United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment Act This bill imposes a one cent per milligram fee on the sale of active opioids by the manufacturer, producer, or importer. The fee excludes prescription drugs used exclusively for the treatment of opioid addiction as part of a medically assisted treatment effort. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish a program to provide rebates or discounts to cancer and hospice patients to ensure that they do not pay the fee. Any increase in federal revenues from the fee after rebates and discounts are subtracted must be distributed to states under the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant program. The states must use the funds exclusively for substance abuse (including opioid abuse) efforts in the states, including (1) specified treatment programs, and (2) the recruitment and training of substance use disorder professionals to work in rural and medically underserved communities. HHS must report to Congress on the impact of this bill on the retail cost of opioids and patient access to opioid medication, the effectiveness of the discount or rebate for cancer and hospice patients, how the funds are being used to improve substance abuse treatment efforts, and suggestions for improving access to opioids for cancer and hospice patients and substance abuse treatment efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Aretha Franklin Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill instructs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Aretha Franklin. After the award of the medal, it shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be displayed as appropriate and made available for research.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Survivors' Access to Supportive Care Act or SASCA This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements to address the adequacy of access to sexual-assault examinations. Among other things, the bill establishes (1) a grant program for states to assess the availability of specified providers to perform sexual-assault examinations; (2) a multiagency pilot program to improve training for, and access to, such providers; (3) reporting requirements for hospitals regarding community access to such providers; and (4) a grant program for provider training in rural and tribal settings.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission in Cervidae Study Act This bill requires the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to contract the National Academy of Sciences to study the predominant pathways and mechanisms of the transmission of chronic wasting disease in wild, captive, and farmed populations of deer, elk, reindeer, and moose populations in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Stop Price Gouging Act This bill imposes an excise tax on pharmaceutical companies that sell prescription drugs that are subject to price spikes that exceed the annual percentage increase in the Chained Consumer Price Index. For each taxable prescription drug, the excise tax ranges from 50% to 100% of price spike revenue received by the company, depending on the size of the price spike and including an adjustment for revenue that is due solely to an increase in the cost of the inputs necessary to manufacture the drug. Pharmaceutical companies must submit specified data regarding drug prices and revenue to the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the IG must submit an assessment of the data to the Internal Revenue Service. HHS, upon the recommendation of the IG, may exempt certain drugs from the excise tax if (1) a for-cause price increase exemption should apply; or (2) the drug has an average manufacturer price of not greater than $10 for a 30-day supply and is marketed by at least 3 other holders of applications approved under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The Government Accountability Office must examine (1) how drug manufacturers and health plans establish initial launch prices for newly approved drugs, and (2) alternative methods that have been proposed for setting the price of new drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act of 2019 This bill expands treatment for veterans with psychological trauma caused by sexual abuse or harassment that occurred during military service.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2019
Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act This bill establishes that a foreign nongovernmental organization shall not be disqualified from receiving certain U.S. international development assistance solely because the organization provides medical services using non-U.S. government funds if the medical services are legal in both the United States and the country in which they are being provided. Such foreign organizations shall not be subject to requirements relating to their use of non-U.S. funds for advocacy or lobbying activities, other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations. Current U.S. policy prohibits various foreign assistance from going to a foreign nongovernmental organization unless it agrees to not perform or actively promote abortions.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2019
Reviving America's Scenic Byways Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to publish in the Federal Register and on the DOT website a request for nominations for roads to be designated under the national scenic byways program and a list of the roads designated.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2019
Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2019 This bill modifies the tax treatment of certain alcoholic beverages to exclude the aging period from the production period for beer, wine, or distilled spirits for purposes of determining whether a taxpayer can expense, rather than capitalize, interest costs paid or incurred during the production period; reduce excise tax rates on beer and distilled spirits; permit the transfer of beer between bonded facilities without payment of tax; increase the amount of the small wine producer tax credit and expand the categories of producers covered by such credit; allow an adjustment to the producer credit for hard cider; and modify the alcohol content limitations that apply to certain wines for tax purposes. The Department of the Treasury must amend applicable regulations with respect to the use of wholesome products suitable for human consumption in the production of fermented beverages. The bill also increases funding for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2019
National Evaluation of Techniques for Making Energy Technologies More Efficient and Resilient Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Energy to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which the National Academies must study and evaluate net metering. Net metering allows consumers who generate some or all of their own electricity to use that electricity anytime, instead of when it is generated.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2019
Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples Act of 2019 or the CREATES Act of 2019 This bill generally allows the developer of a drug or biological product, such as a generic or biosimilar version of a drug, to bring a civil action against the license holder of an approved medication if the holder refuses to make available sufficient quantities of the approved medication for the developer's testing. The bill also establishes affirmative defenses to such a civil action. In addition, the bill authorizes drug manufacturers seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for a generic drug to use alternative methods to develop elements assure safe use of a drug.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2019
Nashua River Wild and Scenic River Act This bill designates specified segments of the Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit rivers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire as components of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The bill excludes from such designation certain areas with respect to the Ice House and Pepperell hydroelectric projects and the Hollingsworth and Vose dam.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2019
Recognizing Achievement in Classified School Employees Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to grant Recognizing Inspirational School Employees awards to classified school employees, within certain occupational specialties, who provide exemplary service to students in prekindergarten through high school. ED must annually select an awardee, out of nominations received from states, from any of the following occupational specialties: (1) paraprofessional services, (2) clerical and administrative services, (3) transportation services, (4) food and nutrition services, (5) custodial and maintenance services, (6) security services, (7) health and student services, (8) technical services, and (9) skilled trades. The award and recognition provided shall have no monetary value. ED shall develop uniform national guidelines for evaluating nominations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2019
Retirement Security Act of 2019 This bill modifies various requirements and tax credits for employer-provided retirement plans. The bill modifies the qualification requirements for certain multiple employer plans with pooled providers. The bill applies to defined contribution plans that (1) are maintained by employers that have a common interest other than having adopted the plan, or (2) have a pooled plan provider. Such a plan that meets specified requirements may not be disqualified or otherwise lose its tax-favored status because a participating employer fails to take actions required with respect to the plan. The bill also (1) permits pooled employer plans that meet certain requirements to be treated under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) as a single employee pension benefit plan or single pension plan that is a multiple employer plan, and (2) modifies reporting requirements for pooled employer and multiple employer plans. With respect to 401(k) retirement plans, the bill (1) modifies requirements related to default rates for elective deferrals under automatic enrollment plans, the election of safe harbor 401(k) status, and nondiscrimination rules; (2) allows a business-related safe harbor adoption tax credit for small employers, and (3) requires the Department of the Treasury to simplify regulations regarding the timing of participant notices. The bill also (1) increases the limit on the amount of the tax credit for small employer pension plan startup costs, and (2) allows a business-related tax credit for small employers who include and maintain an automatic contribution arrangement in an employer-sponsored retirement plan.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2019
DHS Cyber Hunt and Incident Response Teams Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security's National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center to maintain cyber-hunt and incident-response teams to assist with activities such as restoring services following a cyber incident and identifying cybersecurity risks and unauthorized cyber activity.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2019
This bill permanently authorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The greater of 1.5% of the annual authorized funding amount or $10 million shall be used for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2019
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2019 This bill allows Medicare payment for home health services ordered by a nurse practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse-midwife, or a physician assistant. Currently, coverage is provided only for services ordered by a physician.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2019
Keep Families Together Act This bill limits the separation of families at or near U.S. borders or ports of entry. The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Justice, and Health and Human Services shall not separate a child from a parent or legal guardian at a port of entry or within 100 miles of a U.S. border unless a state court terminates the parent or legal guardian's rights; a state child welfare agency or court determines it is in the child's best interests to be removed; or the child is determined to be a trafficking victim or at risk of becoming one, the accompanying adult is most likely not the parent or legal guardian, or the child is in danger of abuse or neglect. An agency may not separate a child from a parent or legal guardian solely to deter migration into the United States or to promote compliance with immigration laws. DHS shall develop (1) training related to the bill's family separation requirements, and (2) guidance for how parents and legal guardians may locate a separated child. DHS shall provide parents and legal guardians periodic status updates about a separated child. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on the criminal prosecution of asylum seekers.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2019
Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to implement a mobility demonstration program to enable public housing agencies (PHAs) to administer housing-choice rental-assistance vouchers in a manner designed to (1) encourage low-income families receiving such assistance to move to lower-poverty areas, and (2) expand access to opportunity areas. HUD shall require PHAs applying to participate in the program to submit a specified Regional Housing Mobility Plan.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2019
Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2019 This bill requires congressional approval for a presidential import adjustment due to a national security threat from an import related to military equipment, energy resources, or critical infrastructure essential to national security. Specifically, the bill requires the President to submit a proposal to Congress, which Congress may approve by a joint resolution. Under current law, the President determines whether any adjustment of an import is necessary and must submit to Congress the reasons for any action taken or not taken. The Department of Defense (currently, the Department of Commerce) must investigate the effect of these imports on national security. The bill retroactively applies to any proposed action made four years before enactment of this bill. In general, any rate of duty modification occurring in the time period beginning four years before and ending the day before enactment of this bill must revert to the previous rate unless it receives congressional approval.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2019
Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2019 This bill provides for coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare. It also excludes such services from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system, and authorizes marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2019
Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act This bill requires biennial budget resolutions, appropriations bills, and government strategic and performance plans, instead of the annual budget process required under current law. The bill specifies that budget biennium is the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. The Office of Management and Budget must report to Congress on the impact and feasibility of changing the definition of a fiscal year and the budget process based on that definition to a two-year fiscal period.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2019
Paycheck Fairness Act This bill addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex. It amends equal pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to (1) restrict the use of the bona fide factor defense to wage discrimination claims, (2) enhance nonretaliation prohibitions, (3) make it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages, and (4) increase civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs shall train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination. The bill directs the Department of Labor to: (1) establish and carry out a grant program for negotiation skills training for girls and women, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace is established for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. The bill requires the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2019
Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2019 This bill provides financial assistance in FY2020-FY2029 for long-term improvements to public school facilities by allocating funds to states for school improvements, awarding need-based grants to local education agencies, and restoring school infrastructure tax credit bonds. The bill specifies allowable uses of grant funds, including making major repairs of public school facilities and making public school facilities accessible to disabled individuals. The bill requires local education agencies to adopt certain green practices (environmental standards) and use products made in the United States (Buy America). The Department of Education must establish a clearinghouse to disseminate information to assist schools in initiating, developing, and financing energy efficiency projects, distributed generation projects, and energy retrofitting projects. The bill increases funding through FY2023 for the Impact Aid Construction program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2019
Transformation to Competitive Employment Act This bill addresses employment standards for individuals with disabilities. The bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants to states and certain eligible entities to assist them in transforming their business and program models to support individuals with disabilities by operating competitive integrated employment businesses, assisting disabled individuals in finding and retaining work in such employment, and providing integrated employment and integrated community participation and wraparound services for such individuals. The bill prohibits the issuance of new special certificates that allow payment of subminimum wages to disabled individuals and phases out existing certificates over a six year period. The bill directs the Office of Disability Employment of Labor to award grants to provide technical assistance to employers transitioning from special certificates to competitive integrated employment for disabled individuals. Labor must contract with a nonprofit entity to conduct an evaluation of the impact of the transitioning requirements of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2019
Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act This bill requires the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to act as the lead federal agency for coordinating and disseminating information on existing federal programs that support energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy retrofitting projects for schools and outlines the requirements for such coordination and outreach.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2019
Disability Employment Incentive Act This bill expands tax credits and deductions that are available for employers who hire and retain employees with disabilities. The bill expands the work opportunity tax credit to include the hiring of employees who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. For employers who hire vocational rehabilitation referrals, Supplemental Security Income recipients, or SSDI recipients, the bill also (1) increases the amount of wages that may be taken into account for the credit, and (2) allows an additional credit for second-year wages. With respect to the tax credit for expenditures by eligible small businesses to provide access to disabled individuals, the bill increases the limits that apply to (1) the amount of expenditures that are eligible for the credit, and (2) the gross receipts and full-time employees of eligible small businesses. The bill also expands the tax deduction for expenditures to remove architectural and transportation barriers to the handicapped and elderly. The bill modifies the deduction to (1) increase limitation on the amount of the deduction, and (2) allow the deduction to be used for certain improvements in the accessibility of Internet or telecommunications services to handicapped and elderly individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2019
Interdiction for the Protection of Child Victims of Exploitation and Human Trafficking Act This bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a pilot program—the Interdiction for the Protection of Child Victims of Exploitation and Human Trafficking Program—to train law enforcement officers and other professionals to identify and assist victims of child exploitation and human trafficking.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2019
Jury Access for Capable Citizens and Equality in Service Selection Act of 2019 or the Jury ACCESS Act This bill prohibits the exclusion of individuals from jury service on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2019
Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 350,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher tragically killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. The design of the coins shall bear an image and the name of Christa McAuliffe on the obverse side and a design on the reverse side that depicts the legacy of McAuliffe as a teacher. Treasury may issue the coins from January 1-December 31, 2020. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of the coins shall be paid to the FIRST robotics program for the purpose of engaging and inspiring young people, through mentor-based programs, to become leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2019
This bill prohibits making funds, resources, or fees available to any federal agency to implement or enforce Executive Order 13780 and Presidential Proclamation 9645, which suspended individuals from several countries of concern, including Chad, Iran, and Libya, from entering the United States. The Proclamation also provided for enhanced U.S. vetting capacities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2019
This joint resolution eliminates the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination based on sex. The amendment was proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972. The amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2019
This resolution expresses support for the designation of a Women's Health Research Day. It also supports efforts to (1) recognize the importance of biomedical and clinical research to women's health, (2) increase awareness of the value of sex- and gender-based biomedical research, and (3) encourage individuals to advocate on behalf of sex- and gender-inclusive research.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2019
This resolution urges the President to work with allies to lead a multinational freedom of navigation operation in the Black Sea to push back against excessive Russian claims of sovereignty. It also calls for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to enhance allied maritime presence and capabilities in the Black Sea and for European governments to cancel the Nord Stream 2 pipeline due to its threat to European energy security. The resolution also urges the President to provide additional security assistance to Ukraine and states that the President is required by statute to impose mandatory sanctions on Russia.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2019
Hello Girls Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019 This bill requires the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make arrangements for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps (commonly known as the "Hello Girls").
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2019
Right Rebate Act of 2019 This bill requires drug manufacturers with Medicaid rebate agreements for covered outpatient drugs to disclose drug product information. Manufacturers are subject to civil penalties for knowingly misclassifying drugs. Manufacturers are also required to compensate for rebates that were initially underpaid as a result of misclassification (whether or not such misclassification was committed knowingly).
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2019
Emergency Relief for Federal Workers Act of 2019 This bill allows federal employees who are affected by a government shutdown to make certain penalty-free withdrawals from their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) accounts. The bill waives various penalties and requirements that would otherwise apply to TSP distributions and loans during a government shutdown.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2019
Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act of 2019 or the BRACE Act of 2019 This bill permanently extends the tax credit for railroad track maintenance. The extension applies to expenditures paid or incurred during tax years beginning after 2017. Assignments of miles of railroad track, including related expenditures, for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, and before January 1, 2019, must be treated as effective as of the close of such taxable year if they are made pursuant to a written agreement entered into within 90 days of the enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2019
Modernizing Congressional Reporting Act of 2019 This bill requires that any (1) report or other recorded information required to be submitted to Congress by an agency and any response from an agency to a request by a congressional office shall only be transmitted in an acceptable electronic format; and (2) structured data included in or with, or used to create any chart included in or with, any report or recorded information shall be transmitted in such format. Agencies must publish these reports and associated data on their public websites.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2019
Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act This bill requires the Government Publishing Office (GPO) to establish and maintain a publicly available website containing copies of all congressionally mandated reports. A federal agency must submit a congressionally mandated report and specified information about the report to the GPO concurrently with submission of the report to Congress. Federally chartered organizations and the Government Accountability Office are excluded from the requirements of this bill. The Office of Management and Budget must issue guidance to federal agencies on the bill's requirement for agencies to submit copies of congressionally mandated reports and related information to the GPO. At least annually by April 1, the Library of Congress must submit to the GPO a list of all congressionally mandated reports from the previous year.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2019
This joint resolution requires either the advice and consent of the Senate or an act of Congress before the President may suspend, or withdraw the United States from, the North Atlantic Treaty. No funds shall be authorized or appropriated to support any efforts to withdraw from the treaty without the Senate's approval by a two-thirds vote or an act of Congress. The President shall notify Congress in writing of any effort to suspend or withdraw from the treaty no later than 48 hours after such action. This joint resolution also authorizes the Senate Legal Counsel and the General Counsel of the House of Representatives to represent Congress in judicial proceedings related to actions that are inconsistent with this resolution.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2019
Burn Pits Accountability Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the military departments to evaluate whether each member of the Armed Forces has been (1) based or stationed where an open air burn pit was used to dispose of waste, or (2) exposed to toxic airborne chemicals. Members located where an open burn pit was used or exposed to toxic airborne chemicals must be enrolled in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, unless the member elects not to enroll. The evaluations must be included in periodic health assessments, physical exams conducted immediately prior to separation from active duty, and deployment assessments. DOD must share the results of the evaluations with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2019
No Budget, No Recess Act This bill prohibits a recess or adjournment of Congress for more than eight hours (1) on and after April 15 of each year, if Congress has not adopted a concurrent resolution on the budget for the next fiscal year; and (2) on and after August 1 of each year, if Congress has not passed all the regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year. No amount may be obligated or expended for official travel by a Member of Congress while the prohibition applies, unless the Member is returning to the seat of government after being away when the prohibition began. In addition, the bill sets forth procedures governing a daily quorum in each chamber while the prohibition applies.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2019
Gun Violence Prevention Research Act This bill authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2019
Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 201 9 This bill expands tax incentives and federal assistance for employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) that are sponsored by S corporations. The bill extends to all domestic corporations, including S corporations, provisions allowing deferral of tax on gain from the sale of employer securities to an ESOP. The Department of the Treasury must establish the S Corporation Employee Ownership Assistance Office to foster increased employee ownership of S corporations. The bill defines an "ESOP business concern" and allows such a concern to continue to qualify as a small business for the purposes of programs under the Small Business Act. An "ESOP business concern" is a business concern that was a small business concern eligible for a loan, preference, or other program under the Small Business Act before more than 49% of the business concern was acquired by an ESOP.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2019
Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act or the TRACED Act This bill implements a forfeiture penalty for violations (with or without intent) of the prohibition on certain robocalls. The bill also removes an annual reporting requirement for enforcement relating to unsolicited facsimile advertisements. The bill requires voice service providers to develop call authentication technologies. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) shall promulgate rules establishing when a provider may block a voice call based on information provided by the call authentication framework, but also must establish a process to permit a calling party adversely affected by the framework to verify the authenticity of their calls. The FCC shall also initiate a rulemaking to help protect a subscriber from receiving unwanted calls or texts from a caller using an unauthenticated number. This bill requires the Department of Justice and the FCC to assemble an interagency working group to study and report to Congress on the enforcement of the prohibition of certain robocalls. Specifically, the working group will look into how to better enforce against robocalls by examining issues like the types of laws, policies, or constraints that could be inhibiting enforcement. The bill requires the FCC to initiate a proceeding to determine whether its policies regarding access to number resources could be modified to help reduce access to numbers by potential robocall violators.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2019
Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a research program in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing that is focused on the development of tools to (1) solve big data challenges associated with veterans' health care, and (2) support the Department of Veterans Affairs in identifying potential health risks and challenges. DOE shall carry out a pilot program to develop tools for big data analytics in order to advance artificial intelligence technologies to solve complex big data challenges.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2019
Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2019 This bill delays reimposition of the annual fee on health insurers until 2022. Under current law, the annual fee for a health insurer is calculated based on the insurer's share of total premiums from the preceding year. The fee is suspended for 2019 (i.e., there is no fee based on premiums from 2018); reimposition is scheduled for 2020.
![Official portrait of Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001076_200.jpg)