United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from revising the approved Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for FY2017-FY2022. (Interior approved the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's proposed final Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for FY2017-FY2022 on January 17, 2017.)
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
Speak Up to Protect Every Abused Kid Act This bill amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to eligible entities to carry out educational campaigns and provide evidence-based or evidence-informed training regarding state laws for mandatory reporting of incidents of child abuse or neglect. A state plan under a grant program for child abuse or neglect prevention and treatment shall contain specified assurances about: mandatory reporting of suspected or known incidents of child abuse or neglect to state child protective services agencies or law enforcement agencies; procedures to ensure coordination with law enforcement and state or community-based victims' services agencies to ensure that child abuse victims are referred for appropriate follow-up services; primary state responsibility to accept and investigate reports of known and suspected child abuse or neglect for an incident that occurred in the state, even if the child or alleged perpetrator resides in a different state; and established state procedures to screen for domestic violence in the course of investigating child abuse. The bill specifies those individuals and professionals who are required to report suspected or known incidents of child abuse or neglect. HHS shall collect information on state laws for mandatory reporting of incidents of child abuse or neglect in order to assess the implementation of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
Rural Access to Hospice Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow payment under Medicare for certain services furnished to hospice patients by rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). With respect to a patient who elects to receive hospice care under Medicare, current law generally limits payment for services that are either duplicative of such care or related to the treatment of the individual's terminal illness. However, current law exempts from this limitation: (1) physicians' services furnished by an attending physician not employed by the hospice program; and (2) services provided or arranged by the hospice program. The bill expands this exemption with regard to rural health clinic and FQHC services. Specifically, the payment limitation shall not apply to such services that: (1) would otherwise be physicians' services if furnished by an individual unaffiliated with a rural health clinic or FQHC; and (2) are either arranged by the hospice program or furnished by an attending physician not employed by the hospice program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention, and Reform Act of 201 7 This bill increases payment under Medicare for certain ambulance services and otherwise revises provisions related to coverage of such services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act This bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the application of, and repeal authority for, administrative offsets to Social Security, railroad retirement, and black lung benefits. (An administrative offset is the withholding of funds payable by or held by the United States to satisfy a debt.)
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
Access to Contraception for Women Servicemembers and Dependents Act of 2017 This bill expands the TRICARE health care program to entitle additional female beneficiaries and dependents to care related to the prevention of pregnancy. (Currently, such care is limited to certain female members of the uniformed service or a reserve component performing active duty or certain servicewomen performing inactive-duty training.) Cost-sharing may not be imposed or collected for such pregnancy prevention care, including for any method of contraception provided through a facility of the uniformed services, the TRICARE retail pharmacy program, or the national mail-order pharmacy program. Such pregnancy prevention care shall include: (1) all methods of contraception approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), (2) contraceptive care, (3) sterilization procedures, and (4) patient education and counseling. The Department of Defense shall establish a uniform standard curriculum to be used in family planning education programs for all men and women members of the Armed Forces. Every military treatment facility, upon request, shall provide emergency contraception, information about FDA-approved methods of emergency contraception, and notification of confidentiality rights to any woman who: (1) states, or is accompanied by another individual who states, that the woman is a victim of sexual assault; or (2) is reasonably believed to be a survivor of sexual assault.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education (IHE) to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment that includes: (1) a prohibition of harassment of students by other students, faculty, and staff; (2) a description of its programs to prevent harassment; (3) a description of the procedures that students should follow if harassment occurs; and (4) a description of the procedures it will follow once an incident of harassment has been reported. In addition, the report must include a description of each occasion in which a pattern of harassment occurs and the actions taken by the IHE. Harassment includes certain conduct undertaken through technological means that limits a student's ability to benefit from the IHE's programs, or creates a hostile or abusive educational environment at the school. The Department of Education (ED) may award grants to IHEs to initiate, expand, or improve programs to: prevent the harassment of students; provide counseling or redress services to students who have been harassed or accused of subjecting other students to harassment; and train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs. ED must publish a report of best practices for combating harassment at IHEs.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2017
Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act This bill allows the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation to establish the National Global War on Terrorism Memorial as a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2017
Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2017 This bill prohibits sexual orientation or gender identity conversion therapy from being provided in exchange for compensation. It bars advertisements for such therapy that claim to: (1) change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, (2) eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender, or (3) be harmless or without risk. Individuals or entities shall not knowingly assist or facilitate a conversion therapy if they receive compensation from any source in connection with providing such therapies. These prohibitions are inapplicable to practices or treatments that do not seek to change sexual orientation or gender identity if they provide: (1) assistance to an individual undergoing a gender transition; or (2) acceptance, support, and understanding of clients or facilitation of clients' coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, including sexual orientation-neutral interventions to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices. The Federal Trade Commission and states are provided authority to enforce against violations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2017
Social Security Fairness Act of 2017 This bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal the "government pension offset" and the "windfall elimination provision." Under current law, those provisions reduce OASDI benefits for individuals who receive a pension based on earnings in government employment that was not covered under the Social Security program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2017
Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act of 2017 This bill: (1) condemns the violence and human rights violations carried out by the Syrian government and pro-government forces; (2) urges all parties to halt civilian attacks; and (3) calls on the President to support efforts to ensure accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed during the conflict. The Department of State shall report to Congress on war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed in Syria. The State Department shall: (1) complete a study of the feasibility of potential transitional justice mechanisms for Syria (including a hybrid tribunal) to address war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide perpetrated in Syria beginning in March 2011; and (2) include in the report on such study recommendations on which transitional justice mechanisms the U.S. government should support, why, and what type of support should be offered. The State Department may provide assistance to entities that: (1) identify suspected perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide; (2) collect evidence of crimes; (3) conduct criminal investigations or protect witnesses; or (4) build Syria's investigative, enforcement, and judicial capacities. The State Department also may provide assistance to support the creation and operation of transitional justice mechanisms. The bill includes in the State Department's Rewards for Justice program information leading to the arrest or conviction of perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed in Syria beginning in March 2011. The bill calls for the State Department to advocate that the United Nations Human Rights Council annually extend the mandate of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic until the commission has completed its investigation of alleged violations of international human rights laws in Syria beginning in March 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2017
Disability Integration Act of 2017 This bill prohibits states or local governments that provide institutional placements for individuals with disabilities who need long-term assistance with daily living activities or health-related tasks, and prohibits insurance providers that fund such long-term services, from denying community-based services that would enable such individuals to live in the community and lead an independent life. States, local governments, or insurance providers may not discriminate against such individuals in the provision of community-based services by: (1) imposing prohibited eligibility criteria, cost caps, waiting lists, or payment structures; (2) failing to provide a specific community-based service; or (3) requiring an individual to receive a service in a congregate or disability-specific setting. Community-based services must be offered to individuals with such disabilities prior to institutionalization. Institutionalized individuals must be notified regularly of community-based alternatives. States, local governments, and public insurance providers must assess: (1) transportation barriers that prevent individuals from receiving services in integrated settings, and (2) the availability of integrated employment opportunities. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must issue regulations requiring states, local governments, or insurance providers to offer community-based long-term services to individuals with such disabilities who would otherwise qualify for institutional placement. State and local governments, in conjunction with housing agencies, must ensure sufficient availability of affordable, accessible, and integrated housing that is not a disability-specific residential setting or a setting where services are tied to tenancy. Such regulations must also require states and local governments to begin implementing a transition plan to achieve the requirements of this bill within 12 years after its enactment. For 10 years after issuance of the regulations, HHS must determine annually whether each state is complying with the transition plan. If a state is complying, HHS must increase by five percentage points the federal medical assistance percentage for a state requesting an increase for expenditures on home and community-based services furnished under the state Medicaid plan under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, or a waiver of such plan, that are identified as: (1) improvements to ensure accessibility or self-directed receipt of such services, (2) funding shifts from institutional settings to integrated community-based services, or (3) environmental modifications for housing targeted toward the lowest income individuals. The bill provides for DOJ enforcement and allows civil actions by individuals subjected to, or about to be subjected to, a violation of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2017
Opioid Addiction Prevention Act of 2017 This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit the Drug Enforcement Administration from registering, or renewing the registration of, a practitioner who is licensed to prescribe opioids in schedule II, III, or IV unless the practitioner agrees to limit an opioid prescription for the initial treatment of acute pain to the lesser of a seven-day supply (no refill) or an opioid prescription limit established under state law. An opioid that is approved and prescribed for the treatment of addiction is not subject to the limit.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2017
Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Opportunity Act and the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to use a standardized financial aid offer form that meets specified requirements. The Department of Education (ED) must develop a standard format for financial aid offer forms based on recommendations from representatives of students, students' families, institutions of higher education, secondary school and postsecondary counselors, and nonprofit consumer groups. The form must include specified details and disclosures regarding: the cost of attendance; aid that does not need to be repaid; the net price that a student or family is estimated to pay; work study assistance; types and amounts of loans, including monthly repayment amounts; sources for additional information; deadlines and the process for accepting financial aid; the academic period covered by the aid; default rates; the percentage of students who have student loans and the median debt at graduation for students; private loans; scholarships; and the terms and conditions of federal financial aid. ED must: (1) test the form with representatives of students, students' families, institutions of higher education, secondary school and postsecondary counselors, and nonprofit consumer groups; and (2) use the results to develop the final form. Each institution of higher education that receives federal financial assistance under the Higher Education Act of 1965 must use the standard form when offering financial aid to students.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
21st Century Glass-Steagall Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, the Home Owner's Loan Act, the International Banking Act of 1978, the federal bankruptcy code, and other laws to: limit affiliations between an insured depository institution and any insurance company, securities entity, or swaps entity ; restrict the authority of a national banking association to purchase or sell investment securities or stock, invest in certain structured or synthetic products, control or hold an interest in financial subsidiaries, or otherwise engage in nonbanking activities; restrict the authority of a federal savings association to invest in, redeem, or hold shares or certificates issued by an open-end management investment company; limit the authority of a financial holding company to engage in nonfinancial activities; disallow certain foreign banks from engaging in nonbanking activities in the United States; repeal bankruptcy code provisions related to the contractual right to liquidate, terminate, or accelerate certain types of financial instruments; and establish various enforcement and penalty provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate customer privacy regulations that require telecommunications services, broadband Internet access services, and interconnected VoIP services to: notify a customer about the collection, use, and sharing of customer proprietary information that is individually identifiable customer proprietary network information, personally identifiable information, or the content of communications; obtain opt-in approval from a customer to use and share sensitive customer proprietary information about financial or health information, children, Social Security numbers, precise geolocation, content of communications, call detail information, web browsing or application usage history, or other customary proprietary information that the FCC determines to be sensitive; not refuse to serve a customer who does not consent to the use and sharing of customer proprietary information for commercial purposes under a "take-it-or-leave-it" offer; develop data security practices; and notify customers of security breaches. The FCC must also implement strong protection for de-identified customary proprietary information to prevent re-identifying such information.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Rural Hospital Access Act of 2017 This bill permanently extends the Medicare-Dependent Hospital program (which provides increased payments to certain smaller, rural hospitals that serve a proportionally high number of Medicare patients) and the program for increased payments under Medicare for low-volume hospitals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
AFG and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017 This bill amends the the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to: (1) repeal the expiration dates of, and to reauthorize through FY2023, the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program, the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) Program; and (2) authorize the use of AFG Program grants, instead of SAFER Program grants, to provide specialized training to first responders on how to recognize and properly intervene with individuals with mental illness.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Federal Employee Fair Treatment Act of 201 7 This bill requires federal employees furloughed or required to work during a lapse in appropriations beginning on or after April 28, 2017, to be compensated for the period of the lapse on the earliest date possible after the lapse ends. Employees required to work during the lapse in appropriations may use leave. The bill addresses a lapse in appropriations scheduled to occur if FY2017 appropriations legislation is not enacted prior to the expiration of the continuing resolution that currently funds most federal agencies through April 28, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Fair Housing for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors Act of 2017 This bill amends the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination against or regarding survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault in: the sale or rental of housing and related activities, residential real estate-related transactions, and the provision of real estate brokerage services. This bill declares that nothing in the Act shall prohibit federal, state, or local government or other assistance or a preference program designed to assist or benefit domestic violence or sexual assault survivors in seeking, securing, or maintaining dwellings, shelters or any other form of housing. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 is amended to prohibit intimidation in fair housing tranactions regarding survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Campus Accountability and Safety Act This bill addresses sexual harassment, sexual assault, and other violence and harassment on the campuses of colleges and universities. The bill amends provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965 known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act to expand reporting requirements included in the annual campus security report provided to current and prospective students and employees. Specifically, the report must include information about: (1) the institutions coordination with local law enforcement about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking occurring against its students or against other individuals on its campus; (2) statistics about certain criminal offenses reported to campus security authorities or local police, including rape, fondling, incest, and statutory rape; and (3) information about how the institution is addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The Department of Education (ED) must administer and publish the campus-level results of a biannual survey of students regarding their experiences with domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Each institution must establish a campus security policy that meets certain requirements with respect to: (1) assisting survivors; (2) training individuals who are involved in implementing the student grievance procedures or who are responsible for interviewing survivors; and (3) establishing a uniform process for student disciplinary proceedings relating to any claims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking or a sexual misconduct policy violation against a student. ED and the Department of Justice may impose civil penalties for failure to meet certain requirements under this bill. The bill also authorizes grants to address these issues.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission Act This bill establishes a Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission to develop and execute programs and activities to commemorate the centennial of the passage and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which prohibits the federal government and states from denying U.S. citizens the right to vote on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Protecting Sensitive Locations Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that an immigration enforcement action by the Department of Homeland Security or an individual designated to perform immigration enforcement functions may not take place at a sensitive location, unless: (1) the action involves exigent circumstances, and (2) prior approval was obtained from the appropriate official. A "sensitive location" includes all of the physical space located within 1,000 feet of: medical treatment or health care facilities; public and private schools; scholastic or education-related activities; school bus or school bus stops during periods when school children are present; any organization that assists children, pregnant women, victims of crime or abuse, or individuals with significant mental or physical disabilities or that provides disaster or emergency social services; places of worship; funerals, weddings, or other public religious ceremonies; public demonstrations; federal, state, or local courthouses; or any domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, supervised visitation center, family justice center, or victim services provider. The bill shall not apply to the transportation of an individual apprehended at or near a land or sea border to a hospital or health care provider for the purpose of providing such individual with medical care. If an enforcement action is carried out in violation of this bill: (1) no information resulting from the action may be entered into the record or received into evidence in a resulting removal proceeding, and (2) the affected alien may file a motion for such proceeding's immediate termination. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall provide training to officers and report to Congress on any enforcement activity occurring at sensitive locations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2017 The bill requires the Supreme Court to promulgate a code of ethics for the Justices of the Supreme Court that shall include the five canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States, with any amendments or modifications that the Supreme Court determines appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
This bill authorizes FY2018-FY2023 appropriations for the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2017 or the BUILD Act This bill amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to: (1) revise and reauthorize brownfields revitalization funding through FY2020, and (2) reauthorize state response programs through FY2020. (Brownfields are certain commercial properties that are hindered from reuse or redevelopment due to the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.) Certain nonprofit organizations and community development entities are made eligible for brownfields revitalization funding. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must establish a program to provide multipurpose grants to carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, or remediation activities at brownfield sites. The brownfield site characterization and assessment grant program is revised by authorizing eligible governmental entities to receive grants for property that was acquired before January 11, 2002, even if the entities do not qualify as bona fide prospective purchasers. The bill increases the cap on the amount that may be given in grants and loans for each site to be remediated. The EPA must establish a program to provide grants to: (1) carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, feasibility analysis, design, or remediation activities to locate a clean energy project at brownfield sites; and (2) capitalize a revolving loan fund for those purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
This bill amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to designate approximately 1,559,538 acres of land within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Paycheck Fairness Act This bill amends equal pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to: (1) restrict the use of the bona fide factor defense to wage discrimination claims, (2) enhance nonretaliation provisions, (3) make it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages, and (4) increase civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs shall train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination matters. The bill directs the Department of Labor to: (1) establish and carry out a grant program for negotiation skills training for girls and women, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace is established for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. This bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
ABLE Age Adjustment Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to qualified ABLE programs, to increase the age threshold for eligibility for such programs from 26 to 46. (Tax-favored ABLE [Achieving a Better Life Experience] accounts are designed to enable individuals with disabilities to save for and pay for disability-related expenses.)
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act of 2017 This bill makes certain subsidies available to Medicare prescription drug program beneficiaries who reside in Puerto Rico or another U.S. territory. Current law makes such beneficiaries ineligible for premium and cost-sharing subsidies, but establishes a process for U.S. territories to apply for financial assistance with respect to the provision of Medicare prescription drugs. The bill eliminates this process and makes the subsidies available to beneficiaries who reside in a U.S. territory and are otherwise eligible.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Police Training and Independent Review Act of 2017 This bill requires a state that receives funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to train law enforcement officers on diversity and sensitivity. The Department of Justice (DOJ) may reduce by up to 20% the JAG allocation of a state that fails to comply. Additionally, the bill requires a state or local government that receives JAG funding to have in effect a law requiring the appointment of an independent prosecutor to investigate and prosecute an offense involving the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer that results in a death or injury. DOJ must reduce by 20% the JAG allocation of a state or local government that fails to comply.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Recognizes that the intent of the Agent Orange Act of 1991 included the presumption that veterans who served in the Armed Forces in the bays, harbors, and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, served in Vietnam for all purposes under the Agent Orange Act of 1991. Expresses the intent that such veterans who served in those areas and other areas exposed to Agent Orange who have been diagnosed with connected medical conditions should be equally recognized for such exposure through equitable benefits and coverage as those who served in the inland rivers and on the Vietnamese land mass. Calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs to review its policy that excludes presumptive coverage for Agent Orange exposure for such veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
College for All Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish a grant program to eliminate tuition and required fees: (1) for all students at community colleges and two-year tribal colleges and universities, and (2) for working- and middle-class students at four-year public institutions of higher education (IHEs). Additionally, the bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the HEA to: reauthorize the Federal TRIO Programs, the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (i.e., GEAR UP), and the Federal Work Study Program for FY2018-FY2027; eliminate existing base guarantees of Federal Work Study funds to IHEs and require funds to be allocated based solely on the aggregate need of the institution's students; modify the interest rate formulas for federal student loans to revise applicable rates on new loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2017; and allow student loan borrowers to modify interest rates on outstanding federal student loans to current rates. Finally, it directs the Department of Education to use any excess revenue generated by the Federal Direct Loan program to carry out the Federal Pell Grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Inclusive Prosperity Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose an excise tax on the transfer of ownership in certain securities (covered transaction), including any share of stock in a corporation, any partnership or beneficial interest in a partnership or trust, any note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (excluding tax-exempt municipal bonds), or derivative financial instruments; (2) impose a penalty on taxpayers who fail to include a covered transaction on their tax return or information statement; and (3) allow an individual taxpayer whose modified adjusted gross income does not exceed $50,000 ($75,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns) a tax credit for the amount of tax paid on covered transactions.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of Larry Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act of 2017 This bill makes it illegal to possess, buy, sell, or transport shark fins or any product containing shark fins. A person may possess a shark fin that was lawfully taken consistent with a license or permit under certain circumstances. Penalties are imposed for violations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The maximum civil penalty for each violation shall be $100,000, or the fair market value of the shark fins involved, whichever is greater.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Employer Participation in Repayment Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the tax exclusion for employer-provided educational assistance to include an employer's payments to an employee or lender for the principal or interest on any qualified education loan incurred by an employee.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Prescription Drug Monitoring Act of 2017 This bill requires a state that receives grant funds under the prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) or the controlled substance monitoring program to comply with specified requirements, including a requirement to share its PDMP data with other states. The Department of Justice (DOJ) or Department of Health and Human Services may withhold grant funds from a state that fails to comply. To facilitate data sharing among states, the bill directs DOJ to award a grant under the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program to establish and maintain a data-sharing hub.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Making Available Information Now to Strengthen Trust and Resilience and Enhance Enterprise Technology Cybersecurity Act of 2017 or the MAIN STREET Cybersecurity Act of 2017 This bill amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to consider small businesses when it facilitates and supports the development of voluntary, consensus-based, industry-led guidelines and procedures to cost-effectively reduce cyber risks to critical infrastructure. NIST must disseminate, and publish on its website, standard and method resources that small business may use voluntarily to help reduce their cybersecurity risks. The resources must be: (1) technology-neutral, (2) based on international standards to the extent possible, (3) able to vary with the nature and size of the implementing small business and the sensitivity of the data collected or stored on the information systems, and (4) consistent with the national cybersecurity awareness and education program under the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014. Other federal agencies that NIST considers appropriate must also publish the resources on their own websites.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Act of 2017 This bill establishes: (1) the Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care; (2) the National Law Enforcement Child and Youth Trauma Coordinating Center; (3) the Native American Technical Assistance Resource Center to provide trauma-informed technical assistance; and (4) Medicaid demonstration projects to test innovative, trauma-informed approaches for delivering early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services to eligible children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must encourage states to collect and report data on adverse childhood experiences. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, and other laws to revise or establish provisions related to trauma, including provisions regarding the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, Performance Partnership Pilots, health professional shortage areas, and training of school personnel, court personnel, and health care providers. The Department of Education may award grants for the improvement of trauma support services and mental health care for children in educational settings.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
This bill amends provisions of various laws relating to prescription-drug pricing and affordability. Specifically, the bill: expands reporting requirements for drug manufacturers and establishes corresponding civil penalties for noncompliance; adds reporting requirements for certain nonprofit patient-assistance programs; requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress on the impact of patient-assistance programs on prescription-drug pricing and expenditures; requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate prices for certain prescription drugs under the Medicare program; requires the GAO to report to Congress on such negotiations conducted by the CMS; requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within the CMS to test specified models for negotiating drug prices; establishes reporting requirements, and corresponding civil penalties for noncompliance, for pharmaceutical companies with respect to spikes in prescription-drug prices; establishes an excise tax on prescription drugs subject to price spikes; lessens prescription-drug cost-sharing requirements under qualified health plans, group health plans, and the Medicare program; modifies provisions related to the importation of prescription drugs; requires drug manufacturers to provide drug rebates for drugs dispensed to certain low-income individuals under the Medicare program; establishes a prize fund for new and more effective treatments of bacterial infections; establishes a Center for Clinical Research within the National Institutes of Health; modifies provisions related to drug exclusivity; allows the Federal Trade Commission to initiate enforcement proceedings against parties to an agreement resolving or settling a patent-infringement claim in connection with the sale of a drug product; requires the Food and Drug Administration to establish a database of generic drugs; and modifies other provisions related to generic drugs, prescription-drug advertising, and product hopping.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Clean Air, Healthy Kids Act This bill nullifies the Executive Order entitled "Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth" that was signed on March 28, 2017. No federal funds may be used to implement or enforce the order. This bill may not be construed to impair any authority granted to the President. The bill takes effect on March 28, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017
Keep It in the Ground Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) from issuing, renewing, reinstating, or extending any nonproducing lease, or issuing any authorization for the exploration or production of oil, natural gas, or any other fossil fuel in the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, or any other area of the Outer Continental Shelf. BOEM shall also cancel within 60 days any lease issued in the Beaufort Sea, Cook Inlet, or Chukchi Sea (three of the five bodies of water that encompass the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf). The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) must not issue, renew, reinstate, or extend any nonproducing lease for the exploration or production of any onshore fossil fuels, including coal, oil, tar sands, oil shale, and gas, on land subject to the Mineral Leasing Act. The bill provides for exceptions if there is an imminent national security threat that would be significantly reduced by granting an exception. In addition, BOEM and the BLM may allow a nonproducing lease to be renewed or extended if the lease contract was signed before this bill, and giving effect to any provision of this bill is likely to lead to a material breach of contract.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017
Protecting the Rights of Families and Immigrants Who Legally Entered from Detention Act or the PROFILED Act This bill prohibits a law enforcement agent or agency from engaging in racial profiling. It creates a civil cause of action permitting declaratory or injunctive relief to enforce this ban on racial profiling. The Department of Justice shall issue regulations requiring law enforcement agencies to collect certain data relating to investigatory activities, including, but not limited to, collecting information on the race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, and religion of persons subject to investigatory activities. The bill requires that law enforcement agents give notice to persons suspected of immigration violations of their right to counsel (at no expense to the federal government), the right to remain silent, and notice that any statements given by the individual can be used against them in a removal or criminal proceeding. Any evidence obtained in violation of this requirement cannot be used against the individual in a removal proceeding. Not later than 48 hours after an individual has been detained, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall file a notice to appear with the closest immigration court. No later than six hours after detention, a detained individual must be allowed to use the telephone to make calls at no charge to the detainee. DHS shall issue regulations prohibiting officials from detaining individuals on various premises, including schools, courts, and places of worship, unless there exist exigent circumstances. DHS must also issue regulations pertaining to the transfer of detainees, including the factors to be considered when deciding whether to transfer the detainee. The bill defines various rights accorded to vulnerable populations and to parents who have been detained by immigration officers. The position of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Ombudsman is established in DHS.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017
This bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), upon request, to extend by eight years the time period during which construction must commence on the Cannonsville Hydroelectric Project located on the West Branch of the Delaware River in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. (The City of New York was granted a construction license for the Cannonsville Hydroelectric Project on May 13, 2014.) Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it is expired.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Israel Anti-Boycott Act This bill declares that Congress: (1) opposes the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution of March 24, 2016, which urges countries to pressure companies to divest from, or break contracts with, Israel; and (2) encourages full implementation of the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 through enhanced, governmentwide, coordinated U.S.-Israel scientific and technological cooperation in civilian areas. The bill amends the Export Administration Act of 1979 to declare that it shall be U.S. policy to oppose: requests by foreign countries to impose restrictive practices or boycotts against other countries friendly to the United States or against U.S. persons; and restrictive trade practices or boycotts fostered or imposed by an international governmental organization, or requests to impose such practices or boycotts, against Israel. The bill prohibits any U.S. person engaged interstate or foreign commerce from supporting: any request by a foreign country to impose any boycott against a country that is friendly to the United States and that is not itself the object of any form of boycott pursuant to United States law or regulation, or any boycott fostered or imposed by any international governmental organization against Israel or any request by any international governmental organization to impose such a boycott. The bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to include as a reason for the Export-Import Bank to deny credit applications for the export of goods and services between the United States and foreign countries, opposition to policies and actions that are politically motivated and are intended to penalize or otherwise limit commercial relations specifically with citizens or residents of Israel, entities organized under the laws of Israel, or the government of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
International Narcotics Trafficking Emergency Response by Detecting Incoming Contraband with Technology Act or the INTERDICT Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) increase the number of chemical screening devices available to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to interdict fentanyl, other synthetic opioids, and other narcotics and psychoactive substances that are illegally imported into the United States, including such substances imported through the mail or by an express consignment operator or carrier; and (2) dedicate the appropriate number of personnel, including scientists, to the CBP to interpret data collected by such devices during all operational hours.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Commerce to establish a Manufacturing Community Support Program to improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing by: (1) designating consortiums as manufacturing communities; and (2) authorizing federal agencies electing to participate in the program to provide such communities preferential consideration in awarding financial and technical assistance. A consortium, to be eligible for such designation and assistance, must: represent a region that is large enough to contain critical elements of the key technologies or supply chain prioritized by the consortium and small enough to enable close collaboration among the consortium's members; include at least one institution of higher education, a private sector entity, and a government entity; and have a lead applicant that is a district organization, an Indian tribe, a state or political subdivision of a state, an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organization or association with an application supported by a state, a political subdivision of a state, or a native community. Commerce shall make such designations for a two-year period, and may renew a designation for additional two-year periods, based on specified criteria. Recipients may use such financial or technical assistance to support investments in ecosystems that will improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing, including infrastructure, access to capital, promotion of exports and foreign direct investment, equipment upgrades, workforce training, energy or process efficiency, business incubators, site preparation, advanced research, supply chain development, and small business assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Women Veterans and Families Health Services Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to furnish fertility treatment and counseling, including through the use of assisted reproductive technology, to a severely wounded, ill, or injured member of the Armed Forces who has an infertility condition incurred or aggravated while serving on active duty (covered member) or to the spouse, partner, or gestational surrogate of such member. DOD shall: establish procedures for gamete retrieval from a member of the Armed Forces in cases in which the fertility of such member is potentially jeopardized as a result of an injury or illness incurred or aggravated while serving on active duty; and give members of the Armed Forces on active duty the opportunity to cryopreserve and store their gametes prior to a combat zone deployment at no cost to the member. Fertility counseling and treatment are included within authorized Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical services. The VA shall furnish such treatment and services to a jointly applying covered veteran and his or her spouse, partner, or gestational surrogate. The VA may pay the adoption expenses (for up to three adoptions) for a covered member who is enrolled in the VA health care system. The VA shall facilitate research conducted collaboratively by DOD and the Department of Health and Human Services to improve the VA's ability to meet the reproductive health care needs of veterans who have a service-connected genitourinary disability or a condition that was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty that affects the veterans' reproductive ability. The VA shall enhance the capabilities of the VA women veterans contact center to: (1) respond to assistance requests, and (2) refer such veterans to federal or community resources. The pilot program of group retreat reintegration and readjustment counseling for women veterans recently separated from service is enlarged and extended. The bill provides child care assistance to qualified veterans for: (1) mental health care services, and (2) readjustment counseling and related mental health services.
![Official portrait of Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/g000555_200.jpg)