United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2013
Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers Act of 2013 or the POST Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require proprietary institutions of higher education to derive at least 15% of their revenue from sources other than federal funds or become ineligible for title IV funding. (Currently, the 90/10 rule requires these schools to derive at least 10% of their revenue from sources other than title IV or become ineligible for title IV funding.) Defines "federal funds" as federal financial assistance provided through a grant, contract, subsidy, loan, guarantee, insurance, or other means to a proprietary institution, including federal financial assistance that is provided to an institution on behalf of a student or to a student to attend the institution. Excludes monthly housing stipends provided under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance program from consideration as federal funds. Limits what a proprietary institution may treat as revenue to the school in calculating whether it derives at least 15% of its revenue from non-federal funds.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2013
Memorial Day Moment of Silence Act - Directs the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe two minutes of silence on Memorial Day, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Atlantic standard time, in honor of the service and sacrifice of members of the Armed Forces throughout the history of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2013
Commemorates the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Recognizes the Corporation's work to improve lives, strengthen communities, expand economic opportunity, foster innovation and civic engagement, and engage millions of U.S. people in solving critical problems through national service.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Accuracy for Adoptees Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that a certificate of citizenship or other federal document issued, or requested to be amended, reflect the child's name and date of birth as indicated on a state court order, birth certificate, certificate of foreign birth, certificate of birth abroad, or similar state vital records document issued by the child's U.S. state of residence after the child has been adopted or readopted in that state.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet-collection, and Online Monitoring Act or the USA FREEDOM Act - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to set forth additional requirements for obtaining orders for business records in counterterrorism investigations, including requiring that the records sought pertain to a foreign power, an agent of a foreign power, or an individual in contact with, or known to a suspected agent of, a foreign power. Requires additional information if the applicant is seeking a nondisclosure requirement in connection with such request. Allows the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to apply for renewals of nondisclosure requirements. Authorizes the Attorney General (AG) to require the production of call data records by the provider of a wire or electronic communication service. Amends the USA PATRIOT Improvements and Reauthorization Act of 2005 to require the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Justice (DOJ), for 2010 through 2013, to report on an examination of the minimization procedures (procedures designed to minimize the acquisition and retention of information and to prohibit its unauthorized dissemination) used in relation to business records orders. Imposes additional requirements on the authorized use of pen registers and trap and trace devices (devices for recording incoming and outgoing telephone numbers), including that: (1) the information sought must pertain to a foreign power, agent thereof, or individual in contact with or known to such an agent; and (2) the application must contain a statement of proposed minimization procedures. Requires audits of the effectiveness and use of such devices. Prohibits the searching of collections of communications of U.S. persons, except: (1) under an order or authorization for electronic surveillance or physical search, (2) with the consent of such person, or (3) under a reasonable belief that the life or safety of the person in threatened and the information is sought to assist that person. Limits the collection of wholly domestic communications of a U.S. person to those communications: (1) to which any party is a target of the acquisition; or (2) that contain an identifier of a target of an acquisition, only if the communications are acquired to protect against international terrorism or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Prohibits receiving into evidence any information obtained in an acquisition against any U.S. person for which a deficiency in the procedures for acquiring such information is identified by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court). Authorizes the FISA Court, if the government corrects any deficiencies so identified, to permit the use or disclosure of information acquired before the correction under such minimization procedures as the FISA Court shall establish. Repeals on June 1, 2015, FISA procedures regarding the targeting of non-U.S. persons located outside the United States in order to acquire foreign intelligence information. Requires reviews of surveillance targeting and minimization procedures by the IG of the Intelligence Community (IC), including mandatory review with respect to the privacy rights of U.S. persons. Establishes within the judicial branch an Office of the Special Advocate to participate in proceedings before the FISA Court and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, request reconsiderations of FISA Court decisions, and participate in appeals and reviews. Requires the Special Advocate to vigorously advocate in support of legal interpretations that protect individual privacy and civil liberties. Requires the Attorney General to publicly disclose specified information in connection with FISA Court or FISA Court of Review decisions appealed by the Special Advocate. Requires the release of as much information regarding the facts and analysis in such decisions as is consistent with legitimate national security concerns. Authorizes the FBI Director to request from a communication service provider the name, address, length of service, and local and long distance billing records of a person as part of a national security investigation only if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the information sought pertains to a foreign power, an agent of a foreign power, or an individual in contact with, or known to a suspected agent of, a foreign power. Provides similar requirements with respect to an FBI request for information from financial institutions and consumer reporting agencies. Revises provisions prohibiting the disclosure of the receipt of a national security letter by such providers, institutions, and agencies to except disclosure to: (1) those persons to whom disclosure is necessary to comply with the request, (2) an attorney in order to obtain legal advice or assistance regarding the request, or (3) other persons as permitted by the FBI. Includes under such prohibition (with the same exceptions) national security letters issued in connection with the investigation of persons with access to classified information. Allows affected communications providers, financial institutions, and consumer reporting agencies to seek judicial review of requests for information. Requires the DOJ IG to report results of audits of national security letters issued during 2010 through 2013. Amends provisions of FISA, the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978, the National Security Act of 1947, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) concerning national security letters to, effective June 1, 2015, make such provisions read as they read on October 25, 2001. Allows electronic service providers to publicly report on information provided under FISA orders and national security letters. Exempts such providers from liability with respect to such reports. Revises requirements concerning government reporting on the use of FISA orders and national security letters. Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to remove the AG as a required intermediary for subpoenas in connection with authorized activities of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2013
Servicemember Housing Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to protect a surviving spouse who is the successor in interest to a servicemember who dies from a service-connected cause while in military service against a mortgage foreclosure or residential lease termination. Extends such protection for the one-month period following the death of the servicemember. Allows the termination of an existing lease by the lessee, without penalties, when the lessee is assigned to or otherwise relocates to federal quarters or military housing. Requires, in such case, the lessee to deliver to the lessor written notice of such termination and a letter from the servicemember's commanding officer indicating such relocation.
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 sense of the Senate that the United States should suspend military assistance for Cambodia until an independent and credible investigation occurs into the July 2013 parliamentary elections in Cambodia, and the government of Cambodia is implementing reforms to prevent future election fraud and abuse.
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 · 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 · 30 September 2013
Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to provide that the total number of aliens eligible for special immigrant status (Iraqis who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq) during the first three months of FY2014 shall be the sum of: (1) the number of such aliens whose applications were pending on September 30, 2013, and (2) 2000. Imposes a deadline of December 15, 2013, for applications for special immigrant status. Directs the Secretary of State to increase the fee or surcharge authorized under the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 by $1 for processing machine-readable nonimmigrant visas and machine-readable combined border crossing identification cards and nonimmigrant visas. Requires amounts collected as a result of the fee increase to be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2013
Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and reauthorize appropriations through FY2018 for payments to children's hospitals associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) make available up to 25 percent of the total amounts in excess of specified appropriations for payments to certain hospitals with a Medicare payment agreement that are excluded from the Medicare inpatient hospital prospective payment system and whose inpatients are predominantly under 18 years of age; and (2) establish a quality bonus system for distribution of excess payments to such hospitals, which may include a focus on quality measurement and improvement, interpersonal and communications skills, delivering patient-centered care, and practicing in integrated health systems.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2013
Benefits Fairness for Filipino Veterans Act of 2013 - Provides that, with respect to eligibility for benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of Filipino veterans who are lawful U.S. residents, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not determine that such a person is not an individual residing in the United States solely because the person is outside the United States for any period of less than one year.
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
Haiti and Armenia Reforestation Act of 2013 - Authorizes the President to: (1) provide Haiti and Armenia with financial assistance, technology transfers, or capacity building assistance to reduce deforestation and increase afforestation and reforestation; (2) establish a grant program to reverse deforestation and improve reforestation and afforestation in Haiti and Armenia; (3) make grants to nongovernmental organizations for the open-market purchase of discounted government of Haiti debt in exchange for forest restoration commitments by the government; and (4) forgive debt owed to the United States by the government of Armenia in exchange for forest restoration commitments by the government.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act of 2013 - Requires each state that receives funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and that does not meet the requirements for the prevention and treatment of concussions set forth in this Act as of the date of enactment of this Act to enact legislation or issue regulations establishing such requirements by the last day of the fifth full fiscal year after such date. Requires each local educational agency in the state to develop and implement a standard plan for concussion safety and management that: (1) educates students, parents, and school personnel about concussions through specified activities; (2) encourages specified supports for a student recovering from a concussion; and (3) encourages the use of specified best practices designed to ensure the uniformity of safety standards, treatment, and management. Requires each public elementary and secondary school to post on school grounds and make publicly available on the school website specified information on concussions. Requires that if an individual designated from among school personnel for purposes of this Act suspects that a student has sustained a concussion: (1) the student shall be immediately removed from participation in a school-sponsored athletic activity and prohibited from returning to such activity until the student submits a written release from a health care professional; and (2) such designated individual shall report to the student's parent or guardian information regarding the date, time, and type of the injury suffered by the student and any actions taken to treat the student. Directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) reduce by specified percentages the amount a state receives under ESEA if it fails to comply with this Act within a specified time frame, and (2) provide prior written notification of such intended reduction to the state and to the appropriate congressional committees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Designates October 3, 2013, as Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day. Commends Jumpstart's Read for the Record on its eighth year. (Jumpstart is a national nonprofit early childhood education organization.) Encourages adults to: (1) join children in creating the world's largest shared reading experience, and (2) show their support for early literacy and Jumpstart's early education programming for young children in low-income communities.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Recognizes the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15, 2013, through October 15, 2013. Esteems the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
Recognizes the achievements and goals of Hispanic-serving institutions across the United States. Designates the week beginning September 15, 2013, as National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act, with respect to asthma-related grants for child health services, to give an additional preference to a state that allows self-administration of asthma and anaphylaxis medication and makes a certification concerning the adequacy of the state's civil liability protection law to protect trained school personnel who may administer epinephrine to a student reasonably believed to be having an anaphylactic reaction. Requires elementary and secondary schools in such a state to: (1) permit trained personnel to administer epinephrine to a student reasonably believed to be having such a reaction, (2) maintain a supply of epinephrine in a secure location that is easily accessible to trained personnel for such treatment, and (3) have in place a plan for having on the school premises during operating hours one or more designated personnel trained in administration of epinephrine.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Honors James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, for his contributions to the Olympic Games, collegiate athletics, international race relations, and democracy.
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
Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013 - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to expand government reporting requirements with respect to surveillance programs under FISA and the USA PATRIOT Act. Permits persons (any individual, including any officer or employee of the federal government, or any group, entity, association, corporation, or foreign power) receiving certain production orders to make public disclosures regarding the categories of orders to which they complied and the total number of users whose information was produced. Directs the Attorney General to report annually to Congress, in an unclassified form to be made available to the public, regarding orders approving electronic surveillance, pen register and trap and trace devices, the production of tangible things (commonly referred to as business records, including books, records, papers, documents, and other items), and the targeting of persons outside the United States other than U.S. persons. Sets forth the details to be included in various reports, including: the total number of applications made for orders and number of such orders granted, modified, or denied; good faith estimates of the total number of individual persons (any individuals, excluding any group, entity, association, corporation, or governmental entity) whose tangible things or electronic or wire communications information were obtained or produced; good faith estimates of the total number of U.S. persons (U.S. citizens or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence) whose information was obtained and the number of such persons whose information was subsequently reviewed or accessed by a federal officer, employee, or agent; the total number of computer-assisted search queries initiated by the federal government in certain databases under specified orders and the number of such queries whose search terms included information from a U.S. person; and the number of subscribers or customers of an electronic communication service or remote computing service whose tangible records were produced and the number of such persons whose records were subsequently reviewed by the federal government. Requires certain totals, when the total number is fewer than 500, to be expressed as a numerical range of "fewer than 500" instead of as an individual number. Directs the Attorney General to submit an annual certification confirming that in the course of the preceding year no orders entered for the production of tangible things were used to obtain the contents of an electronic or wire communication. Permits persons and other entities receiving specified production orders to disclose, every six months: (1) the total number of orders received and the percentage or total number of orders with which they complied; (2) the total number of individual persons, users, or accounts whose information of any kind was produced to the government or was obtained or collected by the government; and (3) with respect to specified categories of orders, the total number of individual persons, users, or accounts for whom the contents or records of electronic or wire communications, including certain subscriber records of remote computing services, were produced to the government or were obtained or collected by the government. Provides immunity from court actions to such persons and entities making voluntary disclosures under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014 - Appropriates funds for FY2014 for the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) military, reserve, and National Guard personnel; (2) operation and maintenance (O&M), including for the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, environmental restoration, overseas humanitarian, disaster, and civic aid, the Cooperative Threat Reduction Account, and the DOD Acquisition Workforce Development Fund; (3) procurement, including for aircraft, missile, weapons, tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and purchases under the Defense Production Act of 1950; (4) research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E); (5) Defense Working Capital Funds and the National Defense Sealift Fund; (6) the Defense Health Program; (7) chemical agents and munitions destruction; (8) drug interdiction and counter-drug activities; (9) the Office of the Inspector General; (10) the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System Fund; (11) the Intelligence Community Management Account; and (12) overseas contingency operations, including for military, reserve, and National Guard personnel, O&M, the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund, the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund, procurement, RDT&E, Defense Working Capital Funds, the Defense Health Program, drug interdiction and counter-drug activities, the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund, and the Office of the Inspector General. Specifies authorized, restricted, and prohibited uses of appropriated funds. Rescinds specified funds from various accounts under prior defense appropriations Acts.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
FISA Court Reform Act of 2013 - Establishes as an independent establishment in the executive branch an Office of the Special Advocate to protect individual rights by advocating in cases before courts established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) in support of legal interpretations that minimize the scope of surveillance and the extent of data collection and retention. Directs the presiding judge of the FISA Court of Review to appoint a Special Advocate to serve as the head of such Office from a list of candidates submitted by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Requires the Special Advocate to: (1) review each application to the FISA Court by the Attorney General and each decision of the FISA Court or the FISA Court of Review, and (2) participate in proceedings before the FISA Court when appointed to participate by such Court. Permits the Special Advocate to request to participate in such proceedings, request reconsideration of FISA Court decisions, and appeal or seek review of FISA Court or FISA Court of Review decisions. Directs such Courts to promulgate rules to provide the public with information sufficient to allow interested parties to participate as amicus curiae. Authorizes the Special Advocate to seek a writ of certiorari from the Supreme Court for review of any decision of the FISA Court of Review. Requires the Attorney General to publicly disclose: (1) all decisions issued by the FISA Court or the FISA Court of Review after July 10, 2003, that include a significant construction or interpretation of law, (2) any decision of the FISA Court appealed by the Special Advocate, and (3) any FISA Court of Review decision issued after an appeal by the Special Advocate. Provides for the release of as much information regarding the facts and analysis in such decisions as is consistent with legitimate national security concerns. Permits the Special Advocate to petition the FISA Court or FISA Court of Review for the public disclosure of decisions and related documents previously designated as classified or for the release of an unclassified summary of such materials.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
FISA Judge Selection Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, with respect to the appointment of judges to the court established by such Act (FISA Court), to: (1) increase from 11 to 13 the number of FISA Court judges, with one judge designated from each judicial circuit; (2) authorize a chief judge of a judicial circuit to submit to the Chief Justice of the United States the name of a district judge within such circuit to fill a FISA Court vacancy; (3) allow the Chief Justice to accept the proposed replacement judge or reject such replacement and request two additional names; (4) require the Chief Justice to fill the vacancy with one of the two additional named judges; and (5) require any judge appointed to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review by the Chief Justice to be confirmed by five Associate Justices. Directs the Committee on Intercircuit Assignments of the Judicial Conference of the United States to study and report on how to ensure that judges appointed to the FISA Court and the FISA Court of Review are diverse and representative.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Dietary Supplement Labeling Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to expand the registration requirements for a dietary supplement manufacturing or processing facility to: (1) require the submission of a description, ingredient list, and label and labeling for each dietary supplement product manufactured or processed; and (2) require a manufacturer to update its registration for new, reformulated, or discontinued products within 30 days. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to compile a list of dietary supplement ingredients and proprietary blends of ingredients that could cause potentially serious adverse events, drug interactions, contraindications, or potential risks to subgroups such as children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Directs the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to: (1) evaluate the safety of dietary supplement ingredients and proprietary blends of ingredients that the Institute determines could cause potentially serious adverse events, drug interations, contraindications, or potential risks to subgroups; and (2) identify proprietary blends of ingredients for which the weight per serving of the ingredient in the proprietary blend should be provided on the label. Deems a dietary supplement that does not meet the requirements of this Act to be misbranded. Requires the Secretary to establish a definition for the term “conventional food” for purposes of the FFDCA, taking in account foods marketed as dietary supplements.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2013 - Requires the Supreme Court to promulgate a code of ethics for the Justices of the Supreme Court that shall include the five canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States, with any amendments or modifications that the Supreme Court determines appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Supports the people of Venezuela in their pursuit of the free exercise of representative democracy in Venezuela. Calls for greater dialogue between all political actors in Venezuela and deplores the undemocratic denial of parliamentary rights to members of opposition parties in the National Assembly and the violence perpetrated against opposition legislators. Commends legislators from other nations in the Americas who have declared their opposition to political irregularities and the use of violence against opposition parliamentarians in Venezuela. Urges: (1) the Organization of American States (OAS) to issue a report on irregularities resulting from the April 14, 2013, presidential election in Venezuela; and (2) the U.S. Ambassador to the OAS to work with other member states to strengthen the ability of the OAS to protect democratic institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Expresses support for the designation of American College of Surgeons Days. Recognizes: (1) the 100th anniversary of the American College of Surgeons, and (2) its many important contributions to the welfare of surgical patients and the U.S. health care system.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Smarter Sentencing Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to direct the court to impose a sentence for specified controlled substance offenses without regard to any statutory minimum sentence if the court finds that the criminal history category for the defendant is not higher than category two. (Currently, the court may disregard the statutory minimum if the defendant does not have more than one criminal history point.) Authorizes a court that imposed a sentence for a crack cocaine possession or trafficking offense committed before August 3, 2010, on motion of the defendant, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, the attorney for the government, or the court, to impose a reduced sentence as if provisions of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 were in effect at the time such offense was committed. Amends the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (CSIEA) to reduce mandatory minimum sentences for manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, possessing, importing, or exporting specified controlled substances. Directs the Commission to review and amend its guidelines and policy statements applicable to persons convicted of such an offense under the CSA and CSIEA to ensure consistency with this Act and to consider specified factors, including: (1) its mandate to formulate guidelines to minimize the likelihood that the federal prison population will exceed federal prison capacity, (2) fiscal implications of changes, (3) relevant public safety concerns, (4) the intent of Congress that penalties for violent and serious drug traffickers who present public safety risks remain appropriately severe, and (5) the need to reduce and prevent racial disparities in sentencing. Requires the Attorney General to report on how the reduced expenditures on federal corrections and cost savings resulting from this Act will be used to help reduce overcrowding, increase investment in law enforcement and crime prevention, and reduce recidivism.
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 · 30 July 2013
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 · 30 July 2013
Petroleum Coke Transparency and Public Health Study Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to transmit to Congress, within 180 days after enactment of this Act, the results of a study, using the best available science, of petroleum coke that includes: (1) an analysis of the public health and environmental impacts of the production, transportation, storage, and use of petroleum coke; (2) an assessment of potential approaches and best practices for storing, transporting, and managing petroleum coke; and (3) a quantitative analysis of current and projected domestic petroleum coke production and utilization locations. Requires the Secretary to compile and publish on a publicly available website the results of such study.
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
Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2013 - Declares the purpose of this Act to be the establishment of national standards and prohibitions for discharges from cruise vessels. Defines "cruise vessel" as a passenger vessel that is authorized to carry at least 250 passengers and has onboard sleeping facilities for each passenger. Excludes vessels owned or operated by federal, state, or local governments. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prohibit cruise vessels departing from, or calling on, a U.S. port from discharging effluents, including sewage or sewage sludge, incinerator ash, hazardous waste, graywater, or bilge water, into navigable waters. Allows an exception for discharges made solely to secure the safety of a cruise vessel or to save a human life at sea. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) promulgate effluent limits for sewage, graywater, and bilge water discharges from cruise vessels; (2) establish dates for compliance with such limits; (3) require sampling, monitoring, and reporting to ensure compliance with such limits and other applicable requirements; and (4) establish an inspection program to ensure the compliance of cruise vessels with the requirements of this Act. Requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the Administrator, to establish and carry out a program for hiring and placing trained, independent, observers on cruise vessels to monitor and inspect vessel operations, equipment, and discharges. Establishes in the Treasury the Cruise Vessel Pollution Control Fund. Requires the Commandant and the Administrator to collect fees from cruise vessels and deposit such fees in the Fund for use in carrying out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Crime Gun Tracing Act of 2013 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to direct the Attorney General, in awarding public safety and community policing (COPS ON THE BEAT) grants, to give preferential consideration to an applicant that has reported all firearms recovered during the previous 12 months at a crime scene or during the course of a criminal investigation to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), or to a state agency that reports such firearms to the Bureau, for the purpose of tracing. Requires each application for a COPS grant to specify: (1) whether the applicant recovered any firearms at a crime scene or during the course of a criminal investigation during the 12 months before the submission of the application; (2) the number of such firearms recovered; (3) the number of such firearms reported to the Bureau, or to a state agency that reports such firearms to the Bureau, for tracing; and (4) the reason why any such firearms were not so reported.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
New Philadelphia, Illinois, Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the New Philadelphia archaeological site and the land surrounding it in Illinois (the study area). Requires the Secretary to evaluate the national significance of the study area and to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National Park System.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to set the annual interest rate on Direct Stafford loans and Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans issued to undergraduate students at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 2.05%, but caps that rate at 8.25%. Sets the annual interest rate on Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans issued to graduate or professional students at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 3.6%, but caps that rate at 9.5%. Sets the annual interest rate on Direct PLUS loans at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 4.6%, but caps that rate at 10.5%. Limits the applicability of the preceding provisions to loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2013. Fixes the interest rate on Direct Stafford loans, Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans, and Direct PLUS loans for the period of the loan. Sets the annual interest rate on Direct Consolidation loans for which an application is received on or after July 1, 2013, at the weighted average of the interest rates on the loans consolidated, rounded to the nearest higher one-eighth of 1%. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study and report to Congress on the actual cost to the federal government of carrying out the federal student loan programs authorized under title IV of the HEA.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to cooperative and small employer charity pension plans (CSEC plans), to: (1) define such plans as defined benefit plans maintained by multiple employers, all of whom are tax-exempt charitable organizations; (2) exempt CSEC plans from existing funding standards and allow such plans to establish minimum funding standards and special rules with respect to the valuation of plan assets, required contributions, and liquidity requirements; (3) require specified notices to CSEC plan participants on the effect of CSEC plan rules on plan funding and on total contributions made by participating employers; (4) allow pension plan sponsors to elect out of treatment of their plans as a CSEC plan in plan years beginning after December 31, 2013; (4) establish a flat premium level for insurance coverage of CSEC plans; and (5) require the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to make sponsors of existing CSEC plans aware of the changes to ERISA made by this Act and the assistance available through the Participant and Plan Sponsor Advocate established by ERISA.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth PROMISE Act - Provides that not more than 50% of the amount available for the Edward Byrne Memorial Criminal Justice Innovation Program shall be made available to carry out this Act. Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention or intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
No Child Left Inside Act of 2013 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to eligible partnerships to support the implementation of state environmental literacy plans that include environmental education standards and teacher training. Includes in the eligible partnerships a local educational agency (LEA) and at least one institution of higher education, another LEA, an elementary or secondary school, or a government or nonprofit entity experienced in environmental literacy. Requires use of the subgrants for one or more of the following activities: providing targeted, job-embedded professional development that improves teachers' environmental content knowledge and pedagogical skills; establishing and operating environmental education summer workshops or institutes for teachers; developing or redesigning more rigorous environmental education curricula; designing programs that prepare teachers to provide environmental education mentoring and training to other teachers in their school; establishing and operating programs to bring teachers and students into contact with working professionals in environmental fields; creating initiatives that incorporate environmental education within teacher training programs or accreditation standards; and promoting the integration of outdoor environmental education lessons into the regular school curriculum and schedule. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to eligible partnerships for one or more of the following activities: developing and implementing state curriculum frameworks for environmental education that meet challenging state academic content and achievement standards for environmental education, replicating or disseminating information about proven and tested model environmental education programs, and developing and implementing new approaches to advancing environmental education and the adoption and use of environmental education content standards. Amends part B (Mathematics and Science Partnerships) of title II of the ESEA to: (1) include nonprofit environmental education organizations and government science, environmental, or natural resource management agencies among the entities eligible to participate in part B partnerships; and (2) allow the use of part B funds to train teachers to use environmental education to enhance student understanding of science and mathematics. Amends part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers) of title IV of the ESEA to include environmental literacy activities among the before and after school activities that such program funds at community learning centers. Directs the Secretary to: request all federal departments and agencies to provide information on any environmental literacy assistance program that they operate, sponsor, or support; make that information searchable and accessible through the Department of Education's website and cross-referenced with the United States Green Ribbon School application information; coordinate environmental literacy activities between the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Commerce; and appoint an advisory panel of stakeholders to advise and support interagency environmental literacy planning and assessment activities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2013
Family Engagement in Education Act of 2013 - Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to authorize states to reserve school improvement funds to: award a grant to a statewide nonprofit organization to establish a Statewide Family Engagement Center that provides comprehensive training, technical assistance, and capacity building to local educational agencies (LEAs), organizations that support family-school partnerships, and other organizations that carry out parent education and family engagement in education programs; award grants to nonprofit organizations or Indian tribes or organizations that partner with LEAs or schools to establish and operate Local Family Engagement Centers that assist families in becoming engaged in their childrens' education; and develop and implement a statewide family engagement in education plan. Requires each state school improvement plan to include a plan for strengthening family engagement in education. Requires each LEA and school receiving school improvement funds to develop policies and practices for family engagement in education that meet specified principles and standards. Increases the percentage of school improvement funds that LEAs must reserve for family engagement activities. Requires at least 75% of those reserved funds to be distributed to schools served under the school improvement program. Requires states and correctional facilities to work with family members and aftercare providers in developing educational services and transition plans for youth following their stay in state and local institutions for neglected or delinquent youth. Requires the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences to develop recommended metrics on family engagement in education for states and LEAs and to make recommendations on the integration of those metrics into state accountability and longitudinal data systems. Directs the Secretary of Education to conduct research on effective family engagement in education. Requires states to use part of their grant under part A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund) of title II of the ESEA to train teachers and principals to effectively engage families in their children's education. Repeals programs authorizing the Secretary to award grants to: (1) nonprofit organizations and consortia of those organizations and LEAs to establish parental information and resource centers, and (2) local nonprofit parent organizations to support local family information centers.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2013
Congratulates Coach George Ireland and the 1963 Loyola University Chicago men's basketball championship team on their induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Honors the 50th anniversary of such championship and the athletic and civil rights achievements of the team. Honors the 1963 Mississippi State University men's basketball team for their bravery and sportsmanship in rejecting racism and aiding in the civil rights movement in Mississippi and the southeastern United States.
![Official portrait of Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000563_200.jpg)