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Official portrait of Rep. Harkin, Tom [D-IA-5]

Rep. Harkin, Tom [D-IA-5]

United States · Official source

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  • · House of Representatives · present
  • · Senate · present

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Bill· SS. 2993 (113th)referred

Students Before Profits Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2014

Students Before Profits Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require the Secretary of Education to: (1) use corrected data and information to recalculate the cohort default rates for institutions of higher education (IHEs) that have engaged in default manipulation, and (2) use the recalculated cohort default rates to redetermine whether those IHEs are disqualified from participating in title IV programs. (The cohort default rate represents the percentage of a school's borrowers who begin to repay Federal Family Education Loans [FFELs] or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans [DLs] in a fiscal year but default on those loans before the end of the second fiscal year following the fiscal year they began repaying them.) Directs the Secretary to establish an Institutional Risk-Sharing Commission to study and make recommendations for the implementation of a new risk-sharing system that holds IHEs that participate in the DL program financially accountable for poor student outcomes. Authorizes the Secretary to: impose a civil penalty on IHEs that engage in certain substantial misrepresentations or other serious HEA violations; impose smaller civil penalties on IHEs that engage in less serious title IV violations; impose employment sanctions and civil penalties against the officer of an IHE who knowingly and willfully, or with gross negligence, violates a title IV provision; limit, suspend, or terminate an IHE's participation in title IV programs for violating a title IV provision or any applicable special arrangement, agreement, or limitation; and take emergency action to withhold funds from an IHE or its students and withdraw the IHE's authority to obligate title IV funds in certain circumstances where immediate action is required to prevent the misuse of federal funds. Provides for the use of the civil penalties to: (1) conduct program reviews and ensure the integrity of IHEs participating or seeking to participate in title IV programs; and (2) finance a Student Relief Fund that is to be used to provide financial relief to any student enrolled in an IHE that fails to comply with the HEA's eligibility requirements or the terms of its title IV program participation agreement or that has been sanctioned pursuant to this Act's penalty provisions.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 595 (113th)passed

A resolution recognizing Nobel Laureates Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai for their efforts to end the financial exploitation of children and to ensure the right of all children to an education.

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2014

Recognizes Nobel Laureates Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai as symbols of peace and advocates for ending the financial exploitation of children and for the right of all children to an education. Commends all individuals working around the world to end the scourge of child slavery and to advance education for all children. Recognizes the challenges that remain in ending the financial exploitation of children and providing access to an education for all children. Urges all governments, civil society organizations, businesses, and individuals to unite in the common purpose of protecting children from losing their childhoods as well as their futures. Recognizes the dedication and commitment to freedom, the rights of children, and the endurance of the human spirit, demonstrated by all individuals who make sacrifices to build a more peaceful world.

Bill· SS. 2954 (113th)referred

Higher Education Affordability Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Higher Education Affordability Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize HEA programs. Title I: General Provisions - Requires proprietary institutions of higher education, for student aid eligibility purposes, to derive at least 15% of their revenue from sources other than federal funds. Prohibits institutions of higher education (IHEs) that are affiliated with a consumer financial product or service from receiving HEA funds unless they take specified steps to avoid conflicts of interest. Prohibits IHEs or other postsecondary educational institutions from using revenues derived from federal educational assistance funds for recruiting or marketing activities. Requires the establishment of new college cost and assistance information resources for students, parents, and the public and the enhancement of existing resources. Prohibits a state from charging certain active duty military personnel and homeless and foster care youth tuition for attending a public institution of higher education at a rate that is greater than the rate charged for state residents. Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a complaint tracking system to collect, monitor, and respond to complaints or inquiries regarding the educational practices and services, and recruiting and marketing practices, of all postsecondary educational institutions. Establishes the Proprietary Education Oversight Coordination Committee to oversee proprietary IHEs and publish an annual Warning List for Parents and Students regarding certain issues facing such schools. Title II: Improving Educator Preparation - Revises title II of the HEA to establish a new part A program awarding grants to partnerships of high-need local educational agencies (LEAs), high-need schools, IHEs, and high-need early childhood education programs to design and implement effective educator residency programs that prepare educators for success in high-need schools. Establishes a new part B program awarding grants to states to reform and improve educator preparation programs. Establishes a new part C requiring educator preparation programs to set annual quantifiable goals for increasing the number of prospective educators trained in educator shortage areas designated by the Secretary or the applicable state. Requires states to identify and assist low-performing educator preparation programs. Cuts off federal funding for those programs that lose state support or funding due to low performance. Preserves the Honorable Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program and the Teach to Reach grant program in a new part D. Title III: Institutional Aid - Revises and reauthorizes the Institutional Aid programs, under title III of the HEA, that provide grants to IHEs serving high percentages of minority and low-income students. Alters the authorized uses of the grant funds. Requires the Secretary and states to cover the costs that certain IHEs that are required to provide a tuition-free education to Indian students incur in providing such an education to out-of-state Indian students. Raises the principal limit on outstanding federally-insured bonds used to finance historically Black colleges and universities. Title IV: Student Assistance - Revises and reauthorizes Student Assistance programs under title IV of the HEA. Establishes a year-round Federal Pell Grant program to allow eligible students to accelerate the time needed to earn a degree. Establishes demonstration programs to: encourage IHEs to improve their performance in enrolling and graduating a significant number of low- and moderate-income students on time; explore the effectiveness of providing secondary school students with early notification of their postsecondary financial aid options and the cost of postsecondary education; explore the effectiveness of providing adult students with information regarding their postsecondary financial aid options and the cost of postsecondary education; and explore ways of delivering competency-based postsecondary education programs that assess student competencies rather than credit hours to potentially reduce the costs students incur, and the time they need, to attain a postsecondary degree. Establishes an American Dream grants program allotting grants to states to offer Dreamer students in-state tuition and expand their access to in-state financial aid. Provides loan forgiveness under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (DL) programs for certain Indian teachers employed by Indian schools or LEAs that serve a high percentage of Indian students. Reduces, from 75% to 50%, the federal share of Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity grants and the federal share of the compensation provided to students employed in Federal Work-Study programs. Raises the required IHE contribution of funds for Federal Perkins Loans from one-third to one-half of the federal contributions. Increases the income protection allowances used in determining dependent and independent students' need for title IV assistance. Directs the Secretary to develop standard formats for: (1) notifying any borrower who is delinquent, or at risk of becoming delinquent, on an FFEL or DL of repayment options; (2) IHE financial aid award letters to students and parents. Requires the Secretary to publicize fiscal year FFEL and DL repayment and default rates for each IHE participating in a title IV program. Establishes a One-Time FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) pilot program to: (1) streamline the process by which students apply for federal financial assistance, and (2) reduce the need for students to apply for such assistance each year. Allows students who have not graduated from secondary school to receive title IV assistance if they: (1) are enrolled in an eligible career pathway program, and (2) are determined or demonstrate the ability to benefit from the education or training being offered. Requires IHEs to provide students with: (1) information regarding their policy on harassment, and (2) additional and more frequent and personalized information regarding student assistance. Bans IHEs participating in title IV programs from: (1) providing incentive compensation to persons or entities based on their success in recruiting, enrolling, or educating students or placing them in employment; or (2) including a predispute arbitration agreement in any contract with a student. Authorizes the Secretary to impose civil penalties and sanctions on IHEs that engage in substantial misrepresentations or other serious violations of title IV requirements. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures to automatically enroll delinquent FFEL or DL borrowers who have a partial financial hardship into an income-based repayment plan. Requires each IHE that enrolls a student who receives title IV assistance to establish a system to disburse credit balances through electronic payments to a deposit account or a general use prepaid card with the protections afforded under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Requires IHEs to provide, and the Secretary to collect, specified student unit record data. Prohibits accreditors from requiring IHEs to enter into predispute arbitration agreements with their students. Requires them to publicly disclose their finalized accreditation documents relating to academic and institutional quality. Directs the Secretary to conduct program reviews of IHEs that pose a significant risk of failing to comply with title IV requirements. Establishes a State-Federal College Affordability Partnership program to award block grants to states to incentivize their investment in public higher education. Title V: Developing Institutions - Revises and reauthorizes the Developing Institutions grant program for Hispanic-serving IHEs under title V of the HEA. Alters the authorized uses of grant funds. Title VI: International Education Programs - Reauthorizes the International Education programs under title VI of the HEA. Title VII: Graduate and Postsecondary Improvement Programs - Reauthorizes the Graduate and Postsecondary Improvement programs under title VII of the HEA. Establishes: a First In The World Competitive Grant program to help IHEs implement innovative strategies designed to increase postsecondary education access, affordability, and completion; Dual Enrollment and Early College High School programs; a Minority-Serving Institutions Innovation Fund to assist minority-serving institutions in developing, implementing, and replicating innovations that enable economically and educationally disadvantaged students to enroll in, persist through, and graduate from their schools; and a program providing competitive grants to states to establish or implement a comprehensive state plan to increase students' access to, and completion of, postsecondary education. Title VIII: Additional Programs - Strikes the following parts of title VIII of the HEA: E (American History for Freedom), H (Improving College Enrollment by Secondary Schools), I (Early Childhood Education Professional Development and Career Task Force), K (Pilot Programs to Increase College Persistence and Success), M (Low Tuition), N (Cooperative Education), O (College Partnership Grants), R (Campus-Based Digital Theft Prevention), U (University Sustainability Programs), V (Modeling and Simulation Programs), X (School of Veterinary Medicine Competitive Grant Program), and Y (Early Federal Pell Grant Commitment Demonstration Program). Replaces the program under part C (Business Workforce Partnerships for Job Skills Training in High-Growth Occupations or Industries) with a Community College and Industry Partnerships program for the development, improvement, or provision of educational or career training programs. Reauthorizes the remaining title VIII programs. Establishes the Tyler Clementi Program to award competitive grants to IHEs to address and prevent student harassment. Title IX: Higher Education Opportunities and Supports for Students with Disabilities - Provides for the establishment and support of: (1) a National Technical Assistance Center for College Students With Disabilities and Their Families, (2) a National Technical Assistance Center for Disability Support Services at Institutions of Higher Education, (3) a National Data Center on Higher Education and Disability. Establishes a competitive grant program to enable IHEs to create or expand high quality, inclusive, higher education programs for students with intellectual disabilities. Requires the establishment of a coordinating center for such programs that provides them with information, technical assistance, and evaluations. Establishes a competitive grant program to enable IHEs to create or expand high quality, inclusive, model comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs for students who are deaf-blind. Requires the establishment of a coordinating center for such programs that provides them with information, technical assistance, and evaluations. Directs the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board to establish, regularly review, and amend guidelines regarding the accessibility of all instructional materials for students who are attending IHEs that receive title IV funding. Establishes a competitive grant program to support model demonstration programs to improve the access of postsecondary students with print disabilities to quality postsecondary instructional materials in specialized formats. Requires certain producers of instructional materials for the postsecondary education market to include closed captions or subtitles in materials that incorporate synchronized audio and visual formats. Directs the Secretary to establish the Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education to conduct a comprehensive study aimed at improving the opportunities for postsecondary students with psychiatric disabilities to receive services and supports that optimize their rates of retention and graduation. Title X: Amendments to Other Laws - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to: require a lender, before issuing a private education loan for a student attending an IHE, to obtain specified certifications from the IHE; impose specified reporting requirements on issuers of private education loans; bar borrowers from making a pre-dispute waiver of their rights or remedies relating to a private education loan; require a private education lender to discharge the liability of borrowers in the event of their death or disability; subject postsecondary education lenders, loan holders, and loan servicers to civil liability; impose specified reporting requirements on financial institutions regarding any agreement they have with an IHE or its affiliates to offer consumer financial products or services to students; prohibit a financial institution that offers a consumer financial product or service that is affiliated with an IHE from entering into a revenue-sharing arrangement with the IHE; and impose specified consumer protection and disclosure requirements on student loan servicers. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the disclosure of tax return information to the Department of Education on student borrowers who are more than 150 days delinquent on an FFEL or DL. Revises federal bankruptcy law to limit the hardship exception to the exemption of educational debts from discharge in bankruptcy to: (1) an educational benefit overpayment or loan made, insured, or guaranteed by a governmental unit or made under any program funded in whole or in part by a governmental unit; or (2) an obligation to repay funds received from a governmental unit as an educational benefit, scholarship, or stipend. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to set a 6% limitation on the interest rate that can be charged a servicemember during the servicemember's military service and one year thereafter on the student loans incurred by the servicemember prior to his or her military service, including student loans incurred prior to such service but consolidated or refinanced during that service. Amends the United States Institute of Peace Act to reauthorize funding for the United States Institute of Peace. Title XI: Reports, Studies, and Miscellaneous Provisions - Prohibits IHEs from participating in a federal financial assistance program unless they meet certain consumer protection requirements with respect to any of their students who are in a program of postsecondary education or training that is designed to prepare them for entry into a recognized occupation or profession that has pre-conditions for entry. Requires: a longitudinal study of the effectiveness of student loan counseling, a study on public service loan forgiveness, a longitudinal study of the causes of student loan default, and a study on the impact of federal financial aid changes on graduate students. Directs the Secretaries of Education, Defense (DOD), and Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish and maintain a working group to assess and improve the resources available to federal personnel to assist members of the Armed Forces and their spouses in using DOD tuition assistance programs. Directs the Secretary to establish an Institutional Risk-Sharing Commission to study and make recommendations for the implementation of a new risk-sharing system for IHEs that participate in the DL program through which IHEs would be held financially accountable for poor student outcomes. Requires the the Comptroller General (GAO) to report to Congress on the educational attainment of homeless and foster care youth. American Dream Accounts Act - Directs the Secretary to establish a competitive grant program enabling specified eligible entities to establish American Dream Accounts for a group of low-income students. Defines an "American Dream Account" as a personal online account for low-income students that monitors their readiness for higher education and includes a college savings account.

Bill· SS. 2959 (113th)referred

Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the Black Lung Benefits Act to revise requirements with regard to miners' claims for pneumoconiosis (black lung) benefits. Requires a mine operator to deliver within 21 days a complete copy of the examining physician's report to any miner required to submit to a medical examination regarding his or her respiratory or pulmonary condition. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish an attorneys' fee payment program to pay attorneys' fees of up to $4,500 to the attorneys of prevailing parties on a qualifying black lung benefit claim. Establishes an irrebuttable presumption that a miner is totally disabled due to black lung disease, that the miner's death was due to black lung, or that at the time of death the miner was totally disabled by black lung disease if a chest radiograph, biopsy, autopsy, or other medically accepted test or procedure has diagnosed such miner with complicated black lung or progressive massive fibrosis. Allows a party to rebut this presumption only in cases where: the miner was employed for 15 years or more in one or more coal mines (including surface mines), there is a negative chest radiograph, other evidence demonstrates the existence of a totally disabling respiratory or pulmonary impairment, but no part of the miner's respiratory or pulmonary impairment was caused by black lung disease. Revises requirements for the payment of benefits to miners (including their dependents) totally disabled by black lung disease. Authorizes black lung clinics to use a portion of their federal funding to assist miners, surviving spouses, dependents, and other family members in the filing of black lung benefit claims. Prohibits any claimant, physician, operator, duly authorized agent of such operator, or employee of an insurance carrier, subject to certain civil and criminal penalties, from: knowingly and willfully making a false statement or misrepresentation in obtaining or denying benefits, or threatening or knowingly misleading anyone participating in a proceeding regarding such benefits. Requires the Secretary, upon request, to give a claimant the opportunity to substantiate a claim for benefits through a complete pulmonary evaluation of the miner that includes an initial qualified physician's report and, if certain conditions are met, any supplemental medical evidence developed after the report. Requires the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to establish in NIOSH a pilot program to establish B Reader Panels to assure accurate International Labor Organization classifications for chest radiographs in black lung disease cases where there is a factual dispute regarding a diagnosis of complicated black lung or progressive massive fibrosis. Directs the Secretary, in coordination with NIOSH, to establish a program to educate district directors, claims examiners, administrative law judges and supporting attorney advisors, and Benefits Review Board members about medical evidence relevant to black lung benefit claims. Revises black lung eligibility requirements to replace the terms "wife" and "widow" with "spouse" and "surviving spouse." Allows a covered miner or survivor to file a claim for black lung benefits within one year after enactment of this Act if the claim was been denied before enactment of this Act. Requires adjudication of the claim on its merits and excludes consideration of any negative chest radiograph for simple black lung disease, complicated black lung disease, or progressive massive fibrosis. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress a strategy to reduce the backlog of black lung cases pending before the Office of Administrative Law Judges of the Department of Labor. Directs the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress on any barriers to health care faced by coal miners with black lung disease. Amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary to conduct a retrospective study evaluating data collected using continuous dust monitors to determine whether to lower the applicable standard for respirable dust concentration for miners, among other possible actions. Establishes in the Department of Labor an Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) (codifying the existing establishment of OWCP in the Department of Labor.)

Bill· SS. 2964 (113th)referred

Trade Adjustment Assistance Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Trade Adjustment Assistance Act of 2014 - Amends the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 to repeal the declaration that trade adjustment assistance (TAA) program requirements in effect as of February 13, 2011, under the Trade Act of 1974 shall apply to petitions for certification to apply for TAA for workers, firms, and farmers that are filed before January 1, 2014. Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend through December 31, 2020: (1) the TAA program, and (2) the reemployment trade adjustment assistance (RTAA) program. Makes funds available through FY2020, and for the period beginning October 1-December 31, 2020 (first quarter of FY2021), for training of adversely affected workers, employment and case management services, and job search expenses and relocation expenses. Reauthorizes appropriations: (1) through December 31, 2020, for the TAA program for workers; and (2) through FY2020, and for the first quarter of FY2021, for the TAA program for firms, communities, and farmers. Prescribes TAA eligibility requirements for adversely affected workers in public agencies. Revises trade readjustment allowance (TRA) program requirements. Limits to 130 weeks the length of TRA payments for an adversely affected worker who requires a program of remedial education or of prerequisite education in order to complete approved training. Increases from 65 to 78 additional weeks of TRA payments in a 78-week period the length of additional time permissible to complete training. Repeals the authority of a state to use funds for employment and case management services and relocation allowances to allow an adversely affected worker who is certified to file an application for a job search allowance and relocation allowance. (Continues to authorize adversely affected workers to apply for the job search allowance as well as the relocation allowance.) Revises the reemployment trade adjustment assistance (RTAA) program. Increases from: (1) $50,000 to $55,000 the maximum amount an RTAA-eligible worker may earn in wages from reemployment, and (2) $10,000 to $12,000 the maximum payment of RTAA (or wage subsidy) to an eligible older worker. Specifies criteria the Secretary must use to determine the eligibility of workers to apply for TAA if no determination has been made, upon enactment of this Act, as to whether to certify a group of workers or firms as eligible pursuant to a petition filed between January 1, 2014, and enactment of this Act. Requires the Secretary to reconsider any determination made before enactment of this Act not to certify such workers or firms, and to certify them as eligible if they meet the specified requirements. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through calendar 2021, and increase from 72.5% to 80%, the tax credit for the health insurance coverage costs of Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) pension and TAA recipients and their dependents. Amends the Internal Revenue Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Public Health Service Act to extend through December 31, 2020, the TAA pre-certification period rule disregarding, for a specified period, any 63-day lapse in creditable health care coverage for TAA workers. Extends also through December 31, 2020, the continued eligibility of certain qualified TAA-eligible individuals and PBGC pension recipients for COBRA premium assistance.

Law· SS. 2917 (113th)enacted

Adding Ebola to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2014

Adding Ebola to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to add filoviruses, a family of viruses that includes the Ebola virus, to the list of tropical diseases under the priority review voucher program, which awards vouchers to sponsors of human drug applications that are approved to prevent or treat tropical diseases. (A voucher entitles the holder to have a future human drug application acted upon by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within six months.) Changes the process by which infectious diseases that do not significantly impact developed nations and disproportionately affect poor and marginalized populations can be designated as tropical diseases from rulemaking to order of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Allows priority review vouchers to be transferred between sponsors of human drug applications any number of times. Reduces from 365 days to 90 days the advance notice required before submitting a human drug application subject to a priority review voucher.

Bill· SS. 2888 (113th)referred

Exercise and Fitness For All Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014

Exercise and Fitness For All Act - Directs the Access Board to develop and publish guidelines for exercise or fitness service providers to provide accessible exercise or fitness equipment, including relevant personnel training. Requires such guidelines to ensure that exercise or fitness equipment is accessible to, and usable by, individuals with disabilities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow eligible small businesses a tax credit for providing accessible exercise or fitness equipment for use by individuals with disabilities.

Bill· SS. 2898 (113th)referred

Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014

Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act - Makes any institution of higher education (IHE) postsecondary program designed to prepare students for a recognized occupation or profession requiring licensing or other entry pre-conditions ineligible to participate in a federal financial assistance program, unless it meets specified student consumer protection requirements within one year after this Act's enactment. Requires each program to: (1) fully prepare students to satisfy those entry pre-conditions in the metropolitan statistical areas and states in which the students reside and in any state the program claims a successful program graduate will be prepared to work in the particular occupation or profession involved; and (2) provide timely placement of students in required pre-licensure positions, such as clinical placements, internships, or apprenticeships. Directs the Secretary of Education to promulgate regulations regarding pre-accredited IHE programs to: (1) impose consumer protection requirements on such programs that are consistent with those this Act imposes on accredited programs, and (2) condition an IHE's participation in any federal financial assistance program on the IHE signing a loan discharge agreement with each of their students who is enrolled in any pre-accredited program.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 573 (113th)passed

A resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014

Commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Commends the work of the individuals and organizations involved in building and maintaining the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Bill· SS. 2889 (113th)referred

Universal Home Design Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014

Universal Home Design Act of 2014 - Requires the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) to develop guidelines setting forth the minimum technical criteria and scoping requirements for certain federally assisted single family houses, townhouses, and other specified kinds of dwelling to comply with universal home design. Requires universal home design to include architectural and other landscaping features that allow basic access to and within a residential dwelling by an individual with a disability who cannot climb stairs, including an individual who uses a mobility device such as a wheelchair. Requires each applicant for such federal financial assistance to submit compliance assurances to the relevant federal agency. Permits: (1) private civil actions in a U.S. district court for violations of this Act, and (2) the Attorney General to commence civil actions or intervene in civil actions under it. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish an Office of Accessible Housing and Development to: (1) disseminate information to the public about the importance of universal home design, including through a website; (2) survey and report to the Secretary on the availability of affordable and accessible housing; and (3) promote universal home design.

Bill· SS. 2906 (113th)referred

Layoff Prevention Extension Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014

Layoff Prevention Extension Act of 2014 - Amends the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 with respect to state short-time compensation programs that allow employers to reduce the workweek of their employees in lieu of layoffs. Extends federal financing of the programs for an additional year. Extends through December 31, 2015, the deadline for a state to submit to the Secretary of Labor its application for a short-time compensation program grant.

Bill· SS. 2901 (113th)referred

10 Million Solar Roofs Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014

10 Million Solar Roofs Act of 2014 - Requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a program to provide rebates for the purchase and installation of photovoltaic systems with the goal to install 10 million systems with a cumulative capacity of at least 60,000 megawatts over the next ten years. Includes within the photovoltaic system solar panels, roof support structures, inverters (to convert the current output from a solar panel into a frequency that can be fed into the electrical grid), an energy storage system if it is integrated with the system, and any other hardware necessary for the installation of a system.

Bill· SS. 2887 (113th)referred

Accessible Transportation for All Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014

Accessible Transportation for All Act - Requires owners or operators of a for-hire transportation company, taxi service, or transportation network company to provide accessible vehicles for hire by disabled individuals in need of transportation services. Prohibits discrimination against disabled individuals in the provision of for-hire transportation services. Requires the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to organize a national competition for U.S. automobile manufacturers to design one or more model accessible taxi vehicles and model accessible passenger cars. Establishes in the FTA an Accessible Taxi and For-Hire Transportation Board. Requires states to develop a strategic plan to increase the availability of accessible taxi vehicles, accessible vehicles for hire, and other accessible for-hire transportation options for people with disabilities. Directs the Administrator, in collaboration with the U.S. Access Board, to promulgate accessibility and service standards for accessible taxi vehicles and accessible vehicles for hire to ensure that they are fully accessible to, and usable by, passengers with disabilities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for expenditures incurred by a small business that is a qualified taxi company in purchasing or adapting a vehicle for use as an accessible taxi vehicle.

Bill· SS. 2845 (113th)referred

Southern Prairie Potholes National Wildlife Refuge Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2014

Southern Prairie Potholes National Wildlife Refuge Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the approximately 23,500-acre Southern Prairie Potholes National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire land and water within the boundaries of the Refuge from willing sellers. Lists as purposes of the Refuge to: (1) enhance opportunities for outdoor recreation; (2) provide for the restoration or preservation of Refuge land to native wetland and grassland habitats and landscapes; (3) provide for the restoration and conservation of native plants and animal communities; (4) provide critical travel and nesting habitat for migratory birds; (5) provide opportunities to private landowners to access assistance for the voluntary restoration of land for the benefit of fish and wildlife; and (6) facilitate the education of the public about nature, the environment, and the conservation of the natural resources. Directs the Secretary to: (1) administer all land, water, and interests therein acquired under this Act in accordance with the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966; (2) ensure that hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation are the priority public uses of the Refuge; and (3) encourage the use of volunteers and facilitate partnerships to promote public awareness, conservation, and priority uses of Refuge resources. .

Bill· SS. 2818 (113th)referred

Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2014

Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2014 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require physical therapists furnishing outpatient physical therapy services to use specified locum tenens arrangements for payment purposes in the same manner as such arrangements are used to apply to physicians furnishing substitute physicians services for other physicians. (Locum tenens [place holder], or substitute, physicians usually assume professional practices in the absence of a regular physician for reasons such as illness, pregnancy, vacation, or continuing medical education.)

Bill· SS. 2790 (113th)referred

IDEA Fairness Restoration Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2014

IDEA Fairness Restoration Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to include expert witness fees, including the reasonable costs of any test or evaluation necessary for the preparation of the parents' or guardians' case in the action or proceeding, within the definition of "attorneys' fees" that may be awarded to the prevailing party in a civil action brought under such Act.

Bill· SS. 2789 (113th)referred

IDEA Full Funding Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2014

IDEA Full Funding Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to reauthorize and make appropriations through FY2024 for the grant program to assist states and outlying areas to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require an individual taxpayer whose adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million to pay a minimum tax rate of 30% of the excess of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income over the taxpayer's modified charitable contribution deduction for the taxable year (tentative fair share tax). Establishes the amount of such tax as the excess (if any) of the tentative fair share tax over the excess of: (1) the sum of the taxpayer's regular tax liability, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) amount, and the payroll tax for the taxable year; over (2) certain tax credits. Provides for a phase-in of such tax. Requires an inflation adjustment to the $1 million income threshold for taxable years beginning after 2016.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 539 (113th)passed

A resolution relative to the death of James M. Jeffords, former United States Senator for the State of Vermont.

United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2014

Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable James M. Jeffords, former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns September 9, 2014, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Jeffords.

Bill· SS. 2746 (113th)referred

Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act

United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014

Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue activities relating to stillbirth, sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), and sudden unexpected death in childhood (SUDC). Requires the CDC to provide for collection of epidemiologic information on stillbirths, including through existing surveillance systems. Requires the CDC to develop and periodically update a standard data collection protocol and guidelines for postmortem stillbirth evaluation. Directs the CDC to provide for collection of sociodemographic, death scene investigation, clinical history, and autopsy information on SUID and SUDC cases through the review of existing records. Requires the CDC to develop and periodically update standard protocols for data collection and death scene investigation for SUID. Sets forth goals for SUID surveillance, including: (1) collecting information about the environmental and medical circumstances of death, (2) supporting multidisciplinary infant death reviews to classify and characterize SUID, and (3) facilitating information sharing to improve reporting of SUID. Requires the death scene investigation protocol to include the collection of infant and family medical history, circumstances surrounding death, the infant's sleep position and sleep environment, and any accidental or environmental factors associated with the death. Directs the CDC to develop and periodically update guidelines for standard autopsy protocols for SUID and SUDC. Allows the Attorney General to conduct and support training for medical examiners, coroners, and others regarding standard protocols for death scene investigation and autopsies.

Bill· SS. 2658 (113th)referred

Accelerating Biomedical Research Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014

Accelerating Biomedical Research Act - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require certain adjustments to discretionary spending limits in FY2015-FY2021 to accommodate increases in appropriations to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Bill· SS. 2642 (113th)referred

Schedules That Work Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2014

Schedules That Work Act - Grants an employee the right to request that his or her employer change the terms and conditions of employment relating to: the number of hours or times the employee is required to work or be on call; the location; the amount of notification he or she receives of work schedule assignments; and minimizing fluctuations in the number of hours the employee is scheduled to work on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Requires the employer, if the request is made, to engage in a timely, good faith interactive process with the employee that includes a discussion of potential schedule changes that would meet his or her needs. Outlines the process for either granting or denying a change. Requires the employer to grant a request, unless there is a bona fide business reason for denying it, if the request is made because of the employee's serious health condition, his or her responsibilities as a caregiver, or enrollment in a career-related educational or training program, or if a part-time employee requests such a change for a reason related to a second job. Authorizes an employer, if an employee requests a change for any other reason, to deny it for any reason that is not unlawful. Requires the employer to give the employee the reason for the denial, including whether it was a bona fide business reason. Outlines employer requirements for paying reporting time and split shift pay and for giving advance notice of work schedules to retail, food service, or cleaning employees, except for those in bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacities. Makes it unlawful for any employer or other person to: (1) interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise or the attempt to exercise any right of an employee specified in this Act; (2) retaliate against an individual for exercising his or her rights, or (3) interfere with proceedings or inquiries with respect to violation of an individual's rights. Sets forth administrative enforcement procedures and civil remedies for violation of these prohibitions. Directs the Secretary of Labor to give information and technical assistance to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning compliance with this Act. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the impact of certain difficult scheduling practices on employees and employers. Makes this Act inapplicable to any employee covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement if its terms govern work scheduling practices.

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