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United States · Official source
3,428 records where Sen. Isakson, Johnny [R-GA] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2013
Designates the week beginning September 23, 2013, as National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Designates October 3, 2013, as Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day. Commends Jumpstart's Read for the Record on its eighth year. (Jumpstart is a national nonprofit early childhood education organization.) Encourages adults to: (1) join children in creating the world's largest shared reading experience, and (2) show their support for early literacy and Jumpstart's early education programming for young children in low-income communities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Designates the week of September 23-29, 2013, as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Encourages people across the United States to support programs to assist those in need of adult education, workforce skills, and family literacy programs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2013
Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act or RAISE Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to declare that neither its prohibition against interference by an employer with employees' right to bargain collectively, nor the terms of a collective bargaining agreement entered into between employees and an employer after enactment of this Act, shall prohibit an employer from paying an employee higher wages, pay, or other compensation than the agreement provides for.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
Trust But Verify Act or the PIN Act - Prohibits an American Health Benefit Exchange (established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) from offering health insurance coverage through the Exchange until the Comptroller General (GAO) certifies to Congress that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and any related federal agencies involved in the administration of such Exchanges, have implemented all appropriate actions necessary to safeguard the personal health and financial information of enrollees and to protect against fraud and abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013
Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income, for income tax purposes, the value of an Indian general welfare benefit. Defines "Indian general welfare benefit" as any payment made or services provided to or on behalf of a member of an Indian tribe under an Indian tribal government program if: (1) such program is administered under specified guidelines and does not discriminate in favor of members of the governing body of the Indian tribe; and (2) the program benefits are available to any tribal member, are for the promotion of general welfare, are not lavish or extravagant, and are not compensation for services. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) establish a Tribal Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary on the taxation of Indians, (2) establish and require training and education for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) field agents on federal Indian law and the implementation of this Act, and (3) suspend audits and examinations of Indian tribal governments and members of Indian tribes and waive any interest or tax penalties related to the exclusion from gross income of Indian general welfare benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act, with respect to asthma-related grants for child health services, to give an additional preference to a state that allows self-administration of asthma and anaphylaxis medication and makes a certification concerning the adequacy of the state's civil liability protection law to protect trained school personnel who may administer epinephrine to a student reasonably believed to be having an anaphylactic reaction. Requires elementary and secondary schools in such a state to: (1) permit trained personnel to administer epinephrine to a student reasonably believed to be having such a reaction, (2) maintain a supply of epinephrine in a secure location that is easily accessible to trained personnel for such treatment, and (3) have in place a plan for having on the school premises during operating hours one or more designated personnel trained in administration of epinephrine.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should establish a joint select committee to investigate and report on the attack on the U.S. diplomatic facility and American personnel in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2013
Delays for one year the effective date of any provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or of any health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2011 that were scheduled to take effect on or after January 1, 2014. Suspends for one year, beginning January 1, 2014, any tax or tax increase imposed by such provisions if the tax or increase takes effect before that date.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2013
IRS Abuse Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the Secretary of the Treasury to provide written notice to a taxpayer any time such taxpayer's account, tax return, or return information is accessed by the Department of the Treasury. Requires such notice to include: (1) who accessed such information, (2) the purpose for which such information was accessed, (3) how much information was accessed, (4) a copy of all information accessed, and (5) a notice of taxpayer rights. Prohibits the Secretary from providing access to or disclosing taxpayer information to a state entity conducting an investigation until such entity agrees to notify the Secretary, within one year after the investigation is closed, of the identity of who accessed such information, what was accessed, and why and how such information was accessed. Requires the Inspector General for Tax Administration of the Department of the Treasury to notify a taxpayer of an investigation by the Inspector General of any unauthorized use of a taxpayer's account, tax return, or tax information and provide full access to any report with respect to such investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2013
Fairness for American Families Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), to delay until 2015 the requirement that individuals maintain minimal essential health care coverage. Authority for Mandate Delay Act - Amends PPACA to delay until 2015 enforcement of requirements that large employers offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential coverage. Delays the effective date of related reporting requirements for such employers and for providers of minimum essential coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2013
Union Bailout Prevention Act of 2013 - Declares that no refundable premium assistance tax credits (subsidies) for coverage under a qualified health plan under the Internal Revenue Code, or reductions in cost-sharing under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), shall be permitted with respect to an individual for health insurance coverage provided pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement involving one or more employers (Taft-Hartley plan). Amends PPACA to exclude Taft-Hartley plans from the meaning of "qualified health plan."
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Exchange Verification of Eligibility to Receive Income-Related Funds for Individuals or the Requiring E-VERIFI Act - Declares that no premium tax credits or reductions in cost-sharing for the purchase of qualified health benefit plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) shall be permitted until the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) certifies to Congress that there is in place a program that successfully and consistently verifies, consistent with PPACA requirements, the household income and coverage requirements of individuals applying for such credits and cost-sharing reductions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide payment under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) on a reasonable cost basis for anesthesia services furnished by a physician who is an anesthesiologist in certain rural hospitals in the same manner as payment is made for anesthesia services furnished by a certified registered nurse anesthetist in such hospitals.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Care Planning Act of 2013 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to cover advanced illness planning and coordination services furnished to an eligible individual with progressive illness, including Alzheimer's disease, by a hospice or other provider through an interdisciplinary team. Amends SSA title XI with respect to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and its selection for Phase I testing of innovative payment and service delivery models to reduce Medicare and Medicaid expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care. Adds a model for payments to providers that furnish advanced illness care coordination services to eligible individuals who are entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) and enrolled under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), but not enrolled under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice). Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in awarding grants, contracts, or agreements under provisions for quality measure development, to give priority to the development of quality measures that allow the assessment of various specified factors including the effectiveness, patient-centeredness (and, where relevant, family caregiver-centeredness), and accuracy of care plans, including documentation of individual goals, preferences, and values. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to require inclusion of information on advanced care planning materials in the "Medicare and You Handbook." Directs the Secretary to establish a Care Planning Advisory Board. Revises requirements for the use under Medicare and Medicaid of advanced directives, portable treatment orders, and other treatment directions from an individual or legally authorized representative. Amends the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997 with respect to advanced directives. Establishes additional requirements under Medicare for hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and hospice programs with respect to completion before discharge of care plan documentation. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to certain entities to: (1) develop online training modules, decision support tools, and instructional materials for individuals, family caregivers, and health care providers; (2) establish a website and telephone hotline to disseminate such resources and any materials designed by the HHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships for faith communities; and (3) conduct a national public education campaign to raise public awareness of advance care planning and advanced illness care. Directs the Secretary to study state and regional activities with respect to storing completed advance directives and portable treatment orders. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the provisions of, and amendments made by, this Act, including the quality associated with them.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2013 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to establish the aggregate outlay (outlay cap) (less net interest payments) for FY2014 at $3.233 billion, less 1%. Reduces the outlay cap for FY2015 by 1% of the outlay cap for FY2014. Requires the outlay cap for FY2016 and each subsequent fiscal year to be 19% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for that fiscal year as estimated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prohibits the outlay caps from being less than those for the preceding fiscal year for FY2017 and any ensuing fiscal year. Requires a sequestration by OMB within 45 days after the beginning of a fiscal year to eliminate any excess outlay amount. Prescribes requirements for Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and OMB sequestration preview reports and an OMB final sequestration report, accompanied by a presidential order detailing uniform spending reductions equal to the excess outlay amount. Requires congressional budget committees to report a resolution directing the committees of their respective chambers to change existing law to achieve the spending reductions outlined in the OMB August 20 report to meet the outlay limits, if a sequestration is projected. States that if, after November 14, a bill resulting in outlays for the current fiscal year is enacted that causes excess outlays, the excess outlays for the next fiscal year shall be increased by the amount or amounts of that breach. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to make it out of order in both chambers to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, or conference report that includes any provision that would cause the most recently reported, current outlay cap to be exceeded. Prescribes procedures for waiver or suspension of this rule.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Expresses appreciation to David Schiappa and his family. Commends him for his outstanding and faithful service to the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Smarter Sentencing Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to direct the court to impose a sentence for specified controlled substance offenses without regard to any statutory minimum sentence if the court finds that the criminal history category for the defendant is not higher than category two. (Currently, the court may disregard the statutory minimum if the defendant does not have more than one criminal history point.) Authorizes a court that imposed a sentence for a crack cocaine possession or trafficking offense committed before August 3, 2010, on motion of the defendant, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, the attorney for the government, or the court, to impose a reduced sentence as if provisions of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 were in effect at the time such offense was committed. Amends the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (CSIEA) to reduce mandatory minimum sentences for manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, possessing, importing, or exporting specified controlled substances. Directs the Commission to review and amend its guidelines and policy statements applicable to persons convicted of such an offense under the CSA and CSIEA to ensure consistency with this Act and to consider specified factors, including: (1) its mandate to formulate guidelines to minimize the likelihood that the federal prison population will exceed federal prison capacity, (2) fiscal implications of changes, (3) relevant public safety concerns, (4) the intent of Congress that penalties for violent and serious drug traffickers who present public safety risks remain appropriately severe, and (5) the need to reduce and prevent racial disparities in sentencing. Requires the Attorney General to report on how the reduced expenditures on federal corrections and cost savings resulting from this Act will be used to help reduce overcrowding, increase investment in law enforcement and crime prevention, and reduce recidivism.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013 or the PAST Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to prescribe regulatory requirements for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.) Prohibits issuing a license to any person unless such person is free from conflicts of interest. Requires the Secretary, in issuing such licenses, to give a preference to persons who are licensed or accredited veterinarians. Replaces the current horse inspector appointment process under which the management of a horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction appoints inspectors with a new process requiring the Secretary to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire such inspectors. Requires the Secretary to publish on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's website information on violations of such Act. Directs the Secretary to disqualify a horse the Secretary determines is sore for specified minimum time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance. Prohibits a person in any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction from: (1) showing or exhibiting any horse that is sore; (2) entering any horse that is sore for the purpose of showing or exhibiting the horse; (3) selling, auctioning, or offering for sale any horse that is sore; (4) causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, auctioning, or offering for sale the horse; and (5) allowing any such activity with respect to a horse that is sore by the owner of that horse. Expands a list of activities designated as unlawful conduct under such Act to include a prohibition on showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter the gait of such horses and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. Defines "action device" as any boot, collar, chain, roller, or other device that encircles or is placed upon the lower extremity of the leg of a horse in a manner that it can: (1) rotate around the leg or slide up and down the leg, so as to cause friction; or (2) strike the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse. Excludes from such term soft rubber or soft leather bell boots or quarter boots that are used as protective devices. Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties for certain HPA violations. Expands the categories of activities the Secretary may disqualify a violator of such Act from participating in to include: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; or (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted. Permits the Secretary to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Enumerated Powers Act - Requires each Act of Congress, bill, resolution, conference report, or amendment to contain a concise explanation of the specific constitutional authority relied upon as the basis for enacting each portion of the measure. Permits a statement of constitutionality, to the extent that a measure limits or abolishes any federal activity, spending, or power overall, to cite the 9th or the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Declares that invoking one or more specified parts of the following clauses in a statement of constitutionality is not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Act: (1) the enumerated spending clause; (2) the necessary and proper clause; or (3) the commerce clause for any purpose other than the regulation of the buying and selling of goods or services, or their transportation, across boundaries with foreign nations, across state lines, or with the Indian tribes. Declares that failure to comply with this requirement shall give rise to a point of order in either chamber.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Designates August 16, 2013, as National Airborne Day.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013
Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection to exclude insurers from bank capital rules. Declares that a company is "primarily engaged in the business of insurance" if: (1) the annual gross revenues derived by it and all of its subsidiaries from the business of insurance represent at least 2/3 of its consolidated annual gross revenues, or (2) the consolidated assets of the company and its subsidiaries relating to the business of insurance represent at least 2/3 of its consolidated assets. Exempts from minimum leverage capital requirements and minimum risk-based capital requirements any depository institution holding company that: (1) is primarily engaged in the business of insurance; (2) is an insurance underwriting company at the holding company level and was in existence on July 21, 2010; or (3) any nonbank financial company supervised by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System that, together with its subsidiaries, is primarily engaged in the business of insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Community Lending Enhancement and Regulatory Relief Act of 2013 or CLEAR Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to exempt from its rules regarding management assessment of internal controls the following institutions which, as of the end of the preceding fiscal year, had total consolidated assets of $1 billion or less (adjusted annually according to a certain formula): (1) a bank holding company, (2) a savings and loan holding company, or (3) an insured depository institution. Declares the "Small Bank Holding Company Statement" of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) applicable to a financial institution that: (1) is otherwise subject to that policy statement, and (2) has consolidated assets of less than $5 billion. Amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) to require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to exempt from requirements governing escrow or impound accounts affecting certain consumer credit transactions any loans secured by a first lien on the principal dwelling of a consumer, if such loans are held by an insured depository institution having assets of $10 billion or less. Includes as a qualified mortgage, with respect to the presumption that a qualified residential mortgage loan meets certain minimum standards, any mortgage loan originated and retained in portfolio for at least three years by a depository institution having less than $10 billion in total assets. Requires the CFPB (which currently is merely authorized) to provide by regulation that a "qualified mortgage" includes a balloon loan extended by an insured depository institution that: (1) originates and retains balloon loans in portfolio for at least three years, and (2) together with its affiliates has less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Workforce Investment Act of 2013 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) to revise requirements and reauthorize appropriations for: (1) WIA title I (title II under this Act), workforce investment systems for job training and employment services; and (2) WIA title II (title III under this Act), adult education and family literacy education programs. Establishes a new WIA title I, system alignment and innovation. Defines "core programs" to mean: (1) youth workforce investment activities and adult and dislocated worker employment and training activities, (2) adult education and literacy activities, (3) employment services, and (4) vocational rehabilitation services. Revises member composition of state and local workforce development boards to require at least 20% of a board be composed of representatives of the workforce within the state. Requires states to have approved unified state plans with a four-year strategy for the core programs. Allows a state to develop for approval a combined state plan for the core programs and one or more of the programs and activities from a specified list. Revises requirements for local workforce development (currently, investment) areas, boards, and plans. Directs the Secretary of Labor to develop guidelines for qualifications of directors of state and local workforce development (currently, investment) boards. Establishes state and local performance accountability measures for the core programs. Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education to make competitive awards of: (1) workforce innovation and replication grants to state partnerships or regional entities for innovative strategies and activities to improve the education and employment outcomes for adults and youth and services provided to employers in the workforce system, and (2) youth innovation and replication grants to states or local boards and other specified entities for innovative new strategies and activities to improve education and employment outcomes for eligible youth. Revises requirements for: (1) one-stop delivery systems; (2) the allotment of federal funds among states for youth (including disadvantaged youth) workforce investment activities and statewide workforce investment activities; (3) within state allocations of funds; and (4) the use of funds for state and local employment and training activities, including statewide rapid response. Revises requirements and reauthorizes appropriations for: (1) the youth workforce investment and the adult and dislocated worker employment and training programs; (2) the Job Corps program; (3) the Native American, migrant and seasonal farm worker, veterans' workforce investment programs; and (4) the Youthbuild program. Converts the national emergency grants program into a national dislocated worker grants program. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to award national dislocated worker grants for workers dislocated due to the economy or emergency or disaster, Department of Defense (DOD) or Department of Energy (DOE) employees employed at military installations that are being closed or realigned, DOE individuals employed in nonmanagerial positions at risk for termination due to reductions in defense funding, or active duty members of the Armed Forces or full-time duty members of the National Guard (or members recently separated from such duties) who are in need of employment and training assistance. Adult Education and Family Literacy Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to state agencies for adult education and literacy programs, including corrections education and education for other institutionalized individuals, as well as grants for integrated English literacy and civics education. Prescribes requirements for state administration, plans, and activities, as well as distribution of local funds. Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a program of national leadership activities to enhance the quality and outcomes of adult education and literacy activities and programs nationwide. Amends the Wagner-Peyser Act to authorize use of a state's allotment of public employment services funds to provide unemployment insurance claimants and other unemployed individuals with referrals to, and application assistance for, training and education resources and programs, including student assistance under Federal Pell Grants of the Higher Education Act of 1965, educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance, state student higher education assistance, and training and education programs under WIA titles II and III, and title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a pilot program of competitive grants to state employment agencies to carry out pilot projects that enhance the professional development and the provision of public employment services by agency staff. Replaces the nationwide employment statistics system, which the Secretary of Labor is required to oversee, with a nationwide workforce and labor market information system. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a Workforce Information Advisory Council. Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to establish a Disability Employment Services and Supports Administration (DESSA) within the Office of Disability Employment Policy, Services, and Supports of the Department of Labor. Requires DESSA to be the principal agency to administer vocational rehabilitation services programs under titles I, III, and VI of that Act. (Currently, these are administered by the Rehabilitation Services Administration [RSA] of the Department of Education.) Reauthorizes appropriations for vocational rehabilitation service grants to states for individuals with disabilities. Revises requirements for: (1) state plans for vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities, (2) eligibility for vocational rehabilitation assistance and individualized plans for employment for disabled individuals, (3) monitoring and review of vocational rehabilitation programs, and (4) state allotments for such programs. Requires: (1) states to make certain funds available to designated state units for pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities who are transitioning to employment from education or training, and (2) each local office of a state unit to designate staff to act as Local Pre-Employment Transition Coordinators for student with disabilities. Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education to each designate a National Pre-Employment Transition Coordinator for Students with Disabilities. Revises American Indian vocational rehabilitation services grant program eligibility requirements to permit grants to be renewed for an additional 5-years, provided certain conditions are met. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the interaction of vocational rehabilitation programs carried out under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 with the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program, including its impact on beneficiaries, community rehabilitation programs, and designated state agencies. Renames: (1) the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR); and (2) the Rehabilitation Research Advisory Council the Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Advisory Council (DILRRAC). Revises requirements and reauthorizes appropriations for the NIDILRR and DILRRAC. Establishes the NIDILRR within the Administration for Community Living of HHS (effectively transferring it to HHS from the Department of Education). Requires the NIDILRR Director to be responsible for: (1) coordinating all federal programs and policies for research on disability, independent living, and rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities; and (2) identifying independent living and rehabilitation programs and policies that promote the independence of such individuals and achievement of long-term independent living and employment goals. Requires competitive grants for youths with significant disabilities to transition from education to employment, particularly to competitive integrated employment. Establishes an annual Commissioner's Scholar Program to recognize individuals with significant disabilities who are successfully completing a postgraduate degree in specified curriculums. Directs the RSA Commissioner to award grants to eligible entities for training and technical centers to promote high-quality employment outcomes for individuals receiving vocational rehabilitation services from designated agencies and American Indian vocational rehabilitation service (AIVRS) grantees. Reauthorizes appropriations for: (1) vocational rehabilitation services grants to individuals with disabilities who are migrant or seasonal farmworkers, (2) recreational programs for individuals with disabilities, (3) the National Council on Disability, (4) the Access Board, and (5) employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Prohibits an entity (including a contractor or subcontractor) from employing an individual with a disability at a wage less than the federal minimum wage (subminimum wage), unless the entity complies with certain Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 wage requirements for handicapped workers and specified other conditions are met. Authorizes appropriations to assist states in developing collaborative programs to provide supported employment services for individuals (including youth) with the most significant disabilities to enable them to achieve supported employment in competitive integrated employment. Establishes within the HHS Administration for Community Living an Independent Living Administration (ILA). Revises requirements for a state plan for state independent living services for individuals with significant disabilities, including through establishment of additional centers for independent living or focused outreach to serve underserved populations. Directs the ILA Director (currently, the RSA Commissioner) to make allotments to states for independent living services to individuals with significant disabilities. Revises the composition and functions of State Independent Living Councils. Revises requirements and reauthorizes appropriations for: (1) the centers for independent living grant program, and (2) independent living services for older individuals who are blind grant program. Establishes within the Department of Labor an Office of Disability Employment Policy, Services, and Supports. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish an Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities. Directs the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Labor and in coordination with the Commissioners of DESSA, of Social Security, and of the Internal Revenue Service, as well as the heads of other relevant federal agencies, to carry out campaigns to educate employers and the general public on the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities. Transfers all functions of: (1) the RSA Commissioner (other than title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [RA73]) to DESSA, (2) the RSA Commissioner under title VII [independent living services for individuals with disabilities] of RA73 to the ILA, and (3) the NIDRR Director to NIDILRR. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to permit the development of a national database of personally identifiable information on individuals receiving job training and employment services. Prohibits an entity from using funds made available under the Act unless it agrees to comply with Buy American requirements. Repeals: (1) the youth opportunity grants program, (2) the Twenty-First Century Workforce Commission Act, and (3) the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Intergenerational Financial Obligations Reform Act or INFORM Act - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide certain information on any legislation or resolution considered in either chamber which would impact revenues or mandatory spending by greater than 0.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) over the following 10-fiscal-year period, and upon request by the Chairmen or Ranking Members of the congressional budget committees. Requires such information to comprise: a fiscal gap and generational accounting analysis, including any change in the analysis relative to the baseline; and the federal deficit, at current spending levels, in the fiscal year that is 75 years after the fiscal year in which the legislation is being considered, as well as the stock of the debt in that 75th year. Requires: (1) CBO to produce an annual fiscal gap and generational accounting analysis within its annual "Long-Term Budget Outlook" and post it on the CBO public website, and (2) the Comptroller General to produce a separate similar analysis within its annual "Long-Term Fiscal Outlook" and post it on the General Accountability Office (GAO) public website. Requires the President's budget submission to Congress to include: a fiscal gap and generational accounting analysis of the full budget proposal; the same kind of analysis of specific policy changes that would impact revenues or mandatory spending by greater than 0.5% of GDP over the following 10-fiscal year period; and the federal deficit, at current spending levels, in the fiscal year that is 75 years after the fiscal year in which the legislation is being considered, as well as the stock of the debt in that 75th year.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to set the annual interest rate on Direct Stafford loans and Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans issued to undergraduate students at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 2.05%, but caps that rate at 8.25%. Sets the annual interest rate on Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans issued to graduate or professional students at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 3.6%, but caps that rate at 9.5%. Sets the annual interest rate on Direct PLUS loans at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 4.6%, but caps that rate at 10.5%. Limits the applicability of the preceding provisions to loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2013. Fixes the interest rate on Direct Stafford loans, Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans, and Direct PLUS loans for the period of the loan. Sets the annual interest rate on Direct Consolidation loans for which an application is received on or after July 1, 2013, at the weighted average of the interest rates on the loans consolidated, rounded to the nearest higher one-eighth of 1%. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study and report to Congress on the actual cost to the federal government of carrying out the federal student loan programs authorized under title IV of the HEA.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2013
Federal Employee Accountability Act of 2013 - Repeals provisions: (1) authorizing a federal employee representing an exclusive representative in the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement official time for such purpose during the time such employee otherwise would be in a duty status; and (2) requiring the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to determine whether any employee participating for, or on behalf of, a labor organization in any phase of proceedings before it shall be authorized official time for that purpose.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to cooperative and small employer charity pension plans (CSEC plans), to: (1) define such plans as defined benefit plans maintained by multiple employers, all of whom are tax-exempt charitable organizations; (2) exempt CSEC plans from existing funding standards and allow such plans to establish minimum funding standards and special rules with respect to the valuation of plan assets, required contributions, and liquidity requirements; (3) require specified notices to CSEC plan participants on the effect of CSEC plan rules on plan funding and on total contributions made by participating employers; (4) allow pension plan sponsors to elect out of treatment of their plans as a CSEC plan in plan years beginning after December 31, 2013; (4) establish a flat premium level for insurance coverage of CSEC plans; and (5) require the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to make sponsors of existing CSEC plans aware of the changes to ERISA made by this Act and the assistance available through the Participant and Plan Sponsor Advocate established by ERISA.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection-Inspector General Reform Act of 2013 or CFPB-IG Act of 2013 - Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to repeal the authority of the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to appoint the Inspector General of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Requires the CFPB Inspector General to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2013
Defund Obamacare Act of 2013 - Prohibits any federal funds from being made available to carry out the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Prohibits any entitlement to benefits under such provisions from remaining in effect on and after the date of the enactment of this Act. Prohibits any payments from being awarded, owed, or made to any state, district, or territory under any such provision. Rescinds any unobligated balances available under such provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2013
Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2013 - Directs the President to establish guidelines for the establishment of measurable goals, performance metrics, and monitoring and evaluation plans for U.S. foreign assistance. Requires: (1) each appropriate federal department or agency to begin using such guidelines within one year after their establishment, and (2) the President to submit a related report to Congress within 18 months. Directs the President to require the Secretary of State to revise the Department of State's Internet website, ForeignAssistance.gov, to make publicly available comprehensive and accessible information on U.S. foreign assistance programs on a country-by-country and program-by program basis. Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress shall take into account certain Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports required by this Act when making decisions regarding the appropriation of funds for each department or agency that administers U.S. foreign assistance. Authorizes a department or agency to use up to 5% of its foreign development assistance funds for activities under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY2018 cancer research programs under the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008. Replaces the current pediatric cancer research and awareness grant program carried out by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with a comprehensive children's cancer biorepositories program. Authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make awards to eligible applicants to build upon existing initiatives to collect biospecimens and clinical and demographic information (including date of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and patient's gender, race, and ethnicity) for at least 90% of all children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer in Comprehensive Children's Cancer Biorepositories for the purpose of achieving a better understanding of the cause of such cancers and the effects of treatments. Permits award amounts to be used to: (1) acquire, preserve, and store high quality, donated biospecimens and associated clinical and demographic information on children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with cancer in the United States; (2) maintain a secure searchable database for scientists and qualified health care professionals to research such biospecimens and data; and (3) make available and distribute such biospecimens and data to researchers and professionals for peer-reviewed research. Revises the national childhood cancer registry grant program to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to award grants to state cancer registries to enhance and expand infrastructure to track the epidemiology of cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults. Requires a Comptroller General (GAO) report regarding the barriers to conducting pediatric studies of oncologic therapies in applications for new drugs or biological products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, including recommendations to improve development and access to new therapies as well as assessments of: (1) the feasibility of requiring studies for a pediatric oncologic indication if the therapeutic target of a drug or biologic product for an adult oncologic indication is highly relevant to any pediatric cancer to which it could apply, and (2) the impact of altering the current exemption for orphan drug designations relating to rare diseases or conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to set the annual interest rate on Direct Loans at the bond equivalent rate on 91-day Treasury bills plus: (1) 1.85% for Direct Stafford Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans for undergraduate students, (2) 3.4% for Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans for graduate students, and (3) 4.4% for Direct PLUS Loans. Fixes the interest rate on such loans for the period of the loan. Sets the annual interest rate on the unpaid principle balance of Direct Consolidation Loans at the lesser of: (1) the weighted average of the interest rates on the loans consolidated, rounded to the nearest higher one-eighth of 1%; or (2) 8.25%. Makes these interest rate provisions applicable to loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2013. Requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) to provide student borrowers of title IV loans, prior to or at the time of their departure from school, with information regarding: (1) their options for loan consolidation; (2) the income-based repayment plan, including information about capped monthly payments and loan forgiveness under the plan; and (3) Direct Consolidation Loans.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Federal Land Freedom Act of 2013 - Authorizes a state to: (1) establish a program covering the leasing and permitting processes, regulatory requirements, and any other provisions by which the state would exercise its rights to develop all forms of energy resources on available federal land in the state; and (2) as a condition of certification, submit a declaration to the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture (USDA), and Energy (DOE) that such a program has been established or amended. Considers each program certified under this Act as satisfying all applicable requirements of federal law and regulations, including: (1) the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), (2) the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and (3) the National Historic Preservation Act. Requires, upon submission of a declaration by a state, the program to be certified, and the state to receive all rights from the federal government to develop all forms of energy resources covered by the program. Prohibits activities carried out in accordance with this Act from being subject to: (1) judicial review, and (2) the Administrative Procedure Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable William Dodd Hathaway, former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns June 26, 2013, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Hathaway.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act - Prescribes consumer protection guidelines for rental-purchase transactions, including: (1) the determination of rental-purchase cost and a payment schedule; (2) disclosure requirements; (3) prohibitions against confessions of judgment, wage assignments, waiver of consumer legal claims or remedies, and other specified provisions; (4) furnishing of statements of account; (5) point-of-rental disclosures; and (6) clear and conspicuous rental-purchase advertising disclosures. Shields "rental-purchase agreements" from laws regulating: (1) a credit sale and a consumer lease as defined in the Truth in Lending Act, or (2) an extension of credit or a transaction giving rise to a debt incurred in connection with the purchase of a thing of value. Exempts from jurisdiction of this Act rental-purchase agreements primarily for business, commercial, or agricultural purposes, or those made with government agencies or instrumentalities. Declares that the consumer shall acquire ownership of a property that is the subject of the rental-purchase agreement, and the rental-purchase agreement shall terminate, upon the consumer's compliance with specified total cost payment requirements, or any early payment option provided in the rental purchase agreement, and upon payment of any past due payments and fees. Grants enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and requires violations of this Act to be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Provides that a term or provision of state law is not inconsistent with this Act if it affords greater protection and benefit to the consumer than is provided under this Act as determined by the FTC, on its own motion or upon the petition of any interested party. Declares this Act to supersede state law to the extent that such law: (1) regulates a rental-purchase agreement as a security interest, credit sale, retail installment sale, conditional sale or any other form of consumer credit, or that imputes to a rental-purchase agreement the creation of a debt or extension of credit; or (2) requires the disclosure of a percentage rate calculation, including a time-price differential, an annual percentage rate, or an effective annual percentage rate. Shields from civil or criminal liability under this Act the United States and its agencies and any state, state agency, or state political subdivision.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Health Care Conscience Rights Act - Amends title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to declare that nothing in such title shall require an individual to purchase individual health insurance coverage that includes coverage of an abortion or other item or service to which the individual has a moral or religious objection, or prevent an issuer from offering or issuing, to that individual, individual coverage excluding such item or service. Makes similar denials about requiring a sponsor to sponsor, purchase, or provide such coverage, or a health insurance issuer or group health plan sponsor to cover an abortion or other item or service to which the sponsor or issuer has a moral or religious objection. Denies also that such title authorizes imposition of a tax, penalty, fee, fine, or other sanction, or imposition of coverage of such an item or service, in relation to health insurance coverage or a group health plan that excludes such an item or service. Amends the Public Health Service Act to codify the prohibition against any action by the federal government and any state or local government receiving federal financial assistance to subject a health professional, a hospital, a provider-sponsored organization, a health maintenance organization, an accountable care organization, a health insurance plan, or any other kind of health care facility, organization, or plan to discrimination on the basis that the entity refuses to participate in abortion-related activities. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate the Director of the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to receive and investigate complaints alleging a violation of abortion discrimination prohibition. Creates a cause of action for the Attorney General or any person or entity adversely affected to obtain equitable or legal relief for any violation of this abortion discrimination prohibition. Allows commencement of an action to be commenced and the granting of relief without a prerequisite pursuit of administrative remedies. Allows such an action against a federal or state governmental entity.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Renewable Fuel Standard Repeal Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to repeal the renewable fuel standard. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal a requirement that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assess and report to Congress on the impact of the renewable fuel program on environmental issues, resource conservation issues, and the growth and use of cultivated invasive or noxious plants and their impact on the environment and agriculture.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Forty Hours is Full Time Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the employer mandate to provide health care coverage, to: (1) modify the formula for calculating the number of full-time employees employed by an applicable large employer subject to the mandate; and (2) define a "full-time employee" as an employee who is employed on average at least 40 hours per week (currently, 30 hours).
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2015 the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Death Tax Repeal Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and (2) make permanent the maximum 35% gift tax rate and a $5 million lifetime gift tax exemption. Provides for an inflation adjustment to such exemption amount.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Honors the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses during National Small Business Week beginning June 17, 2013. Applauds the efforts and achievements of small business owners and their employees. Recognizes the work of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its resource partners in providing assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Recognizes the importance of ensuring that: (1) guaranteed loans, including microloans and venture capital, are made available to all qualified small businesses; (2) management assistance programs delivered by SBA resource partners are recognized for providing invaluable counseling services to entrepreneurs; (3) SBA small business disaster assistance is provided in a timely and efficient manner; (4) affordable Internet access is available to all people in the United States so that small businesses can utilize such access; (5) regulatory relief is provided to small businesses through the reduction of duplicative or unnecessary regulatory requirements; and (6) leveling the playing field for small business contracting opportunities remains a primary focus.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Real Estate Investment and Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from 5% to 10% the allowable ownership interest in real estate investment trust (REIT) stock for purposes of tax exemptions allowed by the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act relating to foreign investment in United States real property interests.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal in honor of the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, in recognition of its pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and many acts of valor in the face of adversity. Requires the medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) for display. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian shall make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with the 65th Infantry Regiment, including locations in Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013
Representation Fairness Restoration Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to revise requirements for determination by the National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) of an appropriate bargaining unit before an election of collective bargaining representation. (In effect reverses the NLRB's August 26, 2011, decision in Specialty Healthcare and Rehabilitation of Mobile and its June 22, 2011, rulemaking regarding proposed changes to procedures involving the election of collective bargaining representation.) Replaces the current restriction in the meaning of collective bargaining unit to employer unit, craft unit, plant unit, or subdivision. Requires the NLRB, instead, to determine a unit as appropriate for collective bargaining if it consists of employees that share a sufficient community of interest. Specifies factors the NLRB must consider when making such determinations. Prohibits exclusion of employees from the unit unless the group's interests are sufficiently distinct from those of other employees to warrant the establishment of a separate unit.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013
National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service (NPS). Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one-year period, beginning on January 1, 2016. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, and $5 per half-dollar clad coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National Park Foundation for projects and programs to help preserve and protect resources under the stewardship of the NPS and to promote public enjoyment and appreciation of those resources. Prohibits the surcharges paid to the Foundation from being used for land acquisition.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013
Commends Congressman John Lewis of Georgia on the 50th anniversary of his chairmanship of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and commemorates his legacy of working to secure civil liberties for all.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013
Lifetime Income Disclosure Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require the quarterly pension benefit statement furnished to a participant or beneficiary with the right to direct the investment of assets in his or her account under an individual account plan to include a lifetime income disclosure at least once during any 12-month period. Requires such lifetime income disclosure to set forth the lifetime income stream equivalent of the participant's or beneficiary's total benefits accrued. Defines a lifetime income stream equivalent of the total benefits accrued as the monthly annuity payment the participant or beneficiary would receive if those total accrued benefits were used to provide lifetime income streams to a qualified joint and survivor annuitant. Directs the Secretary of Labor to: (1) issue a model lifetime income disclosure, written in a manner which can be understood by the average plan participant; and (2) prescribe assumptions that plan administrators may use in converting total accrued benefits into lifetime income stream equivalents. Declares that no plan fiduciary, plan sponsor, or other person shall have any liability under ERISA solely by reason of the provision of lifetime income stream equivalents derived in accordance with such assumptions and related rules and including explanations contained in the model lifetime income disclosure.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2013
Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require alignment of updates for ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services under a revised prospective payment system (PPS) with updates for hospital outpatient department (OPD) services. Revises requirements for the reporting and applying of quality measure data by ASCs and hospital OPDs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an ASC value-based purchasing program under which each ASC that the Secretary determines meets (or exceeds) performance standards established, with respect to selected quality measures, for the performance period for a calendar year is eligible for shared savings in the form of a payment increase determined according to a specified formula. Revises requirements for the composition of the expert outside advisory panel the Secretary is required to consult during the annual review of the clinical integrity of the groups and payment weights in the PPS for hospital OPD services. Requires the panel to include suppliers subject to the PPS as well as at least one ASC representative. Requires the Secretary, when excluding from a final rule updating ASC lists a procedure whose inclusion was requested during the public comment period, to cite in the final rule specific criteria based on which the procedure was excluded. Requires the Secretary also to identify the peer reviewed research or the evidence upon which the exclusion is based if certain of those criteria are cited for it. Prohibits the Secretary from using or citing as a criterion or a basis for an exclusion that the procedure can only be reported using a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) unlisted surgical procedure code.