United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2017
Strong Families Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow certain employers a business-related tax credit for a specified percentage (not to exceed 25%) of the amount of wages paid to their employees during any period (not exceeding 12 weeks) in which such employees are on family and medical leave, (2) limit the allowable amount of such credit with respect to any employee to the product of the normal hourly wage rate of such employee for each hour (or fraction thereof) of actual services performed for the employer and the number of hours (or fraction thereof) for which family and medical leave is taken, and (3) terminate such credit five years after the enactment of this bill. The Government Accountability Office shall complete a study on the effectiveness of the tax credit for paid family and medical leave.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2017
Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to change provisions that refer to married couples to make such provisions equally applicable to legally married same sex couples.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2017
Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to: (1) negotiate drug prices under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, and (2) institute a price structure for the reimbursement of drugs covered under the benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2017
Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum Act or the AIRWAVES Act This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to complete auctions during each of the next three calendar years that will grant new broadcast licenses for specified frequency spectrum bands. The FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration are directed to identify frequencies in specified spectrum bands that may be utilized for: (1) non-federal unlicensed use; and (2) commercial licensed use. The FCC must allocate 10% of proceeds from each of the spectrum band auctions specified in the bill to expand wireless infrastructure in rural areas that are underserved or unserved. The FCC shall conduct a study on how unlicensed frequency spectrum bands can be utilized for: (1) the provision of healthcare in rural areas, (2) distance learning, and (3) facilitating innovations in agriculture.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2017
Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act or the B-CROP Act This bill amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to include grants in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) program that provides loans and loan guarantees for broadband telecommunications services in rural areas. In making grants, loans, or loan guarantees under the program, USDA must give the highest priority to applicants that offer to provide broadband service to the greatest proportion of unserved rural households or rural households that do not have the minimum acceptable level of residential broadband service. USDA must then give priority to projects to serve rural communities that: have fewer than 10,000 permanent residents, are experiencing out-migration, have a high percentage of low-income residents, and are isolated from other significant population centers. A grant may not exceed 50% of the development cost of the project. USDA may increase the limit to 75% for projects that serve a remote or low-income area that does not have access to broadband service from any provider. USDA must: (1) provide technical assistance and training to entities that are eligible for the loans, loan guarantees, or grants; and (2) use a specified portion of the appropriations provided for the program for this purpose. The bill sets forth reporting requirements for recipients of the grants, loans, or loan guarantees.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2017
Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a 30% tax credit for investment in a qualifying offshore wind facility (an offshore facility using wind to produce electricity), and (2) direct the Department of the Treasury to establish a qualifying credit for offshore wind facilities program to consider and award certifications for investments eligible for such a credit to qualifying offshore wind facility sponsors. The total amount of megawatt capacity for offshore facilities with respect to which credits may be allocated under the program may not exceed 3,000 megawatts. The bill requires Treasury to review credits allocated under this bill periodically and authorizes Treasury to make additional allocations and reallocations of such credits upon determining that: (1) the limit on the total amount of megawatt capacity for offshore facilities with respect to which credits may be allocated under the program has not been attained, or (2) scheduled placed-in-service dates of previously certified facilities have been significantly delayed and the applicant for certification will not meet the required timeline.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2017
Fair Elections Now Act This bill establishes the Fair Elections Fund, which shall provide funding to Senate candidates who meet specified conditions and agree to abide by certain requirements, such as limits on types of campaign funding sources and a minimum number of appearances in public debates. The bill also (1) revises provisions related to broadcasts of Senate campaign advertisements, (2) provides a tax credit for individuals who make certain types of Senate campaign contributions, and (3) imposes a tax on certain U.S. government contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2017
Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act of 2017 This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to include within the definition of "families" a child who is in foster care and has attained an age such that the provision of foster care for such child will end by reason of the age of the child within six months. Preference is given, subject to certain terms and conditions, for public housing occupancy and section 8 housing assistance under such Act to certain otherwise eligible children who are aging out of foster care and are at-risk for homelessness. The bill amends the Housing Act of 1949 to give preference for rural rental assistance to certain otherwise eligible children who are aging out of foster care and are at-risk of homelessness.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2017
Recreation Not Red-Tape Act This bill amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service to review the process for the issuance and renewal of special recreation permits, including for cross-jurisdictional trips, with respect to outfitters and guides. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall: (1) coordinate with states to allow the purchase of federal and state recreation passes at federal and state facilities in the same transaction, and (2) sell National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes, and make payment of entrance and standard amenity recreation fees available, through federal websites. Interior and USDA should work with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that service members and veterans have access to outdoor recreation and to outdoor-related volunteer and wellness programs. The Forest Service, BLM, and National Park Service may develop management plans for extending the recreation season or increasing recreation use during the offseason. The Forest Service and BLM shall evaluate land managers based on the achievement of applicable agency recreational and tourism goals. The Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Department of Transportation shall consider how land and water management decisions can enhance recreation opportunities and the recreation economy. The bill amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to establish the Ski Area Fee Retention Account. A specified portion of rental charges for ski area permits on a Forest Service unit shall be deposited in such account, and a specified portion of such amounts shall be available to such unit for ski area administration, improvements, and visitor services. The bill establishes a National Recreation Area System to be comprised of existing National Recreation Areas and new units designated after enactment of this bill. Interior and USDA shall: (1) develop initiatives to enhance private-sector volunteer programs, actively promote private-sector volunteer opportunities, and provide outreach and coordination to the private sector to carry out projects and programs for the stewardship of federal land; and (2) establish an interagency trail management plan under which federal land management agencies shall coordinate so that trails that cross jurisdictional boundaries between those agencies are uniformly managed and maintained.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2017
Bob Dole 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 Bob Dole in recognition for his service to the nation as a soldier, legislator, and statesman.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Burial Rights for America's Veterans' Efforts Act of 2017 or the BRAVE Act of 2017 This bill increases the amounts payable through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for: (1) burial and funeral expenses of certain veterans, and (2) such expenses in connection with a veteran's death due to a service-connected disability. The VA shall increase such amounts each fiscal year by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Supports the designation of a United States Intelligence Professionals Day, and acknowledges the courage, fidelity, sacrifice, and professionalism of the men and women of the U.S. intelligence community.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend to all domestic corporations, including S corporations, provisions allowing deferral of tax on gain from the sale of employer securities to an S corporation-sponsored employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). The Department of the Treasury must establish the S Corporation Employee Ownership Assistance Office to foster increased employee ownership of S corporations. The bill also amends the Small Business Act to define "ESOP business concern" and allow such a concern to continue to qualify for loans, preferences, and other programs under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2017 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to ban campaign contributions and expenditures by corporations that are controlled, influenced, or owned by foreign nationals. The bill redefines the term "independent expenditure" to include an expenditure that is the functional equivalent of express advocacy because it can be interpreted by a reasonable person only as advocating the election or defeat of a candidate. The bill expands the period during which certain communications are treated as electioneering communications. The bill prescribes disclosure requirements for campaign-related disbursements by corporations, labor organizations, and other entities, including a political committee with an account established for the purpose of accepting donations or contributions that do not comply with the contribution limits or source prohibitions under FECA.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Board Enhancement Act This bill amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to require the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish: (1) a Small Business Advisory Board to advise and consult with the CFPB in the exercise of its functions under the federal consumer financial laws regarding financial products or services provided for use by consumers primarily for personal, family, or household purposes and to provide information on emerging practices of small businesses that provide such products or services; and (2) a Credit Union Advisory Council and a Community Bank Advisory Council to advise and consult with the CFPB on consumer financial products or services that impact credit unions and community banks, respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2017
President John F. Kennedy Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of President John F. Kennedy. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, which shall be paid by Treasury to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to support the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2017
Expresses solidarity with Falun Gong practitioners and their families for the lives, freedoms, and rights they lost for adhering to their beliefs and practices. Emphasizes to the government of China that freedom of religion includes the right of Falun Gong practitioners to practice freely in China. Condemns the practice of non-consenting organ harvesting in China. Calls upon: (1) the Communist Party of China (CPC) to cease its campaign to persecute Falun Gong practitioners and release all such practitioners who have been confined, detained, or imprisoned for pursuing their right to exercise their spiritual beliefs; (2) the government of China and the CPC to end the practice of organ harvesting from all prisoners of conscience; and (3) China to allow an independent and transparent investigation into organ transplant abuses.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2017
Commonsense Competition and Access to Health Insurance Act This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to permit states to enter into interstate health care choice compacts under which qualified health plans may be offered in the small group market in all participating states while being subject to the laws and regulations of only the state in which the plan was written or issued. (Currently, interstate health care choice compacts apply to only qualified health plans in the individual market.) The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must request that the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) report on health plans provided for under interstate health care choice compacts. HHS may also request that the NAIC include in the report concepts gathered from entities that have experience in offering qualified health plans in states in which those plans were not originally issued.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2017
States Achieve Medicaid Expansion Act of 2017 or the SAME Act of 2017 This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) to every state that expands Medicaid coverage for individuals who are newly eligible under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, regardless of when such expansion takes place. Under current law, the enhanced FMAP is equivalent to 100% in 2014 through 2016, 95% in 2017, 94% in 2018, 93% in 2019, and 90% thereafter. The bill retains this enhanced FMAP, but bases it on a term of years rather than on specific dates. The bill applies retroactively.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2017
Furthering carbon capture, Utilization, Technology, Underground storage, and Reduced Emissions Act or the FUTURE Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend and modify the tax credit for carbon dioxide sequestration. The bill modifies the credit to apply it to carbon oxide sequestration. (Carbon oxide refers to any of the three oxides of carbon: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon suboxide.) The bill also: allows certain new industrial or direct air capture facilities to qualify for the credit if construction begins before January 1, 2024; allows qualified projects to claim the credit for 12 years, beginning on the date the equipment was originally placed in service; increases the separate credit amounts, with respect to projects placed in service upon or after the enactment of this bill, that apply to captured carbon oxide that is: (1) disposed of in secure geological storage, and (2) used as a tertiary injectant in an enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project and disposed of in secure geological storage; expands the purposes for which captured carbon oxide may be used; establishes separate carbon oxide capture thresholds for electricity generating facilities, direct air capture facilities, and facilities used for other purposes; specifies that the 75 million metric ton cap on the carbon dioxide that may qualify for the credit applies to carbon oxide and only to projects placed in service before the enactment of this bill; and allows the credit to be transferred from the entity that owns and uses the capture equipment to the entity that disposes of or uses the carbon oxide.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2017
Addressing Affordability for More Americans Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the health care premium assistance refundable tax credit, to: (1) expand eligibility for the credit by defining an "applicable taxpayer" as a taxpayer whose household income for the year does not exceed 800% of the federal poverty line (currently 400%), (2) specify the applicable premium percentages for the credit for taxpayers with incomes that are from 400% to 800% of the federal poverty line, and (3) specify the dollar limitations for the recapture of excess advance payments of the credit from such taxpayers.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2017
Veterans Access to Care Act of 2017 This bill authorizes and appropriates funds for: (1) Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care, and (2) the veterans choice program. The VA shall conduct a program to increase by up to 1,500 the number of graduate medical education residency positions at covered facilities. The bill expands: (1) eligibility for the VA family caregiver program to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who were seriously injured or became ill on active duty prior to September 11, 2001; and (2) services to caregivers of veterans under such program to include child care, financial planning, and legal services. The support program for caregivers of covered veterans is terminated on October 1, 2022, except that any caregiver activities carried out on September 30, 2022, shall be continued. The VA may carry out specified major medical facility leases in Alabama, Colorado, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. The VA may record as a U.S. government obligation amounts owed for hospital care or medical services furnished at non-VA facilities when a health care provider's payment claim is approved, rather than when the VA authorizes such care or services.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation for Wildlife Act or the HELP for Wildlife Act This bill revises a variety of existing programs to expand access to, and opportunities for, hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. The bill reauthorizes through FY2022 the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act, the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, and the Chesapeake Bay Program. It also reauthorizes through FY2023 the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grants Assistance Program. The proportion of funding from the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act that states may use for public target ranges is increased. The bill revises standards for determining what a baited area is for purposes of the prohibition on taking migratory game birds. The Department of the Interior must reissue two rules that removed protections under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 for the gray wolf populations located in the western Great Lakes (all of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, as well as portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio) and Wyoming. Interior's prior rules that removed the protections were overruled by district courts. Components of firearms and ammunition and sport fishing equipment and its components (such as lead sinkers) are exempted from regulations of chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The National Fish Habitat Board is established to: (1) promote, oversee, and coordinate the implementation of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan; (2) establish national goals and priorities for fish habitat conservation; (3) recommend the designation of Fish Habitat Partnerships; and (4) review and make recommendations regarding fish habitat conservation projects.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Designates June 19, 2017, as Juneteenth Independence Day. Recognizes the historical significance and supports the continued celebration of Juneteenth Independence Day, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 coins, 400,000 $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins emblematic of the game of basketball. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to fund an endowment for increased operations and educational programming.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Biomass Thermal Utilization Act of 2017 or the BTU Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to include 30% of qualified biomass fuel property expenditures for property placed in service before 2022 in the residential energy efficient property tax credit. A "qualified biomass fuel property expenditure" is an expenditure for property which uses the burning of biomass fuel (a plant-derived fuel available on a renewable or recurring basis) to heat a dwelling used as a residence, or to heat water for use in such dwelling, and which has a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75%. The bill also allows: (1) a 15% energy tax credit until 2022 for investment in open-loop biomass heating property, including boilers or furnaces that operate at thermal output efficiencies of at least 65% and provide thermal energy in the form of heat, hot water, or steam for space heating, air conditioning, domestic hot water, or industrial process heat; and (2) a 30% credit until 2022 for investment in such property that operates at a thermal output efficiency of at least 80%.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2017
Marketplace Certainty Act This bill expands eligibility for additional cost-sharing reductions that apply to certain enrollees of qualified health plans.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2017
Voter Empowerment Act of 2017 Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2017 This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require states to make available online voter registration. The federal criminal code is amended to prohibit hindering, interfering with, or preventing voter registration. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 is amended to require states to promote access to voter registration and voting for individuals with disabilities. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must support pilot programs enabling individuals with disabilities to register and vote at their residences. The bill reauthorizes support for state and local governments to ensure voting access for individuals with disabilities. States must notify individuals convicted of a criminal offense under state law, upon release or upon sentence to probation, of their right to vote in federal elections. Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2017 This bill revises auditing requirements for voting systems. Voting systems must use individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots. The National Science Foundation must support the study and development of accessible ballot voting and best practices to enhance the accessibility of voting for certain individuals. With exceptions, states must audit federal election results. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is amended to extend the guarantee of voting residency to family members of absent military personnel. The EAC must support poll-worker recruitment and training and develop materials for a model program. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 is amended to prohibit a chief state election administration official, unless the official or a family member is a candidate, from taking part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which the official has supervisory authority. The EAC is reauthorized and its exemption from certain contracting requirements is repealed.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2017
Veterans' Heritage Firearms Act of 2017 This bill provides a 90-day amnesty period during which veterans and their family members can register in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record any firearm acquired before October 31, 1968, by a veteran while a member of the Armed Forces stationed outside the continental United States. The bill: (1) grants such an individual limited immunity under the federal criminal code and the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the acquisition, possession, transportation, or alteration of such firearm before or concurrent with such registration; and (2) extends such immunity to a veteran who attempts to register a qualifying firearm outside of the amnesty period if the veteran surrenders the firearm within 30 days after being notified of potential criminal liability for continued possession. The Department of Justice (DOJ) shall provide clear notice of, and the Department of Veterans Affairs shall carry out an outreach program and develop a communications strategy to provide veterans information regarding, the amnesty and registration period. DOJ shall: (1) transfer each firearm qualifying as a curio or relic that has been forfeited to the United States to the first qualified museum that requests it, and (2) publish information identifying each such firearm that is available to be transferred to a museum. The bill: (1) prohibits DOJ from destroying any such firearm that has been forfeited until five years after the forfeiture, and (2) requires that any firearm transferred to a qualified museum be registered to the transferee. The prohibition against transfer or possession of a machine-gun shall not apply to a transfer to or by, or to possession by, a museum that is open to the public and incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation under applicable state law.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2017
Volunteer Pilot Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 to protect a volunteer pilot from civil liability for harm caused while operating an aircraft on behalf of a nonprofit organization that arranges flights for public benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to allow a representative official of an Indian tribe, with authorization from the governing body of the tribe, to request one or more polling places to be located on tribal lands. The state or political subdivision shall provide each requested polling place at no expense to the Indian tribe if certain criteria are met. A federal court shall retain jurisdiction to enforce constitutional voting guarantees, but also certain violations of the Act as well as of any federal prohibition against discrimination on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group, for an appropriate period to prevent commencement of new devices to deny or abridge the right to vote. Any state (and all of its political subdivisions) shall be subject to certain requirements for a 10-year period if: 15 or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years; or 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself (as opposed to a political subdivision within it). A state or political subdivision that obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a device to deny or abridge the right to vote shall be exempt from such requirements unless as specified. This bill prescribes transparency requirements regarding any changes to specified matters. Department of Justice authority to assign observers receives new extensions. Courts shall grant preliminary injunctive relief if a complainant raises a serious question whether the challenged covered practice violates the Act or the Constitution and, on balance, the hardship imposed upon the defendant by the relief will be less than the hardship on the plaintiff if the relief were not granted.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Securing the Homeland by Increasing our Power on the Seas Act or the SHIPS Act This bill declares that it shall be the policy of the United States to have available, as soon as practicable, at least 355 battle force ships, comprised of the optimal mix of platforms, with funding subject to the annual authorization and appropriation of funds.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2017
21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act of 2017 This bill amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to replace provisions that established the Public Lands Corps with provisions establishing the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) to: engage youth and veterans in civilian national service positions to conserve, rebuild, and enhance the natural resources, infrastructure, and recreation assets of the United States; increase public access to, and use of, public and tribal land and water, infrastructure, and natural, cultural, and historical resources, while spurring economic development and outdoor recreation and addressing backlogged maintenance on public land; conserve, restore, and enhance such resources by carrying out high-quality, cost-effective projects; ensure that the activities and expertise of corpsmembers will be accessible to any public, nonprofit, or tribal entity responsible for the stewardship of land and water in coordination with the land or water owner; place youth and veterans in civilian national service positions to protect, restore, and enhance U.S. natural resources, infrastructure, and recreation assets in a cost-effective manner without undue duplication or overlap of federal agency activities or programs; and channel widespread interest among youth and veterans in serving in such positions to help conserve, restore, and enhance public and tribal land and water, infrastructure, and natural, cultural, and historical resources and to develop the next generation of outdoor stewards, entrepreneurs, recreationists, and sportsmen. The 21CSC shall be implemented jointly by the participating entities, which shall include the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Departments of Interior, Agriculture, Transportation, Labor, Energy, Defense, Veterans Affairs, Commerce, Education, and Housing and Urban Development. Such entities shall: (1) establish a process for an organization to become a 21CSC organization, and (2) support 21CSC projects. A 21CSC organization shall provide to each youth or veteran corpsmember a wage, stipend, living allowance, and/or an educational credit, as well as skills development, credentials, and education, for participation in a 21CSC project that involves: specified conservation and restoration projects; the support, development, and enhancement of outdoor recreation or urban green space; service that is primarily indoors with a clear benefit for natural, cultural, or historic resources or treasures; or a project on private land or water having a direct or recognized public or environmental benefit or the funding of which originated from a governmental entity. The bill sets forth provisions governing 21CSC conservation centers and program support, the provision of resource assistants, and Corpsmember eligibility for a noncompetitive hiring status and national service educational awards. A participating entity may offer to enter into a cooperative agreement with a tribal agency or a 21CSC organization to establish and administer the Indian Youth 21st Century Conservation Service Corps, which shall carry out 21CSC projects on tribal land or water.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2017
Jobs for Our Heroes Act This bill amends the FAST Act to require the medical professional who may perform a medical examination and provide a medical certificate for purposes of compliance with requirements for operation by a veteran of a commercial motor vehicle to be a "qualified examiner" who: is employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs as a medical professional; and is licensed, certified, or registered in a state to perform physical examinations. The bill applies commercial driver's license standards for former members of the Armed Forces or reserves to current members of the Armed Forces or reserves. The bill allows such covered individuals who have experience in driving vehicles similar to a commercial motor vehicle while serving in the Armed Forces or reserves to apply for an exemption from all or a portion of federal commercial motor vehicle driving test requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
No Hearing, No Vote Act of 2017 This bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to prohibit the Senate from considering any reconciliation bill or reconciliation resolution, unless: the legislation is either ordered reported to the Senate by the committee receiving reconciliation instructions or reported by the Senate Budget Committee after receiving recommendations from multiple committees receiving instructions, and each committee that ordered the legislation to be reported or ordered recommendations to be reported to the Senate Budget Committee held at least one hearing regarding any major provision of the legislation that is within the jurisdiction of the committee An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Senators, duly chosen and sworn, is required to either: (1) waive or suspend the requirements of this bill, or (2) sustain an appeal of the ruling of the chair on a point of order raised, with respect to the requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Working Families Tax Relief Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the earned income tax credit, to: (1) increase the credit and reduce the phaseout percentage for taxpayers with no qualifying children, (2) reduce from 25 to 21 the qualifying age for individuals with no children, (3) revise eligibility rules relating to married individuals living apart and qualifying children claimed by another family member, and (4) repeal the denial of such credit for taxpayers with excess investment income. This bill modifies the child tax credit to: (1) increase the amount of the credit and the portion of the credit that is refundable for taxpayers with children under the age of six, and (2) require the dollar amounts of the credit to be adjusted for inflation after 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Improving Access to Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to supervise cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Recognizes: U.S. Capitol Police Special Agents David Bailey, Crystal Griner, and Henry Cabrera for responding to and ultimately ending the threat to Members of Congress, their staff, and others during the shooting at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 14, 2017; the Police Department, the Office of the Sheriff, and the Fire Department of Alexandria, Virginia, and the first responders who reported to the scene; victims Steve Scalise, Zachary Barth, and Matthew Mika, who survived the shooting; and the U.S. Capitol Police for their professionalism, vigilance, and self-sacrifice in protecting Members of Congress and congressional employees, visitors, and facilities. Recognizes that threats to Members of Congress also threaten the foundations of our representative democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2017
Family-Based Care Services Act This bill establishes a definition, under Medicaid, for "qualified therapeutic family care services." Specifically, such services are those provided for children younger than age 21 who need institution-level care but can instead be cared for in a community placement through a licensed and accredited program that: (1) provides children with certain structured daily activities, and (2) provides parents and caregivers with specialized training and consultation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2017
Individual Health Insurance Marketplace Improvement Act This bill establishes and provides funds for an individual market stabilization reinsurance program to be administered in each state by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Under the program, HHS shall make reinsurance payments to health insurance issuers with respect to high-cost individuals enrolled in certain qualified health plans offered by the issuers. HHS shall award grants to states or nonprofit community-based organizations to raise awareness of, and encourage enrollment in, qualified health plans.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2017
Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2017 This bill directs the chief election official of each state to establish and operate an automatic voter registration system for federal elections. The system shall obtain information about eligible voters from contributing state agencies, including all agencies required by federal law to provide voter registration services. The Election Assistance Commission shall make grants to assist states in implementing the bill.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2017
Commemorates the victims killed in the attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016. Honors the survivors of the attack and pledges continued support for their recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2017
Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017 This bill amends the Fair Housing Act (FHA) under the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to add sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected against discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing. (Currently, the FHA prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.) The bill defines: (1) "gender identity" as gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth; and (2) "sexual orientation" as homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality. The bill also extends prohibitions against housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, handicap, familial status, or national origin to include discrimination based on: (1) an individual's association with another person who is a member of such a protected class; and (2) a perception or belief, even if inaccurate, that an individual is a member of such a protected class.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2017
Young Fishermen's Development Act of 2017 This bill directs the National Sea Grant Office in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish a Young Fishermen's Development Grant Program to provide training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives for young fishermen. The office shall make competitive matching grants to support local and regional training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives for young fishermen, including programs, workshops, and services related to seamanship, navigation, electronics, and safety, vessel and engine care, and sustainable fishing practices. Grant recipients must be a collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally based network or partnership of public or private entities. In awarding grants, the office shall give priority to partnerships and collaborations that are led by or include nongovernmental fishing community-based organizations and school-based fisheries educational organizations with expertise in fisheries and sustainable fishing training and outreach. Grants may not be used to purchase a fishing license, permit, quota, or other harvesting right.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2017
Forward Looking Investment in General Aviation, Hangars, and Tarmacs Act of 2017 or the FLIGHT Act of 2017 This bill revises general aviation apportionments by: (1) providing at least 4% of entitlement funding to airports designated as disaster relief airports, (2) increasing the period of availability of apportioned funds, (3) increasing the federal government's share of project costs for certain airports to 95%, and (4) allowing the use of non apportioned funds for general aviation airport grants. DOT shall: (1) implement an expedited and coordinated environmental review process for general aviation airport construction or improvement projects; and (2) establish a public-private partnership program for building or improving hangars, businesses, or other facilities at general aviation airports and privately owned airports for public use that do not have scheduled air service. The bill requires DOT to designate certain airports as disaster relief airports, including regional reliever airports, airports within a reasonable distance of a hospital or transplant or trauma center, or airports in a region prone to natural disasters. The bill treats the construction of certain aircraft used exclusively for recreational purposes as an "aeronautical activity" for purposes of airport improvement grants.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2017
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Jim Bunning, former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on June 5, 2017, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Bunning.
![Official portrait of Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000383_200.jpg)