United States · United States Congress · 2 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 · 13 December 2018
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Land Restoration Act of 2018 This bill requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to transfer certain property within the exterior boundaries of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation that was acquired by the United States for the Oahe Dam and Reservoir Project to the Department of the Interior to be held in trust for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota. The land is located above the top of the exclusive flood pool of the Oahe Dam and Reservoir Project. The transfer of such land shall not interfere with any of the authorized purposes of such project, any project of the Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin Program, or any applicable law. The Corps of Engineers shall retain: (1) the right to inundate with water or cause erosion to the transferred lands as necessary for the operation of such projects; and (2) any land, structures, easements or other property interests necessary to carry out such projects.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2018
Recognizes: (1) the dedication of Rebecca Teresa Weichhand to the children in the world who are in need of a permanent, safe, and loving family; and (2) her accomplishments and advocacy on behalf of those children.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2018
Declares that the Senate: (1) notes with deep sorrow and solemn mourning the death of former President George H.W. Bush, (2) extends heartfelt sympathy to former President George W. Bush and the entire family of former President George H.W. Bush, and (3) honors and expresses deep appreciation for former President George H.W. Bush's outstanding and important service to his country. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on December 5, 2018, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of former President George H.W. Bush.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2018
Celebrates the 160th anniversary of the Ladies Christian Association, which became the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). Supports the YWCA's policies for eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2018
Condemns: (1) the anti-Semitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018, in which 11 innocent people were killed and 6 were injured, and (2) rising anti-Semitism. Honors the memory of the victims and expresses the hope that their memory may be a blessing to their families and community. Reaffirms the commitment of the United States to condemn anti-Semitism, protect the right of people in the United States to freely exercise their religious beliefs, and ensure their safety and security.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2018
Recognizes the important contribution women entrepreneurs make to the economy of the United States. Commemorates the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2018
Corporate Governance Fairness Act This bill requires proxy advisory firms to register as investment advisers with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2018
Fair Access for Individuals to Receive Leave Act or the FAIR Leave Act This bill repeals the limitation on the aggregate number of workweeks of leave husbands and wives employed by the same employer may be entitled to under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2018
Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services Act or the Rural MOMS Act This bill expands initiatives to address maternal health in rural areas. The bill provides funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish rural obstetric networks for improving outcomes in birth and maternal morbidity. Specifically, these networks must (1) connect individuals with care providers, (2) identify successful maternal-care models, (3) facilitate collaboration among rural providers, (4) provide training and guidance, and (5) collaborate with academic institutions that have regional expertise. HRSA also must award five-year demonstration program grants to (1) train physicians, medical residents, and other practitioners to provide maternal and obstetric services in rural communities; and (2) support academic programs that develop or provide training to improve maternal care in rural areas. Further, the bill adds maternal-health services as part of the telehealth network and telehealth resource-centers grant programs. The bill also makes a series of changes to the research and reporting requirements of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Government Accountability Office with respect to data on maternal-health outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2018
Advancing Carbon Capture in Energy Generation Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for advanced coal projects, to: (1) lower the carbon dioxide sequestration requirement to 60% for certain electrical generating units in existence on October 3, 2008, and (2) revise certain technology and environmental performance requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2018
Hire Student Veterans Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a work opportunity tax credit for hiring a veteran attending an institute of higher learning using educational assistance provided under certain programs administered by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs, and (2) modify the minimum employment period required for veterans that qualify for the credit under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2018
Native American Voting Rights Act of 2018 This bill updates the voting rights of Native American and Alaska Native voters. These updates include, but are not limited to: expanding the types of facilities that can be used as voter registration agencies, increasing polling site accessibility, providing enforcement power to citizens and attorneys general, requiring approval for actions like moving a polling place, validating certain tribal identification for voting or registering, and expanding requirements for bilingual voting accessibility. The bill establishes a Native American voting task force grant program for the purpose of increasing voter outreach, education, registration, turnout, and accessibility for Native American communities.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2018
Central America Reform and Enforcement Act This bill requires the Deaprtment of State to submit to Congress the United States Strategy for Engagement in Central America, a seven-year strategy to advance reforms in Central American countries that address the factors driving migration to the United States. The bill sets forth elements of such strategy, including strengthening the rule of law, combatting corruption, and confronting and countering violence and crime perpetrated by armed criminal gangs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2018
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Economic Exclusion Act This bill expands sanctions against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The President shall report to Congress regarding: foreign and domestic supply chains that significantly aid the IRGC; Iranian state-owned entities that provide support to terrorist entities, including Mahan Air; and foreign persons owned or controlled by the IRGC, including companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange or companies with a value in excess of $100 million. The bill states that it is U.S. policy to prevent Iran's membership in the World Trade Organization and similar international bodies as long as Iran remains a state sponsor of terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2018
This joint resolution nullifies a Department of the Treasury rule (Rev. Proc. 2018-38) that modifies the requirements for information returns filed by certain tax-exempt organizations. The Treasury rule exempts certain tax-exempt organizations that are not 501(c)(3) organizations from the requirement to report the names and addresses of their contributors on returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The organizations must continue to collect and keep the information to make it available to the IRS upon request.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2018
Designates September 2018 as National Kinship Care Month. Encourages Congress, states, local governments, and community organizations to: (1) continue working to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families, and (2) support the communities working together to lift them up. Honors the commitment and dedication of kinship caregivers and advocates.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2018
Strengthening Minority-Serving Institutions Act of 2018 This bill permanently extends mandatory funding programs for historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions and increases the authorized funding levels for such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2018
Native American Suicide Prevention Act of 2018 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require a state or state-designated entity receiving support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for development and implementation of a statewide youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategy to agree to collaborate with each of the state's federally recognized Indian tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, and Native Hawaiian health care systems regarding the strategy.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2018
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the federal government and is not subject to privatization in whole or in part.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2018
Women's Pension Protection Act of 201 8 This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to: (1) extend spousal consent requirements that currently apply to defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution pension plans, and (2) allow certain long-term part-time workers to participate in pension plans that include either a qualified cash or deferred arrangement or a salary reduction agreement. Financial product or service providers who sell retirement financial products or services must provide purchasers of their products or services an easily accessible link to the website of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to obtain information relating to retirement planning or later life economic security. The Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor shall award grants to certain community-based organizations to: (1) improve the financial literacy of women who are working age or in retirement, and (2) assist low-income women and victims of domestic violence in obtaining qualified domestic relations orders and the benefits they are entitled to through the orders.
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 2018
Agricultural Export Promotion Act of 2018 This bill establishes the United States Agricultural Export Promotion Fund and requires the Department of the Treasury to transfer to the fund an amount equivalent to certain duties imposed on imported goods under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 or the Trade Act of 1974. The amounts in the fund must be available to the Department of Agriculture (USDA), without further appropriation, for carrying out activities of the Foreign Market Development Program, the Market Access Program, and the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program to promote exports of U.S. agricultural commodities and products. In carrying out this bill, USDA must, to the maximum extent practicable, give priority to promoting exports of agricultural commodities and products of U.S. businesses that are adversely affected by increased duties imposed on U.S. exports by foreign countries in response to increased duties imposed by the United States on imports from the countries.
United States · United States Congress · 27 August 2018
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable John Sidney McCain, III, a Senator from Arizona. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on August 27, 2018, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator.
United States · United States Congress · 23 August 2018
E-Verify System Act of 2018 This bill (1) directs the Department of Homeland Security to develop an electronic employment eligibility verification system modeled after E-Verify and phases in the mandatory use of such a system, (2) directs the Social Security Administration to begin work toward the issuance of fraud-resistant and tamper-resistant Social Security cards, and (3) establishes the Office of the Small Business and Employee Advocate to assist small businesses and individuals to comply with employment-related immigration laws.
United States · United States Congress · 16 August 2018
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Paul Laxalt, former Member of the Senate. Extends deepest condolences and gratitude to his family. Honors Paul Laxalt's legacy, life, service to the Senate, and commitment to the people of Nevada and the United States. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on August 16, 2018, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Paul Laxalt.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2018
Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of: one Congressional Gold Medal to Katherine Johnson, in recognition of her service to the United States as a mathematician; one Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Christine Darden, for her service to the United States as an aeronautical engineer; and two Congressional Gold Medals in commemoration of the lives of Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, in recognition of their service to the United States during the Space Race.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Spotlight Act This bill repeals an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revenue procedure (Rev. Proc. 2018-38) that exempts certain tax-exempt organizations that are not 501(c)(3) organizations from the requirement to report the names and addresses of substantial contributors (persons who contribute more than $5,000 per year) on information returns that are filed with the IRS. The bill requires tax-exempt organizations that fall under sections 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), and 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code (e.g., social welfare organizations, labor organizations, business leagues) to disclose the names and addresses of all substantial contributors on their returns. The information must also be made available to the public. The bill also eliminates the authority of the IRS to provide exceptions to the disclosure requirements for tax-exempt organizations. This provision does not apply to determinations made by the IRS before July 16, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
End Trafficking of Native Americans Act of 2018 This bill increases the coordination of efforts to prevent human trafficking of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, including by establishing an advisory committee on human trafficking within Indian lands and of Indians.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2018
Trade Assistance for Farmers Act of 2018 This bill extends eligibility for trade adjustment assistance to farmers affected by a reduction in exports resulting from retaliation to tariffs imposed by the United States. Such farmers may apply to the Department of Agriculture for trade adjustment assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2018
Gold Star Spouses Leasing Relief Act This bill amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to permit a widow or widower of a service member who died while in military service to terminate a lease of premises occupied, or intended to be occupied, by the service member or the service member's dependents for a residential, professional, business, agricultural, or similar purpose without penalty within one year of the service member's death.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2018
Recovering America's Wildlife Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to transfer $1.3 billion of revenues from energy and mineral development on federal lands to the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Subaccount of the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Fund and revises requirements governing the uses of and distributions from the fund.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2018
Retirement Security Flexibility Act of 2018 This bill modifies the nondiscrimination requirements that apply to certain employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement plans that include automatic contribution arrangements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2018
Refund to Rainy Day Savings Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to establish and implement a Refund to Rainy Day Savings Program to permit a taxpayer to defer payment on 20% of a tax refund to be deposited into a Treasury account, accumulate interest, and disbursed to the taxpayer in six months. The bill also amends the Assets for Independence Act to reauthorize the Assets for Independence (AFI) federal matched savings program through FY2023 and require appropriations for the program to be reserved for: general research and evaluation, grants for AFI innovation projects to expand the availability of matched savings accounts to low-income individuals, and a three-year pilot program to evaluate savings matches for low-income taxpayers. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish a three-year matched savings account pilot program to encourage savings by low-income taxpayers. Under the program, HHS may provide grants to qualified entities to match funds saved by low-income taxpayers under the Refund to Rainy Day Savings Program. Qualified entities for the pilot program include: nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies or tribal governments applying with a nonprofit organization, sites that offer free tax assistance under certain Internal Revenue Service programs, and low-income credit unions and community development financial institutions that work with a local community-based organization to address poverty and the needs of community members for economic independence and stability. HHS must: (1) contract with an independent research organization to evaluate the pilot program, and (2) report annually to Congress on the progress and outcomes of the pilot program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2018
Strengthening Financial Security Through Short-Term Savings Accounts Act of 2018 This bill allows employers to enroll employees in short-term savings accounts that are funded using automatic contributions deducted from participating employees' wages. For each pay period, the employer must transfer to the account an amount equal to the percentage of the employee's compensation or a fixed amount, as determined by the employer. Employees may elect to adjust, stop, or pause their contributions. The balance in an account may not exceed $10,000 (adjusted annually for inflation) and must be made readily available to the employee at any time.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2018
Commemorates the lives, careers, and service of the five victims of the Capital Gazette shooting in Annapolis, Maryland. Honors the survivors of the attack and the families of the victims and pledges continued support for their recovery. Thanks law enforcement officers and other emergency first responders for their heroic actions. Reaffirms the commitment of the Senate to defending the first amendment of the Constitution of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes through FY2019, and otherwise revises, the Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Expresses support for the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Recognizes that LGBTQ rights are human rights and protected by the U.S. Constitution and international treaties. Encourages the celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month in June.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2018 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2018 This bill expands the ban on election contributions by foreign nationals to include corporations subject to specified levels of ownership or control by foreign nationals. The bill also expands (1) reporting requirements related to campaign contributions, and (2) disclosure requirements related to the funding sources of political advertisements.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2018
Securing All Livestock Equitably Act of 2018 or the SALE Act of 201 8 This bill amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to require all livestock purchased by a dealer in cash sales and all inventories of, or receivables or proceeds from, such livestock to be held by the dealer in a trust until all unpaid cash sellers of the livestock have been paid. The bill exempts from the requirement any dealer whose average annual purchases of livestock do not exceed $250,000. A dealer and cash seller may voluntarily waive the requirement using a written agreement that meets specified requirements. The bill also specifies requirements regarding enforcement, preserving a trust, notifying lien holders, and purchasing or transferring livestock that is subject to a trust.
![Official portrait of Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001069_200.jpg)