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United States · Official source
3,094 records where Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2017
Protect Funding for Women's Health Care Act This bill prohibits federal funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America or its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, or clinics.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2017
This joint resolution nullifies the rule finalized by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on December 12, 2016, relating to the resource management planning process of the BLM under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2017
This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Health and Human Services rule regarding subrecipients of family planning grants. (Under the rule, grant recipients may prohibit an entity from receiving a subaward only for reasons related to the entity's ability to provide family planning services.)
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2017
This joint resolution nullifies the rule finalized by the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on August 25, 2016, relating to revising the Federal Acquisition Regulation to implement Executive Order 13673 concerning contractor compliance with labor laws.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2017
This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management titled "Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation." The rule published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2016, addresses waste generated during oil and gas production.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2017
This joint resolution nullifies the Stream Protection Rule finalized by the Department of the Interior on December 20, 2016. The rule addresses the impacts of surface coal mining operations on surface water, groundwater, and the productivity of mining operation sites.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2017
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2017 This bill amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund until 19 years after this bill's enactment. The trust fund compensates individuals who contract cancer or other diseases as a result of their exposure to radiation during nuclear testing undertaken by the United States during the Cold War. The bill revises the requirements of that Act, including by: increasing the amount of compensation that an individual may receive; expanding the affected area to include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and New Mexico; expanding eligibility requirements to include additional individuals, such as certain employees of uranium mines or mills; and extending until 19 years after this bill's enactment the statute of limitations for the filing of claims. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences must establish a grant program for institutions of higher education to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining and milling among non-occupationally exposed individuals. The bill amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 by expanding eligibility requirements for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program with respect to chronic beryllium disease.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2017
Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act of 2017 This bill requires the federal government to allow unrestricted manufacturing, distribution, prescribing, and dispensing of experimental drugs, biological products, and medical devices that are: (1) intended to treat a patient who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and (2) authorized by state law. The federal government must allow unrestricted possession and use of such treatments by patients certified by a physician as having exhausted all other treatment options. A manufacturer, distributor, prescriber, dispenser, possessor, or user of such a treatment has no liability regarding the treatment. The outcome of manufacture, distribution, prescribing, dispensing, possession, or use of such a treatment may not be used by a federal agency to adversely impact review or approval of the treatment. The treatment must: (1) have successfully completed a phase 1 (initial, small scale) clinical trial; (2) remain under investigation in a clinical trial approved by the Food and Drug Administration; and (3) not be approved, licensed, or cleared for sale under the Federal Food, Drug, or Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2017
Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2017 or the RPM Act of 2017 This bill amends the Clean Air Act to allow the modification of a vehicle's air emission controls if the vehicle is used solely for competition.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2017
Life at Conception Act of 2017 This bill declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual comes into being. Nothing in this bill shall be construed to require the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child, a prohibition on in vitro fertilization, or a prohibition on use of birth control or another means of preventing fertilization.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2017
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to require any health care practitioner who is present when a child is born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion to: (1) exercise the same degree of care as reasonably provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure that such child is immediately admitted to a hospital. The term "born alive" means the complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother, at any stage of development, who after such expulsion or extraction breathes or has a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, regardless of whether the umbilical cord has been cut. Also, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with these requirements must immediately report such failure to an appropriate law enforcement agency. An individual who violates the provisions of this bill is subject to a criminal fine, up to five years in prison, or both. An individual who commits an overt act that kills a child born alive is subject to criminal prosecution for murder. The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive for conspiracy to violate these provisions, for being an accessory after the fact, or for concealment of felony. A woman who undergoes an abortion or attempted abortion may file a civil action for damages against an individual who violates this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2017
This bill requires the President to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, one additional district judge for the district of Idaho.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2017
Death Tax Repeal Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and (2) make permanent the maximum 35% gift tax rate and the lifetime gift tax exemption. The bill also provides for an inflation adjustment to such exemption amount.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2017
Combating European Anti-Semitism Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) it is in the U.S. national interest to combat anti-Semitism at home and abroad; (2) there is a need to ensure the security of European Jewish communities, including synagogues, schools, and cemeteries; and (3) the United States should continue to emphasize the importance of combating anti-Semitism in multilateral bodies. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 is amended to require the Department of State's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom to include, for each European country in which threats or attacks against Jewish persons, schools, and religious institutions are particularly significant, a description of: the security challenges and needs of European Jewish communities and European law enforcement agencies; U.S. efforts to partner with European law enforcement agencies and civil society groups to combat anti-Semitic incidents; educational programming and public awareness initiatives that impart values of pluralism and tolerance, showcase the positive contributions of Jews, and pay special attention to population segments that exhibit a high degree of anti-Semitic animus; and efforts by European governments to adopt and apply a working definition of anti-Semitism.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2017
Designates January 27, 2017, as a national day of remembrance for people of the United States who, during the Cold War, worked and lived downwind from nuclear testing sites and were adversely affected by radiation exposure generated by above ground testing.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2017
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017 This bill makes permanent the prohibition on the use of federal funds, including funds in the budget of the District of Columbia, for abortion or health coverage that includes abortion. The prohibitions in this bill, and current prohibitions, do not apply to abortions in cases of rape or incest, or where a physical condition endangers a woman's life unless an abortion is performed. Abortions may not be provided in a federal health care facility or by a federal employee. This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to prohibit qualified health plans from including coverage for abortions. (Qualified health plans are sold on health insurance exchanges, are the only plans eligible for premium subsidies and small employer health insurance tax credits, and fulfill an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.) Currently, qualified health plans may cover abortion, but the portion of the premium attributable to abortion coverage is not eligible for subsidies.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2017
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the President should immediately reapply and consider improving the Mexico City Policy (requires foreign nongovernmental organizations receiving certain types of U.S. assistance to certify that they will not perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning), and (2) Congress should expeditiously consider statutory changes that permanently codify such policy.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2017
Miners Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) to transfer certain funds to the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan and the 1974 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Pension Plan to provide health and pension benefits to retired coal miners and their families. The bill expands the group whose retiree health benefits are taken into account in determining the amount that the Department of the Treasury must transfer from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund and the General Fund of the Treasury to the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan. Treasury must also transfer additional funds to the 1974 UMWA Pension Plan to pay pension benefits required under that plan if the amounts available for transfer under SMCRA's $490 million annual limit exceed the amounts required to be transferred for other purposes (including to the UMWA Health Plans). The bill also: (1) prohibits the pension plan from making certain changes to benefits during any year in which a transfer is received, and (2) establishes additional reporting requirements for the plan. The bill repeals requirements for current and former signatories to labor agreements with the UMWA to pay unassigned beneficiaries premiums or backstop premiums if transfers under SMCRA are less than the amount required to be transferred. As an offset, the bill amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend the authority of Treasury to collect certain customs user fees.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2017
Combating BDS Act of 2017 This bill allows a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, prohibit investment of its assets in, or restrict contracting with: (1) an entity that engages in a commerce- or investment-related boycott, divestment, or sanctions activity targeting Israel; or (2) an entity that owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, or is under common ownership or control with such an entity. Such measures are not preempted by federal law. A state or local government that seeks to adopt or enforce such measures shall comply with specified requirements related to notice, timing, and opportunity for comment. In addition, the bill amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to prohibit a person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against a registered investment company based solely upon that company's divestment from securities issued by a person that engages in a commerce- or investment-related boycott, divestment, or sanctions activity targeting Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2017
Calls for honoring the 231st anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on Religious Freedom Day, January 16, 2017. Affirms that: religious freedom includes the right of individuals of any faith and individuals of no faith to live, work, associate, and worship in accordance with their beliefs; all people of the United States can be unified in supporting religious freedom because it is a fundamental human right; and the American people will remain forever unshackled in matters of faith.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2017
National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act This bill addresses the mine permitting process. Under the bill, projects that provide minerals vital to job creation, energy infrastructure, American economic competitiveness, and national security must be considered to be "infrastructure projects" as described in Executive Order 13604, entitled "Improving Performance of Federal Permitting and Review of Infrastructure Projects" dated March 22, 2012. This order directed federal agencies to significantly reduce the time required to make permitting and review decisions on infrastructure projects. The bill sets forth general requirements for an existing mineral exploration or mine permit application. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the Forest Service shall appoint a project lead for the mine permitting process to coordinate with other agencies to ensure that the agencies: minimize delays, set and adhere to timelines for completion of the permitting process, set clear permitting goals, and track progress against goals. The requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 are satisfied if the BLM or the Forest Service determines that the agency issuing the permit will address specified factors, such as environmental impact, alternatives to issuance of the permit, or any irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources that would be involved in the proposed action. The time period for completion of the mine permitting review process shall not exceed 30 months, except by mutual agreement. Projects on National Forest System land shall be exempt from regulations that prohibit timber tree cutting and road construction in areas without roads. The bill does not apply to oil, gas, and potash leasing and development within the designated potash areas of Eddy and Lea Counties, New Mexico.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2017
National Monument Designation Transparency and Accountability Act of 2017 This bill requires the President, before a national monument can be designated on public land, to obtain congressional approval, certify compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and determine that the state in which the monument is to be located has enacted legislation approving its designation. The Department of the Interior may not implement restrictions on the public use of a national monument until the expiration of an appropriate review period providing for public input and congressional approval.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2017
Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, Milk, and Cheese To Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act or the DAIRY PRIDE Act This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale of any food that uses the market name of a dairy product, is not the milk of a hooved animal, is not derived from such milk, and does not contain such milk as a primary ingredient.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2017
Safeguard Israel Act of 2017 This bill prohibits the U.S. government from making any voluntary or assessed contributions to the United Nations (U.N.) or any U.N. organization until the President certifies to Congress that Security Council Resolution 2334 has been repealed. Security Council Resolution 2334 characterizes Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal and demands cessation of settlement activities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2017
Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017 This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to revise the objectives of the civilian nuclear energy research, development, demonstration, and commercial application programs of the Department of Energy (DOE) to emphasize research infrastructure and private sector participation. By December 31, 2017, DOE shall determine the mission need for a versatile reactor-based fast neutron source, which shall operate as a national user facility. DOE shall carry out a program for enhancing the capability to develop new reactor technologies through high-performance computation modeling and simulation techniques. DOE shall also carry out a program to: (1) enable the testing and demonstration of reactor concepts proposed and funded by the private sector, and (2) leverage the technical expertise of relevant federal agencies and national laboratories to minimize the time required to enable construction and operation of privately funded experimental reactors at national laboratories or other DOE-owned sites. Within 1 year of this bill's enactment, DOE must submit to Congress 2 specified alternative 10-year budget plans for civilian nuclear energy research and development by the DOE. DOE shall establish an Advanced Nuclear Energy Cost-Share Grant Program.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2017
Securing Energy Infrastructure Act This bill establishes a two-year pilot program within the Department of Energy's (DOE) national laboratories to identify the security vulnerabilities of certain entities in the energy sector, and research and test technology that can be used to isolate the most critical systems of such entities from cyber-attacks. In addition, DOE must establish a working group to evaluate the technology solutions proposed by the national laboratories and to develop a national cyber strategy to isolate the energy grid from attacks. DOE must also submit a report to Congress describing the results of the pilot program, assessing the feasibility of the techniques considered, and outlining the results of the working group's evaluation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2017
Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act This bill prohibits a sanctuary jurisdiction from receiving grants under certain Economic Development Assistance Programs and the Community Development Block Grant Program. A sanctuary jurisdiction is a state or political subdivision that has a statute, policy, or practice in effect that prohibits or restricts: (1) information sharing about an individual's immigration status, or (2) compliance with a lawfully issued detainer request or notification of release request. A state or political subdivision that complies with a detainer is deemed to be an agent of the Department of Homeland Security and is authorized to take actions to comply with the detainer. The bill limits the liability of a state or political subdivision, or an officer or employee of such state or political subdivision, for actions in compliance with the detainer.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2017
This bill prohibits the Department of the Army from promulgating or enforcing any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm in any area open to the public (other than a federal facility) at a water resources development project administered by the Chief of Engineers, if: (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm, and (2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the state in which the project is located.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2017
Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2017 This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to exclude Native American tribes and tribal enterprises and institutions on tribal land from requirements for employers under the NLRA. (Currently under the NLRA, employers may not engage in unfair labor practices and must allow employees to form unions, engage in collective bargaining, and take collective action.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2017
Hearing Protection Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) eliminate the $200 transfer tax on firearm silencers, and (2) treat any person who acquires or possesses a firearm silencer as meeting any registration or licensing requirements of the National Firearms Act with respect to such silencer. Any person who pays a transfer tax on a silencer after January 9, 2017, may receive a refund of such tax. The bill amends the federal criminal code to preempt state or local laws that tax or regulate firearm silencers.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Improved National Monument Designation Process Act Before a national monument can be designated on public land, the President must obtain congressional approval, certify compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), and receive notice from the governor of the state in which the monument is to be located that the state legislature has enacted legislation approving its designation. The President may not declare any area of the exclusive economic zone to be a marine national monument unless: it is specifically authorized by Congress, the President has certified compliance with NEPA, and each state legislature within 100 nautical miles of the proposed monument has approved it. Neither the Department of the Interior nor the Department of Commerce may implement a restriction on the public use of a marine national monument until the expiration of an appropriate review period providing for public input and congressional approval.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2017
Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2017 This bill revises provisions relating to congressional review of agency rulemaking. A federal agency promulgating a rule must publish information about the rule in the Federal Register and include in its report to Congress and to the Government Accountability Office: (1) a classification of the rule as a major or nonmajor rule, and (2) a copy of the cost-benefit analysis of the rule that includes an analysis of any jobs added or lost. A "major rule" is any rule that the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget finds results in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, government agencies, or geographic regions; or (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises. A joint resolution of approval must be enacted within 70 session days or legislative days after the agency proposing a major rule submits its report on such rule to Congress in order for the rule to take effect. A major rule may take effect for 90 days 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. The bill sets forth the congressional approval procedure for major rules and the congressional disapproval procedure for nonmajor rules. A joint resolution addressing a report classifying a rule as a major rule must be introduced within three legislative days in the House of Representative and three session days in the Senate. The bill prohibits any amendments to, and provides for expedited consideration of, such a joint resolution. A court may review whether an agency has completed the necessary requirements under this bill for a rule to take effect. The bill limits the effect of a joint resolution of approval of a major rule. The Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended to provide that any congressional approval procedure set forth in this bill affecting budget authority, outlays, or receipts shall be assumed to be effective unless it is not approved in accordance with this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2017
Objects to U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334. Such resolution characterizes Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal and demands cessation of settlement activities. Calls for such resolution to be repealed or fundamentally altered and allows all final status issues toward a two-state solution to be resolved through direct bilateral negotiations between the parties. Rejects efforts by outside bodies to impose solutions that set back the cause of peace. Demands that the United States ensure that no action is taken at the Paris Conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict scheduled for January 15, 2017, that imposes an agreement or parameters on the parties. Notes that granting membership and statehood standing to the Palestinians at the U.N., its specialized agencies, and other international institutions outside of the context of a bilateral peace agreement with Israel would cause severe harm to the peace process and would likely trigger penalties under provisions of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 regarding limitations on assistance to the Palestinians. Rejects any efforts by international organizations to use such resolution to further isolate Israel and urges the U.S. government to act where needed to counter any such efforts. Urges: (1) U.S. presidential Administrations to uphold the practice of vetoing all Security Council resolutions that seek to insert the council into the peace process, recognize unilateral Palestinian actions, or dictate terms and a time line for a solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and (2) the incoming presidential Administration to work with Congress to create conditions that facilitate the resumption of negotiations without preconditions between Israelis and Palestinians to achieve a sustainable agreement acceptable to both sides. Reaffirms that it is U.S. policy to seek a sustainable, just, and secure two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2017 This bill authorizes the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to obtain federal agency records required to discharge the GAO's duties (including audit, evaluation, and investigative duties), including through bringing civil actions to require an agency to produce a record. No provision of the Social Security Act shall be construed to limit, amend, or supersede the GAO's authority to: (1) obtain information or inspect records about an agency's duties, powers, activities, organization, or financial transactions; or (2) obtain other agency records that the GAO requires to discharge its duties. Agency statements on actions taken or planned in response to GAO recommendations must be submitted to: (1) the congressional committees with jurisdiction over the pertinent agency program or activity, and (2) the GAO.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2017 This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to complete, within 12 months, an audit of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks. In addition, the bill allows the GAO to audit the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks with respect to: (1) international financial transactions; (2) deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy matters; (3) transactions made under the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee; and (4) discussions or communications among Federal Reserve officers, board members, and employees regarding any of these matters.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2016
Declares that the Senate: (1) extends its deepest condolences and gratitude to the family of John Glenn; and (2) honors his legacy and life, commitment to the United States, and service to the Senate and the United States. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on December 10, 2016, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late John Glenn.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016
Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Act of 2016 This bill designates approximately 13,961 acres of National Forest System land in Idaho, to be known as the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, as wilderness and a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The wilderness area is withdrawn from specified public land, mining, mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) may carry out management activities to maintain or restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats within the wilderness area if they would: promote healthy, viable, and more naturally distributed populations that would enhance wilderness values; and accomplish the purpose of the management activity with the minimum impact necessary. USDA may take measures within the wilderness area necessary for the control of fire, insects, and disease. Nothing in this bill creates a protective perimeter or buffer zone around the wilderness area. USDA shall ensure that Indian tribes have access to the wilderness area for: traditional and cultural purposes, and the exercise of any right reserved by treaty.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2016
Supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
This bill prohibits U.S. funds from being made available to the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization if, on or after September 16, 2016, the U.N. Security Council adopts a resolution that obligates the United States or affirms a purported obligation of the United States to refrain from actions that would run counter to the treaty.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Declares that the Senate joins with the Small Business Administration in: recognizing and encouraging the observance of Small Business Saturday on November 26, 2016; and supporting efforts to encourage consumers to shop locally, and to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and their impact on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2016
No Ransom Payments Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the President from paying final judgments, awards, or compromise settlements to Iran using specified Department of Treasury funds (specified funds) until the President certifies that: (1) Iran has returned any money from such funds paid to it by the United States after January 1, 2016, (2) Iran has satisfied all outstanding judgments against it awarded to U.S. plaintiffs by U.S. courts, and (3) individuals taken hostage and held for 444 days following the U.S. Embassy seizure in Iran on November 4, 1979, have been compensated from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. The President must certify before providing or authorizing payment of any funds to Iran that: (1) the funds will not be used to support international terrorism, and (2) Iran or Iran-supported groups are not unjustly detaining U.S. citizens. The President, within 60 days after enactment of this bill, shall impose property transaction and U.S. entry sanctions against any Iranian person: involved in the kidnapping or unjust detention of a U.S. citizen on or after March 9, 2007; that engages, or attempts to engage, in an activity or transaction that materially contributes to such kidnapping or unjust detentions; and owned or controlled by such a person, acting on behalf of such a person, or providing support for such a person. The Director of National Intelligence shall report within 60 days on whether funds paid to Iran by the United States after January 1, 2016, have been used by Iran to support international terrorism. The President and U.S. government officers shall not: make a payment to a government or person to secure the release of unjustly detained U.S. citizens (a payment to assist arrested U.S. citizens is excluded from such prohibition), or use specified funds to make any payment to a state sponsor of acts of international terrorism (a specific payment or a specific payee is excluded from such prohibition if Congress has passed a joint resolution waiving the application of such prohibition).
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Condemns the attack on police officers that occurred in Dallas, Texas, on July 7, 2016. Expresses the belief that an attack upon a police officer is an affront to the rule of law and the promise of justice, domestic tranquility, common defense, and general welfare and the blessings of liberty secured by the Constitution. Offers condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who were killed and expresses hope for the quick and complete recovery of those who were wounded. Applauds the bravery and dedication of the law enforcement officials, emergency medical responders, and others who offered their support and assistance. Declares that the Senate stands united against violence and hatred and in support of the police officers who work to keep the country safe.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Agency Accountability Act of 2016 This bill requires any agency that receives a fee, fine, penalty, or proceeds from a settlement to deposit the amount in the general fund of the Treasury. The funds may not be used unless the funding is provided in advance in an appropriations bill. Any amounts deposited during the fiscal year in which this bill is enacted may not be obligated during the fiscal year and must be used for deficit reduction. The bill amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require offsetting receipts and collections to be treated as revenue. (Offsetting receipts and collections are funds collected by agencies from other government accounts or from the public in businesslike or market-oriented transactions. Under current law, the collections are treated as negative budget authority and outlays rather than revenue and may be used to offset spending for budget enforcement purposes.) The requirements of the bill do not apply to the U.S. Postal Service or the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the USPTO must submit annually to Congress a report describing any fee, fine, penalty, or proceeds from a settlement collected by the USPTO during the previous year.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Wildfire Mitigation Assistance Act This bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President, whether or not a major disaster is declared, to provide hazard mitigation assistance in any area or related area affected by a fire for which fire management assistance was provided under such Act. The President may establish a minimum amount of hazard mitigation assistance to be provided for a wildfire or fire complex. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall submit an annual report on projects carried out, and funding provided, pursuant to this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Securing our Secrets Act or the SOS Act This bill requires Department of State employees engaging in work-related electronic communications to use only state.gov email accounts, telephonic systems owned and managed by the State Department, or other systems owned and managed by the State Department or another appropriate federal agency. The State Department may temporarily waive these requirements for an employee, or a group of up to 10 employees, by certifying that: (1) the waiver is in the foreign policy or national security interest of the United States, and (2) all work-related written communications on nongovernmental systems will be appropriately archived. The State Department must report annually on: (1) every security violation, including unauthorized transfers of classified information into electronic systems, transmissions, or storage not certified for handling classified information; and (2) its justification for failing to terminate an employee who commits a violation after having committed previous security violations during the prior 10 years or to request a Federal Bureau of Investigation review of such a violation. State Department employees holding security clearances are subject to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security's quarterly collection of random samples of their emails to detect classified information spillage. The State Department must submit a plan to train State Department employees to: (1) identify classified information in materials subject to Freedom of Information Act requests, (2) ensure that intelligence community officials have an opportunity to make classification determinations on information potentially originating with the intelligence community, and (3) certify annually that they have archived their emails and documents in accordance with federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016
Extends condolences to the family of Elie Wiesel, an award-winning author who helped the world understand the horrors of the Holocaust and gave a voice to those who suffered and perished in Nazi death camps. Honors Wiesel's lifelong commitment to advancing human dignity, freedom, and respect throughout the world. Expresses continued support for human rights and protection of religious liberty. Expresses admiration for Wiesel's legacy as an example and advocate of the enduring power of the human spirit in the face of evil.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016
Reaffirms that the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom will not be affected by the outcome of the June 23, 2016, European Union membership referendum or by changes to the United Kingdom's relationship with the European Union. Recognizes that continued defense and intelligence cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom is vital to the national security of both countries. Expresses support for the continued political and military leadership displayed by both nations in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Urges the President to commence discussions with the government of the United Kingdom, at its request, to ensure the continuance of the current bilateral trade relationship and, as necessary, negotiations for the development of a free-trade agreement between the two countries.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016
Taking Responsibility Using Secured Technologies Act of 2016 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should have any security clearance she holds revoked and should be denied access to classified information unless she earns the legal right to such access, and (2) any of her colleagues who demonstrated extreme carelessness in their handling of classified information should no longer have access to that information. The bill prohibits granting a security clearance to, and requires revocation of the security clearance of, any federal officer or employee who has exercised extreme carelessness in the handling of classified information. The bill also amends a provision of the federal criminal code that subjects to criminal penalties anyone entrusted with, or having lawful possession or control of, national defense information who, through gross negligence, permits that information to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed. The bill explicitly states that "gross negligence," for these purposes, includes extreme or reckless carelessness.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2016
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment stating that: the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children is a fundamental right; the parental right to direct education includes the right to choose, as an alternative to public education, private, religious, or home schools, and the right to make reasonable choices within public schools for one's child; neither the United States nor any state shall infringe upon these rights without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served; the parental rights guaranteed by this amendment shall not be denied or abridged on account of disability; this amendment shall not be construed to apply to a parental action or decision that would end life; and no treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this amendment.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2016
Designates July 23, 2016, as National Day of the American Cowboy.