United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Centennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 100,000 $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the establishment of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. All sales of such coins shall include a surcharge of $10 for each coin. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid to the National World War I Museum and Memorial to assist in the commemoration of the centennial.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2018
Automotive Jobs Act of 2018 This bill directs the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) to report on the status of the U.S. automotive industry. The bill suspends the Department of Commerce's investigation initiated on May 23, 2018, regarding the effects on national security of importing automobiles and automotive parts until the USITC submits its report to the President and Congress and the President subsequently determines whether to reopen the investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2018
Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 This bill modifies U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs to provide targeted assistance for women. USAID strategies and projects shall be shaped by analysis to address gender differences, including how results may be different for men and women due to issues such as gender roles and structural barriers. The President is authorized to provide programs in developing countries for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, particularly those owned, managed, and controlled by women. Previously, authorization for such programs was largely limited to microenterprises. The President is also authorized to provide targeted assistance programs that promote economic empowerment of women, including through increased access to financial resources, improving property and inheritance rights, and other legal protections. For sustainable poverty-focused programs, half of resources targeting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises shall be for activities that reach the very poor. Half of resources for programs for small and medium-sized enterprises shall be for activities targeting enterprises owned, managed, or controlled by women. The bill directs USAID to modify its system for monitoring its programs to include outcomes broken down by gender, when feasible. The President is authorized to expand the micro and small business development credit program to provide such assistance to medium-sized businesses as well. The bill also directs USAID to break down various information in its annual report by gender and income level. USAID shall also report to Congress on the implementation of this bill. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress an assessment of the effect of development assistance for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries, and the extent to which such aid benefits women and the very poor.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2018
Vaccine Access Improvement Act of 2018 This bill modifies the excise tax on certain vaccines to (1) automatically impose the tax on vaccines that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adds to the Vaccine Injury Table, and (2) require HHS to notify the Department of the Treasury and Congress when new vaccines are added to the table. (The excise tax funds the National Vaccine Injury Program, which compensates people who have been injured by vaccines listed on the table.)
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2018
Taxpayer First Act of 2018 This bill modifies several administrative procedures and policies of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The bill includes provisions regarding programs that assist taxpayers in filing returns; relief from joint and several liability for a joint tax return; whistle-blower protections; the retention of electronic records; rehiring, removing, or transferring IRS employees; limitations on the access of non-IRS employees to tax returns and return information; the filing requirements for tax-exempt organizations; IRS audit criteria; protections against identity theft and tax refund fraud; penalties for the improper disclosure or use of information by preparers of tax returns; transferring appropriations between IRS accounts to combat tax fraud; streamlined critical pay authority for certain IRS information technology positions; an Internet platform for Form 1099 filings; and the electronic filing of tax returns.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2018
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 120 12th Street Lobby in Columbus, Georgia, as the "Richard W. Williams Chapter of the Triple Nickles (555th P.I.A.) Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2018
Honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Mandela. Encourages the Administration of President Donald Trump to foster the enduring relationship between the people and governments of South Africa and the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2018
IRS Accountability Act of 201 8 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 to allow the removal or transfer of an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) senior executive employee based on performance or misconduct. The IRS must submit written notice to certain congressional committees of the removal or transfer of an employee and the reason for such removal or transfer. The bill provides for an expedited appeal of a removal or transfer to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
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
Honors the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay on its 40th anniversary and commends the men and women who have worked and trained there. Honors the people of Camden Country and the Georgia coastal communities for their support of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to arrange for the award of a single gold medal to the U.S. Army Ranger veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated wartime service. Following its award, the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution where it shall be available for display and research.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the collective defense of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and urges members to work together at the upcoming 2018 NATO summit to meet urgent security threats.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2018
Keep Families Together and Enforce the Law Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to extend protective custody over alien children under age 18 who are accompanied by a parent and apprehended at the border or are seeking admission to the United States at a port of entry. DHS must temporarily house an alien child under age 18 in a family residential center during the pendency of civil or criminal proceedings. DHS must increase the number of available beds in family residential centers. The Department of Justice must increase the number of immigration judge teams to conduct prioritized proceedings for accompanied alien children and families apprehended at the southwest border or who are seeking admission to the United States at a port of entry.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2018
Honors the achievements of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 in democratizing higher education and affirms Congress's responsibility to ensure that veterans educational assistance endures as an honorable investment of public dollars.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2018
Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2018, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Each such increase shall be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2018
Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act of 2018 This bill amends the General Education Provisions Act to allow the release of a transfer student's educational records from an institution of postsecondary education where a student earned credit for coursework to an institution of postsecondary education where the student was previously enrolled in order to apply the student's coursework and credits toward completion of a recognized postsecondary credential, such as an associate's degree. (In the case of a student who does not complete a bachelor's degree after transferring to a four-year institution from a two-year institution, the credits earned at the four-year institution may be applied towards a recognized postsecondary credential at the two-year institution.) Specifically, the bill allows the Department of Education to provide funding to an institution of postsecondary education that releases a student's records of postsecondary coursework and credits without the consent of the student or the student's parents if the student provides written consent prior to receiving the credential.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2018
Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2018 This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to delay until 2021 the reimposition of the annual fee on certain health insurance providers based on market share. Under current law, the fee is suspended for 2019 and is scheduled to be reimposed in 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2018
Historic Tax Credit Enhancement Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the requirement for a taxpayer to reduce the basis of a building by the amount of the tax credit determined for the rehabilitation of a certified historic structure.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2018
Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act of 2018 or STOP Act of 2018 This bill establishes requirements related to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) international mail shipments. Among other requirements, the bill requires USPS to gather advanced data on its shipments and share such information with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and assesses a fee on on overseas inbound express mail.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2018
This bill amends the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to require congressional approval for a presidential adjustment of an import due to a national security threat. 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 bill retroactively applies to any proposed action made two years before enactment of this bill. In general, any rate of duty modification occurring in the time period two years before enactment of this bill and the date before enactment of this bill must revert to the previous rate.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to revise administrative and judicial dispute resolution procedures for initiating and resolving claims by employees alleging that employing offices have violated their CAA rights and protections, including protections against sexual harassment. The bill revises CAA provisions, including to: eliminate CAA counseling requirements and make mediation an employee's option before filing a claim with the Office of Compliance (OOC) alleging the violation; require current and former Members of Congress to reimburse the Treasury for compensatory damages included in an award or settlement resulting from the Member's alleged act of discrimination or retaliation; require referral to congressional ethics committees of final disposition of claims alleging CAA violations by Members of Congress and senior staff of employing offices; require non-congressional legislative offices that violate CAA requirements to reimburse the Treasury for resulting award or settlement payments; extend CAA nondiscrimination requirements and remedies to uncompensated legislative branch interns, detailees, and fellows; and provide OOC and CAA resources and services to employees outside of the Washington, DC area. The bill applies CAA rights and protections to the China Review Commission, the Congressional-Executive China Commission, the Helsinki Commission, the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development, and their employees. Non-congressional CAA employing offices must develop programs to train and educate employees about their CAA rights and protections and available procedures to consider alleged CAA violations. The bill renames the OOC the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018
Congratulates the people of Georgia on the 100th anniversary of the first Democratic Republic of Georgia. Condemns the Russian Federation's occupation of Georgian sovereign territory. Reaffirms U.S. support for Georgia's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2018
Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2018 This bill concerns the review by the Department of Education (ED) of certain alleged violations of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. For alleged violations based on an individual's actual or perceived shared Jewish ancestry or Jewish ethnic characteristics, ED must consider the definition of anti-Semitism as part of its assessment of whether a practice was motivated by anti-Semitic intent. For purposes of this bill, the definition of "anti-Semitism" includes the definition set forth by the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism of the Department of State in the Fact Sheet issued on June 8, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2018
Comprehensive Screenings for Seniors Act of 2018 This bill requires the initial examinations for new enrollees and annual wellness visits under Medicare to include: (1) a screening for potential substance use disorders, and (2) a review of any current opioid prescriptions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2018
Peer Support Enhancement and Evaluation Review Act This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the provision of peer support services by states under Medicaid. The report must include information relating to coverage (e.g., payment models), the effects of such coverage (e.g., on overall health care costs), and recommendations for improving access to peer support services under Medicaid.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2018
National Law Enforcement Museum Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins that are emblematic of the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, DC, and the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers throughout the history of the United States. All sales of such coins shall include specified surcharges, which shall be distributed to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc., for educational and outreach programs and exhibits.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2018
Congratulates the students, families, teachers, administrators, and staff of public charter schools across the United States for: (1) making ongoing contributions to public education, (2) making impressive strides in closing the academic achievement gap in U.S. schools, and (3) improving and strengthening the public school system. Expresses support for the ideals and goals of the 19th annual National Charter Schools Week.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Supports the designation, and the goals and ideals, of May 2018 as National Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. Calls on the people of the United States, interested groups, and affected persons to: (1) promote awareness of bladder cancer and to foster understanding of the impact of the disease on patients and their families and caregivers, and (2) take an active role in the fight to end bladder cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2018
Protecting Rational Incentives in Newsprint Trade Act of 2018 or the PRINT Act This bill directs the Department of Commerce to conduct a study of, and to report to Congress regarding, the economic well-being, health, and vitality of the newsprint industry and the local newspaper publishing industry in the United States, including an assessment of: the trends in demand for newsprint and traditional printed newspapers, in demand for digital or online consumption of news, and in the U.S. pulp and paper industry and the effect of declining demand for newsprint on the health of such industry; measures undertaken by printers and newspaper publishers to reduce costs in response to increased costs for newsprint in the United States, and whether such measures have harmed local news coverage or reduced employment in the newspaper and publishing industries; whether measures undertaken by publishers and printers to reduce costs have harmed local businesses that advertise in local newspapers; and the global production capacity for newsprint in light of the declining demand for newsprint. Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission may not give effect to an affirmative determination in an antidumping or countervailing duty investigation relating to imports of uncoated groundwood paper until the President certifies that he has received the report and has concluded that giving effect to the determination is in the economic interest of the United States. Until such time as the President issues the certification, the administering authority shall order a rate of zero for deposits posted in such an investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018
Music Modernization Act This bill makes various changes to copyright law related to sound recordings, including providing protection for sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, creating a system for paying royalties to producers and sound engineers, and establishing a statutory blanket license for digital music services. The blanket license allows music services to distribute sound recordings covered by the license without negotiating for the rights for each individual recording, as long as the music service complies with the license's requirements, such as paying the required royalties.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop an action plan to provide recommendations on changes to the Medicare and Medicaid programs to enhance: (1) the treatment and prevention of opioid addiction, and (2) the coverage and reimbursement of medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. The CMS must convene a stakeholder meeting to solicit public comment on the action plan.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Honors Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, on its 100th anniversary and commends the thousands of men and women who have worked and trained at Fort Benning.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2018
Designates April 2018 as Parkinson's Awareness Month. Expresses support for research to find better treatments and a cure for Parkinson's disease. Recognizes individuals living with Parkinson's disease who participate in clinical trials. Commends the dedication of organizations, volunteers, researchers, and millions of individuals across the United States working to improve the quality of life for individuals living with Parkinson's disease and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2018
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable John Melcher, Senator from Montana. Declares that when the Senate adjourns April 18, 2018, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator Melcher.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2018
Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements relating to opioid use, including programs to support pain management research, training for first responders, treatment and recovery centers, awareness campaigns, and controlled substance regulation.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
Stephen Michael Gleason Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Stephen Michael Gleason.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Daniel K. Akaka, Senator from Hawaii. Declares that when the Senate adjourns April 10, 2018, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Extends deepest condolences and gratitude to the family of Zell Bryan Miller, the former governor and Senator of Georgia. Honors his legacy and life, his commitment to the people of Georgia and the United States, and his service to the Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns April 10, 2018, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Miller.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2018
State Transportation Flexibility Act This bill allows a state to elect not to participate in the federal-aid highway program, including any federal highway program under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, or the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The Department of Transportation (DOT) shall carry out a direct federal-aid highway program to permit a state legislature, at least 90 days before the beginning of a fiscal year, to elect to: waive the state's right to receive apportioned or allocated funds under the federal-aid highway program, and receive a prorated amount of taxes appropriated to the Highway Trust Fund (other than for the Mass Transit Account) which are attributable to highway users in the state. The state making an election shall: agree to maintain the Interstate System in accordance with the current Interstate System program; submit a plan describing the purposes, projects, and uses to which such amounts will be put and the federal-aid highway programmatic requirements the state elects to continue; agree to obligate or expend program amounts exclusively for projects that would be eligible for surface transportation program funding; and. agree to report annually to DOT on the use of amounts received under the program and to make the report publicly available. DOT shall carry out a similar alternative funding program for public transportation programs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2018
Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2018 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY2023 the program that provides payments to children's hospitals that operate graduate medical education programs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2018
This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and printed in the Congressional Record on December 6, 2017, relating to indirect auto lending and compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The rule provides guidance for compliance with fair lending requirements for third-party auto lenders.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2018
Designates the first week of April 2018 as National Asbestos Awareness Week. Urges the Surgeon General to warn and educate people about asbestos exposure, which may be hazardous to their health.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2018
Designates March 22, 2018, as National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day. Commends rehabilitation counselors and professional organizations assisting individuals who require rehabilitation.
![Official portrait of Sen. Isakson, Johnny [R-GA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/i000055_200.jpg)