United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Minimum Wage Fairness Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to: (1) $8.20 an hour beginning on the first day of the sixth month after the enactment of this Act, (2) $9.15 an hour beginning one year after the date of such initial increase, (3) $10.10 an hour beginning two years after such date, and (4) the amount determined by the Secretary of Labor (based on increases in the Consumer Price Index) beginning three years after such date and annually thereafter. Increases the federal minimum wage for tipped employees to $3.00 an hour for one year beginning on the first day of the sixth month after the enactment of this Act. Provides a formula for subsequent annual adjustments of the minimum wage for tipped employees until it equals 70% of the wage in effect under FLSA for other employees. Directs the Secretary of Labor, 60 days before any increase in the minimum wage, to publish it in the Federal Register and on the Department of Labor's website. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through taxable years beginning before 2017: (1) the increase to $500,000 of the expensing allowance for business assets, including computer software; and (2) the treatment of qualified real property (i.e., leasehold improvement property, restaurant property, and retail improvement property) as depreciable business property.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Child Care Flex Spending Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from $5,000 to $10,000 the limitation on the tax exclusion for employer-provided dependent care assistance for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is less than $100,000. Provides for an annual inflation adjustment beginning after 2014 for the increased limitation amount and the modified adjusted gross income amount.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Affordable College Textbook Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) to support pilot programs that expand the use of open textbooks in order to achieve savings for students. Requires the grants to be used for: professional development for IHE faculty and staff, including the search for and review of open textbooks; the creation or adaptation of open educational resources, especially open textbooks; the development or improvement of tools and informational resources that support the use of open textbooks; research evaluating the efficacy of using open textbooks to achieve savings for students; and partnerships with other entities to carry out the preceding activities. Requires the full and complete digital content of the educational resources created or adopted using such grant funds to be made available free of charge to the public: (1) on an easily accessible and interoperable website; and (2) in a machine readable, digital format that anyone can directly download, edit, and redistribute. Directs the Secretary to give special consideration to grant applicants that demonstrate the greatest potential to: achieve the highest level of savings for students; expand the use of open textbooks at other IHEs; and produce open textbooks that are of the highest quality, that can be most easily utilized and adapted by faculty members, that correspond to the highest enrollment courses, and that are created or adopted in partnership with entities that will assist in their marketing and distribution. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include any educational material developed to accompany a college textbook as supplemental material that is subject to college textbook information disclosure requirements. Expresses the sense of Congress that IHEs should encourage the consideration of open textbooks by faculty within the generally accepted principles of academic freedom that establish the right and responsibility of faculty members to select the most appropriate course materials for their classes.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to revise and expand requirements for the grant program for adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects and to extend the authorization for appropriations for such program through FY2018. Amends the Second Chance Act of 2007 to extend through FY2018 the authorization of appropriations for grants for: (1) family-based substance abuse treatment, (2) the technology careers training demonstration program, and (3) the offender reentry substance abuse and criminal justice collaboration program. Renames the program of mentoring grants to nonprofit organizations for offender reentry as the program of community-based mentoring and transitional service grants to nonprofit organizations. Provides for enhanced services under such program to assist in the reintegration of offenders into the community. Extends the authorization of appropriations for such program through FY2018. Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to periodically conduct audits of not less than 5% of all recipients of specified offender reentry grants under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and the Second Chance Act of 2007. Amends the Second Chance Act of 2007 to: (1) modify and extend through FY2018 grant programs for reentry of federal prisoners into the community, including the program for placing elderly offenders in home detention; (2) repeal programs under such Act relating to responsible reintegration of offenders, the study of the effectiveness of Depot Naltrexone for heroin addiction, and the satellite tracking and reentry training program; and (3) establish a program for partnering faith-based or community-based nonprofit organizations with prisons to conduct recidivism reduction activities. Directs the Attorney General, in consultation with specified federal officials and in collaboration with interested persons and entities, to establish an interagency task force on federal programs and activities for the reentry of offenders into the community. Requires such task force to: (1) evaluate and identity methods for improving such programs and activities, and (2) report to Congress on barriers faced by offenders in reentering the community and update such report annually.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Women's Health Protection Act of 2013 - Makes the following limitations and requirements concerning abortion services unlawful and prohibits their imposition or application by any government: a requirement that a medical professional perform specific tests or follow specific medical procedures, unless generally required in the case of medically comparable procedures; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to delegate tasks, other than one applicable to medically comparable procedures; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to prescribe or dispense drugs based on her or his good-faith medical judgment, other than one generally applicable; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to provide abortion services via telemedicine, other than one generally applicable; a requirement or limitation concerning the physical plant, equipment, staffing, or hospital transfer arrangements of facilities where abortions are performed, or the credentials, hospital privileges, or status of personnel at such facilities that is not otherwise imposed where medically comparable procedures are performed; a requirement that, prior to obtaining an abortion, a woman make medically unnecessary visits to the provider of abortion services or to any individual or entity that does not provide such services; and a requirement or limitation that prohibits or restricts medical training for abortion procedures, other than one generally applicable to medically comparable procedures. Makes unlawful a measure or action that restricts the provision of abortion services, or the facilities that provide them, that is similar to any of those described above if it singles out abortion services or make abortion services more difficult to access and does not significantly advance women's health or the safety of abortion services. Provides standards for the making of a prima facie case in a civil action challenging such restrictions and factors to be considered by a court in determining whether a measure or action impedes access to abortion services. Makes the following other restrictions on the performance of abortion unlawful and prohibits their imposition or application by any government: a prohibition or ban prior to fetal viability; a prohibition after fetal viability when, in the good-faith medical judgment of the treating physician, continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the woman's life or health; a restriction that limits a woman's ability to obtain an immediate abortion when a health care professional believes, based on good-faith medical judgment, that delay would pose a risk to the woman's health; and a prohibition or restriction on obtaining an abortion prior to fetal viability based on a woman's reasons or perceived reasons or that requires her to state her reasons before obtaining an abortion prior to fetal viability. Requires courts to liberally construe the provisions of this Act. Authorizes the Attorney General or an individual or entity aggrieved by (or a health facility or medical professional adversely affected by) a violation of this Act, to commence a civil action for injunctive relief. Preempts any provision enacted by a state or subdivision having the force of law that conflicts with any provision of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Strong Start for America's Children Act - Directs the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to allot matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs), childhood education program providers, or consortia of those entities to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families. Allots grants to states based on each state's proportion of children who are age four and who are from families with incomes at or below 200% of the poverty level. Defines "high-quality prekindergarten programs" as those that: serve children who are 3 or 4 by the eligibility determination date or have attained the legal age for state-funded prekindergarten; require staff to have high qualifications, which for teachers include specified alternative requirements that all involve possessing a bachelor's degree; maintain a maximum class size of 20 children and a child-to-instructional staff ratio that does not exceed 10 to 1; offer a full-day program; provide developmentally appropriate, evidence-based curricula and learning environments that are aligned with state early learning and development standards; offer teachers salaries comparable to those earned by kindergarten through grade 12 teachers; provide for ongoing monitoring and program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement; offer accessible comprehensive services for children, including specified minimum services; provide high-quality professional development for all staff; meet education performance standards under the Head Start Act; and maintain evidence-based health and safety standards. Conditions states' grant eligibility on demonstrating to the Secretary that they: (1) have or will establish early learning and development standards, (2) have or will develop the ability to link prekindergarten data with their elementary and secondary school data, (3) offer state-funded kindergarten for children, and (4) have established a State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. Allows states to reserve up to 20% of their grant funds over the first four years of their grant for prekindergarten quality improvement activities, including support for teachers seeking a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education or a closely-related field. Authorizes states to apply to the appropriate Secretary to use up to 15% of their grant for subgrants to high-quality early childhood education and care programs for infants and toddlers whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level. Requires state to develop, implement, and make publicly available performance measures and targets for their grant activities. Prohibits state grantees from requiring any child to participate in any federal, state, local, or private early childhood education program. Limits the use of assessments funded by the grant program. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a process to provide Head Start program services to children who are younger than age four in states or regions that provide four-year-olds whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level with sustained access to high-quality prekindergarten programs. Directs the Secretary to award competitive, matching, capacity-building grants to states that assure the Secretary that they will use their grant to become eligible, within three years of receiving the grant, for this Act's grants for high-quality prekindergarten programs. Amends the Head Start Act to direct the Secretary of HHS to make grants to Early Head Start agencies to partner with center-based or family child care providers, particularly those that receive support under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBGA), to assist those providers in meeting applicable Head Start and Early Head Start program performance standards. Authorizes those partnerships to serve children through age three. Directs the Secretary of HHS to give Early Head Start program grant priority to Early Head Start agencies that agree to enter into such partnerships with center-based or family child care providers. Amends the CCDBGA to require states to: (1) ensure that the funding they receive for child care services under the Community Services Block Grant Act and the program of block grants for social services under the Social Security Act is subject to the requirements and limitations of the CCDBGA; (2) provide children with assistance under the CCDBGA for at least 12 months before redetermining their eligibility, provided their family income does not exceed 85% of the state median income for their family size; and (3) use the CCDBGA's funding to supplement, not supplant, other public funding for child care services and activities. Authorizes the Secretary of HHS to: (1) reserve a specified amount of Child Care and Development Block Grant program funds, in fiscal years in which program funding exceeds a specified amount, for formula grants to states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to improve the quality of child care programs and services; and (2) carry out demonstration and pilot projects designed to develop and implement strategies and practices useful in supporting the needs of low-income families in-need of, or receiving, child care services. Reauthorizes appropriations under the Child Care and Development Block Grant program for FY2014-FY2023. Expresses the sense of the Senate regarding the need for Congress to continue providing resources to the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program to support the work of states in helping at-risk families voluntarily receive home visits from nurses and social workers.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2013
Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers Act of 2013 or the POST Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require proprietary institutions of higher education to derive at least 15% of their revenue from sources other than federal funds or become ineligible for title IV funding. (Currently, the 90/10 rule requires these schools to derive at least 10% of their revenue from sources other than title IV or become ineligible for title IV funding.) Defines "federal funds" as federal financial assistance provided through a grant, contract, subsidy, loan, guarantee, insurance, or other means to a proprietary institution, including federal financial assistance that is provided to an institution on behalf of a student or to a student to attend the institution. Excludes monthly housing stipends provided under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance program from consideration as federal funds. Limits what a proprietary institution may treat as revenue to the school in calculating whether it derives at least 15% of its revenue from non-federal funds.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2013
Manufacturing Reinvestment Account Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt manufacturing reinvestment accounts (MRAs) for taxpayers engaged in a manufacturing business. Allows such manufacturers to make tax deductible cash payments into an MRA of the lesser of their domestic manufacturing gross receipts for the taxable year or $500,000. Permits expenditures from an MRA for expenses for property to be used in the manufacturing business and expenses for employee job training and workforce development. Imposes a 10% tax on amounts in an MRA that are not distributed within 7 years. Terminates the tax deduction for payments to an MRA 10 years after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2013
Congratulates: (1) the Boston Red Sox on winning the 2013 World Series, and (2) the St. Louis Cardinals on winning the 2013 National League Championship.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2013
Supports the goals of World Polio Day. Commends the international community and others for their efforts in vaccinating children around the world against polio. Condemns terrorist and militant groups that murder health care workers who are striving to save the lives of children around the world, and urges governments to strengthen the protection of such workers. Encourages continued funding by the United States and international donors to the global effort to rid the world of polio.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2013
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Rod Grams, former Member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on October 9, 2013, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Grams.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2013
Offers: (1) condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims killed or wounded during the violence that took place at the Washington Navy Yard on September 16, 2013; and (2) support and hope for all the individuals who were wounded and discomforted by the mass shooting. Recognizes the difficult healing and recovery process that lies ahead for the affected communities. Honors the courageous and professional service of: (1) the uniformed men and women of the Navy and other members of the U.S. Armed Forces; (2) all civilian employees who provide support for the Armed Forces; and (3) the law enforcement personnel, emergency responders, and medical professionals who responded to and assisted victims of that shooting. Remains committed to preventing the occurrence of similar tragedies.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2013
Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and reauthorize appropriations through FY2018 for payments to children's hospitals associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) make available up to 25 percent of the total amounts in excess of specified appropriations for payments to certain hospitals with a Medicare payment agreement that are excluded from the Medicare inpatient hospital prospective payment system and whose inpatients are predominantly under 18 years of age; and (2) establish a quality bonus system for distribution of excess payments to such hospitals, which may include a focus on quality measurement and improvement, interpersonal and communications skills, delivering patient-centered care, and practicing in integrated health systems.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Captive Primate Safety Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add nonhuman primates to the definition of "prohibited wildlife species" for purposes of the prohibition against the sale or purchase of such species in interstate or foreign commerce. Makes it unlawful for a person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase a live animal of any prohibited wildlife species in interstate or foreign commerce (i.e., for pet trade purposes). Modifies exceptions to such prohibition, including by making it inapplicable to a person who is: (1) a licensed and inspected person who does not allow direct contact between the public and prohibited wildlife species, and (2) transporting a single primate of the genus Cebus that was obtained from and trained by a charitable organization to assist a permanently disabled individual with a severe mobility impairment. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal in honor of President Shimon Peres of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and revise a grant program for screening, counseling, and other services related to heritable disorders. Extends a grant program to evaluate the effectiveness of screening, counseling, or health care services in reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by heritable disorders in newborns and children. Expands the program to include evaluation of follow-up care for newborns and their families after screening and diagnosis. Directs the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children to provide a priority review of a human drug application with respect to a nomination to the recommended uniform screening panel. Requires the Advisory Committee to meet in person at least four times each calendar year with at least two meetings in person. Extends the clearinghouse for newborn screening information. Expands the duties of the clearinghouse to include: (1) maintaining current data on the number of conditions for which screening is conducted in each state; and (2) disseminating available evidence-informed guidelines related to diagnosis, counseling, and treatment with respect to conditions detected by newborn screening. Extends requirements for the Secretary to provide for quality assurance of laboratories involved in screening newborns and children for heritable disorders. Extends the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Newborn and Child Screening. Authorizes the Secretary to have the Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening Research Program to: (1) provide research and data for newborn conditions under review by the Advisory Committee to be added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel; and (2) conduct pilot studies on conditions recommended by the Advisory Committee to ensure that screenings are ready for nationwide implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2013 - Requires the Supreme Court to promulgate a code of ethics for the Justices of the Supreme Court that shall include the five canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States, with any amendments or modifications that the Supreme Court determines appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Smarter Sentencing Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to direct the court to impose a sentence for specified controlled substance offenses without regard to any statutory minimum sentence if the court finds that the criminal history category for the defendant is not higher than category two. (Currently, the court may disregard the statutory minimum if the defendant does not have more than one criminal history point.) Authorizes a court that imposed a sentence for a crack cocaine possession or trafficking offense committed before August 3, 2010, on motion of the defendant, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, the attorney for the government, or the court, to impose a reduced sentence as if provisions of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 were in effect at the time such offense was committed. Amends the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (CSIEA) to reduce mandatory minimum sentences for manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, possessing, importing, or exporting specified controlled substances. Directs the Commission to review and amend its guidelines and policy statements applicable to persons convicted of such an offense under the CSA and CSIEA to ensure consistency with this Act and to consider specified factors, including: (1) its mandate to formulate guidelines to minimize the likelihood that the federal prison population will exceed federal prison capacity, (2) fiscal implications of changes, (3) relevant public safety concerns, (4) the intent of Congress that penalties for violent and serious drug traffickers who present public safety risks remain appropriately severe, and (5) the need to reduce and prevent racial disparities in sentencing. Requires the Attorney General to report on how the reduced expenditures on federal corrections and cost savings resulting from this Act will be used to help reduce overcrowding, increase investment in law enforcement and crime prevention, and reduce recidivism.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013 or the PAST Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to prescribe regulatory requirements for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.) Prohibits issuing a license to any person unless such person is free from conflicts of interest. Requires the Secretary, in issuing such licenses, to give a preference to persons who are licensed or accredited veterinarians. Replaces the current horse inspector appointment process under which the management of a horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction appoints inspectors with a new process requiring the Secretary to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire such inspectors. Requires the Secretary to publish on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's website information on violations of such Act. Directs the Secretary to disqualify a horse the Secretary determines is sore for specified minimum time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance. Prohibits a person in any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction from: (1) showing or exhibiting any horse that is sore; (2) entering any horse that is sore for the purpose of showing or exhibiting the horse; (3) selling, auctioning, or offering for sale any horse that is sore; (4) causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, auctioning, or offering for sale the horse; and (5) allowing any such activity with respect to a horse that is sore by the owner of that horse. Expands a list of activities designated as unlawful conduct under such Act to include a prohibition on showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter the gait of such horses and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. Defines "action device" as any boot, collar, chain, roller, or other device that encircles or is placed upon the lower extremity of the leg of a horse in a manner that it can: (1) rotate around the leg or slide up and down the leg, so as to cause friction; or (2) strike the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse. Excludes from such term soft rubber or soft leather bell boots or quarter boots that are used as protective devices. Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties for certain HPA violations. Expands the categories of activities the Secretary may disqualify a violator of such Act from participating in to include: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; or (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted. Permits the Secretary to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Designates the week of September 8, 2013, as National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week. Commends direct support professionals as integral in supporting the long-term support and services system of the United States. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the successful implementation of the public policies of the United States depends on the dedication of direct support professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2013
American Parks American Products Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior or the Archivist of the United States to ensure that the items offered for sale in gift shops or visitor centers in units of the National Park System or of the National Archives and Records Administration, respectively, are U.S.- produced.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2013
Pathways Back to Work Act of 2013 - Establishes in the Treasury the Pathways Back to Work Fund, with an initial appropriation of $12.5 billion. Requires the Secretary of Labor to make certain Fund allocations to states with approved plans, qualifying outlying areas (U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau), and Native American program grantees to provide: (1) subsidized employment to unemployed, low-income adults; and (2) summer and year-round employment opportunities to low-income youth. Requires the Secretary to award competitive grants to local entities for work-based training and other work-related and educational strategies and activities of demonstrated effectiveness to provide unemployed, low-income adults and low-income youths with skills that will lead to employment. Subjects activities funded under this Act to federal labor standards and nondiscrimination protections.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013
Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection to exclude insurers from bank capital rules. Declares that a company is "primarily engaged in the business of insurance" if: (1) the annual gross revenues derived by it and all of its subsidiaries from the business of insurance represent at least 2/3 of its consolidated annual gross revenues, or (2) the consolidated assets of the company and its subsidiaries relating to the business of insurance represent at least 2/3 of its consolidated assets. Exempts from minimum leverage capital requirements and minimum risk-based capital requirements any depository institution holding company that: (1) is primarily engaged in the business of insurance; (2) is an insurance underwriting company at the holding company level and was in existence on July 21, 2010; or (3) any nonbank financial company supervised by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System that, together with its subsidiaries, is primarily engaged in the business of insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), to establish a Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Matching Grant Program (VITA grant program) for the development, expansion, or continuation of volunteer tax preparation programs to assist low-income taxpayers and members of underserved populations. Establishes the National Center to Promote Quality, Excellence, and Evaluation in Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Requires such Center to: (1) promote the adoption of a universally accessible volunteer training platform for the preparation of federal income tax returns, (2) provide technical assistance to tax return preparation program managers, (3) identify and disseminate best practices related to tax site management, (4) support outreach and marketing efforts, and (5) provide evaluation of programs and activities funded under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
World War II Merchant Mariner Service Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to accept additional documentation for verifying that an individual performed honorable service as a coastwise merchant seaman during the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on December 31, 1946, for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits under the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977. Requires such documentation to include Social Security Administration (SSA) records and validated testimony in the case of the absence of Coast Guard shipping or discharge forms, ship logbooks, documents, or other official employment records. Requires the Secretary, when determining whether to recognize service allegedly performed during such period, to recognize masters of seagoing vessels or other command officers who were authorized to document an individual for purposes of hiring for or discharging from the merchant marine. Considers any service so recognized as active-duty service for purposes of veterans' burial benefits. Makes such veterans eligible for any appropriate military medals, ribbons, and decorations. Requires the Secretary to verify that an individual performed such service under honorable conditions without regard to their sex, age, or disability during the service period.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Cruise Passenger Protection Act - Amends federal shipping law to direct the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to develop standards for passenger vessel owners to provide passengers with a summary of key terms of passage contracts upfront and before they are binding. Requires such standards to include recommendations that ensure that the summary is conspicuous and unambiguous. Requires vessel owners, no later than 180 days after the standards are developed, to: (1) provide each passenger vessel with a summary meeting those standards, (2) include a link to each website the owner maintains for passengers to purchase or book passage on a passenger vessel, and (3) include the summary in promotional literature or advertising. Applies this Act to passenger vessels that: (1) carry at least 250 passengers, (2) have sleeping facilities for each passenger, (3) are on a voyage that embarks or disembarks passengers in the United States, (4) are not engaged in coastwise trade, and (5) are not federal- or state-owned. Directs the Secretary to establish a toll-free hotline and website for passenger complaints. Prescribes both civil and criminal penalties for persons who violate the requirements of this Act. Directs the Secretary to determine whether any of the enumerated rights in the international cruise line passenger bill of rights (adopted by the members of the Cruise Lines International Association) is enforceable under federal law. Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory committee for passenger vessel consumer protection. Revises passenger vessel security and safety requirements concerning: (1) log book entries and reporting of deaths, missing individuals, thefts, and other crimes; and (2) placement, access to records, and notice of video surveillance equipment to monitor crime. Directs the Secretary to: (1) designate a director of victim support services to act as primary point of contact within the federal government for vessel passengers who are victims of crime, (2) establish a 24-hour toll-free telephone number for crime victims to obtain support services, and (3) develop a summary of rights for victims of crime. Directs the Secretary to maintain on a website a statistical compilation of reported incidents of missing persons, crimes, and other information for vessel passengers. Directs the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, the Attorney General, and heads of other relevant federal agencies, to study the feasibility of having an individual on board each passenger vessel to provide victim support and related safety and security services. Requires the Administrator of the Maritime Administration (who, currently, is merely authorized) to certify organizations in the United States and abroad that offer the curriculum for training and certification of passenger vessel security personnel, crewmembers, and law enforcement officials on the appropriate methods for prevention, detection, evidence preservation, and reporting of crimes in international waters. Revises vessel design, equipment, construction, and retrofitting requirements. Requires the peep hole or other means of visual identification in the entry door of a passenger stateroom or crew cabin to provide an unobstructed view of the area outside the stateroom or crew cabin. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to withhold or revoke the clearance of, and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to deny entry into the United States to, any vessel owner that: (1) commits an act or omission for which a penalty is imposed under this Act, or (2) fails to pay the penalty.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Crime Gun Tracing Act of 2013 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to direct the Attorney General, in awarding public safety and community policing (COPS ON THE BEAT) grants, to give preferential consideration to an applicant that has reported all firearms recovered during the previous 12 months at a crime scene or during the course of a criminal investigation to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), or to a state agency that reports such firearms to the Bureau, for the purpose of tracing. Requires each application for a COPS grant to specify: (1) whether the applicant recovered any firearms at a crime scene or during the course of a criminal investigation during the 12 months before the submission of the application; (2) the number of such firearms recovered; (3) the number of such firearms reported to the Bureau, or to a state agency that reports such firearms to the Bureau, for tracing; and (4) the reason why any such firearms were not so reported.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
Repeals provisions of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2009, and the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2012, authorizing the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to direct the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to sell all real and personal property and transportation assets of the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility at Plum Island, New York.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic River Act - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate specified segments of the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook in Connecticut as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to manage: (1) the river segments in accordance with the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Management Plan, dated June 2011; and (2) coordinate the management responsibilities of the Secretary under this Act relating to such segments with the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee. Makes the provisions of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act prohibiting federal acquisition of lands by condemnation applicable to the designated segments. Limits the authority of the Secretary to acquire lands for the purposes of such segments to acquisition by donation or with the owner's consent and subject to additional management plan criteria. Prohibits the designation made by this Act from being construed as: (1) prohibiting, pre-empting, or abridging the potential future licensing or re-licensing of the Rainbow Dam and Reservoir (including any and all aspects of its facilities, operations, and transmission lines) by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as a federally licensed hydroelectric generation project; or (2) affecting the operation of, or imposing any flow or release requirements on, the unlicensed hydroelectric facility at the Dam and Reservoir. Bars the Lower Farmington River from being administered as part of the National Park System or being subject to System regulations. Revises the description of a specified designated segment of the Farmington River in Connecticut.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Keep Student Loans Affordable Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2013, to Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2014. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify rules for required distributions from tax-exempt pension plans to an employee who dies before such employee's entire interest is distributed to require such interest to be distributed within five years after the death of such employee, subject to exceptions for an eligible designated beneficiary and surviving spouse of such employee. Defines "eligible designated beneficiary" to include a disabled or chronically-ill individual. Exempts from such modification a binding annuity contract in effect on the enactment date of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
American Jobs Matter Act of 2013 - Requires an executive agency to include the effects on employment within the United States (a jobs impact statement) in the evaluation factors that must be considered in each solicitation for competitive proposals for covered contracts. Defines a "covered contract" as a contract in excess of $1 million for the procurement of manufactured goods, goods or services listed in a required report of industrial base capabilities, or any item procured as part of a major defense acquisition program. Allows an offeror's jobs impact statement to include a guarantee that jobs created or retained in the United States will not be moved outside the United States after award of the contract unless doing so is required to provide the goods or services stipulated in the contract or is in the best interest of the federal government. Requires each agency to: (1) assess, annually, the accuracy of such a statement submitted by an offeror awarded a contract; and (2) track the number of jobs created or retained during the performance of such contract. Allows the agency, if the number of jobs created or retained falls short of agency estimates, to consider this as a factor that affects a contractor's past performance in the award of future contracts. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Defense to report annually on the frequency of use within the Department of Defense (DOD) of jobs impact statements in the evaluation of competitive proposals, and (2) revision of the Department of Defense Supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation to implement this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act of 2013 or HOME Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Housing Act, with respect to prohibited discrimination in housing sales and rentals, residential real estate-related transactions, and brokerage services, to specify that the race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin basis of discrimination may be actual or perceived. Adds to the list of prohibited actual or perceived bases sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, and source of income. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1968, with respect to prohibited intimidation, interference, or injury of individuals, to specify that the race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin basis of discrimination may be actual or perceived. Adds also to the list of prohibited actual or perceived bases sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or source of income. Redefines "discriminatory housing practice" to specify that the definition: (1) applies regardless of whether the discriminatory practices occur pre- or post-acquisition; and (2) includes a failure to comply with administrative requirements of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including related regulations, in a manner affirmatively to further nondiscrimination policies. Redefines "familial status" to include individuals (under age 18) residing with: (1) a foster parent or another person having lawful physical custody of such individuals; or (2) anyone standing in loco parentis of such individuals (currently, the designee of such parent or other person having such custody, with the parent's or other person's written permission). Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act to grant the Attorney General pre-litigation subpoena power if there is reason to believe that any person may be in possession, custody, or control of any documentary material or information relevant to an investigation under the respective Act. Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to prohibit discrimination against credit applicants on the basis of actual or perceived race or color, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. States that discrimination against a person because of a handicap includes the failure, in connection with a real estate-related transaction, to make reasonable accommodations for such persons. Revises the limitations on filing complaints and commencing civil actions by certain individuals alleging discriminatory housing practices to deem that the failure to design and construct a dwelling that meets requirements for reasonable modifications for handicapped persons shall continue (and with it the alleged discriminatory housing practice) until such time as the dwelling conforms to them.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to expand, intensify, and coordinate the Institute's activities with respect to scleroderma, with particular emphasis on: (1) research focused on the etiology of scleroderma and the development of new treatment options, (2) clinical research to evaluate new treatment options, (3) basic research on the relationship between scleroderma and secondary conditions, (4) establishment of scleroderma patient registries, and (5) support for training of new clinicians and investigators with expertise in scleroderma. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to carry out an educational campaign to increase public awareness of scleroderma.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Respect for Marriage Act - Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse" to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable William Dodd Hathaway, former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns June 26, 2013, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Hathaway.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2013
Commemorates the relaunching of the whaleship Charles W. Morgan and commends the staff, volunteers, and trustees of Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea for their efforts to preserve and protect the maritime heritage of the United States. Supports the Museum's plan to reinterpret the Charles W. Morgan as a vessel of scientific and educational exploration. Recognizes the Charles W. Morgan as the "Ambassador to Whales," dedicated to advancing the public's understanding of species conservation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Protecting Americans from the Proliferation of Weapons to Terrorists Act of 2013 - Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds made available to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Department of Defense (DOD), or any other U.S. agency or entity involved in intelligence activities for the purpose of, or in a manner which would have the effect of, supporting military or paramilitary operations in Syria. Makes an exception for funds obligated for non-lethal humanitarian assistance for the Syrian people provided directly by the U.S. government through nongovernmental organizations and contractors or foreign governments. Nullifies such prohibition only if a joint resolution approving assistance for military or paramilitary operations in Syria is enacted. Directs the Secretary of State to report every 90 days on assistance provided to groups, organizations, movements, and individuals in Syria.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2015 the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Real Estate Investment and Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from 5% to 10% the allowable ownership interest in real estate investment trust (REIT) stock for purposes of tax exemptions allowed by the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act relating to foreign investment in United States real property interests.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal in honor of the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, in recognition of its pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and many acts of valor in the face of adversity. Requires the medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) for display. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian shall make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with the 65th Infantry Regiment, including locations in Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Constitutional Amendment - Grants Congress and the states the power to regulate the raising and spending of money and in-kind equivalents with respect to federal and state elections, respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that: (1) the rights protected by the Constitution are intended to be the rights of natural persons; and (2) the words "people," "person," or "citizen" as used in the Constitution do not include corporations, limited liability companies, or other corporate entities established by the laws of any state, the United States, or any foreign state, and that such corporate entities are subject to such regulation as the people, through their elected state and federal representatives, deem reasonable and are otherwise consistent with the powers of Congress and the states. Prohibits this Amendment from limiting the rights of freedom of speech, the press, exercise of religion, association, and all such other unalienable rights of the people.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013
National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service (NPS). Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one-year period, beginning on January 1, 2016. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, and $5 per half-dollar clad coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National Park Foundation for projects and programs to help preserve and protect resources under the stewardship of the NPS and to promote public enjoyment and appreciation of those resources. Prohibits the surcharges paid to the Foundation from being used for land acquisition.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013
Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2013 - Authorizes the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Constance Baker Motley (civil rights attorney at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., first African-American woman elected to the New York State Senate, and Chief Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York), in recognition of her enduring contributions and service to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013
Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act - Amends the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 to: (1) delay the repeal date of such Act for 10 years, and (2) extend the prohibitions against undetectable firearms in such Act to specified firearm receivers and ammunition magazines. Prohibits the manufacture, importation, sale, shipment, delivery, possession, transfer, or receipt of any receiver for a rifle or handgun, or of any ammunition magazine, that: (1) is manufactured by a person who is not a licensed manufacturer, (2) is not as detectable as the Receiver Security Exemplar or the Magazine Security Exemplar by walk-through metal detectors, or (3) does not generate an image that accurately depicts the shape of a receiver or an ammunition magazine when subjected to inspection by airport x-ray machines. Defines "Receiver Security Exemplar" and "Magazine Security Exemplar" as objects fabricated at the direction of the Attorney General that are: (1) constructed, respectively, of 3.7 ounces of material type 17-4 PH stainless steel in a shape resembling the lower receiver for a rifle or handgun, or of 1 ounce of material type 17-4 PH stainless steel in a shape resembling an ammunition magazine; and (2) suitable for testing and calibrating metal detectors. Directs the Attorney General to promulgate regulations to permit the manufacture, importation, sale, shipment, delivery, possession, transfer, or receipt of receivers or magazines that were previously prohibited but that become as detectable as their respective Exemplars in view of advances in weapons detection technology.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013
Lifetime Income Disclosure Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require the quarterly pension benefit statement furnished to a participant or beneficiary with the right to direct the investment of assets in his or her account under an individual account plan to include a lifetime income disclosure at least once during any 12-month period. Requires such lifetime income disclosure to set forth the lifetime income stream equivalent of the participant's or beneficiary's total benefits accrued. Defines a lifetime income stream equivalent of the total benefits accrued as the monthly annuity payment the participant or beneficiary would receive if those total accrued benefits were used to provide lifetime income streams to a qualified joint and survivor annuitant. Directs the Secretary of Labor to: (1) issue a model lifetime income disclosure, written in a manner which can be understood by the average plan participant; and (2) prescribe assumptions that plan administrators may use in converting total accrued benefits into lifetime income stream equivalents. Declares that no plan fiduciary, plan sponsor, or other person shall have any liability under ERISA solely by reason of the provision of lifetime income stream equivalents derived in accordance with such assumptions and related rules and including explanations contained in the model lifetime income disclosure.
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