United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2018
Recognizes the value of public park and recreation facilities and activities and their importance in communities across the United States. Designates July 2018 as Park and Recreation Month.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Restore Our Parks Act This bill: (1) establishes the National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund, and (2) requires 50% of all energy development revenues for FY2019-FY2023 to be deposited into such fund. Amounts deposited in the fund must not exceed $1.3 billion for any fiscal year and must be used for meeting high-priority deferred maintenance needs of the National Park Service.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States: (1) should encourage cooperation with other nuclear possessing states to reduce the number and role of nuclear weapons in global military strategies, and (2) must maintain support for the International Atomic Energy Agency.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Stop Taxing Our Potential Act of 2018 This bill prohibits a state from imposing on a person obligations related to collecting or paying a sales tax, use tax, or similar tax unless the person had a physical presence in the state during the calendar quarter with respect to which the obligation is imposed. A person is physically present if the person's business activities in the state include: maintaining a commercial or legal domicile in the state; owning, holding, leasing, or maintaining certain property in the state; having one or more employees, agents, or independent contractors in the state who provide on-site design, installation, or repair services on behalf of the remote seller; having one or more employees, exclusive agents or exclusive independent contractors present in the state who engage in activities that substantially assist the person to establish or maintain a market in the state; or maintaining an office in the state at which three or more employees are regularly employed. The bill specifies certain activities and agreements that indicate a de minimis physical presence that is excluded from the definition of "physical presence." The bill also specifies that U.S. district courts have original jurisdiction over civil actions to enforce this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act This bill removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substance 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 · 28 June 2018
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Health and Human Services must immediately establish an interagency Office for Locating and Reuniting Children with Parents.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Expresses support for the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Recognizes that LGBTQ rights are human rights and protected by the U.S. Constitution and international treaties. Encourages the celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month in June.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Building Understanding, Investment, Learning, and Direction Career and Technical Education Act of 2018 or the BUILD Career and Technical Education Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Education to award competitive two-year grants to local educational agencies to support career and technical education exploration programs that provide middle and high school students with experiential learning opportunities that are connected to their education and career pathways. Grant funds must be used for: (1) leasing, purchasing, upgrading, or adapting equipment related to program activities; (2) staff expenses in coordinating or implementing program activities; (3) consultation services that are directly aligned to program goals; (4) professional development programs that are aligned to program goals; (5) minor remodeling to accommodate program equipment; and/or (6) program evaluation. The bill requires each grantee to develop a plan to evaluate specified outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2018 This bill requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to make a determination as to whether a state substantially provides for certain rights and responsibilities applicable to public employees, such as granting such employees the right to form or join a labor organization and to bargain collectively, and if the state does not substantially provide for such rights and responsibilities, then such state shall be subject to nationwide standards prescribed by the FLRA to protect public employee rights. No employer, emergency services employee, or law enforcement officer may engage in a lockout, strike, or any other organized job action of which a reasonably probable result is a measurable disruption of the delivery of emergency or public safety services. No labor organization may violate or attempt to violate this prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2018 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2018 This bill expands the ban on election contributions by foreign nationals to include corporations subject to specified levels of ownership or control by foreign nationals. The bill also expands (1) reporting requirements related to campaign contributions, and (2) disclosure requirements related to the funding sources of political advertisements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Social Security Administration Fairness Act This bill (1) provides funding for certain administrative expenses of the Social Security Administration (SSA); (2) makes individuals eligible to receive Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits beginning in the first month of disability; (3) eliminates the Medicare waiting period for recipients of OASDI benefits; and (4) requires the SSA to satisfy certain public-notice and reporting requirements before closing or consolidating a field office or hearing office.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2018
Fairness for Farm Workers Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 with respect to agricultural workers. The bill requires employers, beginning in 2019, to compensate agricultural workers for hours worked in excess of their regular hours (i.e., 55 hours in 2019, 50 hours in 2020, 45 hours in 2021, and 40 hours in 2022) at not less than one and one-half times the employee's regular rate. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, the overtime pay requirements begin in 2022. These overtime pay requirements do not apply, as in current law, to employees who are the parent, spouse, child, or other member of the employer's immediate family. The bill also repeals the exemption from overtime pay requirements for employers in various agriculture-related industries, including certain small farms, irrigation projects, sugar processing, and cotton ginning and compressing.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2018
Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act This bill amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to issue permits allowing Washington, Oregon, Idaho, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission to kill sea lions in a portion of the Columbia River and certain tributaries in order to protect specified fish from sea lion predation. Permits may be issued to kill sea lions only if the sea lions are part of a population that is not categorized as depleted or strategic. Sea lions may be removed in specified rivers by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, or the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon pursuant to memoranda of understanding if NOAA approves. The cumulative annual taking of sea lions each year under all such permits is limited to 10% of the annual potential biological removal level. In addition, the takings must be humane. NOAA must suspend the issuance of the permits if, after five years, lethal removal authority is no longer necessary to protect fish from sea lion predation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2018
Rural Housing Opportunity Maximization for Energy Savings Act or the Rural HOMES Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2023 and revises the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, including by expanding the rural energy savings program to include loans for replacing a manufactured home with another manufactured home if the replacement would be cost-effective in increasing energy efficiency.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2018
Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish detention standards for each facility at which aliens in DHS custody are detained. Such standards shall provide for at least the level of detainee protections described in the American Bar Association's Civil Immigration Detention Standards. A detained individual who is injured as a result of a violation of such standards may file a claim in U.S. district court. The bill: (1) provides for facility oversight and transparency, (2) phases out the use of private detention facilities and jails for such aliens, and (3) revises procedures for detaining aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2018
Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act of 2018 This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to establish an Office for Gender Equity to support state and local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and elementary and secondary schools in fully implementing title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities. The office may provide grants and perform activities to reduce or prevent discrimination, bias, harassment, or violence based on actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions or stereotypes in all areas of education. The office must provide technical assistance and annual training to title IX coordinators and develop a handbook for conducting self-evaluations of title IX compliance. The training must address "compound discrimination" (defined as discrimination based on sex and other characteristics, including race, ethnicity, national origin, disability status, religion, age, perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, and related stereotypes). The office may award grants to eligible entities and partnerships to: train students, teachers, faculty, and personnel; increase campus resources, facilities, and course offerings; support title IX coordinators in performing outreach, advocacy, and education; identify patterns or systemic problems in title IX compliance; strengthen prevention education and awareness programs; conduct campus climate and victimization surveys; identify gender inequities; and improve data collection and reporting of gender equity indicators from academic assessments, civil rights data, campus data, employment data, attendance and absenteeism data, or title IX coordinator-to-student ratios. ED must coordinate with the Institute of Education Sciences and other federal offices and entities to investigate, identify, and disseminate best practices to: (1) reduce and prevent sex stereotyping, bias, and discrimination in curricula and educational materials; (2) address sex-based harassment and violence on campuses; (3) develop counseling and career guidance training; (4) mitigate implicit bias in teaching and discipline; and (5) address the needs of students who face compound discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2018
Designates June 2018 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month and June 27, 2018, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day. Expresses support for efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD), as well as the medical community, to educate members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans, their families, and the public about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress. Expresses support for efforts by the VA and DOD to foster cultural change around the issue of post-traumatic stress. Welcomes the efforts of the VA's National Center for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and local Vet Centers to assist veterans suffering from the effects of this injury. Encourages U.S. Armed Forces commanders to support appropriate treatment of Armed Forces personnel who suffer from post-traumatic stress.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2018
Calls upon the U.S. government to uphold its international leadership role by responding to the global refugee crisis with humanitarian assistance and to reaffirm the long-standing tradition of resettling refugees in the United States regardless of nationality or religion.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2018
Living Shorelines Act of 2018 This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to award grants to state or local governments and nonprofit organizations to (1) implement climate-resilient living shoreline projects; and (2) encourage innovation in the use of natural materials to protect coastal communities, habitats, and natural system functions.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2018
Congressional Access to Children's Detention Facilities Act This bill requires the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, or the Department of Health and Human Services to allow Members of Congress to tour any facility in which one or more unaccompanied alien children are housed. The Departments must allow members of the press to accompany a visiting Member of Congress and may place limits on such tours based on the number of such children housed.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2018
Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Act of 2018 This bill requires an executive agency head to represent compliance with specified labor and other laws in the solicitation of contracts and subcontracts for property and services in excess of $500,000 (covered contracts and subcontracts). Each executive agency shall designate a senior official to act as the agency's Labor Compliance Advisor. The Department of Defense, the General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shall reissue the final rule entitled "Federal Acquisition Regulation; Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces." GSA shall establish a single Internet website for federal contractors to use for all federal contract reporting requirements. Each executive agency entering into a covered contract or subcontract must provide employees with information concerning hours worked and overtime and additions to or subtractions from pay.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2018
Workers' Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2018 This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act (NRLA) and related labor laws to extend protections to union workers. Specifically, it: revises the definition of "employee" and "supervisor" to prevent employers from removing employees from the protections of the labor laws, prohibits employers from interfering with certain rights granted to employees under the NLRA, expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of worker who strike or discrimination against them, imposes new penalties against employers who violate labor law requirements, allows workers to bring civil actions against employers for labor law violations and unfair labor practices, requires certain disclosures with respect to worker wages, and requires contractors seeking federal contracts over $500,000 to disclose labor law violations when applying for such contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2018
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. Recognizes that the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities enhance the rich diversity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2018
Expresses the sense of the Senate that any future U.S.-Saudi Arabia civilian nuclear cooperation agreement must prohibit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or separating plutonium.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2018
Protecting American Votes and Elections Act of 2018 This bill requires voting systems for federal elections to produce paper ballots that the voter may inspect for errors before the vote is cast. The bill also (1) requires the paper ballot to be suitable for manual audits, (2) prescribes approved methods for such audits, (3) revises accessibility requirements related to the bill's paper ballot requirements, and (4) directs the National Science Foundation to make grants to eligible entities to study and develop mechanisms to address various voting issues.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2018
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 · 12 June 2018
Recognizes June 11, 2018, as the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, and recognizes the importance of the coral reefs of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2018
Tribal Food Sovereignty Act of 2018 This bill amends the Indian Self-Determination Act to direct the Department of Agriculture to enter into self-determination contracts upon the request of Indian tribes and tribal organizations to carry out supplemental nutrition assistance programs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2018
Keep Families Together Act This bill prohibits an agent or contractor of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, or the Department of Health and Human Services from removing a child who is under the age of 18 and has no permanent immigration status from his or her parent or legal guardian at or near the port of entry or within 100 miles of the U.S. border unless: an authorized state court determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed; a state or county child welfare official with expertise in child trauma and development determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed because of abuse or neglect; or the Chief Patrol Agent or the Area Port Director authorizes separation based on a documented finding that the child is a trafficking victim or is at significant risk of becoming a victim, a strong likelihood exists that the adult is not the parent or legal guardian, or the child is in danger of abuse or neglect. An agency may not remove a child from a parent or legal guardian solely for the policy goals of deterring migration to the United States or of promoting immigration law compliance. The bill sets forth presumptions: (1) in favor of family and sibling unity and parental rights, and (2) that detention is not in the best interests of families and children. The Government Accountability Office shall conduct a study of the prosecution of asylum seekers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2018
International Human Rights Defense Act of 2018 This bill establishes in the Department of State a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex) Peoples who shall serve as the principal State Department advisor regarding human rights for LGBTI people and represent the United States in diplomatic matters relevant to the human rights of LGBTI people. The special envoy shall periodically provide Congress with a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to criminalization, discrimination, and violence against LGBTI people. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development may provide assistance to prevent and respond to such activities against LGBTI people. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to require that annual country reports on human rights practices include information on criminalization, discrimination, and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2018
Keep Buying American Act of 2018 This bill directs each agency required to submit reports under Executive Order 13788, titled "Buy American and Hire American," to make each report available to the public and Congress at the same time it submits the report to the Department of Commerce and the Office of Management and Budget. Each agency that was previously required to submit a report under such order shall make each report available to the public and to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2018
Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance and NATO's importance to the United States, its allies, and the trans-Atlantic partnership.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2018
Housing Victims of Major Disasters Act of 2018 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) renting a property located in the area for which the major disaster was declared but does not have a written lease for the rental. 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 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 shall engage in consultations regarding the implementation of such program for future disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2018
This bill amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to include energy storage as renewable energy under the Rural Energy for America Program. (The program is administered by the Department of Agriculture and provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to farmers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or energy efficiency improvements.) The bill specifies that energy storage includes electrochemical, thermal, and mechanical storage, for example, provided by battery storage, a grid-enabled water heater, or pumped hydroelectric storage.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2018
Designates the week of June 4-June 10, 2018, as Hemp History Week. Recognizes the historical relevance and growing economic potential of industrial hemp.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to revise administrative and judicial dispute resolution procedures for initiating and resolving claims by employees alleging that employing offices have violated their CAA rights and protections, including protections against sexual harassment. The bill revises CAA provisions, including to: eliminate CAA counseling requirements and make mediation an employee's option before filing a claim with the Office of Compliance (OOC) alleging the violation; require current and former Members of Congress to reimburse the Treasury for compensatory damages included in an award or settlement resulting from the Member's alleged act of discrimination or retaliation; require referral to congressional ethics committees of final disposition of claims alleging CAA violations by Members of Congress and senior staff of employing offices; require non-congressional legislative offices that violate CAA requirements to reimburse the Treasury for resulting award or settlement payments; extend CAA nondiscrimination requirements and remedies to uncompensated legislative branch interns, detailees, and fellows; and provide OOC and CAA resources and services to employees outside of the Washington, DC area. The bill applies CAA rights and protections to the China Review Commission, the Congressional-Executive China Commission, the Helsinki Commission, the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development, and their employees. Non-congressional CAA employing offices must develop programs to train and educate employees about their CAA rights and protections and available procedures to consider alleged CAA violations. The bill renames the OOC the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018
Defending Essential Flights and Ensuring National Security Efforts (DEFENSE) Act of 2018 This bill allows an exemption from certain eligibility requirements under the essential air service program for certain locations for which not less than 10% of airport operations in 2017 were by aircraft of the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018
Parity in Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act or the PACE Act This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the sponsoring or exhibiting of animal fights involving live birds (such as cockfights). Under current law, the fights are unlawful only if they take place in states or U.S. territories or possessions that have banned it.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2018 or the PAST Act This bill amends the Horse Protection Act to establish a new system for inspecting horses for soring, revise penalties for violations of the Act, and modify enforcement procedures. 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. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions to detect and diagnose sore horses. A license may not be issued to a person with conflicts of interest, and USDA must give preference to veterinarians. USDA may revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. USDA must assign licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. An inspector must issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of violations. USDA must publish information on violations of this bill and disqualify a horse that is sore. The bill prohibits a person in any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning the horse. The bill prohibits the use of specified devices on a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse at a show, exhibition, sale, or auction. The bill increases the maximum criminal and civil liability penalties for certain violations. USDA may disqualify violators from specified activities related to horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018
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. Recognizes that the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities enhance the rich diversity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2018
Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections for Separated Children Act or the HELP Separated Children Act This bill sets forth Department of Homeland Security apprehension procedures with respect to children involved in immigration enforcement actions, including detention center access to courts, welfare agencies, and consular officials.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2018
Constitutional Consideration for Use of Force Resolution This bill sets forth new authorities for the use of force by U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, or additional countries against the Taliban, al Qaeda, and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and any new non-state organizations or forces. The bill also repeals the separate authorizations for the use of military force by the United States with respect to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the war in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2018
Do No Harm Act This bill makes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) inapplicable to federal laws (or implementations of laws) that: protect against discrimination or the promotion of equal opportunity, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, Executive Order 11246 (concerning equal employment opportunity), the Violence Against Women Act, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) rules entitled "Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity"; require employers to provide wages, other compensation, or benefits, including leave; protect collective activity in the workplace; protect against child labor, abuse, or exploitation; or provide for access to, information about, referrals for, provision of, or coverage for, any health care item or service. Under current law, RFRA prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest when using the least restrictive means. The bill makes RFRA inapplicable to: (1) terms requiring goods, services, functions, or activities to be performed or provided to beneficiaries of government contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or awards; or (2) denials of a person's full and equal enjoyment of a government-provided good, service, benefit, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation. To assert a RFRA claim or defense in a judicial proceeding, the government must be a party to the proceeding.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2018
Block All New Oil Exports Act or the BAN Oil Exports Act This bill amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require the President to ban the exportation of crude oil and natural gas from the United States. The President may provide an exemption to the requirement in specified circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2018
Congressional Accountability and Harassment Reform Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to revise procedures for initiating, investigating, and resolving claims by employees alleging that employing offices have violated their CAA rights and protections, including protections against discrimination and sexual harassment.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2018
Made in America Act of 2018 This bill expands Buy America requirements to require certain materials used in projects funded by various federal infrastructure grant and loan programs to be produced in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Opioid Workforce Act of 2018 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018
Department of Homeland Security Accountability and Transparency Act or the DATA Act This bill requires law enforcement officials (i.e., officers or agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or certain state or local officials carrying out the functions of an immigration officer) who initiate a patrol stop or who detain any individual beyond a brief and limited inquiry, such as a primary inspection at a checkpoint, to record certain data, including (1) the date, time, location, and duration of the contact; (2) the basis for the contact and if it was race-related; (3) a description of any items seized during any search; (4) whether a body-worn camera recorded the stop or detention; and (5) whether force was used by the law enforcement official. The bill also requires the CBP to collect data on the number of permanent and temporary checkpoints used by its officers, the location and a description of each checkpoint, and the dates on which a temporary checkpoint was used. The Department of Homeland Security must compile the data collected by ICE and the CBP and consider it in making policy and program decisions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018
Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act This bill includes veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands anytime from 1977 through 1980 as radiation exposed veterans for purposes of the Department of Veterans Affairs presumption of service-connection for specified cancers. These veterans thereby become eligible for the same health care and other benefits given to service members who were involved in active nuclear tests. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific disabilities diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.