United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2013
Equitable Access to Care and Health Act or the EACH Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to minimum essential health care coverage requirements added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to allow an additional religious exemption from such requirements for individuals whose sincerely held religious beliefs would cause them to object to medical health care provided under such coverage. Defines "medical health care" to mean voluntary health treatment by or supervised by a medical doctor that would be covered under minimum essential coverage that: (1) includes voluntary acute care treatment at hospital emergency rooms, walk-in clinics, or similar facilities; and (2) excludes treatment not administered or supervised by a medical doctor, physical examinations or treatment required by law or third parties, and vaccinations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) grant crime victims the right to be informed of their rights and of services available to them, (2) expand eligibility for post-conviction DNA testing in criminal proceedings other than death penalty cases, and (3) eliminate the waiver of the right to request DNA testing of biological evidence. Amends the Justice for All Act of 2004 to extend through FY2018 the authorization of appropriations for grant programs for: the enforcement of crime victims' rights; DNA training and education for law enforcement officers; sexual assault forensic exams; DNA research and development; DNA programs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); identification of missing persons; improving the quality of legal representation for indigent defendants in capital cases; providing incentives to states to establish a reasonable process for resolving claims of actual innocence; and the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program to help states defray the costs of post-conviction DNA testing. Amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to extend through FY2018 grants for notification to crime victims of dates and developments in criminal proceedings. Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to extend the authorization of appropriations through FY2018 for the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program.. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) extend (until three years after enactment of this Act) the period for compliance by governmental entities with requirements for payment of the full cost of forensic medical exams for victims of sexual assault, and (2) extend (through FY2018) the authorization of appropriations for the Paul Coverdell forensic sciences improvement grant program. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Justice to: (1) establish best practices for evidence retention to focus on the preservation of biological evidence; and (2) assist state, local, and tribal governments in adopting and implementing such best practices. Effective Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2013 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require grant applicants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to include in grant applications a comprehensive state-wide plan for the improvement of the administration of the criminal justice system. Makes all grants awarded by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under this Act subject to audits beginning in FY2014 to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of funds by grantees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
EPA Fair Play Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to remove the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prohibit the specification, or restrict the use, of an area as a disposal site for discharges of dredged or fill materials into waters of the United States once the Army Corps of Engineers has issued a permit for the discharge. Makes this Act effective as of October 18, 1972.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Honors the memories of Officer Sean Collier, Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, and Lu Lingzi and conveys prayers for a complete recovery to Officer Richard Donohue, Jr., and all of the other victims injured in the attacks in Boston, Massachusetts, in April 2013. Expresses thanks to the men and women of law enforcement for bringing to justice the people responsible for the bombings that occurred during the running of the 117th Boston Marathon.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Careers through Responsive, Efficient, and Effective Retraining Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1988, with respect to funds for statewide youth activities which are allocated to a local area for eligible youth seeking assistance in achieving academic and employment success, to require the use of such funds for training programs, with priority consideration given to those that lead to an industry-recognized, nationally portable, and regionally relevant credential. Requires the operator of a state one-stop system for delivery of training services to adults and dislocated workers also to give priority consideration to training programs that lead to the same kind of credential. Requires the program of a provider of training services that leads to such a credential to meet quality criteria as established by the state governor (which may be accreditation by a state-recognized, third party accrediting agency). Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish in at least five states, including at least one rural and one non-rural state, a Pay for Performance pilot program to provide a portion of training services for adults and dislocated workers under a plan meeting specified criteria. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to prepare a plan to reorganize federal job training programs to increase their efficiency, integration, and alignment. Requires the plan to propose a decrease in the number of federal job training programs without decreasing services or accessibility to them for eligible job training participants, including individuals with specified barriers to employment such as economic disadvantage, limited English proficiency, age, a need for remedial education, or completion of a criminal sentence. Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV (Temporary Aid to Needy Families) (TANF) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to disclose pertinent employment information in the National Directory of New Hires to any state agency administering part D that transmits to the Secretary the names and Social Security account numbers of individuals. Prescribes restrictions on state use of such information.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Dependable Air Service Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to ensure that flight delays and cancellations do not result from furloughs of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees that are implemented as a result of any rescission, sequestration, or reduction of federal funding for FY2013. Authorizes the Secretary, in order to prevent such delays and cancellations, to: (1) use amounts available for FAA operations for FY2013; or (2) increase the amount available for FAA operations for FY2013 by an amount necessary to ensure that flight delays and cancellations do not result from the furloughs, as well as reduce amounts available for other Department of Transportation (DOT) programs for FY2013 by an amount equal to the increase in funding for FAA operations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Commends employees of the Senate Post Office, employees of the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, members of the Capitol Police, and members of the Capitol Hill community for their courage, professionalism, and dedication to serving the public in response to the biochemical attack against the Senate on April 16, 2013. Recognizes the congressional leadership and employees, the Capitol Police, and the Office of the Attending Physician for establishing effective screening methods and response plans that prevented injury and death within the U.S. Capitol Complex. Requests that the President recognize the courage and professionalism of the employees of the Senate Post Office, employees of the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, members of the Capitol Police, and members of the Capitol Hill community for their steadfast service to the public in defiance of those who seek to disrupt the constitutional duties of the legislative branch.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Temporary Duty Suspension Process Act of 2013 - Directs the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) to establish a process in which it will: (1) review each article in which a temporary duty suspension or reduction has been recommended at its own initiative or pursuant to a petition, and (2) submit a draft bill to the appropriate congressional committees containing each duty suspension or reduction that meets certain requirements. Requires the USITC to report to Congress on: (1) recommendations with respect to sectors of the U.S. economy that could benefit from duty suspensions or reductions without causing harm to other domestic interests, and (2) the feasibility of suspending or reducing duties on a sectoral basis rather than on individual articles.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Requires 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 gold medal to the First Special Service Force (a joint American-Canadian volunteer unit), collectively, in recognition of their World War II service. Requires the awarded medal to be given to the First Special Service Force Association in Helena, Montana, for display or temporary loan for display elsewhere, including at Fort William Henry Harrison in Helena. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates with proceeds deposited in the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund. Declares that medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes of specified coins and currency provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013 - Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to: (1) support the development and updating of national model building energy codes for residential and commercial buildings to enable the achievement of aggregate energy savings targets established by this Act, (2) encourage and support the adoption by states and local governments of building energy codes that meet or exceed the national codes, and (3) support full compliance with state and local codes. Directs the Secretary to provide grants to establish building training and assessment centers at institutions of higher learning to identify and promote opportunities, concepts, and technologies for expanding building energy and environmental performance. Requires the Secretary to establish the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Financing Initiative to provide grants to states to establish or expand programs to promote the financing of energy efficiency retrofit projects for private sector and commercial buildings. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to replace references to the energy-intensive industries program with references to the future of industry program. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to expedite consideration of applications from eligible small businesses for loans under the Small Business Act to implement recommendations of industrial research and assessment centers. Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require the Secretary: (1) as part of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, to conduct on-site technical assessments at the request of a manufacturer to identify opportunities for maximizing the energy efficiency of industrial processes and cross-cutting systems, preventing pollution and minimizing waste, improving efficient use of water in manufacturing processes, and conserving natural resources; and (2) as part of DOE's industrial efficiency programs, to carry out an industry-government partnership program to research, develop, and demonstrate new sustainable manufacturing and industrial technologies and processes that maximize the energy efficiency of industrial systems, reduce pollution, and conserve natural resources. Establishes within DOE a Supply Star program to identify and promote practices, recognize companies, and recognize products that use highly efficient supply chains that conserve energy, water, and other resources. Directs the Secretary to establish rebate programs for expenditures: (1) for the purchase and installation of a new constant speed electric motor control that reduces motor energy use by at least 5%; and (2) made by owners of industrial or manufacturing facilities, commercial buildings, and multifamily residential buildings for the purchase and installation of new energy efficient transformers. Directs the Secretary to issue guidance for federal agencies to employ advanced tools promoting energy efficiency and energy savings through the use of information and communications technologies. Authorizes the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), for any building project for which congressional approval has been received and the design has been substantially completed, but the construction of which has not begun, to use appropriated funds to update the building's design to meet energy efficiency and other standards for new federal buildings. Amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act to include a measure to support the use of electric vehicles or the fueling or charging infrastructure necessary for such vehicles as an "energy or water conservation measure" eligible for energy savings performance contracts. Requires the Administrator for the Office of E-Government and Information Technology within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop and publish a goal for the total amount of planned energy and cost savings and increased productivity by the government through the consolidation of federal data centers during the next five years.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Condemns the senseless attack in Boston, Massachusetts, on Monday, April 15, 2013. Honors the medical personnel, first responders, and citizen heroes who aided the injured and the community. Commits to providing all necessary resources to law enforcement officials who are investigating the terrorist attacks and to bringing those responsible to justice.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2013
North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act of 2013 - Amends the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to extend through FY2017 the authorization of appropriations for allocations to carry out approved wetlands conservation projects.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act - Amends the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 to require a federal financial institutions regulatory agency to make a final examination report to a financial institution within 60 days of the later of: (1) the exit interview for an examination of the institution, or (2) the provision of additional information by the institution relating to the examination. Sets a deadline for the exit interview if a financial institution is not subject to a resident examiner program. Sets forth examination standards for financial institutions. Prohibits federal financial institutions regulatory agencies from requiring a well capitalized financial institution to raise additional capital in lieu of an action prohibited by the examination standards. Establishes in the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council an Office of Examination Ombudsman. Grants a financial institution the right to appeal a material supervisory determination contained in a final report of examination. Requires the Ombudsman to determine the merits of the appeal on the record, after an opportunity for a hearing before an independent administrative law judge. Declares the decision by the Ombudsman on an appeal to: (1) be the final agency action, and (2) bind the agency whose supervisory determination was the subject of the appeal and the financial institution making the appeal. Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 to require: (1) the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish an independent intra-agency appellate process in connection with the regulatory appeals process; and (2) appropriate safeguards to protect an insured depository institution or insured credit union from retaliation by the CFPB, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board, or any other federal banking agency for exercising its rights.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Buffett Rule Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers to donate an amount (not less than $1), in addition to any tax owed, which shall be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury and transferred to an account used to reduce the public debt. Requires such donation to be designated on a taxpayer's income tax return at the time such return is filed.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Court Efficiency Act of 2013 - Directs the President to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, one additional circuit judge for the second circuit court of appeals and one additional circuit judge for the eleventh circuit court of appeals. Reduces from 11 to 8 the number of circuit judges appointed to the District of Columbia circuit court of appeals.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Returned Exclusively For Unpaid National Debt Act or REFUND Act - Rescinds unwanted amounts, as identified by a state from a projected allocation, from any federal funds required to be allocated by formula among all states that agree to use them for a specified purpose. Prescribes a procedure by which a state legislature may identify a projected federal allocation as unwanted funds. Requires such rescinded amounts to: (1) be deposited by the Secretary of the Treasury in the special fund account entitled "Gifts to Reduce Debt Held by the Public, Bureau of the Public Debt, Treasury"; and (2) be used to reduce the federal debt.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) tax incentives for retirement savings plans play an important role in encouraging employers and employees to participate in such plans, (2) existing incentives have increased the number of Americans covered by a retirement plan, and (3) a reformed and simplified federal tax code should include incentives to maintain and contribute to such plans and to strengthen retirement security for all Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Free File Program Act of 2013 - Authorizes and directs the Secretary of the Treasury to continue to operate the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Free File program (free online individual income tax preparation and electronic filing services provided by the private sector technology industry to lower income taxpayers).
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2013
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2013 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit any person from knowingly attending an animal fighting venture or causing a minor (a person under the age of 18) to attend such a venture. Subjects any person who: (1) knowingly attends such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to a year for each violation, and (2) knowingly causes a minor to attend such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to three years for each violation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2013
Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act of 2013 - Authorizes the President to appoint a Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia within the Department of State. Requires the Special Envoy to: (1) promote the right of religious freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near East and South Central Asia, denounce the violation of such right, and recommend appropriate U.S government responses to such violations; (2) monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and incitement targeted against such religious minorities; (3) ensure that the needs of such religious minority communities are addressed, including economic and security needs directly tied to religious-based discrimination and persecution; (4) work with foreign governments of such countries to address inherently discriminatory laws; and (5) coordinate and assist in the preparation of specified reports required by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Authorizes the Special Envoy, subject to direction by the President and the Secretary of State, to represent the United States in matters and cases relevant to religious freedom in: (1) contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental organizations, and specialized agencies of the United Nations (U.N.), the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other international organizations; and (2) multilateral conferences and meetings relevant to religious freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2013 - Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to exempt from its annual written privacy policy notice requirement any financial institution which: (1) provides nonpublic personal information only in accordance with specified requirements, (2) has not changed its policies and practices with respect to disclosing nonpublic personal information from those disclosed in the most recent disclosure sent to consumers, and (3) otherwise provides customers access to such most recent disclosure in electronic or other form permitted by specified regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Preventing Abuse of Cough Treatments Act of 2013 or PACT Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale or offering for sale of a drug containing dextromethorphan, and not subject to practitioner supervision requirements, to an individual under age 18, except if the sale is made: (1) pursuant to a validly issued prescription; or (2) to an individual who provides proof of being actively enrolled in the military, including a valid military identification card. Imposes civil monetary penalties that escalate upon repeated violation. Deems to be adulterated any unfinished dextromethorphan that is possessed, received, or distributed in violation of this Act. Prohibits a person from: (1) possessing or receiving unfinished dextromethorphan unless the person is registered with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a producer of a drug or device or otherwise registered, licensed, or approved under federal or state law to engage in the practice of pharmacy, pharmaceutical production, or manufacture or distribution of drug ingredients; or (2) distributing unfinished dextromethorphan to any person other than a registered or otherwise authorized person. Excludes from such prohibitions common carriers that possess, receive, or distribute unfinished dextromethorphan for purposes of distributing it between registered, licensed, or approved persons. Imposes additional civil monetary penalties for such possession and distribution violations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Family Health Care Flexibility Act - Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 that: (1) restrict payments from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements for medications to prescription drugs and insulin only (thus allowing payments for over-the-counter medications); and (2) impose a $2,500 limitation on salary reduction contributions to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013
Authorizes TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities for the import of crude oil and other hydrocarbons at the United States-Canada Border at Phillips County, Montana, in accordance with a certain application filed with the Department of State on May 4, 2012. Declares that no Executive Order, provision of law, or presidential permit shall be required for such facilities. Deems a certain Environmental Impact Statement issued by the Secretary of State and other specified documents to satisfy all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as well as any other law requiring federal agency consultation or review regarding such cross-border facilities. Keeps in effect any federal permit or authorization issued before the enactment of this Act for the facilities described in this Act and for related facilities in the United States. Restricts to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit any federal judicial review over actions and facilities implemented under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2013
Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require: (1) biennial (currently annual) budget resolutions, (2) biennial appropriations Acts, and (3) biennial government strategic and performance plans. Defines the budget biennium as the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) determine the impact and feasibility of changing the definition of a fiscal year and the budget process based on that definition to a two-year fiscal period with a biennial budget process based on such period, and (2) report the findings to the House and Senate Budget Committees.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2013
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should not sign the Arms Trade Treaty, and that, if he transmits the Treaty with his signature to the Senate, the Senate should not ratify it; and (2) until the Treaty has been signed by the President, received the advice and consent of the Senate, and has been the subject of implementing legislation by Congress, no federal funds should be appropriated or authorized to implement the Treaty, or any similar agreement, or to conduct activities relevant to the Treaty, or any similar agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2013
NICS Reporting Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends federal firearms provisions to define a person who has been adjudicated mentally incompetent or who has been committed to a psychiatric hospital as a person who is the subject of an order or finding issued by a court, board, commission, or other adjudicative body (after a hearing of which the person received actual notice and at which the person had an opportunity to participate with counsel) that found that the person, as a result of marked subnormal intelligence, mental impairment, or mental illness: (1) was an imminent danger to himself or others, (2) was guilty but mentally ill in a criminal case, (3) was not guilty in a criminal case by reason of insanity or mental disease or defect, (4) was incompetent to stand trial in a criminal case, (5) was not guilty only by reason of lack of mental responsibility under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, (6) required involuntary inpatient treatment by a psychiatric hospital, (7) required involuntary outpatient treatment by a psychiatric hospital based on a finding that the person was an imminent danger to himself or others, or (8) required involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital for any reason, including drug use. Excludes: (1) a person who is in a psychiatric hospital for observation or due to a voluntary admission, and (2) an order or finding that has expired, that has been set aside or expunged, or that is no longer applicable. Defines "psychiatric hospital" to include a mental health facility, mental hospital, sanitarium, psychiatric facility, and any other facility that provides diagnoses by licensed professionals of mental retardation or mental illness, including a psychiatric ward in a general hospital. Prohibits: (1) the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition to any person knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such person has been adjudicated mentally incompetent (currently, mental defective) or has been committed to a psychiatric hospital (currently, to any mental institution); and (2) the shipment, transport, or possession in interstate or foreign commerce of a firearm or ammunition by, or the receipt of a firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in such commerce by, any such person. Makes conforming amendments to the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2013
Small Business Efficiency Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat professional employer organizations (PEOs), certified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as employers for employment tax purposes (thus allowing such PEOs to pay wages and collect and remit payroll taxes on behalf of an employer). Sets forth IRS certification requirements for PEOs, including financial review and reporting requirements. Requires a PEO to post a bond each year, up to $1 million, to guarantee payment of employment taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2013
National Pediatric Research Network Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in carrying out the Pediatric Research Initiative, to act through the Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to provide for the establishment of a National Pediatric Research Network. Authorizes the Director of the Institute to award funding to public or private nonprofit entities for: (1) planning, establishing, or strengthening pediatric research consortia; and (2) providing basic operating support for such consortia, including to meet unmet needs for pediatric research through basic, clinical and behavioral translational research and the training of researchers in pediatric research techniques. Authorizes the Director of NIH to make awards for not more than 20 pediatric research consortia, which must be formed from a collaboration of cooperating institutions, coordinated by a lead institution, agree to disseminate scientific findings, and meet requirements prescribed by the Director of NIH. Allows such support to be for a period of five years, with additional extensions at the discretion of the Director of NIH. Requires the Director of NIH to provide for the coordination of activities among the consortia and to require the periodic preparation and submission of reports on their activities. Requires each pediatric research consortium receiving an award to assist the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the establishment or expansion of patient registries and other surveillance systems as appropriate and upon request by the CDC. Requires the Director of NIH to ensure that an appropriate number of such awards are awarded to consortia that agree to: (1) focus primarily on pediatric rare diseases or conditions; and (2) conduct or coordinate multi-site clinical trials of therapies for, or approaches to, the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of pediatric rare diseases or conditions. Requires the Director of NIH to establish a data coordinating center to: (1) distribute such findings; (2) provide assistance in the design and conduct of collaborative research projects and the management, analysis, and storage of data associated with such projects; and (3) organize and conduct multi-site monitoring activities. Requires the Director of NIH to: (1) require the data coordinating center to provide regular reports to the Director of NIH and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs (FDA) on research conducted by consortia, including information on enrollment in clinical trials and the allocation of resources with respect to such research; and (2) incorporate such information into NIH's biennial reports.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2013
Human Trafficking Reporting Act of 2013 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include severe forms of trafficking in persons among "part 1 violent crimes" required to be reported by states for the Uniform Crime Reports of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for purposes of Bureau of Justice Assistance Grants and Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2013
American Job Protection Act - Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, that: (1) impose fines on large employers (employers with more than 50 full-time employees) who fail to offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential health insurance coverage, and (2) require such large employers to file a report with the Secretary of the Treasury on health insurance coverage provided to their full-time employees. Applies the Internal Revenue Code as if such provisions had never been enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2013
States that Congress: reaffirms the long-standing bonds of friendship and cooperation between the United States and Israel which enjoy bipartisan support in Congress and among the people of the United States; supports the close military, intelligence, and security cooperation that President Obama has pursued with Israel; condemns the statements and policies of the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran threatening Israel's security and existence; recognizes the tremendous threat posed to the United States, the West, and Israel by Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability; reiterates that U.S. policy is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon capability and to take necessary action to implement such policy; supports the full implementation of U.S. and international sanctions on Iran; declares that the United States has a vital national interest and commitment to ensuring Israel's existence and security; supports Israel's right to self-defense; and urges that if Israel is compelled to take military action in self-defense the U.S. government should provide Israel with diplomatic, military, and economic support. States that nothing in this resolution shall be construed as an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2013
Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to arrange for the award, on behalf of Congress, of six gold medals in honor of the members of the 17 Bombardment Group (Medium), who became known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, in recognition of their military service during World War II. Requires: (1) five of the medals to be given to the five surviving members of the April 18, 1942, Tokyo bombing mission; and (2) the remaining medal to be given to the National Museum of the United States Air Force for display. Expresses the sense of Congress that such Museum should make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations and events associated with the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2013
Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013 or the REINS Act - States that the purpose of this Act is to increase accountability for and transparency in the federal regulatory process. Revises provisions relating to congressional review of agency rulemaking to require a federal agency promulgating a rule to include in its report to Congress and to the Comptroller General (GAO) a classification of the rule as a major or nonmajor rule. Requires a joint resolution of approval of major rules to be enacted before such rules may take effect. Provides that if a joint resolution of approval is not enacted by the end of 70 session days or legislative days, as applicable, after the agency proposing the rule submits its report on such rule to Congress, the major rule shall be deemed not to be approved and shall not take effect. Permits a major rule to take effect for one 90-calendar day period without such approval if the President determines it is necessary because of an imminent threat to health or safety or other emergency, for the enforcement of criminal laws, for national security, or to implement an international trade agreement. Sets forth the congressional approval procedure for major rules and the congressional disapproval procedure for nonmajor rules. Requires the introduction of a joint resolution addressing a report classifying a rule as a major rule within three legislative days in the House of Representative and three session days in the Senate. Prohibits any amendments to such a joint resolution at any stage of the legislative process. Provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution of approval and requires a vote on such resolution in the Senate within 15 session days after it is reported by the committee to which it was referred, or after such committee has been discharged from further consideration of the resolution. Allows a court to review whether an agency has completed the necessary requirements under this Act for a rule to take effect. Limits the effect of a joint resolution of approval of a major rule. Prohibits an agency from allowing a major rule to take effect without the congressional review procedures set forth in this Act. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to provide that any congressional approval procedure set forth in this Act affecting budget authority, outlays, or receipts shall be assumed to be effective unless it is not approved in accordance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2013
Recognizes: (1) the 100th anniversary of the death of Harriet Tubman, whose dedication and commitment to serving in any capacity necessary to pursue the promise of American ideals and the principles of humanity continue to inspire all individuals who cherish freedom; (2) the work of Tubman and other individuals who created the underground railroad network to achieve freedom for individuals enslaved during the Antebellum Era of the United States; and (3) the Harriet Tubman Organization of Cambridge, Maryland, and the Harriet Tubman Home, Inc., and the Harriet Tubman Boosters Club, both of Auburn, New York, for preserving the heritage of the United States. Encourages the people of the United States to honor and preserve Tubman's legacy.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
National Blue Alert Act of 2013 - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a national Blue Alert communications network within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to disseminate information when a law enforcement officer is seriously injured or killed in the line of duty, in coordination with federal, state, and local Blue Alert plans; and (2) assign an existing DOJ officer to act as the national coordinator of the Blue Alert communications network. Sets forth the duties of the national coordinator, including: (1) providing assistance to states and local governments that are using Blue Alert plans; (2) establishing voluntary guidelines for states and local governments to use in developing such plans; (3) developing protocols for efforts to apprehend suspects; (4) working with states to ensure appropriate regional coordination of various elements of the network; (5) establishing an advisory group to assist states, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and other entities in initiating, facilitating, and promoting Blue Alert plans; (6) acting as the nationwide point of contact for the development of the network and the regional coordination of Blue Alerts through the network; and (7) determining what procedures and practices are in use for notifying law enforcement and the public when a law enforcement officer is killed or seriously injured in the line of duty and which of the procedures and practices are effective and do not require the expenditure of additional resources to implement. Requires the guidelines to: (1) provide that appropriate information relating to a Blue Alert is disseminated to officials of law enforcement, public health, and other agencies; and (2) provide mechanisms that ensure that Blue Alerts comply with all applicable federal, state, and local privacy laws and regulations and include standards that specifically provide for the protection of the civil liberties of law enforcement officers and their families. Directs the coordinator to annually submit a report on the coordinator's activities and the effectiveness and status of the Blue Alert plans that are in effect or being developed.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act of 2013 - Repeals sections of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care (PPACA) (and restores provisions of law amended by such sections) related to the establishment of an Independent Payment Advisory Board to develop and submit detailed proposals to reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending to the President for Congress to consider.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
Sugar Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to make loans available to processors of domestically grown sugarcane (18 cents per pound) and sugar beet processors through FY2017. Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make specified sugarcane and sugar beet quantity estimates through crop year 2017. Requires that sugar allotments be appropriate to maintain adequate supplies at reasonable prices, taking into account all domestic supply sources, including imports. Authorizes the Secretary to suspend or modify marketing allotments, taking into account: (1) the interests of consumers, food industry workers, businesses, and agricultural producers; and (2) the competitiveness of domestically produced and imported foods containing sugar. Revises sugar tariff-rate quota adjustment provisions to direct the Secretary to: (1) adjust tariff-rates to provide adequate domestic sugar supplies at reasonable prices, (2) establish and adjust tariff-rate quotas so that the ratio of sugar stocks to total sugar use at the end of the quota year will be approximately 15.5%, and (3) promulgate regulations that permit any country that has been allocated a quota share to temporarily transfer all or part of the share to any other country that has also been allocated a quota share. Extends flexible marketing sugar allotment authority through crop year 2017. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to repeal the feedstock flexibility program for bioenergy producers.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
Colonel Charles Young Home Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Colonel Charles Young Home, a National Historic Landmark in Xenia, Ohio, to determine the feasibility of designating the Home as a unit of the National Park System. (Colonel Charles Young was a distinguished African-American officer in the U.S. Army, a pioneer of techniques in military intelligence, as well as a commander of troops in combat in the Spanish-American War and the Mexican expedition against Pancho Villa.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to arrange for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to honor collectively the World War II members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) in recognition of their military service and exemplary record during World War II. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the CAP. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2013 or the ABLE Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts to assist an individual with a disability in building an account to pay for qualified disability expenses. Defines "qualified disability expenses" to include expenses for education, including higher education expenses, a primary residence, transportation, obtaining and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Treats a qualified ABLE program and an ABLE account in the same manner as a qualified tuition program for income tax purposes (i.e., allowing a tax exemption for such program and an exclusion from gross income of amounts attributable to a contributor to or a beneficiary of a program account). Defines "qualified ABLE program" as a program established and maintained by a state agency under which a person may make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses. Requires amounts in ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. Suspends the payment of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to an individual during any period in which such individual has excess resources attributable to an ABLE account.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits total outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Prohibits total outlays for any fiscal year from exceeding 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the preceding calendar year unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess over such 18%. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Prohibits any bill from becoming law that imposes a new tax or increases the statutory rate of any tax or the aggregate amount of revenue, unless approved by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber. Requires a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber to increase the federal debt limit. Authorizes waivers of these requirements: (1) when a declaration of war is in effect against a nation-state and Congress, by a majority roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess; or (2) under other specified circumstances involving military conflict, if Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes such waiver. Prohibits a federal or state court from ordering any increase in revenue to enforce this article.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Recognizes Black History Month as an opportunity to reflect on U.S. history and recognize the contributions of African Americans. Recognizes the injustices that African Americans have endured and commends the African-American community for overcoming those injustices and changing the course and nature of history by forging the fight for equality. Calls for the United States to: (1) move forward as one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all; and (2) honor the contribution of pioneers who helped to ensure its legacy.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2013
Budget Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to require joint budget resolutions signed by the President instead of the concurrent resolutions now required (which do not have to be signed by the President). Revises accordingly the congressional procedures for considering budget resolutions. Prescribes procedures for: (1) expedited consideration in each chamber of a presidential veto of a joint budget resolution; and (2) revision of a joint budget resolution already enacted. Makes specified provisional continuing appropriations in the event that any regular appropriation bill for each fiscal year in a biennium does not become law before the beginning of such fiscal year, or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations is not in effect. (Thus prevents federal government shutdown.) Requires biennial budget resolutions, appropriations Acts, and government strategic and performance plans instead of annual ones.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2013
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2010 to require such stamp to be made available to the public for an additional four years.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2013
Authorizes the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate the mission of the Peace Corps and the ideals on which it was founded.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2013
Medical Device Access and Innovation Protection Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the excise tax on medical device manufacturers and importers.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2013 - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) complete, within 12 months of enactment of this Act, the required audit of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) and of the Federal Reserve Banks; and (2) submit to Congress, within 90 days of audit completion, a detailed report of audit findings and conclusions. Repeals certain limitations placed upon such audit. Instructs the Comptroller General (GAO) to audit and report on the review of loan files of homeowners in foreclosure in 2009 or 2010, required as part of the enforcement actions taken by the Board against supervised financial institutions. Prescribes audit contents, including: (1) the guidance given by the Board to independent consultants retained by the supervised financial institutions regarding procedures to be followed in conducting the file reviews, (2) the factors considered by independent consultants when evaluating loan files and the results obtained pursuant to those reviews, and (3) the determinations made by such consultants regarding the nature and extent of financial injury sustained by each homeowner as well as the level and type of remediation offered.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
Harbor Maintenance Act of 2013 - Requires the total budget resources for expenditures from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for harbor maintenance programs to equal the level of receipts plus interest credited to such Fund for that fiscal year. Limits the use of such resources to such programs only. Declares that it shall be out of order in the House of Representatives or the Senate to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report that would cause total budget resources for the Fund in a fiscal year for harbor maintenance programs to be less than the level of receipts plus interest credited to the Fund for that fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2013
Pro Football Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5-gold coins, 400,000 $1-silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins emblematic of the game of professional football. Requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to help finance the construction of a new building and the renovation of existing Pro Football Hall of Fame facilities.
![Official portrait of Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000449_200.jpg)