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Official portrait of Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD]

Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD]

United States · Official source

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5,439 records where Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 267 (113th)passed

A resolution relative to the death of Rod Grams, former United States Senator for the State of Minnesota.

United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2013

Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Rod Grams, former Member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on October 9, 2013, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Grams.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 265 (113th)passed

A resolution expressing support for the individuals impacted by the senseless attack at the Washington Navy Yard, and commending and thanking members of the military, law enforcement officers, first responders, and civil servants for their courage and professionalism.

United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2013

Offers: (1) condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims killed or wounded during the violence that took place at the Washington Navy Yard on September 16, 2013; and (2) support and hope for all the individuals who were wounded and discomforted by the mass shooting. Recognizes the difficult healing and recovery process that lies ahead for the affected communities. Honors the courageous and professional service of: (1) the uniformed men and women of the Navy and other members of the U.S. Armed Forces; (2) all civilian employees who provide support for the Armed Forces; and (3) the law enforcement personnel, emergency responders, and medical professionals who responded to and assisted victims of that shooting. Remains committed to preventing the occurrence of similar tragedies.

Bill· SS. 1565 (113th)referred

United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2013

United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2013 - Requires a business enterprise that employs 50 or more employees, excluding part-time employees, or 50 or more employees who in the aggregate work at least 1,500 hours per week, exclusive of overtime, in a call center to notify the Secretary of Labor at least 120 days before relocating such center outside of the United States. Subjects violators to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 a day. Directs the Secretary to establish, maintain, and make publicly available a list of all such employers that relocate a call center. Authorizes the Secretary to remove from the list an employer that has relocated the call center from a location outside the United States to a location inside the United States. Requires such an employer to remain on the list for up to three years after each relocation. Makes such an employer ineligible for federal grants or federal guaranteed loans for five years after being added to the list, except where the employer demonstrates that a lack of such loan or grant would threaten national security, result in substantial job loss in the United States, or harm the environment. Requires the head of federal or state executive agency or military department, when awarding a civilian or defense-related contract, to give preference to a U.S. employer that does not appear on the list. Requires a business entity that initiates or receives a customer service communication to require each of its employees or agents participating in the communication to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each such communication unless all involved employees or agents are located in the United States. Exempts any communication: (1) initiated by a consumer if the consumer knows or reasonably should know that the employee or agent is located outside the United States, or (2) related to the provision of emergency services. Requires such a business entity, upon request, to transfer a customer to a customer service agent who is physically located in the United States. Authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to exclude certain classes or types of business entities or customer services communications from the requirements of this Act under exceptionally compelling circumstances. Sets forth enforcement provisions.

Bill· SS. 1563 (113th)referred

Biofuels Market Expansion Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2013

Biofuels Market Expansion Act of 2013 - Amends the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act, with respect to the installation of renewable fuel pumps and tanks, to revise the ethanol content requirements for renewable fuel to mean any fuel which is at least 10% ethanol by volume. Requires automobile manufacturers to ensure that at least 50% of 2015 and 2016 model year automobiles and light duty trucks manufactured for sale in the United States are dual fueled. Increases the minimum to 90% for 2017 and subsequent model years. (Excludes automobiles and light duty trucks that operate only on electricity.) Requires the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to make grants to eligible facilities to pay the federal share of: (1) installing blender pump fuel infrastructure, including infrastructure necessary for the direct retail sale of ethanol fuel blends (including E-85 fuel); and (2) providing subgrants to direct retailers of such fuels for the installation of such infrastructure. Prohibits a major fuel distributor (any person that owns a refinery or that directly markets the output of a refinery through at least 50 retail fueling stations) from being eligible for such grants or subgrants. Amends the Clean Air Act to revise the renewable fuel program to require the Secretary to promulgate regulations to ensure that each major fuel distributor that sells or introduces gasoline into commerce in the United States through majority-owned stations or branded stations installs one or more blender pumps that dispense E-85 fuel and ethanol fuel blends at: (1) an overall percentage of such stations increasing from 10% in 2016 to 50% in 2022, and (2) a specified minimum percentage of such stations in each state. Allows such distributors to earn credits if they exceed such percentages and to sell such credits to other distributors, except for use to fulfill the state distribution requirement. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to make renewable fuel pipelines eligible for loan guarantees for projects that avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to commercial technologies in service in the United States at the time the guarantee is issued. Amends the temporary program for rapid deployment of renewable energy and electric power transmission projects to make eligible for loan guarantees projects for the installation of sufficient infrastructure to allow for the cost-effective deployment of clean energy technologies appropriate to each region of the United States.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 251 (113th)referred

A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Preventive Services Task Force should reevaluate its recommendations against prostate-specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer for men in all age groups in consultation with appropriate specialists.

United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2013

Calls for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to: (1) reevaluate its recommendation against prostate-specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer for men in all age groups, (2) seriously engage and consult with specialists as it reevaluates its recommendation, and (3) identify areas for additional research and evaluation of methods of treatment of, and screening procedures for, prostate cancer. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) prostate cancer screening decisions should be made by each individual patient and his physician, taking into account the patient's risk factors and desire for treatment; and (2) steps should be taken to raise awareness of, and increase public knowledge about, prostate cancer, the benefits of early detection, and the appropriateness of screening tests.

Bill· SS. 1523 (113th)referred

Rebuilding America's Schools Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Rebuilding America's Schools Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to tax-exempt bond funding for educational facilities, to: (1) reinstate the national qualified school construction bond limitation amount for calendar years after 2013, (2) make permanent the qualified zone academy bond (QZAB) limitation amount, (3) permit private entities to waive the 10% matching requirement for QZABs, and (4) revise the definition of QZAB for purposes of the credit for issuers of qualified tax credit bonds.

Bill· SS. 1517 (113th)referred

Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include as a health care provider behavioral and mental health professionals, substance abuse professionals, psychiatric hospitals, certain community mental health centers (including one operated by a county behavioral health agency), and residential or outpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), with respect to incentives for meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHR) technology under the pay schedule for physician's services, to include as additional eligible professionals clinical psychologists providing qualified psychologist services and clinical social workers. Subjects any additional eligible professionals, including those under a MedicareAdvantage (MA) plan, to reductions in incentive payments after a certain date for failure to be a meaningful EHR user. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to treat as Medicaid providers the following additional Medicaid providers: (1) public and certain private hospitals that are principally psychiatric hospitals, (2) certain community mental health centers, and (3) certain residential or outpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities. Makes eligible professionals under the Medicaid program certain clinical psychologists providing qualified psychologist services and certain clinical social workers.

Bill· SS. 1507 (113th)referred

Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2013

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.

Bill· SS. 1503 (113th)referred

School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act

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.

Bill· SS. 1456 (113th)open

A bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres.

United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013

Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal in honor of President Shimon Peres of Israel.

Bill· SS. 1476 (113th)referred

Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act

United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013

Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the $1 million limitation on the deductibility of employee compensation, to: (1) extend such limitation to any individual who is a current or former officer, director, or employee of a publicly-held corporation; (2) eliminate the exemption from such limitation for compensation payable on a commission basis or upon the attainment of a performance goal; and (3) make such limitation applicable to all publicly-held corporations that are required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to register securities and provide periodic reports to their investors.

Bill· SS. 1438 (113th)referred

A bill to amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to provide that military technicians (dual status) shall be included in military personnel accounts for purposes of any order issued under that Act.

United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013

Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to include military technicians (dual status) in military personnel accounts for purposes of any sequestration order issued by the President after January 1, 2014.

Bill· SS. 1431 (113th)referred

Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act

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.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 212 (113th)passed

A resolution commending David J. Schiappa.

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.

Bill· SS. 1406 (113th)open

PAST Act

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.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 206 (113th)passed

A resolution designating September 2013 as "National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month".

United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013

Designates September 2013 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Declares that steps should be taken to: (1) raise awareness about prostate cancer screening and treatment; (2) increase research funding to a level commensurate with the burden of prostate cancer; and (3) improve access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer.

Bill· SS. 1376 (113th)open

FHA Solvency Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013

FHA Solvency Act of 2013 - Amends the National Housing Act with respect to mortgage insurance. Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (who currently is merely authorized) to establish and collect annual premium payments in an amount between 0.55% and 2.0% (currently, not exceeding 1.5%) of the remaining insured principal balance. Directs the Secretary to review annually the amount of the annual and up-front premiums collected and the expected losses to the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. Authorizes the Secretary to require a mortgagee to indemnify HUD for the loss if a mortgage executed by an approved or insured mortgagee contains such a material defect that the mortgage should not have been approved or endorsed for insurance, and a loan becomes delinquent within 36 months of such approval or endorsement leading to a default, or the Secretary pays a claim within 36 months after such approval or endorsement, regardless of whether the violation caused the mortgage default. Requires the Secretary to deposit any indemnified amounts collected in the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. Revises requirements for review of mortgagee performance and specifications for application of the Secretary's authority to terminate approval of a mortgagee. Requires the Secretary to issue a single, uniform resource guide to inform lenders and servicers of the policies, processes, and procedures applicable to insured mortgages. Directs the Secretary to: (1) evaluate and revise as necessary the underwriting standards for mortgages eligible to be insured, and (2) ensure that the Fund attains a capital ratio of at least 3% (currently 2%) within 10 years after the enactment of this Act and maintains it at all times thereafter. Requires specified corrective actions, including imposition of premium surcharges, when the Fund is undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, or critically undercapitalized. Amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act to establish, within the Federal Housing Administration, a Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief Risk Officer, appointed by the Secretary and responsible to the Federal Housing Commissioner for all matters relating to managing and mitigating risk to HUD mortgage insurance funds and ensuring the performance of insured mortgages. Amends the National Housing Act with respect to: (1) disclosure to the Secretary by an independent actuary of unforeseen events that occur after the annual independent actuarial study is completed but before it is submitted to Congress, and (2) the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage for elderly homeowners program. Requires the Comptroller General to study the relevant information disclosed by the Secretary in conjunction with the release of the annual actuarial report. Directs the Secretary to issue and publish its final rule to implement a proposed rule for limiting seller contributions towards purchase-related expenses of a borrower without reducing the maximum insured amount of an insured mortgage.

Bill· SS. 1352 (113th)open

Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013

Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (Act) to allow Indian housing block grant recipients to use income that is realized from program income without restriction. Applies tribal prevailing wage laws to the administration of all federal funding for projects funded in part under that Act. Deems compliance with the environmental review requirements of the Indian housing block grant projects to satisfy any other federal environmental review requirements imposed on agencies involved in the projects. Reauthorizes appropriations for the block grants through FY2018. Makes an exception to the requirement that housing assisted under the Act remain affordable for the useful life of the property if: (1) a family or household member subsequently takes over ownership of a unit, or (2) certain limited improvements are made to a privately owned unit. Allows rental housing made available to a current tenant for conversion to a homebuyer or lease-purchase unit to be purchased by the tenant if the unit is made available for occupancy by a low-income family at the time of initial occupancy. Applies lease termination notification requirements to any project or program funded in part under the Act. Repeals a program allowing Indian tribes to use a portion of the block grants for housing activities wholly self-determined by the Indian tribe. Prohibits affordable housing that is developed, acquired, or assisted under the block grant program from exceeding by more than 20% the total development cost maximum cost for all housing assisted under an affordable housing activity, without the approval of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to authorize the Secretary to implement a rental assistance and supportive housing demonstration program, in conjunction with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), for the benefit of Indian veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness and who are residing on or near Indian lands. Amends the Act to clarify that the 50-year limit on the lease of trust or Indian restricted lands for housing purposes does not affect any authority to lease those lands that is conferred pursuant to any other law in effect before, on, or after the enactment of that limit. Reauthorizes appropriations, through FY2018, for the provision of training and technical assistance to Indian housing authorities and tribally designated housing entities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to give a preference in the allocation of low-income tax credits to projects which are located in Indian areas and for which the entity applying for the credit is: (1) an Indian tribe or tribally designated housing entity, (2) wholly owned or controlled by an Indian tribe or tribally designated housing entity, or (3) a subrecipient of funding under the Act. Amends the Act to treat a tribally designated housing entity as a community-based development organization for purposes of the Indian Community Development Block Grant program. Repeals the provision of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2008 that prohibits the use of funds under that Act for the benefit of the Cherokee Nation unless the Temporary Order and Temporary Injunction issued on May 14, 2007, by the District Court of the Cherokee Nation remains in effect or there is a settlement agreement which ends litigation among the adverse parties. Reauthorizes the Native Hawaiian Homeownership Act through FY2018. Allows all funds provided under a grant made pursuant to this Act to be used to meet matching or cost participation requirements under any other federal or nonfederal program.

Bill· SS. 1332 (113th)referred

Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013

Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services. Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner, (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law, (3) a certified nurse-midwife, or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.

Bill· SS. 1302 (113th)open

Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act

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.

Bill· SS. 1291 (113th)referred

Family Engagement in Education Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2013

Family Engagement in Education Act of 2013 - Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to authorize states to reserve school improvement funds to: award a grant to a statewide nonprofit organization to establish a Statewide Family Engagement Center that provides comprehensive training, technical assistance, and capacity building to local educational agencies (LEAs), organizations that support family-school partnerships, and other organizations that carry out parent education and family engagement in education programs; award grants to nonprofit organizations or Indian tribes or organizations that partner with LEAs or schools to establish and operate Local Family Engagement Centers that assist families in becoming engaged in their childrens' education; and develop and implement a statewide family engagement in education plan. Requires each state school improvement plan to include a plan for strengthening family engagement in education. Requires each LEA and school receiving school improvement funds to develop policies and practices for family engagement in education that meet specified principles and standards. Increases the percentage of school improvement funds that LEAs must reserve for family engagement activities. Requires at least 75% of those reserved funds to be distributed to schools served under the school improvement program. Requires states and correctional facilities to work with family members and aftercare providers in developing educational services and transition plans for youth following their stay in state and local institutions for neglected or delinquent youth. Requires the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences to develop recommended metrics on family engagement in education for states and LEAs and to make recommendations on the integration of those metrics into state accountability and longitudinal data systems. Directs the Secretary of Education to conduct research on effective family engagement in education. Requires states to use part of their grant under part A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund) of title II of the ESEA to train teachers and principals to effectively engage families in their children's education. Repeals programs authorizing the Secretary to award grants to: (1) nonprofit organizations and consortia of those organizations and LEAs to establish parental information and resource centers, and (2) local nonprofit parent organizations to support local family information centers.

Bill· SS. 1238 (113th)open

Keep Student Loans Affordable Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013

Keep Student Loans Affordable Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2013, to Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2014. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify rules for required distributions from tax-exempt pension plans to an employee who dies before such employee's entire interest is distributed to require such interest to be distributed within five years after the death of such employee, subject to exceptions for an eligible designated beneficiary and surviving spouse of such employee. Defines "eligible designated beneficiary" to include a disabled or chronically-ill individual. Exempts from such modification a binding annuity contract in effect on the enactment date of this Act.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 189 (113th)passed

A resolution relative to the death of the Honorable William Dodd Hathaway, former United States Senator for the State of Maine.

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.

Bill· SS. 1211 (113th)open

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the use of the phrases GI Bill and Post-9/11 GI Bill to give a false impression of approval or endorsement by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013

Prohibits any person, except with written permission from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, from using the phrases "GI Bill" and "Post-9/11 GI Bill" in connection with any promotion, goods, services, or commercial activity in a manner that reasonably and falsely suggests that such use is approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Bill· SS. 1174 (113th)referred

A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers.

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.

Bill· SS. 1158 (113th)referred

National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act

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.

Bill· SS. 1156 (113th)referred

Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013

Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2013 - Amends the Higher Education Opportunity Act to refer to the Secretary of Education's model institution of higher eduction (IHE) financial aid offer form as the standard form. Requires the standard form to include certain additional items, such as: (1) information concerning work study assistance, including its dependence on the availability of employment opportunities; (2) the disclosure that federal student loans offer generally more favorable terms and repayment options than private education loans; (3) the deadline for and a summary of the financial aid acceptance process; (4) the academic period covered by the offer and whether the aid is based on full-time or part-time enrollment; and (5) the IHE's most recent cohort default rate compared to the national average cohort default rate, if more than 30% of the school's students take out student loans. Requires more detailed information to be included on the form. Includes among those details, with respect to federal education loans, information: (1) identifying the type and amount of loan recommended for the applicable student; (2) clearly indicating that such loans need to be repaid; (3) disclosing the student's right to borrow less than the recommended amount; (4) detailing the interest rates, fees, expected monthly repayment amounts, and sums to be paid over the life of such loans (assuming a ten-year repayment plan); and (5) disclosing the student's possible eligibility for longer repayment terms and that longer repayment terms may result in the student paying more over the life of such loans. Requires that certain steps be taken to improve the clarity of the form and provide recipients with access to additional information. Directs the Secretary, before finalizing the standard form, to submit it to consumer testing among students, their families, IHEs, secondary school and postsecondary counselors, and nonprofit consumer groups. Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each IHE receiving federal financial assistance under the Act to use the standard form in providing written or electronic financial aid offers to students enrolled in, or accepted for enrollment in, the IHE.

Bill· SS. 1143 (113th)referred

Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services (PARTS) Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013

Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services (PARTS) Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to state that, except with respect to high-risk or complex medical services requiring direct levels of supervision, if the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) requires supervision by a physician or non-physician practitioner for Medicare payment for therapeutic hospital outpatient services, that requirement is met if such services are furnished under the physician's or non-physician practitioner's general supervision. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a process for designating therapeutic hospital outpatient services for which direct supervision may be required for the entire service or direct supervision during the initiation of the service followed by general supervision for the remainder of the service. Declares without force or effect in law regarding Medicare requirements for direct supervision by physicians for therapeutic hospital outpatient services a specified restatement and clarification under the final rulemaking changes to the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system and calendar year 2009 payment rates, which was published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2008.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 168 (113th)passed

A resolution designating June 2013 as "National Aphasia Awareness Month" and supporting efforts to increase awareness of aphasia.

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013

Designates June 2013 as National Aphasia Awareness Month. Expresses support for efforts to increase awareness of aphasia (a communication impairment caused by brain damage) and make the voices of people with aphasia heard. Acknowledges that aphasia deserves more attention and study to find new solutions for people experiencing aphasia and their caregivers.

Bill· SS. 1108 (113th)referred

Local Taxpayer Relief Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013

Local Taxpayer Relief Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to make permanent amendments made to the Impact Aid program (which compensates local educational agencies [LEAs] for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their school districts) by the Impact Aid Improvement Act of 2012 that: require the valuation of the federal property located within the boundaries of an LEA by calculating the valuation, for property tax purposes, of all property within the LEA's boundaries and then multiplying that value by the proportion of that property that is federal property; alter the formula for determining the foundation payments due LEAs for federal ownership of property when appropriations for a fiscal year are insufficient to provide them with full compensation; alter the formula for determining the payments due LEAs for eligible federally-connected children who are displaced from federal property or Indian lands due to housing renovation or rebuilding; and direct the Secretary of Education to complete Impact Aid payments to eligible LEAs within three fiscal years of their appropriation. (Such amendments are currently set to expire on January 2, 2015.) Alters the formula for determining the payments due LEAs for eligible federally-connected children. Includes not only children in average daily attendance, but also those enrolled pursuant to a state open enrollment policy. Continues an LEA's eligibility for such payments while activities associated with military base closures and realignments or force structure changes or relocations are ongoing. Allows the calculation of such payments using current student counts instead of prior fiscal year data when LEAs experience a specified influx of new federally-connected students due to federal activities or the closure of an LEA that was receiving Impact Aid due to federally-connected children. Requires the Secretary to allow LEAs to count their federally-connected children using the date they register their students for the fiscal year for which their application is filed. Alters the formula for determining the construction payments due LEAs that are eligible for other Impact Aid payments. Divides 80% of the construction funds evenly between LEAs impacted by military dependent children and LEAs impacted by children residing on Indian lands, with the remainder reserved for emergency repair and modernization grants to LEAs serving Indian lands or experiencing a specified influx of new students due to federal activities. Alters the formula for determining whether a state's plan for equalizing assistance to its LEAs will except it from the prohibition on state aid to LEAs being affected by Impact Aid payments. Requires new LEAs applying for Impact Aid to have boundaries established by state law and the authority to tax or receive an imputed local tax. Reauthorizes appropriations for the Impact Aid program through FY2017.

Bill· SS. 1096 (113th)referred

Office of Rural Education Policy Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2013

Office of Rural Education Policy Act - Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to establish an Office of Rural Education Policy (Office) in the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Requires the Office to be headed by a Director who advises the Secretary of Education on the characteristics and needs of rural schools, and the effects current policies and proposed statutory, regulatory, administrative, and budgetary changes have on states and local educational agencies (LEAs) that serve such schools. Requires the Director to: establish and maintain a clearinghouse for collecting and disseminating certain information on rural education; identify innovative research and demonstration projects on topics of importance to rural schools; coordinate rural education activities within the Department; inform the Department of other federal agency activities related to rural education; coordinate its activities with Indian schools and the Department of the Interior's responsibilities regarding such schools; provide technical assistance and other support for rural education improvement efforts; and produce an annual report, for Congress and the public, on the condition of rural education. Requires the Director to prepare regulatory impact analyses of the Secretary's proposed and final rules that may have a significant impact on states or LEAs that serve rural schools.

Bill· SS. 1088 (113th)referred

Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2013

Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct made unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Authorizes the Attorney General to institute a civil action in any appropriate U.S. district court for a violation of this Act. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 161 (113th)passed

A resolution relative to the death of the Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg, Senator from the State of New Jersey.

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2013

Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg, a Senator from New Jersey. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on June 4, 2013, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator.

Bill· SS. 1028 (113th)open

Older Americans Act Amendments of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013

Older Americans Act Amendments of 2013 - Reauthorizes the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) and funding for its programs for FY2014-FY2018. Revises OAA to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) individuals, HIV-positive individuals, individuals with Alzheimer's disease, veterans, and Holocaust survivors, among others, within the status of greatest social need caused by noneconomic factors. Requires the Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (in the Administration on Aging [AOA] of the Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]) to collect, analyze, and report on best practices related to screening for elder abuse. Requires the Assistant Secretary for Aging of the AOA to assist states with the development of the Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights and Plan for Enforcement (required by this Act). Requires the AOA to work with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Secretary of Labor to identify and address personnel shortages in the field of aging. Establishes an Advisory Committee to Assess, Coordinate, and Improve Legal Assistance Activities to study the legal services activities assistance system for older individuals. Requires the Secretary of Labor, through the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to revise, improve, and report to Congress on the Experimental Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E). Amends OAA to express the sense of the Senate that the amount appropriated under OAA for FY2014 and each subsequent year should be at least $2.675 billion (reflecting a 12% increase over FY2010 levels). Authorizes states to enter into cooperative arrangements with Federally Qualified Health Centers for services for the elderly. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 for supportive services, congregate nutrition services, home-delivered nutrition services, disease prevention and health promotion services, and family caregiver support. Requires area agencies on aging (AAAs) to develop area plans that provide for modernization of multipurpose senior centers, including a plan to use the skills and services of older adults in paid and unpaid work at such centers. Requires AAA area plans also to: (1) include evidence-based behavioral health services, chronic self-care management programs, and falls prevention programs; (2) describe efforts to increase public awareness of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (3) describe outreach efforts to veterans and coordination of services under OAA with those provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requires a state plan, among other things, to: (1) assure an adequately funded State Long-Term Care Ombudsman programprovided with adequate funding; and (2) provide legal assistance through an integrated legal assistance delivery system; and (3) describe efforts for outreach to veterans eligible for OAA services under the Act. Increases from 185% to 200% of the poverty line the self-declared income level of individuals who may be solicited for voluntary contributions for certain services they receive. Includes among supportive services covered by grants to states evidence-based chronic condition self-care management, evidence-based falls prevention programs, screening for elder abuse and neglect, and falls prevention screening. Requires the meals provided under a state nutrition project to be adjusted and appropriately funded, to the maximum extent practicable, to meet any special health-related or other dietary needs of program participants, including needs based on religious, cultural, or ethnic requirements. Declares that older adults should receive the clinical preventive services covered under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Revises caregiver and care recipient requirements for the National Family Caregiver Support Program. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to make grants to states to assess the needs of family caregivers for targeted support services. Requires the services of AAAs or AAA contractors to include Ombudsman efforts to support family and caregiver councils in long-term care facilities, as well as facilitate and support the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. Directs the Assistant Secretary to award grants to carry out or establish: (1) projects to support and promote modern multipurpose senior center models which yield multiservice, multigenerational centers for older individuals, their families, and others to gain needed skills, resources, and connections for continuum of care and quality of life; and (2) a demonstration program on care coordination and service delivery redesign for older individuals with chronic illness or at risk of institutional placement. Directs the HHS Secretary to award competitive grants to or contract with eligible entities to fund the employment costs of professionals who will: (1) coordinate with the provision of medically recommended dental care to eligible individuals by volunteer dentists; and (2) verify the medical, dental, and financial needs of individuals who may be eligible for free medically recommended dental care. Directs the Secretary to award a grant to or enter into a cooperative agreement with a public or private nonprofit entity to establish a National Resource Center on Family Caregiving. Revises the purposes of the Older American Community Service Employment Program to further the goal of economic security, grow local economies, and improve the quality of life of local communities. Directs the Assistant Secretary and the Secretary of Labor to study the feasibility of transferring the Senior Community Service Employment Program to the AOA from the Department of Labor. Reauthorizes funding for grants for Native Americans for FY2014-FY2018. Requires the Assistant Secretary to ensure that education and public awareness activities under OAA title XI (Allotments for Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection Activities) are fully integrated with OAA programs. Authorizes appropriations for the State Home Care Ombudsman Program, and authorizes the Assistant Secretary to award competitive grants to states for such programs. Requires a state to have a Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights and a Plan for Enforcement. Requires the state Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights to address a home care consumer's right to: (1) basic safety; (2) information access; (3) choice, participation, and self-determination; and (4) redress of grievances. Revises requirements for: (1) state long-term care ombudsman programs; (2) prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (3) state legal assistance development. Amends OAA to require state agencies to carry out a Home Care Ombudsman Program within the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Amends the Public Health Service Act to include geriatrics and gerontology as primary health services.

Bill· SS. 1053 (113th)referred

Hospice Evaluation and Legitimate Payment Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013

Hospice Evaluation and Legitimate Payment Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the face-to-face encounter framework in hospice care. Allows a clinical nurse specialist, physician assistant, or other health professional (in addition to a hospice physician or a nurse practitioner, as under current law) to conduct the face-to-face encounter with the individual to determine continued eligibility for hospice care before the first 60-day (currently 180-day) recertification period and each subsequent recertification. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Medicare Hospital Payment Reform demonstration program to test any revisions to the methodology for determining payment rates for routine home care and other hospice care services. Sets at every three years the frequency of surveys of certified hospice programs.

Bill· SS. 1040 (113th)referred

A bill to provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of Congress to Jack Nicklaus, in recognition of his service to the Nation in promoting excellence, good sportsmanship, and philanthropy.

United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013

Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Jack Nicklaus in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike such gold medal and to strike and sell duplicate bronze medals at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the gold and bronze medals.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 157 (113th)open

A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that telephone service must be improved in rural areas of the United States and that no entity may unreasonably discriminate against telephone users in those areas.

United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013

Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) all telephone service providers must appropriately complete calls to all areas of the United States regardless of the technology used by such providers; (2) no entity may unreasonably discriminate against telephone users in rural areas; and (3) the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should pursue violators of FCC rules, impose enforcement actions to discourage such uncompleted calls and unreasonable discrimination, and establish a definitive solution to discrimination against telephone users in rural areas.

Bill· SS. 1027 (113th)referred

A bill to improve, coordinate, and enhance rehabilitation research at the National Institutes of Health.

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013

Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish a working group made up of representatives from various Institutes and Centers within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to update and streamline NIH rehabilitation research priorities, and (2) enter into interagency agreements relating to the coordination of rehabilitation research conducted by agencies outside of HHS. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the feasibility of implementing the changes proposed in the Blue Ribbon Panel Recommendations on Rehabilitation Research.

Bill· SS. 987 (113th)open

Free Flow of Information Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013

Free Flow of Information Act of 2013 - Prohibits a federal entity (an entity or employee of the judicial or executive branch or an administrative agency of the federal government with the power to issue a subpoena or other compulsory process), in any proceeding or in connection with any issue arising under federal law, from compelling a covered person to disclose protected information, unless a federal court in the jurisdiction where the compulsory process has been or would be issued determines, after providing notice and an opportunity for the covered person to be heard, that all reasonable alternative sources have been exhausted and that separate specified conditions have been met depending on whether the matter is a criminal investigation or prosecution. Defines a "covered person" as a person (including a supervisor, employer, parent company, subsidiary, or affiliate of such person) who: with the primary intent to investigate events and procure material in order to disseminate to the public news or information concerning matters of public interest, regularly gathers, prepares, collects, photographs, records, writes, edits, reports, or publishes on such matters by conducting interviews, making direct observations of events, or collecting, reviewing, or analyzing original writings, statements, transcripts, photographs, recordings, tapes, data, or other information; has such intent at the inception of the process of gathering the news or information sought; and obtains such news or information to disseminate by print, broadcasting, mechanical, photographic, electronic, or other means. Excludes from the definition of covered person foreign powers and their agents, members or affiliates of foreign terrorist organizations, specially designated global terrorists, and other organizations and people who are reasonably likely to commit, attempt, or provide support for terrorism. Defines "protected information" as: information identifying a source who provided information under a promise or agreement of confidentiality made by a covered person as part of engaging in journalism; or any records, contents of a communication, documents, or information that a covered person obtained or created as part of engaging in journalism and upon a promise or agreement of confidentiality. Requires, in a criminal investigation or prosecution, a determination by the court that: if the party seeking to compel disclosure is the federal government, based on public information or information obtained from a source other than the covered person, there are reasonable grounds to believe a crime has occurred; based on such public or source information, the protected information is essential to the investigation or prosecution or to the defense against the prosecution; the Attorney General certifies that the decision to request compelled disclosure was consistent with federal regulations, if compelled disclosure is sought by a member of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in circumstances governed by regulations specifying DOJ policy with respect to the news media; and the covered person has not established by clear and convincing evidence that disclosure would be contrary to public interest, including the interest in gathering and disseminating information or news as well as maintaining the free flow of information and the public interest in compelling disclosure, including the extent of any harm to national security. Requires, in matters other than criminal investigations or prosecutions, based on public information or information obtained from a source other than the covered person, that: the protected information sought is essential to the resolution of the matter, and the party seeking to compel disclosure establishes that the interest in compelling disclosure clearly outweighs the public interest in gathering and disseminating the information or news at issue and maintaining the free flow of information. Exempts from such requirements: information or items obtained as the result of the eyewitness observations of, or obtained during the course of, alleged criminal conduct by the covered person (provided that the alleged criminal conduct is not the act of communicating the actual documents or information at issue), including any physical evidence or visual or audio recording of the conduct; protected information that is reasonably necessary to stop, prevent, or mitigate a specific case of death, kidnapping, substantial bodily harm, certain offenses against minors, or the incapacitation or destruction of critical infrastructure; and protected information sought by the federal government in a criminal matter under specified circumstances to prevent, mitigate, or identify the perpetrator of an act of terrorism or other acts reasonably likely to cause significant and articulable harm to national security. Sets forth special requirements with respect to criminal investigations or prosecutions of an allegedly unlawful disclosure of properly classified information. Directs federal courts to give appropriate deference to a specific factual showing submitted by the head of any executive branch agency concerned. Sets forth procedures with respect to information sought from electronic communications service providers. Provides for judicial review, submissions under seal, and expedited appeals.

Bill· SS. 980 (113th)open

Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty Embassy Security and Personnel Protection Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013

Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty Embassy Security and Personnel Protection Act of 2013 - Authorizes FY2014 appropriations to restore the capital security cost sharing program to its full capacity. Expresses the sense of Congress concerning priorities of the program and funding through interagency agreements. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) foreign language training, especially in critical need languages including Arabic, for Department of State employees, including the Bureau of Diplomatic Security; and (2) a Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC). Expresses the sense of Congress concerning the value of a FASTC and its use of existing training synergies. Authorizes the Secretary of State to transfer to, and merge with, any appropriation for embassy security, construction, and maintenance such amounts appropriated for any other purpose related to the administration of foreign affairs on or after October 1, 2013. Revises provisions regarding: (1) local guard contracts abroad, and (2) computation of the death gratuity payable to surviving dependents of Foreign Service employees who die from injuries sustained in the performance of duty abroad. Authorizes the Department to use a noncompetitive procurement procedure to meet emergency security requirements. Provides that unsatisfactory leadership by a senior official regarding a security incident involving loss of life, serious injury, or significant destruction of property at or related to a U.S. government mission abroad may be grounds for disciplinary action. Authorizes the Secretary to provide physical security enhancements at overseas educational facilities established for the children of U.S. government employees. Makes permanent the Secretary's authority to waive the annuity termination of a temporarily reemployed annuitant in a position for which there is exceptional difficulty in recruiting or retaining a qualified employee. Provides special immigrant status for the surviving spouse or child of a U.S. government employee killed abroad in the line of duty, provided that the employee had performed faithful service for at least 15 years and the appropriate recommendations have been made. Directs the Secretary to: (1) implement a plan to incorporate the additional Marine Corps Security Guard personnel at U.S. diplomatic facilities, and (2) conduct an annual review of the Marine Corps Security Guard Program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) report to Congress regarding the facts and circumstances surrounding the September 11-12, 2012, killings of four U.S. government personnel in Benghazi, Libya; and (2) report to Congress annually regarding overseas posts determined to be "high risk, high threat."

Bill· SS. 967 (113th)open

Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013

Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), with respect to charges that allege an offense triable by court-martial (with certain exclusions) for which the maximum punishment includes confinement for more than one year, to direct the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to require the Secretaries of the military departments to provide for the determination of whether to try such charges by general or special court-martial to be made by a commissioned officer of grade O-6 or higher with significant experience in such trials and who is outside the chain of command of the accused. Provides that a determination not to proceed to trial shall not preclude a commanding officer from either referring such charges for trial by summary court-martial or imposing non-judicial punishment. Requires Rule 306 (relating to policy on initial disposition of offenses) of the Manual for Courts-Martial to be amended to strike the character and military service of the accused from factors to be considered by the disposition authority. Revises the list of officers authorized to convene general and special courts-martial to include those in grade O-6 or higher assigned such responsibility by their department chief of staff (with the same prohibition against an officer in the same chain of command as the accused). Requires each chief of staff to establish an office which shall convene general and special courts-martial and detail judges and members. Requires a military judge to call a general or special court-martial trial into session within 90 days of the determination of its necessity. Requires a convening authority (the official acting on the sentence of a court-martial), when taking any action other than approving a sentence, to prepare a written justification of such action which shall be made part of the record of the court-martial. Prohibits a convening authority from: (1) dismissing or setting aside a finding of guilty, or (2) reducing a finding of guilty to a finding of guilty to a lesser included offense. Requires a commanding officer who receives a report of a sexual-related offense involving a member in such officer's chain of command to act immediately upon such report by way of referral to the appropriate criminal investigative office or service. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 to require an independent panel established by the DOD Secretary to monitor and assess the implementation and efficacy of this Act and its amendments.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 147 (113th)passed

A resolution recognizing National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges of children in the foster care system, and encouraging Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster care system.

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013

Supports the designation of May 2013 as National Foster Care Month. Recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children in the foster care system face. Encourages Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster care system.