voting systems. Voting systems must use individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots. The National Science Foundation must support the study and development of accessible ballot voting and best practices to enhance the accessibility of voting for certain individuals. With exceptions, states must audit federal election results. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is amended to extend the guarantee of voting residency to family members of absent military personnel. The EAC must support poll-worker recruitment and training and develop materials for a model program. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 is amended to prohibit a chief state election administration official, unless the official or a family member is a candidate, from taking part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which the official has supervisory authority. The EAC is reauthorized and its exemption from certain contracting requirements is repealed.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2017
Expresses support for: (1) equal rights and protections for all people, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity; and (2) the designation of LGBT Equality Day on June 26 to commemorate Supreme Court decisions handed down on that day in 2003, 2013, and 2015. Acknowledges the need for further legislation to ensure that people in the United States are free from all forms of discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to allow a representative official of an Indian tribe, with authorization from the governing body of the tribe, to request one or more polling places to be located on tribal lands. The state or political subdivision shall provide each requested polling place at no expense to the Indian tribe if certain criteria are met. A federal court shall retain jurisdiction to enforce constitutional voting guarantees, but also certain violations of the Act as well as of any federal prohibition against discrimination on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group, for an appropriate period to prevent commencement of new devices to deny or abridge the right to vote. Any state (and all of its political subdivisions) shall be subject to certain requirements for a 10-year period if: 15 or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years; or 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself (as opposed to a political subdivision within it). A state or political subdivision that obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a device to deny or abridge the right to vote shall be exempt from such requirements unless as specified. This bill prescribes transparency requirements regarding any changes to specified matters. Department of Justice authority to assign observers receives new extensions. Courts shall grant preliminary injunctive relief if a complainant raises a serious question whether the challenged covered practice violates the Act or the Constitution and, on balance, the hardship imposed upon the defendant by the relief will be less than the hardship on the plaintiff if the relief were not granted.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Recognizes the increase in educational opportunities, including in sports, for women and girls since the passage of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Encourages the Department of Education and Department of Justice to ensure that students have a safe learning environment by working to ensure schools prevent and respond to discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex including sexual assault, harassment, domestic and dating violence, pregnancy, sex-stereotyping, and actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. Recognizes that progress remains to ensure that no educational institution that receives federal funding discriminates against any persons because of their sex. Recognizes the progress in education opportunities for women and girls since the passage of title IX of the Education Amendments. Expresses the need to ensure students have a safe learning environment through schools' prevention efforts and responses to forms of discrimination and harassment based on one's sex.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Welcomes: (1) the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in, on his first official visit to the United States; and (2) opportunities to strengthen security consultation, cooperation, and partnership on matters such as space, cyber, and missile defense. Reaffirms the importance of: (1) the U.S.-South Korea alliance, as enshrined in the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1953; and (2) the U.S. commitment to defend South Korea under Article III of that treaty. Reinforces U.S. commitments to provide extended deterrence to South Korea. Supports efforts to: (1) strengthen such alliance and defend it against provocations by North Korea, (2) protect U.S. Armed Forces stationed on the Korean Peninsula, and (3) peacefully achieve a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons through a diplomatic process. Urges the United States and South Korea to work together: (1) with members of the United Nations Security Council and other member states, to enforce existing sanctions and consider the need to pass additional new measures under Article 41 of the United Nations Charter; and (2) to implement all aspects of the U.S.-Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement. Encourages the U.S. and South Korean governments to continue to broaden and deepen the alliance by enhancing cooperation and building new partnerships in the security, economic, energy, scientific, health, education, and cultural spheres.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2017
Support Technology and Research for Our Nation's Growth and Economic Resilience Patents Act of 2017 or the STRONGER Patents Act of 2017 This bill makes several changes to the patent law, including the procedures that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office uses to conduct administrative patent validity reviews.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2017
Stop the Asian Carp Now Act of 2017 This bill directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release for public comment the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study - Brandon Road interim report that was scheduled for release on February 27, 2017. (The interim report is a feasibility study that assesses the viability of establishing a single point to control the upstream transfer of aquatic nuisance species from the Mississippi River Basin into the Great Lakes Basin in the vicinity of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois.)
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2017
Military Consumer Enforcement Act This bill amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act to extend Consumer Financial Protection Bureau oversight and protection to persons covered by provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act concerning: future financial transactions, excluding insurance; default judgments, excluding child custody proceedings; interest rates on pre-service debts; evictions; purchase or lease installment contracts; mortgages and trusts; motor vehicle leases; telephone service contracts; waiver of rights pursuant to a written agreement, excluding bailments; and the rights and protections of reserves ordered to report for military service and persons ordered to report for induction.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2017
Schedules That Work Act This bill grants an employee the right to request that the employee's employer change the terms and conditions of employment relating to: the number of hours or times the employee is required to work or be on call; the location; the amount of notification the employee receives of work schedule assignments; and minimizing fluctuations in the number of hours the employee is scheduled to work on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The employer, if the request is made, shall engage in a timely, good faith interactive process with the employee that includes a discussion of potential schedule changes that would meet the employee's needs. The bill outlines the process for either granting or denying a change. The employer shall grant a request, unless there is a bona fide business reason for denying it, if the request is made because of the employee's serious health condition, the employee's responsibilities as a caregiver, or enrollment in a career-related educational or training program, or if a part-time employee requests such a change for a reason related to a second job. An employer, if an employee requests a change for any other reason, may deny it for any reason that is not unlawful. The employer shall give the employee the reason for the denial, including whether it was a bona fide business reason. The bill outlines employer requirements for paying reporting time and split shift pay and for giving advance notice of work schedules to retail, food service, or cleaning employees, or the Department of Labor's designated employees, except for those in bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacities. The bill makes it unlawful for any employer or other person to: (1) interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise or the attempt to exercise any right of an employee specified in this bill; (2) retaliate against an employee for exercising the rights granted employees by this bill; or (3) interfere with proceedings or inquiries with respect to violation of an individual's rights under this bill. The bill sets forth administrative enforcement procedures and civil remedies for violation of these prohibitions. Labor must give information and technical assistance to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning compliance with this bill. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of the Census shall: (1) include in the Current Population Survey questions on, among other things, the amount of fluctuation in the number of hours the employee is scheduled to work on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis; and (2) conduct at regular intervals the Contingent Worker Supplement, the Work Schedules and Work at Home Supplement, and other relevant supplements to the Current Population Survey. This bill is inapplicable to any employee covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement if its terms govern work scheduling practices.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2017
Caregiver Program Information Improvement Act of 2017 This bill requires pre-separation counseling for members of the Armed Forces to include a description of Department of Veterans Affairs family caregiver assistance and support services, including information about covered veterans, eligible caregivers, and program assistance and support. Each military department shall take actions: (1) to determine whether each member of the Armed Forces who is undergoing pre-separation counseling and may require caregiver services has identified a caregiver; and (2) at the member's election, to permit such caregiver to participate in pre-separation counseling sessions in order to be informed of assistance and support services available to caregivers and the manner in which the member's transition to civilian life may affect the caregiver.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
No Hearing, No Vote Act of 2017 This bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to prohibit the Senate from considering any reconciliation bill or reconciliation resolution, unless: the legislation is either ordered reported to the Senate by the committee receiving reconciliation instructions or reported by the Senate Budget Committee after receiving recommendations from multiple committees receiving instructions, and each committee that ordered the legislation to be reported or ordered recommendations to be reported to the Senate Budget Committee held at least one hearing regarding any major provision of the legislation that is within the jurisdiction of the committee An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Senators, duly chosen and sworn, is required to either: (1) waive or suspend the requirements of this bill, or (2) sustain an appeal of the ruling of the chair on a point of order raised, with respect to the requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Working Families Tax Relief Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the earned income tax credit, to: (1) increase the credit and reduce the phaseout percentage for taxpayers with no qualifying children, (2) reduce from 25 to 21 the qualifying age for individuals with no children, (3) revise eligibility rules relating to married individuals living apart and qualifying children claimed by another family member, and (4) repeal the denial of such credit for taxpayers with excess investment income. This bill modifies the child tax credit to: (1) increase the amount of the credit and the portion of the credit that is refundable for taxpayers with children under the age of six, and (2) require the dollar amounts of the credit to be adjusted for inflation after 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Mental Health in Schools Act of 2017 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed, and age appropriate. A comprehensive school mental health program funded under this bill must assist children in dealing with trauma and violence. The bill makes only certain partnerships that include a state educational agency and one or more educational agencies, with a local agency serving as lead partner, eligible for funding. They include public or private entities that use evidence-based intervention. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shall develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating grant program activities, including the development of: (1) guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) outcome measures to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, including student and family measures and local educational measures.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Stop Price Gouging Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on pharmaceutical companies that sell prescription drugs that are subject to price spikes that exceed the annual percentage increase in the medical care consumer price index detailed expenditure category for all urban consumers (U.S. city average). For each taxable prescription drug, the excise tax ranges from 50% to 100% of price spike revenue received by the company, depending on the size of the price spike and including an adjustment for revenue that is due solely to an increase in the cost of the inputs necessary to manufacture the drug. Pharmaceutical companies must submit specified data regarding drug prices and revenue to the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the IG must submit an assessment of the data to the Internal Revenue Service. HHS, upon the recommendation of the IG, may exempt certain drugs from the excise tax if: (1) a for-cause price increase exemption should apply, or (2) the drug has an average manufacturer price of not greater than $10 for a 30-day supply and is marketed by at least 3 other holders of applications approved under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The Government Accountability Office must examine: (1) how drug manufacturers and health plans establish initial launch prices for newly approved drugs, and (2) alternative methods that have been proposed for setting the price of new drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Restore Honor to Service Members Act This bill requires appropriate military record correction boards or discharge review boards to review the discharge characterization of any former members of the Armed Forces requesting a review who were discharged because of their sexual orientation. Such boards to change a characterization to honorable if such characterization is any characterization except honorable. The Department of Defense (DOD) shall ensure that any such changes are carried out consistently and uniformly across the military departments using specified criteria, including that: (1) the original discharge was based on the policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell (as in effect before it was repealed pursuant to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010) or a similar earlier policy; and (2) the discharge characterization will be changed if, with respect to the original discharge, there were no aggravating circumstances that would have independently led to any discharge characterization except honorable. The bill prohibits "aggravating circumstances" from including: (1) an offense of sodomy committed by the member against a consenting person of the same sex; or (2) statements, consensual sexual conduct, or consensual acts relating to sexual orientation or identity, or the disclosure of such statements, conduct, or acts, that were prohibited at the time of discharge but that became permitted after such discharge. Each military department shall ensure that oral historians of the department: (1) review discharges between World War II and September 2011 based on sexual orientation, and (2) receive oral testimony of individuals who personally experienced discrimination and discharge because of actual or perceived sexual orientation so that such testimony may serve as an official record of such discriminatory policies and their impact on American lives. Specified military personnel records and discharge forms must be reissued in a manner that shall not reflect the sexual orientation of the member.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Recognizes: U.S. Capitol Police Special Agents David Bailey, Crystal Griner, and Henry Cabrera for responding to and ultimately ending the threat to Members of Congress, their staff, and others during the shooting at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 14, 2017; the Police Department, the Office of the Sheriff, and the Fire Department of Alexandria, Virginia, and the first responders who reported to the scene; victims Steve Scalise, Zachary Barth, and Matthew Mika, who survived the shooting; and the U.S. Capitol Police for their professionalism, vigilance, and self-sacrifice in protecting Members of Congress and congressional employees, visitors, and facilities. Recognizes that threats to Members of Congress also threaten the foundations of our representative democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Designates June 20, 2017, as American Eagle Day. Applauds the issuance of bald eagle commemorative coins by the Department of the Treasury to generate funds for the protection of the bald eagle. Encourages entities with an interest in conserving endangered species to collaborate and develop educational tools for use in the public schools.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2017
Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2017 This bill directs the chief election official of each state to establish and operate an automatic voter registration system for federal elections. The system shall obtain information about eligible voters from contributing state agencies, including all agencies required by federal law to provide voter registration services. The Election Assistance Commission shall make grants to assist states in implementing the bill.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2017
Children Don't Belong on Tobacco Farms Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to redefine "oppressive child labor," for purposes of child labor prohibitions, to include the employment of any employee under age 18 who has direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves.
![Official portrait of Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000563_200.jpg)