United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2014
Executive Needs to Faithfully Observe and Respect Congressional Enactments of the Law Act of 2014 or the ENFORCE the Law Act of 2014 - Authorizes either chamber of Congress, upon adoption of a resolution declaring that the President or any officer or employee of the United States has established or implemented a policy, practice, or procedure to refrain from enforcing, applying, following, or administering any federal statute, rule, regulation, program, policy, or other law in violation of the constitutional requirement that the President faithfully execute the laws of the United States, to bring a civil action for a declaratory judgment to that effect. Grants jurisdiction to a three-judge panel of a U.S. district court to hear such civil action and provides for an expedited direct appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2014
Natural Gas Gathering Enhancement Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to permit the use of rights of way for natural gas pipelines through public lands, forest, and other reservations of the United States, and specified national parks in California. Defines "gas gathering line and associated field compression unit" as: (1) a pipeline installed to transport natural gas production associated with one or more wells drilled and completed to produce crude oil; and (2) if necessary, a compressor to raise the pressure of that transported natural gas to higher pressures suitable to enable the gas to flow into pipelines and other facilities. Excludes from such definition any pipeline or compression unit installed to transport natural gas from a processing plant to a common carrier pipeline or facility. Excludes from federal lands, for purposes of gas gathering line and associated field compression units, any unit of the National Park System, any unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System, or a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Deems the issuance of a sundry notice or right-of-way for a gas gathering line and associated field compression unit located on federal or Indian land and servicing an oil well to be an action categorically excluded for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), if the line and the compression unit: (1) are within a field or unit for which an approved land use plan or an environmental document prepared pursuant to NEPA analyzed transportation of natural gas produced from one or more oil wells in that field or unit as a reasonably foreseeable activity, and (2) are located adjacent to an existing disturbed area for the construction of a road or pad. (A "categorical exclusion" is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a federal agency in implementing environmental regulations and for which, therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required.) Declares this categorical exclusion inapplicable if the governor of the state in which the federal land is located requests in writing that it be waived. Applies the categorical exclusion to Indian land for which the Indian tribe with jurisdiction over the land requests in writing that it be applied. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary to study permissible actions or proposed changes to federal law which would expedite permitting for gas gathering lines and associated field compression units on federal or Indian land to transport natural gas associated with crude oil production, on any land, to a processing plant or a common carrier pipeline for delivery to markets. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to direct the appropriate agency head to issue a sundry notice or right-of-way for a gas gathering line and associated field compression unit located on federal or public lands: (1) within 30 days after receiving the request for a line and compression unit described in this Act, and (2) within 60 days after receiving a request for all other lines and compression units.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2014
Stop Cloture Abuse Resolution - Amends Rule XXII (Precedence of Motions) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to revise the timing for filing a motion to bring to a close (cloture) the debate on a measure, motion, or other matter in the Senate. (Currently, a cloture motion can be filed at any time the measure, motion, or matter is presented to the Senate.) Permits a cloture motion to be filed at any time after the end of the 24-hour period beginning at the time the Senate proceeds to consideration of the measure, motion, or other matter.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2014
Freeing Americans from Inequitable Requirements Act of 2014 or the FAIR Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the individual mandate to purchase health care coverage, to delay such requirement from taking effect until the Secretary of the Treasury submits to Congress a certification that the employer mandate to provide health care coverage for employees is being applied and administered without any administratively created exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2014
Gun-Owner Registration Information Protection Act - Prohibits any federal agency from supporting (by funding or other means) the establishment or maintenance by a state or political subdivision of any listing of firearms lawfully possessed or owned by private persons, or of persons who lawfully possess or own firearms, except in the case of firearms that have been reported as lost or stolen.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2014
General Aviation Pilot Protection Act of 2014 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue or revise FAA medical certification regulations to ensure that an individual may operate as a pilot of a covered aircraft without regard to any medical certification or proof of health requirement otherwise applicable under federal law if the flight meets certain criteria and the individual: (1) possesses a valid state driver's license, (2) complies with applicable medical requirements associated with that license, (3) is transporting five or fewer passengers, and (4) is operating under visual flight rules. Defines "covered aircraft" as an aircraft that: (1) is not authorized under federal law to carry more than six occupants, and (2) has a maximum certificated takeoff weight of no more than 6,000 pounds.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2014
Calls upon the President to develop a policy towards Sri Lanka that reflects U.S. interests, including respect for human rights and democracy, as well as economic and security interests. Calls on the United States and the international community to assist Sri Lanka in establishing domestic mechanisms to deal with grievances arising from actions committed by both sides during and after the civil war in Sri Lanka. Encourages Sri Lanka to put in place a truth and reconciliation commission similar to the one adopted by South Africa. Urges Sri Lanka to improve religious and media freedoms and to bring to justice those responsible for attacks on journalists and places of worship.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2014
Stop IRS Overreach Act - Prohibits the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from asking any taxpayer any question regarding religious, political, or social beliefs. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) any exceptions to such prohibition should identify the specific questions authorized, the class of taxpayers to whom such questions may be asked, and the circumstances under which such questions may be asked; and (2) if the IRS Commissioner determines that asking such questions would aid in the efficient administration of the tax laws, the Commissioner should submit a report to Congress that includes such questions in verbatim form and describes such class of taxpayers and the circumstances under which such questions would be asked.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2014
Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the 96-hour physician certification requirement for inpatient critical access hospital services under which a physician must certify that a patient may reasonably be expected to be discharged or transferred to a hospital within 96 hours after admission to the critical access hospital.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2014
River Paddling Protection Act - Opens the rivers and streams of Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming to hand-propelled vessels. Declares specified regulations to have no force or effect with regard to the closing of rivers and streams of such Parks to such vessels. Requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to coordinate any recreational use of hand-propelled vessels on the Gros Ventre River within the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming with Grand Teton National Park to ensure that use is consistent with the requirements of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) remove any employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from a Senior Executive Service position upon determining such individual's performance warrants removal, and (2) remove such individual from the civil service or appoint the individual to a General Schedule position at any grade that the Secretary deems appropriate. Requires: (1) the Secretary to notify the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs committees within 30 days after removing such an individual, and (2) such removal to be done in the same manner as the removal of a professional staff member employed by a Member of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act of 2014 - Requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) standards and definitions in effect on January 1, 2010, for determining whether an organization qualifies for tax-exempt status as an organization operated exclusively for social welfare to apply to such determinations after enactment of this Act. Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury, or any delegate of the Secretary, from issuing, revising, or finalizing any regulation (including proposed regulations), revenue ruling, or other guidance not limited to a particular taxpayer relating to such standards and definitions. Terminates this Act one year after its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2014
SCORE for Small Business Act of 2014 - Amends the Small Business Act, with respect to the SCORE program (Service Corps of Retired Executives), to: (1) reauthorize such program for FY2015-FY2017; (2) modify requirements of such program with respect to the role of participating volunteers, program plans and goals, and reporting; and (3) outline privacy requirements pertaining to the disclosure of information of businesses assisted under such program. Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 to repeal the program of assistance to microenterprises (i.e., businesses that have fewer than five employees and generally lack access to conventional loans, equity, or other banking services).
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2014
Motor Systems Market Awareness Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to make a market assessment of motors and motor-driven systems used in the United States, and establish a program to increase motor end-user awareness of: (1) the energy efficiency and cost saving opportunities available to commercial and industrial facilities from using higher efficiency motors and motor-driven system technologies; (2) motor and motor-driven system procurement and management procedures; and (3) criteria for making decisions for new, replacement, or repair of motor and motor-driven system components.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2014
Makes it out of order in the Senate to consider a bill or resolution that is not confined to a single subject. Permits waiver or suspension of such prohibition, or successful appeals from rulings of the Chair, only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60) of the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2014
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: states and local educational agencies should maintain the right and responsibility of determining educational curricula, programs of instruction, and assessments for elementary and secondary education; the federal government should not incentivize the adoption of common education standards or the creation of a national assessment to align with such standards; and no application process for any federal grant funds or waivers issued by the Secretary of Education under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 should award any additional points, or provide any preference, for the adoption of the Common Core State Standards or any other national common education standards.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Knife Owners' Protection Act of 2014 - Allows any individual who is not otherwise prohibited by federal law from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a knife to transport a knife from any state or place where such individual may lawfully possess, carry, or transport such a knife to any other state or place where such individual may lawfully do so: (1) by motor vehicle if the knife is not directly accessible from the passenger compartment or is in a locked container, glove compartment, or console; or (2) by other means over land or through water or the air if the knife is in a locked container. Excludes the transport of a knife with the intent to commit an offense punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year involving the use or threatened use of force against another person or with knowledge, or reasonable cause to believe, that such an offense is to be committed in the course of, or arising from, the journey. Authorizes an individual transporting a knife in accordance with such requirements to have a knife accessible while staying in any form of temporary lodging. Allows an individual to carry a knife or tool that is designed for enabling escape in an emergency and that incorporates a blunt tipped safety blade or a guarded blade or both for cutting safety belts in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle without being secured in a locked container, glove compartment, or console, except in the passenger cabin of aircraft whose passengers are subject to airport screening procedures of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Establishes a cause of action by individuals subjected to deprivation of rights provided under this Act. Requires the court to award reasonable attorney's fees to the prevailing party if an individual asserts this Act as a claim or defense.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Oversight Workforce Improvement Act of 2014 - Exempts from requirements relating to the authority of federal agencies to collect information for investigations: (1) information collected during any evaluation by the Federal Accountability and Spending Transparency Board; and (2) information collected during any audit, investigation, evaluation, or other review conducted by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency or any Office of the Inspector General, including any office of Special Inspector General. Exempts from document disclosure requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) information relating to the information security program or practices of a federal agency if disclosure could reasonably be expected to lead to, or result in, unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction of such information program or the information such program controls, processes, stores, or transmits. Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to: (1) establish classification and pay standards for the Inspectors General of each federal agency; (2) set forth procedures for considering allegations of wrongdoing against the Special Counsel and Deputy Special Counsel (officials appointed to investigate prohibited personal practices and government waste and abuse); and (3) include within the membership of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency the Inspectors General of the Intelligence Community and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (currently, the Inspectors General of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA).
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Disapproves and nullifies the rule submitted by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relating to new source performance standards for emissions of carbon dioxide for new affected fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2014
Clifford P. Hansen Federal Courthouse Conveyance Act - Directs the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to convey to Teton County, Wyoming, the building and site located at 145 East Simpson Street, Jackson, Wyoming, known as the Clifford P. Hansen Federal Courthouse. Exempts such conveyance from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2014
Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) review Department of Defense (DOD) programs and organizations related to, and resourcing of, renewable energy research, development, and investment in pursuit of meeting mandated renewable energy goals for DOD facilities; (2) specify programs, costs, and estimated and expected savings; and (3) report to Congress with descriptions of current renewable energy initiatives and resulting savings, assessments of coordination and challenges, and recommendations regarding the need for a new DOD energy strategy.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2014
Driver Privacy Act - Declares that any data in an event data recorder required to be installed in a passenger motor vehicle (as provided for under Department of Transportation [DOT] regulations concerning the collection, storage, and retrievability of onboard motor vehicle crash event data) is the property of the owner or lessee of the vehicle in which the recorder is installed, regardless of when the vehicle was manufactured. Prohibits a person, other than the owner or lessee of the motor vehicle, from accessing data recorded or transmitted by such a recorder unless: (1) a court or other judicial or administrative authority authorizes the retrieval of such data subject to admissibility of evidence standards; (2) all owners or lessees consent in writing to such retrieval for any purpose, including vehicle diagnosis, service, or repair; (3) the data is retrieved pursuant to certain authorized investigations or inspections of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or DOT; (4) the data is retrieved to determine the appropriate emergency medical response to a motor vehicle crash; or (5) the data is retrieved for traffic safety research. Prohibits, when data is retrieved in connection with traffic safety research or an NTSB or DOT investigation or inspection, the disclosure of: (1) personally identifiable information of the vehicle owner or lessee, and (2) the vehicle identification number. Directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), after completing a study and submitting a report to Congress, to promulgate regulations concerning the amount of time event data recorders installed in passenger motor vehicles should capture and record vehicle-related data in conjunction with an event in order to provide sufficient information to investigate the cause of crashes.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2014
Innovators Job Creation Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) allow an offset of such credit against liability for the alternative minimum tax (AMT); (3) make permanent the five-year carryback of research tax credit amounts of certain small businesses; and (4) allow a qualified small business, other than a tax-exempt organization, to use a portion, up to $250,000 in a taxable year, of its tax credit for increasing research expenditures as an offset against its employment tax liability. Defines "qualified small business" as a corporation, partnership, or S corporation if the gross receipts of such entity for the taxable year are less than $5 million and such entity did not have gross receipts for any period preceding the 5-year period ending with such taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2014 - Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a person who is not prohibited from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law, who is entitled and not prohibited from carrying a concealed firearm in his or her state of residence or who is carrying a valid state license or permit to carry a concealed weapon, and who is carrying a government-issued photographic identification document, to carry a concealed handgun (which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, other than a machine gun or destructive device) in any state in accordance with the restrictions of that state. Provides that in a state that allows the issuing authority for licenses or permits to carry concealed firearms to impose restrictions on the carrying of firearms by individual license or permit holders, an individual carrying a concealed handgun under this Act shall be permitted to carry it according to the same terms authorized by an unrestricted license or permit issued by such state.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Fairness for Community Job Creators Act - Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 relating to prohibitions on proprietary trading and certain relationships with hedge and private equity funds (Volcker Rule). Prohibits any construction of these prohibitions to require divestiture of collateralized debt obligations backed by trust-preferred securities or debt securities of collateralized loan obligations, if those collateralized debt obligations or collateralized loan obligations were issued before December 10, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Health Exchange Security and Transparency Act of 2014 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to notify an individual within two business days after discovery of any breach of security of any system maintained by a health care exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which is known to have resulted in the theft of or unlawful access to the individual's personally identifiable information.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2013
Health Insurance Accountability Act of 2013 - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective on the date on which a study reported by the Comptroller General (GAO) determines that the number of individuals who are uninsured exceeds the number of individuals who were uninsured on the date of enactment of the PPACA. Requires subsequent studies and reports every 60 days until the Comptroller General makes such a determination. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), if a determination is made on the basis of the last such report submitted during a fiscal year that the number of uninsured has decreased as compared to the number on the date of PPACA enactment, to reduce the unobligated funding for the following, according to a specified ratio: health insurance consumer information, assistance to states for health care exchanges, and the Health Insurance Reform Implementation Fund. Deems such amounts to rescinded and permanently cancelled for purposes of debt reduction.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Iran must not be allowed to develop or maintain nuclear weapon capabilities; (2) Iran does not have an inherent right to enrichment and reprocessing capabilities under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; (3) the imposition of sanctions under this Act is triggered by Iran's violations of any interim or final agreement regarding its nuclear program; (4) if Israel takes military action in self-defense against Iran's nuclear weapons program the United States should provide Israel with diplomatic, military, and economic support; and (5) the United States should continue to impose sanctions on Iran and its terrorist proxies. States that it is U.S. policy to seek to ensure that all countries reduce their purchases of crude oil, lease condensates, fuel oils, and other unfinished oils from Iran or of Iranian origin to a de minimis level within one year. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 to authorize a country that purchased petroleum from Iran or of Iranian origin during the one-year period preceding enactment of this Act to continue to receive a sanction exception only if the country reduces its purchases of Iranian or Iranian origin petroleum: (1) to a de minimis level within one year; or (2) by at least 30% during the one-year period beginning on the date of enactment, if it also is expected to reduce such purchases to a de minimis level within two years, or the President determines that the country has reduced its purchases to a de minimus level. Amends the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 to include the construction, engineering, and mining sectors of Iran within the scope of sanctions. Designates as entities of proliferation concern entities that operate special economic zones, free economic zones, and entities in strategic sectors (in lieu of certain current entities). Directs the President to block the property of: (1) entities in strategic sectors, and (2) entities that operate special economic zones or free economic zones. Defines "strategic sector" as: (1) the energy, shipping, shipbuilding, and mining sectors of Iran; (2) the construction and engineering sectors of Iran with exceptions for schools and hospitals; and (3) any other sector the President determines to be of strategic importance to Iran. Amends the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 to exclude from U.S. entry: (1) an individual who engages in sanction evasion activities for or on behalf of the government of Iran, (2) an individual acting on behalf of the government of Iran who is involved in corrupt activities of that government or the diversion of humanitarian goods, or (3) a senior official who was involved in the activities of an entity designated for sanctions in connection with Iran's proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or Iran's support for international terrorism. Expands the list of designated senior officials of the government of Iran. Directs the President to block the U.S. or U.S.- controlled property and property transfers of: (1) specified senior officials, and (2) family members who received such property from a listed official. Directs the President to prohibit the opening, and prohibit or impose strict conditions on the maintaining in the United States, of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducted or facilitated a significant currency transaction (or did so through another person) with or on behalf of the Central Bank of Iran or another Iranian sanctioned financial institution, or with a person that is involved in the strategic sectors or economic zones of Iran. Authorizes the President to impose sanctions pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act against any other person that knowingly conducts or facilitates such a currency transaction. Excludes from such sanctions any transactions for: (1) the sale of agricultural commodities, food, medicine or medical devices to Iran; or (2) the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Iran. Expresses the sense of Congress that, if sanctions are imposed pursuant to this Act and Iran continues to pursue an illicit nuclear weapons program, Congress should pursue additional sanctions against Iran. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President has been engaged in diplomatic efforts to ensure that sanctions are imposed multilaterally to restrict Iran's access to the global financial system; (2) the European Union (EU) is to be commended for strengthening the multilateral sanctions regime against Iran; (3) the President and the EU must continue to address any judicial, administrative, or other decisions in their respective jurisdictions that might weaken the sanctions regime; and (4) restrictions on Iran's access to global specialized financial messaging services should be maintained. Amends the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 to include goods, services, and technologies that will be sold or transferred to a strategic sector of Iran in the list of goods, services, or technologies diverted to Iranian end-users or Iranian intermediaries. Authorizes the President to: (1) impose restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance or measures authorized under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act with respect to a country designated as a Destination of Diversion Concern if the President determines that such restrictions would prevent the diversion of goods, services, and technologies to Iranian end-users or Iranian intermediaries; or (2) prohibit the issuance of an export license to such a country for certain defense articles or services. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President's FY2015 budget should prioritize resources for the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Department of State dedicated to the enforcement of sanctions against Iran, and (2) the appropriate Senate and House of Representatives committees should prioritize such resources during consideration of authorization and appropriations legislation in future fiscal years. Authorizes the President to suspend the application of sanctions under this Act for a 180-day period if the President certifies to Congress every 30 days during such period that: (1) Iran is complying with and verifiably implementing the Joint Plan of Action, (2) Iran is engaged in good faith negotiations toward a final agreement to terminate its non-civilian use nuclear activities, (3) the United States is working toward a final agreement to dismantle Iran's illicit nuclear infrastructure and permit verification and inspections of suspect facilities, (4) any sanctions relief is reversible and proportionate to Iranian measures to terminate its illicit nuclear program and related weaponization activities, (5) Iran has not directly or through a proxy carried out an act of terrorism against the United States or U.S. persons or property, (6) Iran has not conducted certain ballistic missile tests, and (7) suspension of sanctions is vital to U.S. national security interests. Authorizes and sets forth the conditions with regard to such suspension of sanctions for: (1) renewal of sanction suspensions, (2) termination of sanction suspensions, and (3) presidential waiver of sanctions reinstatement. Authorizes the President, unless a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted, to suspend the application of sanctions imposed under this Act for a one-year period if the President certifies to Congress that the United States and its allies have reached a final and verifiable agreement with Iran that will: (1) dismantle Iran's illicit nuclear infrastructure, (2) bring Iran into compliance with all United Nations (U.N.) Security Council resolutions related to Iran's nuclear program and resolve all issues of concern with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), (3) permit continuous on-site inspection and monitoring of all suspect facilities in Iran, (4) require Iran's full compliance with the Agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and (5) require Iran's implementation of measures that include IAEA verification of Iran's centrifuge manufacturing facilities and uranium mines and mills. Authorizes and sets forth the conditions for renewal of such sanction suspensions. Authorizes the President to make an exception from the imposition of sanctions for reconstruction assistance or economic development for Afghanistan if in the U.S. national interest and if notice is provided to Congress. States that nothing in this Act: (1) authorizes or requires the President to impose sanctions relating to the importation of goods, (2) shall apply to authorized U.S. intelligence activities, (3) shall be construed to apply to certain natural gas projects, or (4) shall be construed as a declaration of war or an authorization of the use of force against Iran. Eliminates specific refugee set-asides for nationals of the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania who are current, active members of the Ukrainian Catholic Church or the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Extends the period of eligibility for refugee status determinations for certain aliens from the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Extends the period of eligibility for status adjustment from a parolee who was denied refugee status to a lawfully admitted permanent resident for certain aliens from the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Keeping Our Promise to Our Military Heroes Act - Repeals the provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces under age 62. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require taxpayers who are claiming the refundable portion of the child tax credit to include their social security number on their tax returns.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a single congressional gold medal in commemoration of the Monuments Men (men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives [MFA] Section under the Allied Armies during World War II) in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and following the War. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Monuments Men and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2013
Premium Disclosure Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with respect to state health care exchanges, to revise open enrollment period requirements so that such periods commence on October 15 and end on December 7 of each calendar year after the initial open enrollment period. Prohibits modification of such dates by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires the Secretary to carry out activities to broadly disseminate information to qualified individuals (and those who may become qualified individuals) concerning open enrollment periods, monthly premiums, and cost-sharing requirements under qualified health plans, ensuring that such information is first made available at least 30 days prior to the initial open enrollment period.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2013
Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2013 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with respect to abortion coverage in qualified plans offered through a health care exchange in a state, to modify the notice rules to require that: in the case of services regarding abortions both for which public funding is prohibited and allowed, the extent of coverage shall be prominently displayed in any marketing or advertising materials, comparison tools, or summaries of benefits and coverage explanations made available by the issuer of the plan, by an exchange, or by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), including information made available through an Internet portal or exchange; and in the case of abortions for which public funding is prohibited and where the premium for the plan is disclosed, the surcharge attributable to such services, consisting of an amount equal to the actuarial value of the coverage, shall be disclosed and identified separately.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2013
American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act - 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 to the American Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition of their heroic military service and defense of the nation's freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2013
Drinking Water Supply Assistance Act of 2013 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to exempt any pipe, pipe or plumbing fitting or fixture, solder, or flux that contains brass from certain prohibitions against the use of lead pipes, solder, and flux under the following conditions: a supplier of water owns the brass before enactment of this Act; the brass is used to prevent or mitigate a municipal budget deficit or an interruption in service of a public water system; and the supplier of water is otherwise in compliance with all laws and regulations, except monitoring requirements regarding lead in water. Makes the exemption inapplicable to a municipality if the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines it would result in an unreasonable risk to public health. Directs the Administrator to: (1) consult with and seek the advice of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council on potential changes to federal regulations pertaining to lead; and (2) request the Council to consider sources of lead throughout drinking water distribution systems, including through components used to reroute drinking water during distribution system repairs.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2013
Honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Extends condolences to the members of his family and his fellow citizens. Requests: (1) the Secretary of State to communicate these expressions of honor and condolence to Nelson Mandela's family and to the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, and (2) the President to identify an appropriate and lasting U.S. government program to honor Nelson Mandela's legacy.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Marriage and Religious Freedom Act - Prohibits the federal government from taking an adverse action against a person on the basis that such person acts in accordance with a religious belief that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. Defines "adverse action" as any federal government action to discriminate against a person who is acting in accordance with such religious belief, including a federal government action to: deny or revoke certain tax exemptions or disallow a deduction of any charitable contribution made to or by such person; alter the federal tax treatment of, or cause any tax, penalty, or payment to be assessed against, such person or such person's employees with respect to any employee benefit provided or not provided by such person; deem an employee benefit plan covering employees of such person to have lost its status as a qualified plan under the Internal Revenue Code, or to be in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, because the plan fails to provide a benefit, right, or feature on account of such person's religious belief; deny or exclude such person from receiving any federal grant, contract, cooperative agreement, loan, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or similar position or status; or deny or withhold any benefit under a federal benefit program. Permits a person to assert an actual or threatened violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding and to obtain compensatory damages or other appropriate relief against the federal government. Authorizes the Attorney General (DOJ) to bring actions against certain independent establishments of the executive branch (certain establishments in the executive branch, other than the U.S. Postal Service [USPS] and the Postal Regulatory Commission, that are not executive departments, military departments, or government corporations) to enforce this Act. Specifies that the term "person" includes any person regardless of religious affiliation, as well as corporations and other entities regardless of for-profit or nonprofit status.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Condemns the political violence in Bangladesh and urges political leaders to engage in a dialogue toward free and credible elections. Supports ongoing efforts by United Nations (U.N.) Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco to foster political dialogue in Bangladesh. Urges: (1) the government of Bangladesh to ensure judicial independence, end harassment of human rights activists, and restore the independence of the Grameen Bank; and (2) political leaders in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and access of election observers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2013
Makes any sequestration ordered by the President under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) inapplicable to funding of: the standard setting body designated by the Security Exchange Commission (SEC) (which establishes accounting principles "generally accepted" for securities laws), the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2013
Designates November 30, 2013, as Small Business Saturday. Expresses support for efforts to: (1) encourage consumers to shop locally, and (2) increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and the impact of such businesses on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise the nutritional information that restaurants and retail food establishments must disclose. Requires the nutrient content disclosure statement on the menu or menu board to include: (1) the number of calories contained in the whole product; (2) the number of servings and number of calories per serving; or (3) the number of calories per the common unit division of the product, such as for a multi-serving item that is typically divided before presentation to the consumer. Permits such information to be provided by a remote-access menu, such as through the internet, for food establishments where the majority of orders are placed by customers who are off-premises at the time the order is placed. Defines “reasonable basis” for a restaurant or similar food establishment’s nutrient content disclosures to mean that the nutrient disclosure is within acceptable allowances for variation in nutrient content, which include variations in serving size or ingredients, and inadvertent human error in formulation of menu items. Sets forth the methods a restaurant or similar food establishment may use to determine nutritional content for disclosure, including ranges, averages, individual labeling of flavors or components, or labeling of one preset standard build (i.e., the finished version of a menu item most commonly ordered by consumers). Applies the nutritional disclosure requirements to retail food establishments that derive more than 50% of their total revenue from the sale of food.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Expressing the sense of Congress that: (1) law enforcement, judges, child welfare agencies, and the public should treat children being trafficked for sex as victims of child abuse; (2) every effort should be made to arrest and hold accountable both traffickers and buyers of children for sex, in accordance with federal laws to protect victims of trafficking and state child protection laws; (3) the child welfare system requires reform to better prevent domestic child sex trafficking and aid the victims; and (4) such system should identify, assess, and provide supportive services to children in its care who are victims of sex trafficking or at risk of becoming such victims. Expresses support for: (1) survivors of domestic sex trafficking, including for the services they need to heal; and (2) an end to demand for girls by declaring that our nation's daughters are not for sale and that any person who purchases a child for sex should be held accountable with the full force of the law.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from enforcing any federal regulation, guidance, or permit requirement regarding hydraulic fracturing (including any component of that process), relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on or under any land in any state that has regulations, guidance, or permit requirements for that activity. Requires the Secretary to recognize and defer to state regulations, permitting, and guidance, for all activities regarding hydraulic fracturing relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on federal land regardless of whether those rules are duplicative, more or less restrictive, have different requirements, or do not meet federal regulations, guidance, or permit requirements. Defines "hydraulic fracturing" as the process by which fracturing fluids (including a fracturing fluid system) are pumped into an underground geologic formation to generate fractures or cracks, thereby increasing rock permeability near the wellbore and improving production of natural gas or oil.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Self-Insurance Protection Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the definition of "health insurance coverage" a stop loss policy obtained by a self-insured health plan or a plan sponsor of a group health plan that self-insures the health risks of its plan participants to reimburse the plan or sponsor for losses incurred in providing health or medical benefits to such plan participants in excess of a predetermined level set forth in the stop loss policy.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Obamacare Taxpayer Bailout Prevention Act - Repeals the provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and administer a program of risk corridors for calendar years 2014, 2015, and 2016 under which a qualified health plan offered in the individual or small group market is required to participate in a payment adjustment system based on the ratio of the allowable costs of the plan to the plan's aggregate premiums.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Union Tax Fairness Act of 2013 - Requires that the payments to an applicable reinsurance entity for any plan year beginning in the three-year period beginning January 1, 2014, required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be applied equally to all health insurance issuers and third party administrators (on behalf of group health plans). Prohibits such payments from being waived on behalf of any such issuer, administrator, or group health plan.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Employee Rights Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to make it an unlawful labor practice for a labor organization or its agents to interfere with the rights of employees to organize and select representation to collectively bargain. Adds a requirement that representatives be selected by secret ballot in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by a majority of the employees in a unit. Defines "majority" for purposes of determining the majority of employees in an election to mean the majority of all employees in the unit, and not the majority of employees voting in the election. Requires the NLRB, in cases where an existing certified or voluntarily recognized bargaining unit experiences turnover, expansion, or alteration by merger of more than 50% of the unit's employees, to conduct a secret paper ballot among the unit employees: (1) between the 120th day and 110th day before the collective bargaining agreement's expiration or before the end of three years, if there is an agreement between the labor organization and the employer; or (2) within 30 days, if there is no agreement between such parties. Requires the NLRB to decide, before the election of a labor organization as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of all employees of an appropriate unit, whether such unit shall be the employer unit, craft unit, plant unit, or subdivision unit. Requires the NLRB to give 14 days advance notice before a hearing when it is investigating an election petition if it has reasonable cause to believe that a question of representation affecting commerce exists. Revises the requirement that the NLRB direct an election by secret ballot, and certify its results, whenever it finds upon the record of such a hearing that a question of representation exists. Adds a requirement that the NLRB also review all post-hearing appeals before finding that such a question exists. Requires an employer to provide the NLRB a list consisting only of employee names and home addresses of all eligible voters within 7 days after an NLRB determination of the appropriate unit or following any agreement between the employer and the labor organization regarding eligible voters. Prohibits an election after the filing of a petition unless and until: (1) a hearing is conducted before a qualified hearing officer on any and all material, factual issues regarding jurisdiction, statutory coverage, appropriate unit, unit inclusion or exclusion, or eligibility of individuals; and (2) the issues are resolved by a regional Director, subject to appeal and review, or by the NLRB. Declares that election results shall not be final nor any labor organization be certified as a bargaining representative unless the NLRB has ruled on: (1) each pre-election issue not resolved before the election; and (2) the NLRB conducts a hearing and resolves each issue pertaining to the conduct or results of the election. Makes any labor organization found to have interfered with, restrained, or coerced employees in the exercise of their rights to form or join a labor organization or to refrain from forming or joining (including the filing of a decertification petition) liable for lost wages and unlawfully collected union dues and fees, if any, and an additional amount as liquated damages. Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act) to permit an election by secret ballot to be conducted through votes cast by electronic ballot cast in the privacy of a voting booth. Requires every employee in a bargaining unit represented by a labor organization, regardless of membership status, to have the same right as members to vote by secret ballot to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with, or to engage in, a strike or refusal to work of any kind against their employer. Prohibits the use of an employee's union dues for any purpose not directly related to the labor organization's collective bargaining, unless that employee authorizes such expenditure in writing. Prohibits a strike without the consent of a majority of all unit employees affected, determined by a secret ballot vote conducted by a neutral, private organization chosen by agreement between the employer and the labor organization. Requires each labor organization to make the independently verified annual audit report of its financial condition and operations available to all of its members and represented nonmembers. Makes it unlawful for a person to use force or violence, or threaten the use of force or violence, to restrain, coerce, or intimidate a person, or attempt to, in order to obtain from any person any right to represent employees, compensation, or other term or condition of employment. Subjects persons who willfully violate such prohibitions to both civil and criminal penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2013
Special Needs Trust Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act with respect to the treatment of revocable trusts for the benefit of an individual for purposes of meeting income requirements for Medicaid coverage. Extends the supplemental needs trust exemption from treatment of a trust as resources available to the individual to supplemental needs trusts for Medicaid beneficiaries established by those beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2013
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit any person from performing or attempting to perform an abortion except in conformity with this Act's requirements. Requires the physician to first determine the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child, or reasonably rely upon such a determination made by another physician, by making inquiries of the pregnant woman and performing such medical examinations and tests as a reasonably prudent physician would consider necessary. Prohibits the abortion from being performed if the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child is 20 weeks or greater, except: (1) where necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury, excluding psychological or emotional conditions; or (2) where the pregnancy is the result of rape, or the result of incest against a minor, if the rape has been reported at any time prior to the abortion to an appropriate law enforcement agency, or if the incest has been reported at any time prior to the abortion to an appropriate law enforcement agency or to a government agency legally authorized to act on reports of child abuse or neglect. Permits a physician to terminate a pregnancy under such an exception only in the manner that provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive, unless that manner would pose a greater risk than other available methods would pose of the death or substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, excluding psychological or emotional conditions, of the pregnant woman. Subjects individuals who violate this Act to a fine, imprisonment for not more than five years, or both. Bars prosecution of a woman upon whom an abortion is performed in violation of this Act for violating or conspiring to violate this Act. Defines "abortion" to mean the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance or device to intentionally kill an unborn child or to intentionally terminate a pregnancy with an intention other than: (1) after viability, to produce a live birth and preserve the life and health of the child; or (2) to remove a dead unborn child.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2013
Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to: (1) disclose to a consumer all information (and their sources) held by the CFPB with respect to that consumer, including any person or other federal department or agency to which the CFPB disclosed the information; and (2) truncate in the disclosure the first five digits of the consumer's Social Security number (or similar identification number), if the consumer so requests and the CFPB has received appropriate proof of the requester's identity. Permits consumers to request such a disclosure: (1) online, with a link prominently displayed on the CFPB website; (2) via U.S. mail; and (3) via a toll-free telephone number.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2013
Restoring Access to Medication Act - Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that restrict payments from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements for medications to prescription drugs and insulin only (thus allowing payments for over-the-counter medications).
![Official portrait of Sen. Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/e000285_200.jpg)