United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2016
Urges the working group established by the Federal Republic of Germany and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany to recognize the imperative to fund immediately and fully the medical, mental health, and long-term care needs of surviving Holocaust victims, with full transparency and accountability, to ensure all funds for Holocaust victims from the Federal Republic of Germany are administered efficiently, fairly, and without delay. Urges the Federal Republic of Germany also to reaffirm its commitment to fulfill its moral responsibility to Holocaust victims by: ensuring that each Holocaust victim receives all of the prescribed medical care, home care, mental health care, and other vital services necessary to live in dignity; and providing, without delay, additional financial resources to address the unique needs of Holocaust victims.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2016
Testing, Removal, and Updated Evaluations of Lead Everywhere in America for Dramatic Enhancements that Restore Safety to Homes, Infrastructure, and Pipes Act of 2016 or the True LEADership Act of 2016 This bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish grant programs to assist communities and states fund projects that reduce lead in drinking water. The bill establishes a mandatory reporting requirement for states to report elevated levels of lead in children's blood to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to direct the EPA to promulgate lead and copper pipe regulations that would set household action levels for lead and copper in drinking water. The EPA must develop a process to protect and improve the drinking water of minority, tribal, and low-income communities. Additionally, the EPA must establish a voluntary school and child care lead testing grant program. The bill creates a new tax credit for homeowners to invest in eliminating lead hazards. Additionally, the bill revises how the Department of Housing and Urban Development deals with lead in homes. The EPA must establish a grant program to accelerate the testing, deployment and commercialization of new drinking water technologies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is authorized to provide funding from its disaster relief fund in response to a major incident of lead contamination in drinking water. The bill creates a grant program for local educational agencies to assist children that have been affected by lead poisoning.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2016
Firefighter Cancer Registry Act This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and maintain a voluntary patient registry to monitor, collect, and make available epidemiological information related to cancer incidence and trends among firefighters. The CDC should seek to include specified information in the registry, including the number and types of fire incidents attended by an individual. To collect information for the registry, the CDC may incorporate questions into existing public health surveys, questionnaires, and other databases. The CDC must: (1) encourage the inclusion in the registry of data on minority, female, and volunteer firefighters; and (2) seek feedback on the registry from nonfederal experts. The CDC must develop an approval process for making registry data available for research without a fee if findings or publications derived from the research are made public or available to stakeholders.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2016
Rural Access to Hospice Act of 2016 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 the individual's attending physician, if not an employee of 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 Medicare 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 the individual's attending physician, if not an employee of the hospice program.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2016
STEM Opportunities Act of 2016 This bill directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a STEM Inclusion Interagency Working Group which shall focus on the creation of a more diverse and inclusive STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workforce. The National Science Foundation (NSF) shall strengthen the goals and activities of the ADVANCE (Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers) program to focus on increasing the recruitment, retention, and success of all women in STEM, including minorities and persons with disabilities. The NSF shall: award a grant for the establishment of at least one Center for Excellence for Inclusion in STEM; collect institution-level data on the demographics of STEM faculty at different types of institutions of higher education; award grants to institutions of higher education (or their consortia) to implement or expand evidence-based reforms for recruiting, retaining, and advancing students, fellows, trainees, and faculty from underrepresented groups in STEM; and administer three specified Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring to recognize annually outstanding mentoring in STEM fields in primary, secondary, and higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2016
Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2016 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to include pediatric subspecialties in primary health services for purposes of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Psychiatrists who are pediatric subspecialists are included in behavioral and mental health professionals. (These amendments make pediatric subspecialists, including psychiatrists, eligible for the NHSC fellowship program for the delivery of primary health services in health professional shortage areas, the NHSC Scholarship Program, and the NHSC Loan Repayment Program.) “Health professional shortage area” can mean an underserved population of children and adolescents.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2016
Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 This bill allows civil claims or causes of action to recover artwork or other cultural property unlawfully lost because of persecution during the Nazi era, or for damages for the taking or detaining of such artwork or cultural property, to be commenced within six years after the claimant's actual discovery of: (1) the identity and location of the artwork or cultural property, and (2) information or facts sufficient to indicate that the claimant has a claim for a possessory interest in the artwork or cultural property that was unlawfully lost. Such statutory limitation period of six years after actual discovery preempts any other statutes of limitation or defenses relating to the passage of time. The term: (1) "persecution during the Nazi era" means persecution by the Nazis or their allies between January 1, 1933, and December 31, 1945, that was based on race, ethnicity, or religion; and (2) "unlawfully lost" includes any theft, seizure, forced sale, sale under duress, or other loss of an artwork or cultural property that would not have occurred absent such persecution. This bill applies to claims or actions that are pending on the date of, or filed after, enactment but before 2027. Such claims or actions may include those: (1) that were dismissed before enactment of this bill based on the expiration of a federal or state statute of limitations, laches, or any other defense at law or equity relating to the passage of time; and (2) in which final judgment has not been entered.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2016
This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to prohibit any air carrier that transports passengers by aircraft as a common carrier for compensation from reducing the size, width, padding, or pitch of seats; the amount of leg room per seat; or the width of aisles on such aircraft. The FAA must prescribe regulations: (1) establishing minimum standards for space for the safety, health, and comfort of aircraft passengers; and (2) requiring each air carrier to prominently display on its website the amount of space available for each passenger on aircraft it operates.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2016
Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award competitive grants for: (1) comprehensive sex education for adolescents, (2) comprehensive sex education provided by institutions of higher education, and (3) training faculty and staff to teach comprehensive sex education to elementary and secondary school students. Grants cannot be used for health education programs that: deliberately withhold health-promoting or lifesaving information about sexuality-related topics, including HIV; are medically inaccurate or have been scientifically shown to be ineffective; promote gender stereotypes; are insensitive and unresponsive to the needs of survivors of sexual abuse or assault, sexually active youth, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth; or are inconsistent with the ethical imperatives of medicine and public health. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to remove limitations on using AIDS prevention program funding for education or information that promotes certain sexual activity or intravenous substance abuse. This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow funding to be used for contraceptive distribution in schools. This bill amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to repeal the program for abstinence education. Unobligated funds for abstinence education for FY2016 and FY2017 are transferred and made available to carry out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2016
Support Startup Businesses Act of 2016 This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize a small business concern receiving a Phase II award (grants of up to $1 million, for up to 2 years, to facilitate expansion of Phase I startup results) under the Small Business Innovation Research program, for FY2017-FY2019, to use up to 5% of the Phase II award for commercialization-related services, including market validation, intellectual property protection, business model development, market research, and other reasonable services that support market entry. These services may be performed directly by the small business concern or obtained from a public or private nonprofit organization, a state agency, or another state-funded entity that facilitates or accelerates the commercialization of technologies or assists in the creation and growth of private enterprises that are commercializing technology.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2016
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. These Centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees, social work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician assistant studies in palliative care. HHS may make grants to, and enter into contracts with, schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to support the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. HHS must: (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development; (2) award grants or contracts to entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) award incentive grants or contracts to advanced practice nurses, social workers, physician assistants, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a nurse assistant to train individuals in providing palliative care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care. The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2016
Recognizes the accomplishments and example of Cesar Estrada Chavez, pledges to promote his legacy, and encourages the people of the United States to commemorate his legacy and to always remember his rallying cry, "Si, se puede!", which is Spanish for "Yes, we can!", as a symbol of unity and hope for each individual who seeks justice.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Political Intelligence Transparency Act of 2016 This bill amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to require the disclosure of political intelligence activities, particularly relating to information useful for analyzing securities or commodities markets. Political intelligence consultants or their employing organizations must register with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives and make quarterly reports on political intelligence activities. The bill exempts from such requirements an individual whose combined political intelligence and lobbying activities constitute less than 20% of the time engaged in such services to a client over a three-month period. Persons or entities that make an oral or written political intelligence contact with a covered legislative branch or executive branch official must, on the official's request: (1) state whether such person or entity is registered under the LDA, (2) identify the client on behalf of whom the contact is made, and (3) state whether such client is a foreign entity and make any related disclosures. The federal criminal code is amended to subject to a fine and/or imprisonment certain former officers, employees, and elected officials of the executive and legislative branches who knowingly make any communication to, or appearance before, any officer or employee of a federal or District of Columbia agency or court in violation of certain permanent or temporary restrictions and with the intent to gain information for use in: (1) analyzing securities or commodities markets, or (2) informing investment decisions in those markets. The bill excludes from such prohibition any communication made by a representative of a media organization to gather and disseminate news and information to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2016 This bill requires the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out the activities specified below in order to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). An eligible entity that receives a grant shall use grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities designed to increase the participation of women or minorities underrepresented in science and engineering, or both: online workshops, mentoring programs that partner STEM professionals with students, internships for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields, outreach programs providing elementary and secondary school students with opportunities to increase their exposure to STEM fields, and programs to increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
ABLE Age Adjustment Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to qualified ABLE programs, to increase the threshold for eligibility for such programs from age 26 to age 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 · 17 March 2016
ABLE Financial Planning Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-free rollovers of amounts in qualified tuition programs (529 plans) to qualified ABLE programs and from qualified ABLE programs to qualified tuition programs. (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 · 17 March 2016
ABLE to Work Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to ABLE accounts (tax-exempt savings accounts for persons with a disability), to allow: (1) an ABLE account beneficiary to make contributions to an ABLE account equal to the lesser of such beneficiary's compensation or an amount equal to the federal poverty line for a one-person household, and (2) a retirement savings tax credit for contributions to an ABLE account.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Designates March 2016 as National Women's History Month. Recognizes the celebration of such month as a time to reflect on the contributions that women have made to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016
Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require employers engaged in commerce, or in the production of goods for commerce, to make certain disclosures to employees about their employment, including a paystub corresponding to work the employee performed during the applicable pay period, and make final payments to a terminating employee for uncompensated hours the employee has worked. An employer shall compensate an employee at the rate specified in an employment contract or other employment agreement, including a collective bargaining agreement, that specifies a rate of pay higher than the minimum wage rate. The bill revises penalty requirements to: increase to double the amount of unpaid wages or unpaid overtime compensation the damages an employer must pay for violating minimum wage or maximum hour rules, plus interest; increase to treble damages the penalty for retaliatory discrimination against or discharge of a whistleblowing employee; repeal the requirement that an employee consent in writing to become a party plaintiff in an action to recover damages from an employer for all such violations; prohibit waiver of the right to bring an action, including a collective action, by an employee as a condition of employment or in a pre-dispute arbitration agreement; and direct the Department of Labor to refer any case involving a covered offender to the Department of Justice for prosecution. In the event that an employee requests an inspection of his or her records for accuracy of wage payments, the employer shall give the employee a copy of the records covering a period of up to five years prior to the request. The Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947 is amended to: increase the statute of limitations for causes of action under that Act, the Walsh-Healy Act, or the Bacon-Davis Act with respect to unpaid wages, unpaid overtime compensation, or damages; and deem the statute of limitations tolled for such an action between notification of an employer that an investigation or enforcement action has begun to notification to the employer that the matter has been officially resolved. Acting through the Wage and Hour Division, Labor shall award grants to assist eligible entities in enhancing the enforcement of wage and hour laws. The Government Accountability Office shall identify successful programs carried out by such grants, especially elements, policies, or procedures that can be replicated by other grant-receiving programs.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2016
Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a center of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating to exposure to open burn pits and other environmental exposures in Afghanistan or Iraq. The VA shall, in selecting the center's site, consider entities that: are equipped with the specialized equipment needed to study, diagnose, and treat health conditions relating to such exposure; have a publication track record of post-deployment health exposures among veterans who served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom; have collaborated with a geosciences department that has a medical geology division; have developed animal models and in vitro models of dust immunology and lung injury consistent with the injuries of members of the Armed Forces who served in support of such operations; and have expertise in allergy and immunology, pulmonary diseases, and industrial and management engineering. The VA shall ensure that the center collaborates with the Department of Defense (DOD), institutions of higher education, and other appropriate public and private entities to: provide for dissemination within the VA of best practices for the treatment of such conditions and the training of health professionals; provide guidance for the VA and DOD health systems in determining the personnel required to provide quality health care for members of the Armed Forces and veterans with such conditions; establish, implement, and oversee a comprehensive program to train VA and DOD health professionals in the treatment of such conditions; facilitate advancements in the study of the short-term and long-term effects of such exposure; conduct basic science and translational research on such conditions for the purposes of understanding the etiology of such conditions and developing preventive interventions and new treatments; and provide medical treatment to all veterans identified as part of the burn pits registry established under the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012. The center shall have access to and make use of the data accumulated by such registry.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2016
Mental Health Reform Act of 2016 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) authorities, duties, centers, reports, and strategic planning. The bill creates the position of Chief Medical Officer within SAMHSA. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee. SAMHSA's Office of Policy, Planning, and Innovation is replaced by the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory. SAMHSA may provide support for: (1) the development of interventions for mental illness, serious emotional disturbances, and substance use disorders; and (2) integration of primary care and behavioral health care. The bill revises and extends through FY2021 SAMHSA support for various services and programs, including: (1) mental health and substance abuse services for homeless individuals, (2) mental and behavioral health education and training grants, and (3) substance use disorder treatment services for children and pregnant and postpartum women. The bill revises and extends block grants for community mental health services and transition from homelessness. SAMHSA must maintain the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program and National Treatment Referral Routing Service. HHS must ensure health care providers, patients, and others have access to resources regarding the protected health information of patients seeking or undergoing mental or substance use disorder treatment. HHS, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury must take specified actions regarding requirements for health insurance to provide parity between mental health and substance use disorder benefits and medical and surgical benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2016
Territories Relief Act This bill allows a territory (the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the U.S. Virgin Islands), or a municipality of a territory, to petition the bankruptcy court for the judicial district in which it is located to effect a plan to adjust its debts. The chief judge of the court of appeals for the circuit of the district in which the case is commenced shall designate the bankruptcy judge to conduct the case.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2016
In the Red Act of 2016 This bill authorizes and appropriates specified funds to the Department of Education (ED) for FY2016-FY2025 and each succeeding year for grants: (1) to waive tuition and fees for eligible students at community colleges, and (2) to waive or reduce tuition and fees for low-income students at four-year historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. It amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct ED to establish a program to refinance outstanding federal student loans for borrowers of Direct Loan program loans disbursed before July 1, 2016, and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program loans. (FFELs were not disbursed after June 30, 2010.) The bill modifies, for academic year 2018-2019 and succeeding years, the calculation of the mandatory add-on amount used to determine the total maximum Federal Pell Grant award. It also amends various provisions of the Internal Revenue Code to, among other things: (1) expand the expenses eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit to include the amount of a Federal Pell Grant used to pay for living expenses; and (2) include, as a qualified scholarship excludible from gross income, any amount received as a Federal Pell Grant. Finally, the bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal royalty relief for: (1) deep gas wells in shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and (2) deep water oil and gas leases in the central and western Gulf of Mexico.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2016
Congratulates the people of Greece as they celebrate the 195th anniversary of the independence of Greece. Supports the principles of democratic governance to which the people of Greece are committed. Notes Greece's important role in the wider European region and in the community of nations since gaining its independence 195 years ago.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2016
United States Appreciation for Olympians and Paralympians Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income, for income tax purposes, the value of any medal or prize money received on account of competition in the Olympic Games or Paralympic Games.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2016
This bill amends the Highlands Conservation Act to reauthorize through FY2021: (1) land conservation partnership projects in the highlands regions of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; and (2) Forest Service and Department of Agriculture programs to assist states, units of local government, and private forest and farm landowners in the conservation of land and natural resources in that region.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2016
Global Respect Act The President shall submit to Congress a list of each foreign person that the President determines is responsible, or acted as an agent, for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights committed against an individual in a foreign country based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. A listed foreign person shall be ineligible to enter or be admitted to the United States. Any visa issued for such person is revoked. The Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security shall waive this prohibition if in U.S. national security interests or if necessary for compliance with the Agreement between the United Nations (U.N.) and the United States regarding the U.N. Headquarters. Congressional notification before any such waiver is required. The Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor shall designate a senior officer or officers to track violence, criminalization, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms in foreign countries based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to include information on sexual orientation or gender identity violence or restrictions in the annual country reports on human rights practices.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2016
Supports the goals of International Women's Day. Recognizes that the empowerment of women is linked to a country's potential to generate economic growth, sustainable democracy, and inclusive security. Recognizes individuals in the United States and around the world, including women human rights defenders and civil society leaders, who have worked to ensure that women are guaranteed equality and basic human rights. Reaffirms the commitment to: (1) end discrimination and violence against women and girls, and ensure their safety and welfare; (2) pursue policies that guarantee the basic human rights of women and girls worldwide; and (3) promote women's participation in every aspect of society and community.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2016
Aidan's Law This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require hospitals, child care centers, clinics, and similar institutions caring for infants who are 28 days or less of age to administer to such infants a test for adrenoleukodystrophy, a progressive genetic disease that can cause behavioral changes, seizures, and other neurological symptoms. To be eligible for funds under the Heritable Disorders Program, a state must establish adrenoleukodystrophy testing standards and procedures. These standards and procedures are subject to review and approval by the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children. The committee must establish standards and procedures for states without approved standards and procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2016
Pay Stub Disclosure Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require each employer to provide an initial disclosure to each employee who is not subject to exemption from minimum wage and maximum hour requirements within 15 days after: (1) the employee is hired, or (2) specified information in the initial disclosure changes. The information specified in that initial disclosure shall include: the pay rate and form of compensation; the name of the employer and any other name used by the employer to conduct business; and the physical address and telephone number of the employer's main office or principal place of business, and a mailing address if different from the first one. The bill specifies additional disclosures that must be in each pay stub, including the pay period covered, the employee's name, the total hours worked by the employee, benefits, allowances, and reimbursements. The bill also prescribes the form of the pay stub as well as employer notice requirements. An employer shall keep records of the information disclosed in an employee's pay stub for three years from each stub's issuance. In the event that an employee who is not subject to minimum wage and maximum hourexemptions requests an inspection of his or her records, the employer shall provide copies of them for up to three years before the request. The bill prescribes civil penalties for employer failure to comply with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2016
Fort Ontario Study Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York, which was used as a military installation during the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. Interior shall: (1) evaluate the site's national significance, and (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of designating it as a unit of the National Park System.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2016
Urges the United States to: (1) establish a national goal of 50% clean and carbon-free electricity by 2030, and (2) enact legislation to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2016
Biotechnology Food Labeling Uniformity Act This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require food that contains an ingredient from a genetically modified organism (GMO) to be labeled as genetically engineered. A food is exempt from this requirement if GMO ingredients account for less than 0.9% of the food's weight. A food is not subject to this requirement solely because: (1) a genetically engineered vaccine was used at any point in the production of the food, or (2) it was produced using a processing aid or enzyme that was produced from a GMO. The labeling requirements of this bill preempt state and local labeling requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2016
Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal criminal code to allow the United States to prosecute certain U.S. employees who engage in conduct in Canada that would constitute a federal criminal offense if the conduct had occurred in the United States. This bill applies to employees, contractors, and grantees of a U.S. department or agency other than the Department of Defense who are stationed in Canada pursuant to a border security initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2016
Recognizes Black History Month as an opportunity to reflect on U.S. history and to commemorate the contributions of African Americans. Calls for the United States to: (1) honor the contribution of pioneers who helped to ensure its legacy; and (2) move forward as a nation "indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2016
Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax credit for railroad track maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2016
Hallways to Health Act This bill amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (Children's Health Insurance Program [CHIP]) of the Social Security Act to: establish a grant program for school-based health centers to, with respect to children who are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP, facilitate access to services and encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors; establish a demonstration program for the provision or expansion of telehealth services in school-based health centers; and require state Medicaid and CHIP programs to cover services furnished by school-based health centers. In addition, the bill amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY2021 and revise school-based health center programs. The bill also amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to specify that school-based health centers are essential community providers for purposes of inclusion in a qualified health plan.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2016
Grants and Education To Tackle Homeowner Exposure to Lead Ensuring America Drinks Only from Unpolluted Taps Act of 2016 or the GET THE LEAD OUT Act of 2016 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a grant program to provide assistance to eligible entities (i.e., certain water systems, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies) for reducing lead levels in water for human consumption. Grant funds may be used to assist low-income homeowners in carrying out lead reduction projects, as long as the grant amount does not exceed the cost of replacing the privately owned portion of the service line. If an eligible entity uses funds for replacing lead service lines, it must: (1) notify customers of the planned replacement of any publicly owned portion of the lead service line; (2) inform each customer that it will replace the public portion of the line only if it obtains the customer's consent to simultaneously replace the privately owned portion of the line; and (3) demonstrate that it has considered multiple options for reducing lead in drinking water, including an evaluation of options for corrosion control.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2016
Living Donor Protection Act of 2016 This bill prohibits discrimination based on an individual's status as a living organ donor in the offering, issuance, cancellation, coverage, price, or any other condition of a life insurance policy, disability insurance policy, or long-term care insurance policy. The bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to specifically include living organ donation as a serious health condition that entitles a covered employee to leave under that Act. The Department of Health and Human Services must update public service announcements, websites, and other media regarding live organ donation to educate the public on the benefits of live organ donation and access to insurance for living organ donors.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2016
Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal criminal code to require a defendant, as a mandatory condition of supervised release, to pay court-ordered restitution. It amends the Justice for All Act of 2004, the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2004, and the Innocence Protection Act of 2004, to: reauthorize grants for victims assistance programs; reauthorize crime victims notification grants; give preference to Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Program grant applicants that use funds for forensic nurse examiner programs in rural or underserved areas; reauthorize DNA research and development demonstration grants, DNA programs and activities at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and DNA technology grants to identify missing persons; reauthorize the Capital Litigation Improvement Grant Program; reauthorize the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program; and direct the National Institute of Justice to establish best practices for evidence retention. The Department of Justice must allocate specified funds for testing and auditing backlogged rape kits. The bill amends the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 to: narrow the scope of grant program funds subject to a reduction for a state's failure to comply with national prison rape standards, revise and expand requirements with respect to adopting national prison rape standards, and require background checks for compliance auditors. It amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to revise and reauthorize the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program. Effective Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015 This bill requires an application for Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to include a statewide strategic plan to improve the administration of criminal justice.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2016
Acknowledges the lifetime of service of Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Commends his 29-year tenure on the Court and extends sympathy to his family and friends on his death.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2016
Modernizing the Interstate Placement of Children in Foster Care Act This bill amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require the procedures a state must have in effect for the orderly and timely interstate placement of children to include a centralized electronic case processing system. Grants are authorized for development of a centralized electronic system to expedite the interstate placement of children in foster care, guardianship, or adoptive homes. Discretionary funding shall be continued through FY2017 to promote safe and stable families. The Department of Health and Human Services shall reserve $5 million of the amount made available for such grants for FY2017, which reserved amount shall remain available through FY2021.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2016
Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere Act or the NURSE Act This bill establishes a competitive demonstration grant program through which the Department of Education (ED) shall award matching funds to increase the number of school nurses in public elementary and secondary schools served by an eligible entity. An eligible entity is a state educational agency or local educational agency (LEA) in which at least 20% of students are eligible to participate in the school lunch program. In awarding grant funds, ED shall give priority to high-need LEAs that demonstrate the greatest need for new or additional nursing services. A high-need LEA is one in which at least 40% and no fewer than 15,000 students are eligible to participate in the school lunch program.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2016
Recognizes the historical significance of: (1) February 19, 1942, as the date on which President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which restricted the freedom of Japanese Americans; and (2) February 19, 1976, as the date on which President Gerald Ford issued Presidential Proclamation 4417, which formally terminated such executive order. Expresses support for the goals of the Japanese American community in recognizing a National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness about the unjust measures taken to restrict the freedom of Japanese Americans during World War II. Expresses the sense that: (1) such Day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of upholding justice and civil liberties for all people of the United States and to oppose hate, xenophobia, and bigotry; and (2) policies that discriminate against any individual based on the actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion of that individual would be a repetition of the mistakes of Executive Order 9066 and contrary to U.S. values. Recognizes the positive contributions that people of every race, ethnicity, religion, and national origin have made to the United States. Confirms the dedication of the Senate to the rights and dignity of all people of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2016
Recognizes Black History Month as an opportunity to reflect on U.S. history and to commemorate the contributions of African Americans. Calls for the United States to: (1) honor the contribution of pioneers who helped to ensure its legacy; and (2) move forward as a nation "indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2016
Preventing Overprescribing for Pain Act of 2016 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue guidelines for the safe prescribing of opioids for the treatment of acute pain. (Opioids are drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2016
Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to establish statutory rights for sexual assault survivors, including the right to: (1) receive a forensic medical examination at no cost, (2) have a sexual assault evidence collection kit (i.e., rape kit) preserved for the maximum applicable statute of limitations, (3) receive written notification prior to destruction or disposal of a rape kit, and (4) be informed of the rights and policies under this section. Additionally, it makes statutory crime victims' rights applicable to sexual assault survivors. The bill amends the Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 to include information about sexual assault services, programs, and providers in the description of services provided to victims. The bill amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to authorize the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) Office of Justice Programs to make grants to states to develop sexual assault survivors' rights and policies and to disseminate written notice of such rights and policies to medical centers, hospitals, forensic examiners, sexual assault service providers, law enforcement agencies, and other state entities. DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services must establish a joint working group to develop, coordinate, and disseminate best practices regarding the care and treatment of sexual assault survivors and the preservation of forensic evidence. It expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) DOJ should discourage prosecutions of sexual assault survivors for minor offenses (e.g., underage alcohol consumption), particularly if the evidence of such offense is discovered through a medical forensic examination, and (2) survivors should be informed that they will not be prosecuted for minor offenses discovered through a medical forensic examination. For purposes of this bill, the term "sexual assault survivor" includes a deceased victim of sexual assault.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2016
Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2016 This bill states that it is U.S. policy to regard the prevention of mass atrocities and genocide as a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility. The President may establish an interagency Atrocities Prevention Board, which shall: (1) ensure that atrocities and the risk of atrocities throughout the world are adequately considered and addressed, and (2) oversee the development and execution of policies and tools to enhance the capacity of the United States to prevent and respond to atrocities. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended to provide for the training of Foreign Service Officers in conflict and atrocity prevention. The bill establishes in the Treasury the Complex Crises Fund to enable the U.S. Agency for International Development to support programs and activities to prevent or respond to emerging or unforeseen foreign challenges and complex crisis overseas, including potential mass atrocities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2016
Big Cat Public Safety Act of 2016 This bill amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit any person from breeding or possessing any live animal of any prohibited wildlife species (i.e., any live species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species). Breeding means facilitating propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or negligently), or failing to prevent propagation or reproduction. The bill extends forfeiture provisions to fish, wildlife, or plants that are bred or possessed. The bill revises the list of entities that are exempt from Lacey Act prohibitions to include: institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; certain facilities that have an active written contract with an Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan or Taxon Advisory Group for breeding prohibited wildlife species; persons who do not allow the transportation and display of prohibited wildlife species off-site; current owners of animals that were born before this bill's enactment if the animals are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service within 180 days; and certain traveling circuses that hold Class C licenses under the Animal Welfare Act. Entities exempt from Lacey Act prohibitions must require that current owners and circuses not allow direct contact between the public and the prohibited wildlife species.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2016
Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2016 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to authorize the Department of Justice (DOJ) to appoint or provide counsel at government expense to aliens in removal proceedings. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall provide an alien in removal proceedings with all relevant documents in its possession, unless the alien has knowingly waived the right to such documents. In the absence of a waiver a removal proceeding may not proceed until the alien has received, and had time to review, the documents. DOJ may appoint or provide counsel to aliens in any INA proceeding. DHS shall ensure that aliens have access to counsel inside all immigration detention and border facilities. DOJ shall appoint counsel, at government expense if necessary, for an unaccompanied alien child or a particularly vulnerable individual. DHS shall: (1) facilitate access to counsel for all aliens detained in facilities under the supervision of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); and (2) establish procedures to ensure that legal orientation programs are available for all detained aliens, including aliens held in CBP facilities. DOJ shall develop and administer a two-year pilot program at not fewer than two immigration courts to grant access to legal information to non-detained aliens with pending asylum claims. DHS shall establish a pilot program to increase the court appearance rates of unaccompanied alien children and particularly vulnerable individuals by contracting with nongovernmental, community-based organizations to provide such aliens with case management services.
![Official portrait of Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/g000555_200.jpg)