United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act of 2019 This bill makes certain individuals and households eligible for housing assistance in connection with a major disaster, including Hurricane Maria of 2017. To be eligible, an individual or household must be (1) occupying an otherwise unused or uninhabited property located in the area for which the major disaster was declared but does not have documented ownership rights to and is not renting the property, or (2) residing or have resided in an area for which the major disaster was declared but does not have documentary proof of residence. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall consider alternative forms of proof to determine the eligibility of an individual or household for assistance. FEMA shall (1) create and distribute a form declarative statement that applicants for assistance may use to self-certify their eligibility for assistance, and (2) make the statement available in specified languages at all active Disaster Recovery Centers and on its website and social media. FEMA shall enter into agreements with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to implement a disaster housing assistance program to provide temporary rental assistance to individuals and households displaced by any major disaster during 2017 and 2018, and shall engage in consultations regarding the implementation of such program for future disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Maternal Care Access and Reducing Emergencies Act or the Maternal CARE Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to health-professional training programs for training that addresses implicit bias (e.g., racial bias) in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. HHS must also award grants to up to 10 states for pregnancy medical-home programs that reduce adverse maternal-health outcomes and racial disparities. Among other requirements, such programs must prioritize the care of uninsured individuals or Medicaid enrollees. The National Academy of Medicine must make recommendations for incorporating bias recognition in clinical-skills tests at medical schools.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Sutton Mountain and Painted Hills Area Preservation and Economic Enhancement Act This bill designates the Sutton Mountain Wilderness, Pat's Cabin Wilderness, Painted Hills Wilderness, and Dead Dog Wilderness in Oregon as wilderness areas and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Department of the Interior must provide an owner of private property within the boundary of a wilderness area designated by this bill adequate access to such property. The bill prescribes requirements for the Collins, Faulkner, Quant, and Twickenham Livestock LLC land exchanges in Oregon. The bill directs Interior to convey specified lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the city of Mitchell and Wheeler County in Oregon.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Food and Agribusiness Merger Moratorium and Antitrust Review Act of 2019 This bill places a moratorium on certain acquisitions between large agricultural and retail-related businesses and establishes the Food and Agriculture Concentration and Market Power Review Commission. The commission shall report to Congress and the President on (1) the nature and consequences of market concentration in the U.S. food and agricultural economy, and (2) recommended legal and regulatory changes to address such market concentration.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
End Mass Deportation Act This bill rescinds Executive Order 13768, dated January 25, 2017, entitled Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States . (The executive order contains various provisions relating to immigration enforcement, including ones (1) directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize removal of certain criminal aliens, and (2) authorizing the Department of Justice and DHS to render a sanctuary jurisdiction ineligible for certain federal grants if the jurisdiction willfully violates any law requiring local officials to cooperate with immigration enforcement officials.)
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
This resolution recognizes the significance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States. The resolution also recognizes that the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities enhance the rich diversity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Medical Debt Relief Act of 2019 This bill modifies requirements related to the reporting of medical debt. Specifically, a consumer reporting agency may not add certain medical debt information to a consumer credit report. Also, a debt collector may not report certain medical debt information to a consumer reporting agency within a specified time period and must notify the consumer prior to reporting such medical debt.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Federal Campaign Cybersecurity Assistance Act of 2019 This bill permits the national committee of a political party to use building funds to provide cybersecurity assistance to the national committee, state political parties, candidates, or candidates' authorized committees. Currently, cybersecurity assistance is considered to be an in-kind contribution. Further, the bill prohibits an authorized committee from selling any cybersecurity technology, products, or services that were purchased with building funds. However, such items may be donated to charitable organizations or government agencies at the end of a campaign. The bill also specifies that cybersecurity technology, products, or services that are provided at less than fair-market value to a political committee or candidate are generally considered in-kind contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Fly Smart Act This bill establishes standards for airline travel by federal employees for official business, including a general requirement to use coach-class accommodations and a ban on military aircraft for domestic official travel. It allows use of first-class and business class for federal employees under certain circumstances, such as to accommodate a disability or special need or because of exceptional security circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
No Junk Plans Act This bill nullifies a rule by the Department of Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services regarding short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans. Short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans are plans that may only offer coverage for a limited amount of time under law and that are exempt from the market requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (e.g., coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions). The rule increases the maximum authorized duration of such plans from less than 3 months (including renewals) to an initial maximum duration of less than 12 months (with a total duration of up to 36 months, including renewals). The rule took effect October 2, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
This resolution recognizes the contributions made by the Air Force personnel responsible for operating and maintaining the Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation of satellites; those made by the Department of Transportation in coordinating interactions with civil users of the GPS; and the importance of continuous availability, accuracy, efficiency, robustness, reliability, and resiliency of the GPS constellation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
This concurrent resolution expresses support for efforts to ensure that all women have access to comprehensive, preventative, and affordable health care services and are able to receive unbiased information about those services.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act This bill decriminalizes marijuana. Specifically, it removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who imports, exports, manufactures, distributes, or possesses with intent to distribute marijuana. Additionally, the bill does the following: establishes a trust fund to assist women-owned and minority-owned marijuana businesses, requires federal research on the impacts of marijuana use on highway safety and public health, authorizes federal restrictions on the marketing of marijuana-related products, and authorizes grants for state and local governments to expunge or seal convictions for marijuana possession.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
This resolution celebrates the 100th anniversary of the passage and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, providing for women's suffrage. The resolution also reaffirms the desire of Congress to continue strengthening democratic participation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Election Security Act of 2019 This bill addresses election security through grant programs and requirements for voting systems and paper ballots. The bill establishes requirements for voting systems, including that systems (1) use individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots; (2) make a voter's marked ballot available for inspection and verification by the voter before the vote is cast; (3) ensure that individuals with disabilities are given an equivalent opportunity to vote, including with privacy and independence, in a manner that produces a voter-verified paper ballot; and (4) be manufactured in the United States. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must award grants to study, test, and develop accessible voter-verified paper ballot voting and best practices to enhance the accessibility of such voting for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. The EAC must award grants to states to (1) replace certain voting systems, carry out voting system security improvements, and implement and model best practices for ballot design, ballot instructions, and the testing of ballots; and (2) conduct risk-limiting audits. The bill provides for information sharing with states regarding threats to election infrastructure. The Department of Homeland Security must issue a national strategy to protect against cyberattacks, influence operations, disinformation campaigns, and other activities that could undermine the security and integrity of democratic institutions. The EAC must provide for the testing of voting system hardware and software and decertify such technology that does not meet guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
RTP Funding Transparency Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation to carry out an assessment of the best available estimate of the total amount of nonhighway recreational fuel taxes received by the Department of the Treasury and transferred to the Highway Trust Fund for the period covered by the assessment.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 2019 This bill addresses oil and gas leasing in Arctic areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The bill declares that it is the policy of the United States that the Arctic Ocean should be managed for the best interests of the people of the United States, including by keeping fossil fuels in the ground to avoid the dangerous impacts of climate change. The Department of the Interior is prohibited from issuing or extending a lease or any other authorization for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in Arctic areas of the OCS.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Building U.S. Infrastructure by Leveraging Demands for Skills or the BUILDS Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to award implementation or renewal grants to eligible industry or sector partnerships to achieve certain strategic objectives with respect to targeted infrastructure industries (e.g., transportation, construction, energy, information technology, or utilities industries). Such strategic objectives must include recruiting key stakeholders in the targeted infrastructure industries; supporting the training needs of multiple businesses in such industries; facilitating actions that lead to economies of scale by aggregating multiple businesses' training and education needs; helping grant recipients who provide career and technical education and training in aligning curricula, entrance requirements, and programs to the targeted infrastructure's needs and required credentials; providing information on grant activities to state agencies to enable them to inform unemployment compensation recipients of employment and training opportunities; helping partner businesses to attract and retain workers from a diverse job seeker base; and expanding the number of individuals with a barrier to employment, who have access to training and education opportunities that are aligned with business needs, and providing those workers with support to address such barrier.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2019 This bill provides for the conservation and restoration of habitats that facilitate the movement of certain native or noninvasive species (e.g., fish, wildlife, or plant species) that may be at risk due to habitat loss or fragmentation. The bill establishes a National Wildlife Corridor System and provides for the designation and management of such corridors on federal land and water. A corridor means a feature of the landscape or seascape that (1) provides habitat or ecological connectivity, and (2) allows for movement or dispersal of native or noninvasive fish, wildlife, or plants. Indian tribes may nominate a corridor within their land to be included in a Tribal Wildlife Corridor. In addition, the bill establishes a Wildlife Corridors Stewardship Fund to receive donations for the management and protection of the corridors. It also establishes a wildlife movements grant program to encourage the passage of fish, wildlife, or plant species across a landscape or seascape. The National Coordination Committee, established by this bill, must recommend projects to fund under the grant program. The committee must also develop standards for regional wildlife movement plans to allow for better cross-regional collaboration. No fewer than four regional wildlife movement councils must be established. Among other things, the councils must submit to the committee regional wildlife movement plans as well as lists of funding priorities. Finally, the U.S. Geological Survey must establish a National Wildlife Corridors Database.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2019 This bill addresses harassment at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Harassment includes certain conduct undertaken through technological means that limits a student's ability to benefit from the IHE's programs, or creates a hostile or abusive educational environment at the school. Specifically, the bill requires each IHE to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment on the basis of a student's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, and a sex stereotype), disability, or religion. In addition, the Department of Education may award grants to IHEs to initiate, expand, or improve programs to (1) prevent the harassment of students; (2) provide counseling or redress services to students who have been harassed or accused of subjecting other students to harassment; or (3) educate and train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Restoring Justice for Workers Act This bill prohibits predispute arbitration agreements that require arbitration of an employment dispute. It allows a postdispute arbitration agreement if the employee enters into it voluntarily without coercion and is informed in writing of rights and protections under such agreement. An employer may not retaliate against an employee for refusing to enter into an agreement for arbitrating an employment dispute.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2019 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a zero-emission passenger vehicle standard. Specifically, the bill sets a schedule for increasing the percentage of zero-emission vehicles a vehicle manufacturer delivers for sale, culminating in a requirement to sell only zero-emission vehicles from 2040 on. The bill also requires the EPA to establish a zero-emission vehicle credit program that approves one zero-emission vehicle credit for each zero-emission vehicle delivered for sale in the United States and partial credits for qualified electric vehicles based on the estimated proportion of the mileage driven on the battery. Manufacturers that fail to meet the minimum required percentage of zero-emission vehicle sales must submit to the EPA a quantity of zero-emission vehicle credits sufficient to offset the excess. Credits may also be sold, transferred, exchanged, or retired in certain circumstances. The bill imposes civil penalties for the failure to comply with zero-emission vehicle credit standards, with collected penalties being deposited into the Highway Trust Fund. After 2040, the EPA may issue injunctions on the manufacture of passenger vehicles other than zero-emission vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Safeguarding America's Future and Environment Act or the SAFE Act The bill requires the development of strategies to help fish, wildlife, and plants adapt to extreme weather changes and climate change. Specifically, the bill requires the President to establish an interagency National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy Joint Implementation Working Group. The working group must adopt the 2013 National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy, which addresses the effects of extreme weather and climate change on fish, wildlife, and plants. After the Committee on Earth and Environmental Sciences releases a periodic scientific assessment required under the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the working group must use sound science to review and revise the strategy to incorporate new information and advances in the development of strategies to help fish, wildlife, and plants adapt. Each federal agency must integrate the strategy into agency plans, environmental reviews, and programs. The Department of the Interior must establish a National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center to assess and develop scientific information, tools, strategies, and techniques to support the working group and other interested parties in addressing the effects of extreme weather and climate change. Interior must establish an Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Sciences to advise the working group.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Healthy Maternity and Obstetric Medicine Act or the Healthy MOM Act This bill expands health insurance coverage availability for pregnant individuals. It requires health insurers, health insurance exchanges, and group health plans to offer a special enrollment period to pregnant individuals. The special enrollment period offered by an insurer or exchange must begin when the pregnancy is reported to the insurer or exchange. The special enrollment period offered by a group health plan must begin when the pregnancy is reported to the plan or is confirmed by a health care provider. The bill also makes pregnancy a qualifying life event for the purpose of enrolling in a federal employee health benefit plan. Additionally, a group health plan or health insurer that covers dependents must provide coverage for maternity care to all covered individuals. Any individual who is eligible for Medicaid and is, or becomes, pregnant maintains such eligibility for one year after the end of the pregnancy. The bill revises the range in which a state must establish a maximum level of family income for pregnant women and infants to be eligible for Medicaid. The upper limit of the range is eliminated and the lower limit is set to the level in place on January 1, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Protecting American Votes and Elections Act of 2019 This bill addresses the security of federal elections, including by requiring paper ballots, requiring audits of election results, and establishing requirements for election cybersecurity. The bill provides requirements for ballots. Voting systems must use a paper ballot that is verifiable by a voter before being cast and these ballots must be retained for recounts or audits. During a recount, ballots must be counted by hand. States and jurisdictions must perform an audit of an election that must include a manual adjudication of voter intent from some or all of the ballots cast. The audit results must meet specified statistical requirements and must be published before such election is certified. The bill provides a private right of action for any person aggrieved by a violation of voting system or audit requirements. The Election Assistance Commission must provide funds to states to replace paperless voting systems to comply with requirements of the bill, for the acquisition of accessible ballot marking devices for voters with disabilities, for certain ballot design and printing costs, and for certain election audit costs. The bill also directs the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within in the Department of Homeland Security to set mandatory election cybersecurity standards, including those regarding optical scanning devices, ballot marking devices, election management systems, voter registration websites, and election results systems.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
This concurrent resolution (1) specifies that the United States should encourage all parties to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to comply with it fully, (2) encourages the United States to engage with Russia on strategic stability issues and other arms control and nonproliferation issues, and (3) condemns Russia's nonadherence to its treaty obligations regarding intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Retirement Investments for a Sustainable Economy Act of 2019 or the RISE Act of 2019 This bill establishes a new fund—the Climate Choice Stock Index Fund—as an investment option under the Thrift Savings Plan. The Climate Choice Stock Index Fund must be invested in a portfolio that is designed to replicate the performance of a commonly recognized index comprised of common stock and to ensure that no investment in the portfolio is an investment in a fossil fuel entity.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Maritime Academy Reinvestment And Training Improvements for Mariner Employment Act or the MARITIME Act This bill directs the U.S. Maritime Administration to provide assistance for the construction, installation, or maintenance of harbor projects that will support a federally owned vessel operated by a state maritime academy or a nonfederal oceanographic research facility. The bill designates state maritime academies as centers of excellence, making them eligible for maritime workforce training and education assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Central America Reform and Enforcement Act This bill establishes programs to address the humanitarian crisis in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (the Northern Triangle countries) and to handle asylum-seekers from those countries. The Department of State shall report to Congress a five-year interagency strategy to address the factors driving migration from Central America. The bill establishes various new immigration-related penalties, such as making it unlawful to knowingly destroy any government-deployed border-control device (e.g., fence or camera). The State Department shall work to expand the capacity of other countries to provide asylum. The State Department shall establish at least four Designated Application Processing Centers in the Northern Triangle countries and Mexico to adjudicate asylum applications and admit qualified aliens from the Northern Triangle countries as refugees. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall provide certain assessments and health care services to unaccompanied alien children. The rights of a parent or guardian over an unaccompanied alien child may be terminated only pursuant to a court order. The Office of Refugee Resettlement shall conduct certain background checks on prospective sponsors of an unaccompanied alien child. To receive certain funding, a local educational agency must ensure that unaccompanied alien children are served. An unaccompanied alien child shall be appointed free counsel in immigration proceedings. The Department of Justice shall increase the number of immigration judges and Board of Immigration Appeals staff attorneys. The Department of Homeland Security, HHS, and the State Department shall develop a process for repatriating unaccompanied children to their country of origin. This process must require a determination of the child's best interests.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Protecting the Rights Of Towns against federal Enforcement contrary to Constitutional Tenets for Immigration Act or the PROTECT Immigration Act This bill establishes that the authority to investigate, apprehend, or detain aliens for the purposes of immigration enforcement is limited to immigration officers and authorized Department of Homeland Security employees, except when such authority is provided to other individuals under specified statutes. Specifically, this restriction does not apply in certain instances involving (1) an actual or imminent mass influx of aliens, (2) persons bringing in and harboring aliens in violation of immigration laws, and (3) an alien illegally present in the United States who had previously left or was deported after being convicted of a felony. The bill repeals the authority allowing the Department of Justice to enter into agreements authorizing state or local government employees to perform immigration enforcement functions.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill modifies and reauthorizes through FY2024 grant programs that fund nursing workforce development and retention. Such grants must generally be used to develop high-quality nursing services in areas that have, or are projected to have, a nursing shortage. The bill also reauthorizes grant programs for nursing education, loan repayment, and geriatric care training. The bill further requires the Government Accountability Office to evaluate and report on the nursing education loan repayment program, including (1) the methods of payment, (2) existing and recommended oversight functions, (3) the number of nurses participating in the program, and (4) the type of facility at which participants are serving.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
This resolution censures Brunei's criminal laws with respect to sexual orientation and adultery, and supports the withdrawal and denial of United States visas for Brunei officials responsible for the implementation of such laws until they are repealed.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2019 This bill permits a borrower to discharge in bankruptcy a nonprofit, government, or private student loan, or an obligation to repay an educational benefit, scholarship, or stipend.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
Expanding On-Campus Child Care to Help Student Parents Succeed Act This bill permanently reauthorizes and revises the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program. (The program awards grants to support the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services.) Among other revisions to the program, the bill allows grant funds to be used for additional purposes (e.g., child care subsidies and support services) and specifies additional grant application requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission to create a national federal write-in absentee ballot that must be made available on the internet in a printable format. States must permit certain individuals to use the ballot to cast a vote in any election for federal office. The individuals who qualify to use the ballot are those who reside in an area where a state of emergency has been declared by the state due to a natural disaster, expect to be absent from their jurisdiction on election day due to professional or volunteer service in response to a natural disaster or emergency, expect to be hospitalized on election day, or requested an absentee ballot but did not receive it in time for it to be counted in the election.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
Ban Conflicted Trading Act This bill prohibits a Member of Congress or certain congressional officers or employees from (1) purchasing or selling specified investments, (2) entering into a transaction that creates a net short position in a security, or (3) serving as an officer or member of any board of any for-profit entity.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2019 This bill modifies requirements related to the mining of hardrock minerals on federal land. Among other things, the bill prohibits the United States from issuing a patent for any mining claim, millsite, or tunnel site unless a patent application was filed with the Department of the Interior by September 30, 1994; subjects production of all locatable minerals from any mining claim to a reasonable royalty established by Interior; requires an exploration permit and mining operations permit for non-casual mining operations; establishes the Hardrock Minerals Reclamation Fund for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past hardrock minerals and mining activities; requires consultation with Indian tribes prior to the undertaking or issuing of a permit for mineral activity that has tribal implications; and establishes civil penalties for violation of surface management or operation requirements and related regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Family First Transition and Support Act of 2019 This bill eliminates income-based limitations on a child's eligibility for federal foster care support and makes other changes to funding for, and administration of, grants and programs for child welfare in states and tribes. The bill increases funding for activities including (1) training of child welfare workers, foster parents, and those working in the court system; (2) research on evidence-based practices to prevent child abuse and neglect; and (3) regional partnerships between child welfare agencies and others to address a parent's, or other caregiver's, substance use disorder. The bill's changes to the administration of child welfare programs include, for example, delaying until FY2027 a requirement for states to expend a minimum percentage of funding for child abuse prevention services on only those services that meet certain criteria for effectiveness. In addition, the bill expands the scope of certain grants to include kinship placement services and allows the use of federal funds to address issues that may put a child at risk of entering foster care, such as by providing assistance with housing and utility payments.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Reef Safe Act of 2019 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration to develop labeling criteria and standards for a Reef Safe designation on nonprescription sunscreen.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act This bill exempts individuals with metastatic breast cancer from certain waiting periods for disability insurance benefits under the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program and related Medicare coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Oxybenzone and Octinoxate Impact Study Act of 2019 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to study the impact of oxybenzone and octinoxate (chemicals commonly found in sunscreens) on public health and the environment, including marine life.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere Act or the NURSE Act This bill establishes a demonstration grant program through which the Department of Education shall award matching funds to increase the number of school nurses in public elementary and secondary schools served by a state educational agency or local educational agency in which at least 20% of students are eligible to participate in the school lunch program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2019
Segal AmeriCorps Education Award Tax Relief Act of 201 9 This bill modifies the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude from gross income any AmeriCorps educational awards provided under the National and Community Service Act of 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2019
Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights This bill places additional requirements on postsecondary educational lenders and servicers and provides certain consumer protections to borrowers. Specifically, postsecondary educational lenders and servicers must provide borrowers with additional disclosures (1) before their first fully amortized payment is due, (2) when the borrower is identified as at risk of default, (3) when the borrower is delinquent on payments or has difficulty making payments, and (4) when a loan is transferred or sold. Further, servicers and lenders must (1) respond to borrower inquiries, (2) establish repayment specialists to assist borrowers who are at risk of default, (3) designate a service member and veterans liaison, and (4) make borrower loan information available in a secure electronic form. Servicers and lenders are prohibited from using mandatory arbitration clauses or class action restrictions. The bill also (1) standardizes the application and allocation of payments among multiple loans, and (2) limits when borrowers may be subject to late fees. Additionally, institutions of higher education must certify private education loans prior to a lender consummating a loan with a borrower. The bill directs the Department of Education to (1) establish a student loan servicing interagency working group, which must make recommendations and develop policy direction related to servicing contracts; and (2) establish a centralized point of access for all borrowers, which must include account information and payment processing. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau must develop and issue model forms to allow borrowers to compare alternative repayment options, forbearance, and deferment options.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2019
Simplifying Financial Aid for Students Act of 2019 This bill revises the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process and modifies federal student aid eligibility for certain students. Among other things, the bill revises FAFSA to remove certain questions such as those regarding a student's criminal history, Selective Service registration, and combat pay information; make it available to complete on a mobile device; consolidate questions regarding a student's homeless status; allow a student to automatically populate such form using data available from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); provide forms in the most common languages spoken at home in the United States; and allow a student to complete FAFSA as an independent student under special circumstances. The bill also modifies the student eligibility criteria for federal student financial aid to deem a student eligible for a determination of a zero expected family contribution under certain circumstances, such as when a dependent student's parent participated in a means-tested benefits program (e.g., the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Medicaid); revise the simplified needs-analysis formula; remove drug conviction and Selective Service registration provisions; and make Dreamer students (i.e., students who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status) eligible for federal financial aid. Additionally, the IRS must disclose certain tax return information to the Department of Education (ED) for the purpose of administering financial aid and loan programs. The bill also authorizes ED to carry out an early federal Pell Grant commitment program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2019
Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2019 This bill removes drug conviction questions from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It also requires the Department of Education to issue guidance and recommendations for institutions of higher education to remove criminal and juvenile justice questions from their admission applications.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2019
Promoting Reentry Through Education in Prisons Act of 2019 or the PREP Act This bill establishes, within the Bureau of Prisons, an Office of Correctional Education. The office must provide educational services to incarcerated individuals in federal prisons and correctional institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2019
American Indian and Alaska Native Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act or AI/AN CAPTA This bill implements requirements concerning child abuse and neglect in Indian tribal communities. Specifically, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on child abuse and neglect in tribal communities for the purpose of making recommendations regarding these issues. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must include Indian tribes and tribal organizations in its equitable distribution of assistance for programs and projects related to child abuse prevention and treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Combating Global Corruption Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of State to develop a program to combat corruption in foreign countries, in particular in countries that receive U.S. aid. The State Department shall publish annually a tiered list of all countries. The first tier shall contain countries that meet the bill's prescribed minimum standards for combatting corruption, while the second tier shall contain countries that do not comply but are making efforts to do so. Third-tier countries do not meet the minimum anti-corruption standards and are making little to no effort to comply. For a third-tier country that receives U.S. foreign aid, the State Department shall conduct corruption risk assessments for all U.S. aid programs in that country. It shall also implement various anti-corruption mechanisms in such programs, such as by requiring the disclosure of the beneficial ownership of contractors and partners involved in an aid program and requiring claw-back provisions to recover funds that are misappropriated by corrupt partners. For future aid programs to such countries, the State Department shall conduct its risk assessment and implement the required anti-corruption mechanisms before agreeing to provide assistance. The State Department shall report to Congress annually about its anti-corruption efforts and integrate anti-corruption material into its existing training courses.
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