United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2014
State Exchange Accountability Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require a state to reimburse the federal government for the amount of establishment or early innovator grants the state received to operate a health care exchange if it operated an exchange in 2014 but subsequently elected to provide for enrollment in qualified health plans solely through the federal health care exchange. Requires that: (1) reimbursement be made in full within 10 years of such election, pursuant to an agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and (2) in case of failure to enter such an agreement, the Secretary of HHS shall reduce the state's Medicaid funding for 10 fiscal years in an aggregate amount equal to the reimbursement amount.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2014
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Harlan Mathews, a former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on May 13, 2014, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Mathews.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2014
Authorizes TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to construct, connect, operate, and maintain the pipeline and cross-border facilities specified in an application filed by TransCanada Corporation to the Department of State on May 4, 2012. Deems the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement regarding the pipeline issued by the Secretary of State in January 2014 to fully satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and any law that requires federal agency consultation or review, including the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Declares any applicable federal permit or authorization issued before enactment of this Act to remain in effect. Restricts any legal challenges regarding a federal agency action and such facilities to judicial review on direct appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Declares that this Act does not alter any federal, state, or local process or condition in effect on the date of enactment of this Act that is necessary to secure access from an owner of private property to construct the pipeline and cross-border facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2014
Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act of 2014 - Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act concerning establishment of minimum leverage and minimum risk-based capital requirements on a consolidated basis for a depository institution holding company or a nonbank financial company supervised by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. States that federal banking agencies shall not be required to subject any person to such minimum capital requirements, to the extent that such person either: (1) acts in its capacity as a regulated insurance entity regulated by a state insurance regulator, or (2) is a regulated foreign subsidiary engaged in the business of insurance (including a regulated foreign affiliate of such subsidiary). Exempts from any requirement to prepare holding company financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles any Board-supervised depository institution holding company or nonbank financial company that is also a person regulated by a state insurance regulator or a regulated foreign subsidiary (or a regulated foreign affiliate) that files its holding company financial statements using only Statutory Accounting Principles in accordance with state law.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2014
Stop Wasteful Federal Bonuses Act of 2014 - Prohibits a federal agency from awarding a bonus to any employee for five years after the end of a fiscal year in which the Inspector General of the agency or another senior ethics official or the Comptroller General (GAO) makes an adverse finding relating to the employee. Requires repayment of a bonus awarded in any year in which an adverse finding is made.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Consumer Financial Protection Commission Act of 2014 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, title X of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to replace the position of Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with a five-member Commission whose members are appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Prohibits the Chair of the Commission from making requests for estimates related to appropriations without the prior approval of the Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
CFPB Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to authorize the Chairperson of the Financial Stability Oversight Council to issue a stay of, or set aside, any regulation issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) upon the affirmative vote of the majority of Council members (currently, two-thirds), excluding the Director. . Requires the Council, upon the petition of a member agency of the Council, to set aside a final regulation prescribed by the CFPB if the Council decides that such regulation is inconsistent with the safe and sound operations of U.S. financial institutions. (Currently the Council is merely authorized, upon petition, to set aside a final regulation if it would put the safety and soundness of the U.S. banking system or the stability of the U.S. financial system at risk.) Repeals: (1) the prohibition against Council set-aside of a regulation after expiration of a specified time period, and (2) mandatory dismissal of a petition if the Council has not issued a decision within such time period. Requires the CFPB Director, when prescribing a rule under federal consumer financial laws, to consider its impact upon the financial safety or soundness of an insured depository institution.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Let Me Google That For You Act - Repeals the National Technical Information Act of 1988, effective one year after the enactment of this Act (thus abolishes the National Technical Information Service [NTIS]). Directs: (1) the Secretary of Commerce, the Archivist of the United States, the Comptroller General (GAO), and the Commissioner of Social Security to consult with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine if any NTIS function is critical to the U.S. economy; (2) the Comptroller General to determine which of any such critical functions are not being carried out by any other agency or instrumentality of the federal government; and (3) the Secretary of Commerce, prior to the effective date of this Act, to submit to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Finance a written certification that all NTIS operations have been terminated.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Affirms that it is U.S. policy to support the Republic of Moldova's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. Calls upon the government of the Russian Federation to remove its military forces from the Republic of Moldova. Supports constructive engagement between the government of Moldova and the authorities in Transnistria in order to secure a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Expresses the Senate's belief that a resolution to the Transnistria issue can only be accomplished by ensuring the freedom of the government and the people of Moldova to determine their own future without external pressure. Urges the President to consider increasing security and intelligence cooperation with the government of Moldova. Affirms that stability in Europe is a U.S. priority that can only be achieved if the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all parties is respected.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Alzheimer's Accountability Act of 2014 - Amends the National Alzheimer's Project Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for each fiscal year through FY2025, to submit to the President for review and transmittal to Congress, after reasonable opportunity for comment (but without change) by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services, an annual budget estimate (including regarding personnel needs) for the NIH initiatives under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Hire More Heroes Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit an employer, for purposes of determining whether such employer is an applicable large employer and thus required to provide health care coverage to its employees under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to exclude employees who have coverage under a health care program administered by the Department of Defense (DOD), including TRICARE, or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2014
Declares that the Senate: (1) has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Jeremiah Andrew Denton, Jr., former Member of the Senate; (2) honors the legacy and service of the former Senator and retired Rear Admiral for his life of loyalty, duty, integrity, and moral sincerity; (3) extends its deepest condolences and sympathy to his family and friends who have lost an inspiring leader and confidant; (4) honors the dauntless valor of Senator Denton, beloved son of Alabama, for his dedication and life of selfless service to the people of the United States; (5) recognizes that Senator Denton was a champion for humanitarian aid and international assistance programs through his legislative work and initiatives; (6) reiterates his resolute character as a paragon of bravery who lived a life of honor guided by his values and commitment to the defense of the United States; and (7) expresses admiration and profound respect for his legacy as a truly courageous and inspirational leader. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on March 31, 2014, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect for the memory of Senator Denton.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2014
Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2014 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide Indian tribes with technical assistance in planning their energy resource development programs. Makes intertribal organizations eligible for Department of Energy (DOE) Indian energy education planning and management assistance program grants. Allows such grants to be used to increase tribal capacity to manage energy development and efficiency programs. Makes tribal energy development organizations eligible for DOE energy development loan guarantees. Allows leases and business agreements that pool, unitize, or communitize a tribe's energy resources with other energy resources. Requires an energy-related tribal lease, business agreement, or grant of a right-of-way made without the Secretary's approval to: (1) comply with a tribal energy resource agreement between the tribe and the Secretary, or (2) have been entered into with a tribal energy development organization that the Secretary has certified pursuant to a specified process. Alters the process and conditions for the Secretary's approval of tribal energy resource agreements. Makes such agreements effective, if consistent with federal law, until rescinded by the Secretary or by the tribe. Alters the process for determining whether an interested party has a valid claim to be suffering an adverse environmental impact due to a tribe's noncompliance with such agreement. Requires the Secretary to make available to a tribe, upon its request, the amount the Secretary would have had to expend to carry out an activity that the tribe is now carrying out pursuant to a tribal energy resource agreement. Directs the Secretary of Energy to collaborate with the Directors of the National Laboratories in making the full array of DOE technical and scientific resources available for tribal energy activities and projects. Amends the Federal Power Act to include Indian tribes, along with states and municipalities, as having preference for the receipt of preliminary hydroelectric licenses. Amends the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 to direct the Secretary to enter into agreements with Indian tribes for the conduct of demonstration projects to promote biomass energy production on Indian forest land and in nearby communities by providing them with reliable supplies of woody biomass from federal lands. Directs the Secretary, or the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to Forest Service land, to enter into an agreement with Alaska Native corporations to carry out demonstration projects that promote biomass energy production on Alaska Native corporation forest land and in nearby communities by providing the corporations with reliable supplies of woody biomass from federal lands. Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide home weatherization grants directly to Indian tribes if a tribe requests a direct grant and the Secretary of Energy determines that the Indian beneficiaries would not be better served by providing the grant to their state. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to allow the Secretary of the Interior, an affected Indian tribe, or a certified third-party appraiser under contract with the Indian tribe to appraise Indian mineral or energy resources involved in a transaction requiring the Secretary's approval. Sets forth the process by which the Secretary is to review and accept or reject such an appraisal prepared by or for an Indian tribe. Amends the Long-Term Leasing Act to authorize the Navajo Nation to enter into commercial or agricultural leases of up to 99 years on their restricted lands without the Secretary's approval, provided they are executed under tribal regulations approved by the Secretary. Allows the Navajo Nation to enter into mineral resource leases on its restricted lands without the Secretary's approval if such leases are executed under approved tribal regulations and do not exceed 25 years, though such leases may include a renewal option for one additional term not exceeding 25 years. Allows such leases for oil and gas to be for terms of up to 10 years, plus any additional period the Navajo Nation determines to be appropriate if oil or gas is being produced in a paying quantity.
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
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
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 · 6 March 2014
Reliable Home Heating Act - Directs the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to recognize any 30-day emergency period declared by a state governor due to a shortage of residential heating fuel (and up to two additional 30-day periods) as one during which FMCSA federal motor carrier safety regulations shall not apply to any motor carrier or driver operating a commercial motor vehicle providing residential heating fuel in a geographic area designated as under a state of emergency. Defines the term "residential heating fuel" to include heating oil, natural gas, and propane. Directs the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, using data compiled from the Administration's Weekly Petroleum Status Reports, to notify the governor of each state in a Petroleum Administration for Defense District if that district's inventory of residential heating fuel has been below the most recent five-year average for more than three consecutive weeks. Declares that a covered emergency exemption from FMCSA federal motor carrier safety regulations shall remain in effect until May 31, 2014, unless the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) determines that the emergency for which the exemption was provided ends before that date. Defines "covered emergency exemption" as one issued or extended between February 5, 2014, and the date of enactment of this Act to effect regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations directly assisting the delivery of propane and home heating fuels. States that nothing in this Act may be construed to prohibit the FMCSA from issuing or extending a covered emergency exemption beyond May 31, 2014, under other federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2014
Two-Midnight Rule Coordination and Improvement Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop appropriate criteria with regard to the two-midnight rule for payment under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for a short inpatient hospital stay. (The two-midnight rule allows Medicare coverage of only hospital stays for which a physician admits to a hospital a beneficiary expected to require care that crosses two midnights, but generally denies coverage of care expected to require less than a two-midnight stay.) Requires the criteria developed by the Secretary to: (1) account for medical necessity and the appropriateness of an inpatient stay that is less than the two-midnight benchmark, and (2) be developed in consultation with interested stakeholders. Directs the Secretary to develop a budget-neutral Medicare payment methodology for hospitals for short inpatient hospital stays. Allows the methodology to be: (1) a reduced payment amount than would otherwise apply to inpatient hospital services if paid for under the Medicare prospective payment schedule, or (2) an alternative payment methodology. Directs the Secretary to develop: (1) general equivalency maps to link the relevant International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-10 codes (used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient procedures) to relevant Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, and the relevant CPT codes to relevant ICD-10 codes, in order to permit comparison of inpatient hospital services and hospital outpatient department services; and (2) a second crosswalk between Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) codes for inpatient hospital services and Ambulatory Payment Class (APC) codes for outpatient hospital services. Prohibits the Secretary from enforcing the two-midnight rule for admissions occurring: (1) before October 1, 2014; and (2) on or after that date until October 1, 2015, or the new two-midnight rule criteria are implemented, if sooner (applicable date). Prohibits a Medicare review contractor from denying a claim for inpatient hospital services furnished by a hospital, or inpatient critical access hospital services furnished by a critical access hospital, on the basis of the two-midnight rule for discharges occurring before the applicable date for: (1) medical necessity due to the length of an inpatient stay in such hospital or due to a determination that the services could have been provided on an outpatient basis; or (2) requirements for orders, certifications, or recertifications, and associated documentation relating to such matters. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to preclude the Secretary from continuing the conduct by Medicare administrative contractors of the Medicare Probe and Educate program for hospital admissions during the delayed enforcement of the two-midnight rule. Prohibits the Secretary from increasing the sample of claims selected for prepayment review under the Medicare Probe and Educate program above the number and type established by the Secretary as of November 4, 2013, such as 10 claims for most hospitals and 25 claims for large hospitals.
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
Taxpayer Accountability Act - Requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS): (1) to provide a substantive written response (not merely an acknowledgment letter) to any written correspondence from a taxpayer not later than 30 days after receiving such correspondence; (2) within 30 days after disclosing taxpayer information to any federal, state, or local governmental entity, to provide to the taxpayer a written notification describing the information, to whom it was disclosed, and when it was disclosed; and (3) to conclude any audit of an individual taxpayer not later than 1 year after the audit is initiated and to not assess any tax with respect to such audit after it is concluded.
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 · 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
Preventing Regulatory Overreach To Enhance Care Technology Act of 2014 or the PROTECT Act of 2014 - Expresses the sense of Congress concerning: interagency coordination to foster health information technology and mobile health innovation, development of legislation to establish a risk-based regulatory framework for clinical software and health software, oversight by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of technical standards used by clinical software, and work by NIST on next steps regarding health information technology, such as collaborating with nongovernmental entities to develop certification processes and to promote best practice standards. Excepts clinical software and health software from regulation under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and excludes the terms from the meaning of "device." Defines "clinical software" as clinical decision support software or other software intended for human or animal use that: (1) captures, analyzes, changes, or presents patient or population clinical data or information and may recommend courses of clinical action, but does not directly change the structure or any function of the body; and (2) is intended to be marketed for use only by a health care provider in a health care setting. Defines "health software" as software: (1) that captures, analyzes, changes, or presents patient or population clinical data or information; (2) that supports administrative or operational aspects of health care and is not used in the direct delivery of patient care; or (3) whose primary purpose is to act as a platform for a secondary software, to run or act as a mechanism for connectivity, or to store data.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2014
Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014 - Title I: Regulatory Reforms - Grants the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize any state to issue electronic duck stamps. Sets forth state electronic duck stamp application requirements. Allows the Secretary to determine the number of new states permitted per year to participate in the electronic duck stamp program. Instructs the Secretary to require electronic stamp revenue and customer information collected by each state to be transmitted in accordance with a written agreement between the Secretary and the state. Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax and sport fishing equipment components. Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of BLM to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training. Amends the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 to exempt an authorized taking of migratory birds and collection of their eggs by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska from the prohibition on taking under the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act. Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of any polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person who submits proof that the polar bear was legally harvested before May 15, 2008 (currently by February 18, 1997), when polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior. Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to permit the taking of any migratory game bird, including waterfowl, coots, and cranes, on or over land that: (1) is not a baited area; and (2) contains a standing crop (including an aquatic crop), standing, flooded, or manipulated natural vegetation, flooded harvested cropland, or an area on which seed or grain has been scattered solely as the result of a normal agricultural practice or is land on which a crop during the current or immediately preceding crop year was not harvestable due to a natural disaster that is declared a major disaster by the President in accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Requires a federal public land management official, in cooperation with the respective state and fish and wildlife agency, to exercise the authority of the official under law, including regarding land use planning, to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public land for hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting, except as described in this Act. Requires the heads of federal public land management agencies to exercise their discretion in a manner that supports and facilitates hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting opportunities, to the extent authorized under applicable law. Requires that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service land, excluding land on the Outer Continental Shelf, be open to hunting, recreational fishing, or recreational shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity. Permits closures or restrictions on such land for purposes including resource conservation, public safety, energy or mineral production, energy generation or transmission infrastructure, water supply facilities, national security, or compliance with other law. Allows agencies to: (1) lease or permit use of federal public land for recreational shooting ranges, and (2) designate specific land for recreational shooting activities. Excepts from such use or designation land including a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, land designated as a wilderness study area or administratively classified as wilderness eligible or suitable, and primitive or semiprimitive areas. Requires annual reports on closures of federal public lands to hunting, recreational fishing, or recreational shooting. Sets forth requirements for specified closures or significant restrictions involving 1280 or more contiguous acres of federal public land or water to hunting or recreational fishing or related activities. Instructs federal public land agencies to consult with the advisory councils specified in Executive Orders 12962 (relating to recreational fisheries) and 13443 (relating to the facilitation of hunting heritage and wildlife conservation) in carrying out this Act. Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), for any film crew of five persons or fewer, to require a permit and assess an annual fee of $200 for commercial filming activities or similar projects on federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary. Makes such a permit valid for such activities or projects that occur in areas designated for public use during public hours on all federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary for a one-year period. Allows an applicable land management agency to deny access to a film crew if: (1) there is a likelihood of resource damage that cannot be mitigated, (2) there would be an unreasonable disruption of the public use and enjoyment of the site, (3) the activity poses public health or safety risks, and (4) the filming includes the use of models or props that are not part of the land's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities. Title II: Habitat Conservation - Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure, from amounts requested for the Land and Water Conservation Fund per fiscal year, that not less than the greater of 1.5% of the requested amounts or $10 million be made available for certain projects identified on an annual priority list to be developed pursuant to this Act. Requires projects identified on such a list to secure, through rights-of-way or the acquisition of lands or interests from willing sellers, recreational public access to existing federal public lands that have significantly restricted access to hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes. Amends the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) to revoke provisions that terminate: (1) the authority provided under such Act, and (2) the Federal Land Disposal Account. Makes the FLTFA inapplicable to land eligible for sale under specified public land laws. Transfers to the Treasury for budget deficit reduction, for each of FY2014-FY2023, $1 million of the amounts deposited in the Federal Land Disposal Account. Amends the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to extend through FY2019 the authorization of appropriations for allocations to carry out approved wetlands conservation projects. Reauthorizes and revises the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to appoint 28 directors (currently, 23) who are knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to conservation of fish, wildlife, or other natural resources and represent a balance of expertise in ocean, coastal, freshwater, and terrestrial resource conservation. Removes limitations on the appointment of such Foundation's officers and employees. Requires the Foundation's Executive Director to be appointed by and serve at the direction of the Board as the chief executive officer and to be knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to fish and wildlife conservation. Gives the Foundation the power to receive and administer restitution and community service payments, amounts for mitigation of impacts to natural resources, and other amounts arising from legal, regulatory, or administrative proceedings, subject to the condition that the amounts are received or administered for purposes that further the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants, and other natural resources. Repeals provisions authorizing the Foundation to establish a national whale conservation endowment fund. Authorizes appropriations for the Foundation for FY2014-FY2019. Authorizes the Foundation to: (1) assess and collect fees for the management of amounts received from federal agencies; and (2) use such federal funds for matching contributions made by private persons, state and local agencies, and other entities (current law requires such use).
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 · 14 January 2014
Victims Protection Act of 2014 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (NDAA 2014) to enhance the sexual assault prevention and response program activities of the Armed Forces by: (1) requiring victims of sexual assaults to be advised of the advantages and disadvantages of prosecuting such assaults by court-martial or in a civilian court; (2) requiring performance appraisals of military officers and enlisted personnel to include an assessment of their support for sexual assault prevention and response programs; (3) requiring a process for command climate assessment and for a confidential challenge by sexual assault victims of the terms or characterization of their discharge or separation from the Armed Forces; (4) modifying the Military Rules of Evidence to eliminate the use of good military character evidence (good soldier defense) in criminal proceedings unless it is relevant to an element of an offense for which an accused is charged; (5) making sexual assault prevention and response activities enacted by NDAA 2014 applicable to the U.S. Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy; and (6) requiring the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Attorney General to jointly develop a strategic framework for collaborating to prevent and respond to cases of sexual assault.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2014
Directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Director of National Intelligence, to report to Congress regarding information and intelligence sharing with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and NATO countries on compliance issues related to the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty).
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
True Understanding of the Economy and Safety Act or TRUE Safety Act - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO), after the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports to Congress on an hours of service field study, to assess the methodology followed by the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) in carrying out the efficacy of the restart rule ("Hours of Service of Drivers") published on December 27, 2011, which applies to operators of commercial motor vehicles of property subject to maximum DOT driving time requirements. Requires the assessment to evaluate the extent to which that methodology meets the requirements of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) that: (1) the data collected is representative of the drivers subject to the restart rule, (2) the methodology is statistically valid, and (3) the study followed the FMCSA plan for the "Scheduling and Fatigue Recovery Project." Directs GAO to assess the Regulatory Impact Analysis that accompanied the final 2011 restart rule. Nullifies the 2011 restart rule during the period beginning upon enactment of this Act and ending six months after the study report required by this Act has been submitted to Congress. Prohibits the Secretary from applying the restart rule if the conclusions of the field study completed pursuant to MAP-21 do not support or concur with the conclusions of the laboratory study on which the rule was based.
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 · 18 December 2013
EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. (The Board provides scientific advice to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA].) Prohibits federally registered lobbyists from being appointed to the Board. Revises the procedures for providing advice and comments to the Administrator by: (1) including risk or hazard assessments in the regulatory proposals and documents made available to the Board, and (2) requiring advice and comments to be included in the record regarding any such proposal and published in the Federal Register. Revises the operation of Board member committees and investigative panels to: (1) require that they operate in accordance with the membership, participation, and policy requirements (including new requirements for public participation in advisory activities of the Board) contained in this Act; (2) deny them authority to make decisions on behalf of the Board; and (3) prohibit direct reporting to EPA. Adds guidelines for the conduct of Board advisory activities, including concerning: (1) avoidance of making policy determinations or recommendations, (2) communication of uncertainties, (3) dissenting members' views, and (4) periodic reviews to ensure that such activities address the most important scientific issues affecting EPA. Prohibits this Act from being construed as supplanting the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act or the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
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 · 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
Responsible Use of Taxpayer Dollars for Portraits Act of 2013 - Prohibits federal funds from being used to pay for production of a portrait of: (1) a Member of Congress, (2) the head of an executive agency, or (3) the head of an agency or office of the legislative branch. Authorizes up to $20,000 in federal funds to pay for production of a portrait of an individual in line of succession to the presidency. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the use of: federal funds to publicly display a portrait of: (1) a Member of Congress, (2) the head of an executive agency, or (3) the head of an agency or office of the legislative branch; or nonfederal funds to produce a portrait of such individual, including, in the case of a portrait of an individual in line of succession to the presidency, the use of nonfederal funds to pay the entire cost of producing it or the portion of the cost that exceeds $20,000, if any.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to authorize appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 for: (1) the children's advocacy program; (2) grants from the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to develop and implement multidisciplinary child abuse investigation and prosecution programs; and (3) grants to national organizations to provide technical assistance and training to attorneys and others instrumental to the criminal prosecution of child abuse cases in state or federal courts, for the purpose of improving the quality of criminal prosecution of such cases. Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct audits of grant recipients to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of funds by grantees. Defines an "unresolved audit finding" as a finding in the final audit report of the Inspector General that the audited grantee has utilized grant funds for an unauthorized expenditure or otherwise unallowable cost and that is not closed or resolved within 12 months from the date when the final audit report is issued and any appeal has been completed. Directs the Administrator to give priority for grants to eligible entities that did not have an unresolved audit finding during the three fiscal years prior to submitting an application for a grant. Disqualifies a grant recipient that is found to have an unresolved audit finding from receiving grant funds during the following two fiscal years. Directs the Administrator, if an entity is awarded grant funds during the two-fiscal-year period in which the entity is barred from receiving grants, to: (1) deposit an amount equal to the funds that were improperly awarded into the General Fund of the Treasury, and (2) seek to recoup the costs of the repayment to the fund from such entity. Prohibits the Administrator from awarding a grant to a nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying the tax on unrelated business income. Requires each nonprofit organization awarded a grant that uses prescribed procedures to create a rebuttable presumption of reasonableness for the compensation of its officers, directors, trustees and key employees to disclose to the Administrator in the grant application the process for determining such compensation, the comparability data used, and contemporaneous substantiation of the deliberation and decision. Prohibits amounts authorized to be appropriated to DOJ from being used by the Administrator, or by any individual or organization awarded discretionary funds through a cooperative agreement, to host or support any expenditure for conferences that uses more than $20,000 in DOJ funds, without prior written authorization by the Deputy Attorney General or other specified officials.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2013
Grants Oversight and New Efficiency Act or the GONE Act - Directs the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to submit to Congress and the head of each federal agency a report that: (1) lists each covered grant account held by the federal government, (2) recommends which of such grants should be immediately closed, and (3) explains why any covered grant account that has been expired for more than 90 days has not been closed out. Requires each federal agency head that manages a covered grant account recommended for closure in such report to close such account not later than 180 days after the report is submitted. Defines "covered grant account" as a grant account in a federal agency payment management system that has a zero balance for more than 180 days and for which the grant award period has expired.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2013
Digital Trade Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) executive branch agencies, including the Office of the United States Trade Representative, should be staffed with experts and leaders to promote an open, global Internet that facilitates commerce and digital trade; and (2) private sector stakeholders should have the opportunity to inform executive agency efforts related to digital trade. States that it shall be a U.S. negotiating principle in negotiations for a bilateral, plurilateral, or multilateral agreement, and in multi-stakeholder fora, to seek the inclusion of binding provisions that promote and enhance Internet-enabled commerce and digital trade.
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
Victims Protection Act of 2013 - Revises or adds provisions concerning sexual assault prevention and response programs and activities within the Department of Defense (DOD), including provisions concerning: a prohibition on service within the Armed Forces by individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses; the inclusion of information on sexual-related offenses within military service records; increased responsibilities within DOD's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office; review of the adequacy of training for members of the Armed Forces (members) on sexual assault prevention and response; programs for the provision of a Special Victims' Counsel for victims of sexual assault; commanding officer responsibilities and actions with respect to sexual offenses involving members; the investigation of allegations of retaliatory personnel actions after protected communications regarding sexual assault; independent panel duties concerning the review and assessment of judicial proceedings of sexual assault cases; additional military department actions on sexual assault prevention and response; sexual assault prevention and response within the military service academies; and collaboration between DOD and the Department of Justice (DOJ) in efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault. Revises or adds provisions concerning court-martial actions for offenses involving sex-related crimes, including provisions concerning: elimination of the five-year statute of limitations on trial by court-martial; mandatory discharge or dismissal upon conviction for certain sex-related offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ); limitations on the modification of court-martial findings; a report on UCMJ modifications to prohibit sexual acts and contacts between military instructors and trainees; and the discharge, in lieu of court-martial, of members who commit sex-related offenses. Outlines provisions concerning other military justice and legal matters, including provisions concerning: the prohibition of retaliation against members for reporting a criminal offense; the extension of crime victims' rights to victims of offenses under the UCMJ; and preliminary hearings on alleged offenses under the UCMJ.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Rural Spectrum Accessibility Act of 2013 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a program under which a wireless carrier receiving a license under specified provisions of the Communications Act of 1934 may partition or disaggregate the license in order to make unused spectrum available to small carriers or carriers serving certain rural areas. Defines "small carrier" as a carrier with not more than 1,500 employees as calculated under regulatory standards used by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to determine the number of individuals employed by a business concern on a full-time, part-time, or other basis. Provides carriers receiving such licenses and participating in the program with a three-year extension of licenses granted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose an additional penalty of $5,000 on any person or entity convicted of crimes relating to: (1) peonage, slavery, and trafficking in persons; (2) sexual abuse; (3) sexual exploitation and other abuse of children; (4) transportation for illegal sexual activity; or (5) human smuggling in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Establishes in the Treasury the Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund into which such penalties shall be deposited and which shall be used in FY2015-FY2019 to award grants or enhance victims' programming under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, and the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990. Allots funds to provide services for child pornography victims. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make a determination, based on credible evidence, that a covered individual (i.e., a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident) has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 to authorize the Attorney General to award block grants to develop, improve, or expand comprehensive domestic child trafficking deterrence programs to rescue and restore the lives of trafficking victims, while investigating and prosecuting offenses involving child trafficking. Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to include human trafficking and the production of child pornography within the definition of child abuse for purposes of such Act. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) increase restitution for victims of human trafficking; (2) set forth provisions for combating aggravated human trafficking racketeering; (3) allow state and local prosecutors to obtain wiretap warrants in state courts for investigations into human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and child pornography production; (4) increase penalties for offenses involving enticement into slavery, sex trafficking of children, child exploitation, and repeat sex offenders; and (5) revise the definition of the crime of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct to facilitate prosecutions of such crime. Directs the Attorney General to ensure that all task forces and working groups within the Innocence Lost National Initiative engage in activities, programs, or operations to increase the investigative capabilities of law enforcement personnel in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of persons who patronize or solicit children for sex. Requires the Attorney General to audit grants awarded under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005. Imposes limits on the use of Department of Justice (DOJ) funds for DOJ conferences involving more than $20,000.
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 · 18 November 2013
Poison Center Network Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY2019: (1) a poison control nationwide-toll free phone number; and (2) a national media campaign to educate the public and health care providers about poison prevention and the availability of poison control center resources in local communities and to conduct advertising campaigns about the nationwide toll-free number. Revises and reauthorizes through FY2019 a grant program for accredited (currently, certified) poison control centers. Allows grant funds to be used to research, improve, and enhance the communications and response capability and capacity of the poison control centers to facilitate increased access to such centers through the integration and modernization of communications and data systems.
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 · 14 November 2013
Transportation Empowerment Act - Declares the purposes of the Act, including returning maximum discretionary authority and fiscal responsibility to the states for all elements of the national surface transportation systems (excluding the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways). Prescribes a limitation on funding of transportation programs and projects carried out under this Act. Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2015-FY2019 for specified core programs under the federal-aid highway program, including: (1) metropolitan transportation planning, (2) emergency relief for highways and roads, (3) the federal lands transportation program, and (4) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) administrative expenses. Authorizes a state to transfer and use excess federal-aid highway funds for any surface transportation project (including mass transit and rail). Limits federal assistance to states for highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation to bridges on the federal-aid highway system. Repeals the authorization of federal assistance to states for historic bridges. Repeals the transportation alternatives program. Declares that, beginning with FY2014, a highway construction or improvement project shall not be considered a federal project: (1) unless and until a state expends federal funds for the construction portion of such project, (2) solely by reason of the state expenditure of federal funds before the construction phase of the project (including for any environmental document or design work), or (3) upon state reimbursement to the federal government of the federal costs of such projects. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make amounts in the HTF available for expenditure for core highway programs through FY2020. Requires the Secretary of Treasury to transfer from the HTF amounts equivalent to motorboat and aviation fuel taxes collected before October 1, 2022, to: (1) the Land and Water Conservation Fund, (2) the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, and (3) the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. Requires the Secretary to pay from the HTF into the general fund of the Treasury amounts equivalent to the floor stocks refunds made before July 1, 2023. Prescribes a motor fuel tax rate schedule for financing of core highway programs. Terminates, on September 30, 2014, the authority of the Secretary to make certain transfers to the Mass Transit Account. Directs the Secretary, on October 1, 2014, to transfer all amounts in the Mass Transit Account to the Highway Account. Authorizes appropriations out of the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2015-FY2019 for the highway research and development program. Directs the Secretary to allocate to the states for surface transportation projects (including mass transit and rail) any excess highway tax receipts appropriated to the HTF in FY2016-FY2019. Reduces the excise taxes imposed on: (1) gasoline from 18.3 cents to 3.7 cents, (2) diesel fuel or kerosene from 24.3 cents to 5.0 cents, and (3) diesel-water fuel emulsion from 19.7 cents to 4.1 cents. Requires credits or refunds of certain floor stocks taxes on liquids imposed before October 1, 2019. Declares that this Act shall become effective only if the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) certifies that it is deficit neutral.
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.
![Official portrait of Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/669ec7925d19788d1f2034a1_200.jpg)