United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016
Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 and other housing laws to modify the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rental assistance (including section 8 low-income [voucher]) and public housing programs, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) requirements for condominium mortgage insurance, and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) single family housing guaranteed loan program. The bill revises the requirements for Public House Agencies (PHAs) to inspect dwelling units before making housing assistance payments to ensure that units comply with housing quality standards. A PHA shall review the incomes of assisted families in dwelling units, and may not rent a dwelling unit to or assist families with net family assets exceeding $100,000 annually (adjusted for inflation) or an ownership interest in property that is suitable for occupancy. The bill also revises requirements for: PHA project-based assistance, including vouchers; the public notice requirements for proposed Fair Market Rents; and the Family Unification Program, especially coordination between PHAs and public child welfare agencies in carrying it out. The Housing Act of 1949 is amended to permit USDA to delegate to preferred lenders its loan approval authority for the Rural Housing Service single family housing guaranteed loan program. The National Housing Act is amended to require the FHA to modify its certification requirements for condominium mortgage insurance. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is amended to require HUD to define the ''geographic area'' for purposes of the Continuum of Care Program (which awards project sponsors or unified funding agencies competitive grants focused on addressing the long-term housing and services needs of homeless individuals and families). Local governments receiving Emergency Solutions Grants may distribute all or part of the assistance to PHAs or Local Redevelopment Authorities. (The grants are awarded to assist the homeless and prevent homelessness. Distribution of the grants is currently limited to nonprofit organizations.) The bill transfers to the Office of the Secretary the Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs, currently in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs. HUD and the Department of Veterans Affairs must report annually to Congress on the number of veterans assisted by HUD programs, coordination of services for veterans, and the cost of administering programs to veterans. The bill also revises the formula and requirements for distributing funds under the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Program.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2016
Condemns the recent dangerous and unprofessional Russian intercepts of U.S.-flagged aircraft and vessels. Calls on: (1) the Russian Federation to cease provocative military maneuvers that endanger U.S. and allied forces; and (2) the United States, its European allies, and the international community to pressure the Russian Federation to cease such behavior. Reaffirms the right of the United States to operate military aircraft and vessels in international airspace and waters.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
Condemns the terrorist attack on the Pulse Orlando nightclub on June 12, 2016. Honors those who were killed and expresses hope for the recovery of those who were injured. Applauds the dedication and bravery of the law enforcement and counterterrorism officials who responded to the attack. Declares that the House of Representatives stands together with all people of the United States in the face of terror and hate. Reaffirms the commitment of the United States and its allies to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other terrorist groups at home and abroad and to address the threat posed by homegrown terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2016
Small Business Health Care Relief Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), and other laws to exempt qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) from certain requirements that apply to group health plans. A qualified small employer HRA is offered by employers that have fewer than 50 full-time employees and do not offer group health plans to any of their employees. A qualified small employer HRA must: be provided on the same terms to all eligible employees of the employer; be funded solely by the employer without salary reduction contributions; provide, after an employee provides proof of coverage, for the payment or reimbursement of medical expenses of the employee and family members; and limit annual payments and reimbursements to specified dollar amounts. HRAs that meet these requirements are not considered group health plans and are exempt from various requirements that apply to group health plans, including coverage and cost-sharing requirements. (Under current law, employers that sponsor group health plans that do not meet specified requirements are subject to an excise tax.) Coverage and payments under a qualified HRA are excluded from gross income, unless the employee does not have minimum essential coverage for the month in which the medical care was provided. Employers offering a qualified HRA must notify employees in advance regarding permitted benefits and report benefit information on W-2 forms and to health exchanges. The bill sets forth requirements for determining whether an employee covered under an HRA is also eligible for premium subsidies under PPACA.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2016
Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit the Internal Revenue Service from requiring a tax-exempt organization to include in annual returns the name, address, or other identifying information of any contributor. The bill includes exceptions for: (1) required disclosures regarding prohibited tax shelter transactions; and (2) contributions by the organization's officers, directors, or five highest compensated employees (including compensation paid by related organizations).
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2016
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of George Voinovich, former member of the Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on June 14, 2016, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Voinovich.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2016
This joint resolution declares that: Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to defining and delimiting the exemptions from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for executive, administrative, professionals, outside sales, and computer employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; and such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2016
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 · 26 May 2016
Open Skies Treaty Compliance Assurance Act This bill prohibits funds from being obligated or expended to aid the certification or approval of any new sensor, including to carry out an initial or exhibition observation flight of an observation aircraft, for use by the Russian Federation on observation flights under the Treaty on Open Skies unless the President certifies to Congress that: the new sensor's capabilities do not exceed capabilities imposed by the treaty and safeguards are in place to prevent the sensor or any information obtained from being used in any way not permitted by the treaty; mitigation measures are in place regarding collection by such sensor of high-value U.S. assets and critical infrastructure; each covered state party has been briefed on intelligence concerns regarding upgraded sensors used under the treaty, Russian Federation war fighting doctrine, and related intelligence collection; and the Russian Federation is in compliance with all of its treaty obligations, including the obligation to permit properly notified covered state party observation flights over all of Moscow, Chechnya, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Kaliningrad. Certification is required for each sensor and platform for which the Russian Federation has requested approval under the treaty. The President may waive the requirement of Russian compliance with treaty obligations by certifying that sensor certification or approval is in U.S. national security interests. Such certification must include the date such compliance is expected and a description of U.S. efforts to achieve it. "Covered state party" means a foreign country that is a state party to the treaty and a U.S. ally.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2016
Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act or the FUELS Act This bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ease the application of the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule on certain farms. The rule requires certain non-transportation-related facilities to prevent, prepare, and respond to oil discharges that may reach navigable waters or adjoining shorelines. Among other requirements, the rule requires those facilities to: (1) certify compliance with their SPCC plans; and (2) based on the plan, construct containment facilities that would hold the contents of aboveground oil storage tanks if they should spill. The bill increases the oil storage thresholds that necessitate compliance with those requirements by raising the aggregate aboveground oil storage capacity thresholds for: (1) farms required to have an SPCC plan, (2) farms that self-certify their SPCC plan, and (3) farms that require a certification of their SPCC plan from a professional engineer. The bill also raises the aboveground oil storage capacity of containers that must be included in calculating the aggregate aboveground storage capacity. The calculations of the aggregate aboveground oil storage capacity of a farm and the aboveground storage capacity of an individual oil tank on a farm must not include containers holding animal feed ingredients that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in livestock feed.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2016
Small Business Lending Oversight Act of 2016 This bill amends the Small Business Act to establish within the Small Business Administration (SBA) an Office of Credit Risk Management (OCRM) to impose specified administrative penalties, including monetary penalties, on any loan-financing lender that knowingly and repeatedly: fails properly to determine and document that a small business loan is eligible for financing, including failure to document that a loan is eligible because the applicant is unable to obtain credit elsewhere (from non-federal, non-state, or non-local government sources); sells the guaranteed portion of a loan when the loan proceeds have not been fully disbursed in accordance with program requirements; imposes on a loan applicant a fee that the SBA has not specifically authorized; or re-amortizes a loan solely to make the loan appear current. The SBA shall: conduct annual risk analyses of its loan portfolio, and assess a separate fee for each approved loan whose proceeds shall be used solely to support OCRM operations. The SBA shall also, at the end of each year, calculate the percentage of loans in a lender's portfolio made without a contribution of borrower equity when the loan's purpose was to establish a new small business concern, to effectuate a change of small business ownership, or to purchase real estate. No new loan application without a contribution of borrower equity, except in certain circumstances, may be approved if more than 15% of the lender's loan portfolio is without such a contribution. The SBA shall also make end-of-year calculations of industry concentrations for each lender. No new loan application to a lender from a small business concern operating in a single industry, except in certain circumstances, may be approved if over 20% of the lender's loans are concentrated in that industry. The SBA may not approve any loan if its financing is more than 100% of project costs. A lender may use an outside agent or lender service provider to assist in identifying potential applicants and with processing, disbursing, servicing, and liquidating a loan. With respect to an SBA loan for plant acquisition, construction, conversion, or expansion, including the acquisition of land, material, supplies, equipment, and working capital, as well as a loan to any qualified small business concern, no lender may sell or pledge an amount higher than 85% of the loan, or the percentage guaranteed by the SBA, whichever is greater.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016
Recognizes the service and sacrifice of the 19 Air Force members who were killed in the June 25, 1996, terrorist bombing of the United States Sector Khobar Towers military housing complex on Dhahran Air Base, Saudi Arabia. Extends sympathies to the families and friends of those killed. Acknowledges the anguish and resilience of the attack's survivors. Assures members of the Armed Forces and other U.S. agents serving in harm's way that their well-being will be given the highest priority. Declares that perpetrators of terrorist acts against members of the Armed Forces and U.S. agents or citizens will be brought to justice.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, half-dollar clad, and proof silver coins in recognition and celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon. Treasury may issue coins minted under this bill for only a one-year period, beginning January 1, 2019. All sales of these coins shall include a surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, $5 per half-dollar clad coin, and $50 per proof silver coin. All of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins shall be paid as follows: one-half to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum's "Destination Moon" exhibit; one-quarter to the Astronauts Memorial Foundation; and one-quarter to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, to aid its missions by providing college scholarships for the very best and brightest students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2016
Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act of 2016 This bill bars the federal government from prohibiting or restricting the production, manufacture, distribution, prescribing, or dispensing of an experimental drug, biological product, or device that is: (1) intended to treat a patient who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness; and (2) authorized by, and in accordance with, state law. The federal government may not restrict the possession or use of such a treatment by a patient certified by a physician as having exhausted all other treatment options. A producer, manufacturer, distributor, prescriber, dispenser, possessor, or user of such a treatment has no liability regarding the treatment. The outcome of production, 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 (FDA); and (3) not be approved, licensed, or cleared for sale under the Federal Food, Drug, or Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service Act. Not later than 30 days after enactment of this bill, and every 30 days thereafter until implementation is complete, the FDA must report on its progress in implementing a streamlined application process for compassionate use of experimental drugs and biological products.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2016
Western Water Supply and Planning Enhancement Act of 2016 TITLE I--LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS FOR WESTERN STATES SUBJECT TO DROUGHT This bill directs the Department of the Army to: (1) submit a report including, for any state in which a county designated by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a drought disaster area during water year 2015 is located, a list of projects operated for flood control in accordance with rules prescribed under the Flood Control Act of 1944; and (2) carry out at least 15 pilot projects, including at least 6 non-federal projects, to implement revisions of water operations manuals, including flood control rule curves, based on the best available science. This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior, in cooperation with the state of Wyoming, to amend the Definite Plan Report for the Seedskadee Project authorized under the Colorado River Storage Project Act to provide for the study, design, planning, and construction activities that will enable the use of all active storage capacity of Fontenelle Dam and Reservoir. Interior is required to: (1) enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for a comprehensive study of the effectiveness and environmental impacts of saltcedar biological and mechanical control efforts on increasing water supplies and improving riparian habitats, and (2) report a feasible plan to implement a tamarisk control plan as described in the Bureau of Reclamation study entitled "Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study." The bill directs Interior to: (1) fund or participate in projects to increase Colorado River System water in Lake Mead and the initial units of Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs to address the effects of historic drought conditions, and (2) report on the effectiveness of such projects by September 30, 2026. Interior (for National Forest System land) and USDA (for public land) must study, develop, and describe only the management activity or the alternative of no action in an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement for a management activity that is developed through a collaborative process, proposed by a resource advisory committee, or covered by a community wildfire protection plan, or that covers an area with a high national fire danger rating, and for which the primary purpose is: to address an insect infestation; to reduce hazardous fuel loads; to control a noxious or invasive weed; to protect a municipal water source; to maintain, enhance, or modify critical habitat to ensure protection from catastrophic disturbances; to increase water yield; or any combination thereof. A categorical exclusion to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 shall be available to the USDA or Interior to develop and carry out such a management activity on National Forest System land or public land. Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act The bill directs Interior to: (1) submit and biennially update an Asset Management Report that describes the Bureau of Reclamation's efforts to maintain all reserved works at Reclamation facilities and to standardize and streamline data reporting and processes across regions and areas for the purpose of maintaining such works, (2) coordinate with the non-federal entities responsible for the operation and maintenance of transferred works in developing reporting requirements for such report, and (3) develop and implement a categorical rating system for transferred works. The maximum amount of the federal share of the cost of the Central Valley Water Recycling Project otherwise available as of the date of enactment of this bill is reduced by $2 million. Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act The bill establishes the Bureau of Reclamation as the lead agency for purposes of coordinating all reviews, analyses, opinions, statements, permits, licenses, or other approvals or decisions (reviews) required under federal law to construct new surface water storage projects on lands administered by Interior or USDA, exclusive of any easement, right-of-way, lease, or any private holding (qualifying projects). The Bureau: (1) upon receipt of an application for a qualifying project, shall identify any federal agency that may have jurisdiction over a required review; and (2) shall notify such agency that it has been designated as a cooperating agency unless the agency notifies the Bureau that the agency has no jurisdiction or authority over the project, has no expertise or information relevant to the project or any associated review, or does not intend to submit comments other than in cooperation with the Bureau. Each cooperating agency must submit to the Bureau: (1) a timeframe for completing the agency's authorizing responsibilities, (2) all environmental review material produced in the course of carrying out activities required under federal law consistent with the project schedule, and (3) all relevant project data. A state in which a qualifying project is being considered may choose to: (1) participate as a cooperating agency; and (2) make subject to the processes of this bill all state agencies that have jurisdiction over the project, are required to conduct or issue a review, or are required to make a determination on issuing a permit, license, or approval for the project. The principal responsibilities of the Bureau under this bill are to: (1) serve as the point of contact for applicants, state agencies, Indian tribes, and others regarding proposed projects; (2) coordinate preparation of unified environmental documentation that will serve as the basis for all federal decisions necessary to authorize the use of federal lands for qualifying projects; and (3) coordinate all federal agency reviews necessary for the development and construction of qualifying projects. Authorizes Interior to accept and expend funds contributed by a non-federal public entity to expedite the evaluation of a permit of that entity related to a qualifying project or activity for a public purpose under its jurisdiction. Directs Interior to ensure that all final permit decisions are made available to the public, including on the Internet. Bureau of Reclamation Project Streamlining Act The bill requires that a surface water or water supply project feasibility study initiated after enactment of this bill shall: (1) result in the completion of a final feasibility report within three years; (2) have a maximum federal cost of $3 million; and (3) ensure that personnel from the local project area, region, and headquarters levels of the Bureau of Reclamation concurrently conduct the required review. The bill sets forth factors for extending such timeline for complex projects. Interior shall, within 90 days after the initiation of a project study: (1) initiate the process for completing reviews, including environmental reviews, required to be completed as part of such study; (2) convene a meeting of federal, tribal, and state agencies required to act; and (3) provide information that will enable required reviews and analyses to be conducted by other agencies in a thorough and timely manner. Interior must: (1) expedite the completion of any ongoing project study initiated before the enactment of this bill; and (2) proceed directly to preconstruction planning, engineering, and design of a project that it determines is justified. The bill sets forth requirements applicable to: (1) project studies initiated after enactment of this bill for which an environmental impact statement is prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); (2) other project studies initiated before enactment for which an environmental review process document is prepared under NEPA; and (3) any project study for the development of a non-federally owned and operated surface water storage project for which Interior determines there is a demonstrable federal interest and that is located in a river basin where other Bureau water projects are located, that will create additional water supplies that support Bureau water projects, or that will become integrated into the operation of Bureau water projects. Interior shall: annually prepare a list of all such studies that do not have adequate funding for study completion; develop and implement a coordinated environmental review process for the development of such studies; identify early all federal, state, and local government agencies and Indian tribes that may have jurisdiction and that may be required to act, which the federal lead agency shall invite to become participating or cooperating agencies; issue guidance regarding the use of programmatic approaches to carry out the environmental review process; and establish an electronic database and issue reporting requirements to make publicly available the status and progress with respect to compliance with applicable NEPA requirements and other action required for a project study. The bill sets forth the authorities and responsibilities of the joint lead agency, which may be a project sponsor, and the federal lead agency in the environmental review process, including: (1) the preparation and use of environmental documents; (2) establishing a plan for coordinating public and agency participation; (3) working with cooperating and participating agencies to identify and resolve issues that could delay process completion or result in the denial of any approval required for the project study; and (4) establishing, upon request, memoranda of agreement with the project sponsor, Indian tribes, and state and local governments to carry out the early coordination activities. A federal lead agency shall serve in that capacity for the entirety of all non-federal projects that will be integrated into a larger system owned, operated, or administered by the Bureau. Interior, upon determining that a project can be expedited by a non-federal sponsor and that there is a demonstrable federal interest in expediting the project, shall advance it as a non-federal project. A federal jurisdictional agency must complete any required approval or decision for the environmental review process on an expeditious basis. Funds shall be reduced for such an agency that fails to render such a decision by a specified deadline. Interior shall: (1) survey the use by the Bureau of categorical exclusions in projects since 2005 and propose a new categorical exclusion for a category of activities if merited, and (2) establish a program to measure and report on progress made toward improving and expediting the planning and environmental review process. The bill requires Interior to develop and submit annually a Report to Congress on Future Water Project Development that identifies: (1) the costs and benefits of, the non-federal interests associated with, and the support for project reports, proposed project studies, and proposed modifications to authorized water projects and project studies that are related to the missions and authorities of the Bureau, that require specific congressional authorization, that have not been congressionally authorized, that have not been included in any previous annual report, and that, if authorized, could be carried out by the Bureau; and (2) any project study that was expedited under this bill. TITLE II--PROTECTING EXISTING WATER RIGHTS Water Rights Protection Act The bill prohibits USDA or Interior from conditioning or withholding an action to issue, renew, amend, or extend any permit, approval, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement on: the transfer of any state water right to the United States or any other designee; the acquisition of a state water right in the name of the United States; limiting the date, time, quantity, location of diversion or pumping, or place of use of a state water right beyond any applicability limitations under state water law; so limiting a state water right based on jurisdiction over groundwater resources, unless the limitation imposes no greater restriction to a state water right than an applicable state law governing groundwater resources; or the modification of the terms and conditions of groundwater withdrawal, guidance and reporting procedures, and conservation and source protection measures established by a state. In developing any rule, policy, directive, or management plan relating to such an action, Interior or the USDA: (1) shall recognize the long-standing authority of the states relating to groundwater and coordinate with the states to ensure that any such rule, policy, directive, or management plan is consistent with, and imposes no greater restriction or regulatory requirement than, applicable state groundwater law; and (2) shall not assert any connection between surface and groundwater that is inconsistent with such a connection recognized by state water laws or adversely affect any authority of a state in adjudicating water rights, any definition established by a state with respect to the term "beneficial use," "priority of water rights," or "terms of use," or any other right or obligation of a state established under state law. TITLE III-- COMPLETING AND MAINTAINING RURAL WATER SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURE Irrigation Rehabilitation and Renovation for Indian Tribal Governments and Their Economies Act or the IRRIGATE Act This bill establishes the Indian Irrigation Fund, from which Interior may make expenditures to carry out this Act. The Department of the Treasury shall deposit into such Fund for each of FY2017-FY2038 specified amounts of revenues that would otherwise be deposited in the reclamation fund established by the Reclamation Act of 1902. The Fund shall terminate on September 30, 2038, and the unexpended and unobligated balance shall be transferred to the reclamation fund. Interior shall establish a program to address the deferred maintenance and water storage needs of Indian irrigation projects that: (1) create risks to public or employee safety or natural or cultural resources, and (2) unduly impede the management and efficiency of the Indian irrigation program. Interior shall use or transfer specified amounts in the Fund to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for each of FY2017-FY2038 to carry out maintenance, repair, replacement, and water storage construction activities for Indian irrigation projects in the western United States that are owned by the federal government and managed and operated by the BIA and that have deferred maintenance documented. Such amounts shall not be: (1) subject to reimbursement by the owners of the land served by the Indian irrigation projects; or (2) assessed as debts or liens against the land served by such projects. Interior shall submit to Congress: (1) programmatic goals to carry out this Act that would enable the completion of repairing, replacing, modernizing, or performing maintenance on projects as expeditiously as possible, facilitate or improve the BIA's ability to carry out its mission in operating a project, ensure that the results of government-to-government consultation with the Indian tribe that has jurisdiction over the land on which an eligible project is located are addressed, and facilitate the construction of new water storage using non-federal contributions to address tribal, regional, and watershed-level supply needs; and (2) funding prioritization criteria to serve as a methodology for distributing funds under this Act. Such criteria to take into account: the extent to which deferred maintenance of projects threatens public or employee safety or health, natural or cultural resources, or the BIA's ability to operate the project; the methodology of the rehabilitation priority index; the potential economic benefits of the expenditures on job creation and general economic development in the affected tribal communities; and the ability of the qualifying project to address tribal, regional, and watershed level water supply needs. Interior shall: (1) complete a study that evaluates options for improving programmatic and project management and performance of irrigation projects managed and operated by the BIA, and (2) submit status reports biennially on progress made and deficiencies remaining regarding addressing the deferred maintenance needs of Indian irrigation projects. Interior shall ensure that, for each of FY2017-FY2038, each eligible Indian irrigation project that has critical maintenance needs receives funding. Clean Water for Rural Communities Act The bill authorizes Interior to carry out water supply projects in Montana and North Dakota entitled: (1) the "Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System" in accordance with the Dry-Redwater Regional Water System Feasibility Study, which received funding from the Bureau of Reclamation on September 1, 2010; and (2) the "Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System" in accordance with the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System Feasibility Report. Interior shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority (DRWA) and the Central Montana Regional Water Authority to provide federal assistance for the planning, design, and construction of such water systems. The bill sets forth the federal share of such costs and the authorized uses of federal funds, which exclude operation, maintenance, or replacement of the Water Systems. The Western Area Power Administration shall make available to the Dry-Redwater System a quantity of power (up to one and a half megawatt capacity) required to meet the system's pumping and incidental operation requirements between May 1 and October 31 of each year: (1) from the water intake facilities; and (2) through all pumping stations, water treatment facilities, reservoirs, storage tanks, and pipelines up to the point of delivery of water to all storage reservoirs and tanks and each entity that distributes water at retail to individual users. The Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System shall be eligible to receive such power only if it: (1) operates on a nonprofit basis, and (2) is constructed pursuant to Interior's cooperative agreement with the DRWA. The DRWA shall be responsible for: (1) charges for additional power needed to meet pumping requirements, (2) the costs of non-federal transmission and distribution system delivery and service arrangements, and (3) funding any upgrades to the transmission system owned by the Western Area Power Administration Basin Electric Power District and the Heartland Consumers Power District required to deliver power to the system. TITLE IV--OFFSET Accelerated Revenue, Repayment, and Surface Water Storage Enhancement Act This title requires Interior, upon request from a water users association, to convert certain water service contracts between the United States and the association to allow for prepayment of repayment contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2016
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Robert F. Bennett, former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on May 9, 2016, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Bennett.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2016
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Conrad Ray Burns, former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on May 9, 2016, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Burns.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016
Timber Innovation Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a performance-driven research and development program to advance tall wood building construction in the United States. "Tall wood building" means a building designed to be over 85 feet high and constructed with large panelized wood construction (mass timber), including cross-laminated timber, nail laminated timber, glue laminated timber, laminated strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber. USDA shall for FY2017-FY2021 carry out an annual competition for a tall wood building design in accordance with the requirements for prize competitions carried out under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980. In carrying out a wood innovation grant program, USDA may make a wood innovation grant to one or more specified eligible entities in order to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies in the development of innovative wood products for tall wood building construction. USDA shall carry out a program of education and technical assistance for mass timber applications. USDA shall collaborate and partner with one or more nonfederal entities, including governments of other countries, to: enhance tall wood building commercialization of the United States, develop technical assistance related to tall wood building commercialization, and carry out the program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016
Honors May 1-7, 2016, as National Small Business Week. Celebrates the contributions of small businesses and entrepreneurs in every U.S. community. Recognizes the importance of the Small Business Administration as a valuable resource for entrepreneurs in the United States. Supports efforts to increase awareness of the value of small businesses and their impact on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2016
Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2016 This bill directs the Small Business Administration to develop partnership agreements that provide for: development of high-quality training for small businesses related to domestic and international protection of intellectual property, leveraging of training materials already developed for the education of inventors and small businesses, and participation of a nongovernmental organization. These agreements must also provide training: through electronic resources, including Internet-based webinars, and at physical locations, including a small business development center; and the headquarters or a regional office of the United States Patent and Trade Office. The bill amends the Small Business Act to require services at a small business development center to include training in person or through a website relating to: domestic and international intellectual property protections, and how those protections should be considered in the business plans and growth strategies of small businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2016
GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2016 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 · 19 April 2016
Recognizes 4-H as a vital organization for training the next generation for national leadership, congratulates the National 4-H Council on its "Grow True Leaders" campaign, and supports the council's efforts to grow and diversify the 4-H program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2016
Stop Taxing Death and Disability Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of an individual the discharge of student loans or private education loans due to the death or disability of the student. The bill also amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education (ED) to discharge the liability on loans that parents received on behalf of a student who: (1) has become permanently and totally disabled, or (2) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity due to a physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or has lasted or is expected to last continuously for at least 60 months. (Under current law, ED is required to discharge the loans to parents if the student dies.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2016
Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act This bill revises the functions of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) by establishing new transparency and accountability measures on the commission's budget and fee structure and developing the regulatory framework necessary to enable the licensing of advanced nuclear reactors. The bill amends the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to remove amounts appropriated for the Advanced Reactor Program from the NRC's fee recovery requirement. The NRC must ensure that the collection of fees is equal to their budget authority. The NRC may collect fees through: (1) fees for services that specifically benefit a particular person or entity, and (2) annual fees to fund regulatory costs. The bill places a cap on the amount of the annual fee that may be charged to an operating reactor. The NRC must also establish stages within the licensing process for reactors and implement risk-informed performance-based licensing evaluation techniques and guidance. Research and test reactor licensing must also be developed. In addition, the NRC must complete a rulemaking by the end of 2023 to establish a technology-inclusive regulatory framework for licensing advanced nuclear reactors. The Department of Energy must establish the Advanced Nuclear Energy Cost-Share Grant Program to make cost-share grants to applicants for the purpose of funding a portion of the NRC pre-application and application review fees.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act This bill declares that the proposed or the final rule of the Department of Labor entitled "Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees" shall cease to have any force or effect. The rule revises the "white collar" exemption of executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees from minimum wage and maximum hour, or overtime, requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). If the proposed rule is a final rule on the date of enactment of this bill: Labor shall not enforce it based on conduct occurring before that enactment date, an employee shall not have any right of action against an employer for the employer's failure to comply with the final rule at any time before that enactment date, any regulations that were amended by the final rule shall be restored and revived as if the final rule had never taken effect, and nothing in this bill shall be construed to create a right of action for an employer against an employee for the recoupment of any payments made to the employee before the enactment of this bill that were in compliance with that final rule. Labor may promulgate any substantially similar rule only if it has completed certain required actions; but the rule shall not contain any automatic updates to the salary threshold for purposes of exemptions to minimum wage and maximum hour requirements under the FLSA. The requirement that definitions applicable for such exemptions be defined and delimited from time to time by Labor regulations shall be construed to: require Labor to issue a new rule through notice and comment rulemaking for each change in any salary threshold it has proposed; and exclude any rule that would result in changes to any salary threshold for multiple time periods, including through any automatic updating procedure. Labor may not promulgate any final rule that includes any revision to duties tests for exemption from minimum wage and maximum hours requirements unless specific regulatory text for the provision was proposed in the proposed rule.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Iran Ballistic Missile Sanctions Act of 2016 This bill amends the Iran-Iraq Arms Non-Proliferation Act of 1992 to cover ballistic missile or related technology. The Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 is amended to: (1) extend the Act through December 31, 2031, and (2) require sanctions on Iran and related entities and persons for actions to acquire or develop ballistic missiles and launch technology. The Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 is amended to direct the President to report to Congress biannually on: (1) identified persons that have knowingly aided Iran in developing its ballistic missile program, and (2) Iran-North Korea ballistic missile cooperation. The President shall block and prohibit all transactions in property and property interests in the United States of any identified person. An identified person, with certain exceptions, shall be excluded from U.S. entry. The President shall prohibit the opening and prohibit or impose strict conditions on the maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates a significant financial transaction for an identified person. The President shall block and prohibit all transactions in property and property interests in the United States of: any entity owned in part by the Aerospace Industries Organization, the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, or the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group, or collectively by a group of individual investors in such groups; or any person that controls or is a board member of such an entity. The Department of the Treasury shall submit to Congress a list of entities (and their officers) in which the Aerospace Industries Organization, the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group, or any agent or affiliate has a specified minimum ownership interest. The President shall: certify to Congress biannually that each person listed in an annex of certain United Nations Security Council Resolutions is not involved with the development of or transfer to Iran of ballistic missiles, related technology, or components; but issue sanctions on any persons involved in those activities and prohibit associated financial transactions in the United States. The President shall report to Congress: (1) biannually a list of sectors of the Iranian economy involved with the development of or transfer to Iran of ballistic missiles or technology; and (2) annually a list of all foreign persons involved with the development of ballistic missiles, technology, or components in those sectors, namely: automotive, chemical, computer science, construction, electronic, energy, metallurgy, mining, petrochemical, research (including universities and research institutions), and telecommunications. The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 is amended to cover the acquisition or development of ballistic missiles, capabilities, and launch technology. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is amended to require each issuer of securities to disclose to the Securities and Exchange Commission whether it knowingly engaged in any activity involving sectors of Iran that support its ballistic missile program for which sanctions may be imposed.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016
Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act of 2016 This bill amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to make it one of the purposes of the Act to extend financial and technical assistance to the states for the promotion of hunting and recreational shooting. The bill also prescribes a formula for the allocation of funds apportioned to a state that may be used for any activity or project to recruit or retain hunters and recreational shooters. Amounts apportioned to the states from any taxes on pistols, revolvers, bows, and arrows may be used for hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment. The funds apportioned to a state for wildlife restoration management may be used for related public relations. If a state has not used all of the tax revenues apportioned to it for firearm and bow hunter education and safety program grants, it may use its remaining apportioned funds for the enhancement of hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment. Up to $5 million of the revenues covered into wildlife restoration fund in the Treasury from any tax imposed for a fiscal year on the sale of certain bows, arrows, and archery equipment shall be available to the Department of the Interior exclusively for making hunter recruitment and recreational shooter recruitment grants that promote a national hunting and shooting sport recruitment program, including related communication and outreach activities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2016
Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to allow two or more employers to be considered joint employers for purposes of the Act only if each shares and exercises control over essential terms and conditions of employment and such control over these matters is actual, direct, and immediate.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2016
Veterans Choice Improvement Act of 2016 This bill codifies, revises, and makes permanent the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VCP is enlarged to include additional health care providers that meet specified VA criteria. Veterans eligibility provisions are revised, including by: eliminating the August 1, 2014, deadline for enrollment in the VA patient enrollment system; requiring that a veteran does not live within 40 miles driving distance of a VA medical facility with a full-time primary care physician or within 20 miles of a VA medical facility that provides hospital care, emergency medical services, and surgical care rated as having a surgical complexity of standard; and providing eligibility for a veteran enrolled in the VCP pilot program that provides hospital or medical care through qualifying non-VA health care providers to veterans in highly rural areas. Medical service rate exceptions are provided for: (1) highly rural areas, (2) Alaska, and (3) states that have an All-Payer Model Agreement. The VA shall provide for a nationwide claims processing system. The following VA programs, contracts, and agreements shall be consolidated into the VCP by December 31, 2017: the patient-centered community care program; contracts for kidney dialysis services; contracts through the retail VA pharmacy network; and health care agreements with federal entities or federally-funded entities, including the Department of Defense, the Indian Health Service, tribal health programs, federally-qualified health centers, and academic teaching affiliates. VCP funds shall be derived from the appropriations account established under the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015. The VA shall ensure that VCP health care provider payments comply with the Prompt Payment Act and the requirements of this bill. VCP claims, with a limited exception, must be submitted electronically as of January 1, 2019. The VA shall establish an electronic claims interface by such date. This bill terminates certain provisions authorizing medical care through non-VA facilities. The Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 is amended to extend the pilot program under which the VA provides covered health services in highly rural areas to covered veterans through qualifying non-VA health care providers. The VA may, if unable to furnish hospital care, medical services, or extended care at VA facilities or under other authorized contracts or sharing agreements, enter into a Veterans Care Agreement with an eligible provider to furnish such care and services. An eligible provider is: a physician, supplier, or service provider that has entered into an agreement under the Social Security Act; a provider of items and services receiving payments under a state Medicaid plan; an aging and disability resource center, an area agency on aging, or a center for independent living; or a provider located in a health shortage area. The VA shall reimburse an ambulance provider or other entity that provides emergency transportation to a non-VA facility for a veteran who is an active VA health care participant who is personally liable for emergency treatment in a non-VA facility. A veteran seeking VA hospital care or medical services shall provide the VA with information about other health plan coverage. If the VA establishes or has established a presumption of service connection for disability compensation for a specified illness/condition incurred by a veteran who served at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the VA shall commence payment of such compensation within 90 days of: (1) establishing such presumption, or (2) enactment of this bill for such a presumption established prior to enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2016
Recognizes the legacy of Russian opposition leader Boris Yefimovich Nemtsov, who dedicated his life to fighting corruption and promoting the principles of democracy, rule of law, and the inherent dignity of human beings. Urges the U.S. government, in official contacts with representatives of the Russian government, to emphasize the importance of bringing to justice all of the conspirators in the murder of Boris Yefimovich Nemtsov. Calls on the President to increase significantly U.S. support for the causes for which Boris Yefimovich Nemtsov gave his life.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2016
This bill amends the Military Selective Service Act to declare that any modification or change to the persons subject to the duty to register may be made only through an Act of Congress. No court created by Act of Congress shall have any jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court shall have no appellate jurisdiction, to hear or decide any question or claim, whether filed before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act, pertaining to the interpretation of, or the validity under the Constitution of, the class of persons subject to the duty to register.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2016
Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax credit for railroad track maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2016
Acknowledges the lifetime of service of Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Commends his 29-year tenure on the Court and extends sympathy to his family and friends on his death.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2016
Combating BDS Act of 2016 This bill authorizes a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, or prohibit investment of its assets in: (1) an entity that such government determines, using credible information available to the public, 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 government shall provide written notice to such an entity before applying such a measure. Such a measure by a state or local government is not preempted by any federal law. The bill applies to any measure adopted by a state or local government before, on, or after the date of this Act's enactment. The bill amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to prohibit any person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against any registered investment company, or any officer or employee thereof, based solely upon such company divesting from, or avoiding investing in, securities issued by persons that such company determines, using credible information available to the public, engage in any commerce or investment-related boycotts, divestments, or sanctions activities targeting Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Marlow Cook, former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on February 4, 2016, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Cook.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2016
Help Small Businesses Access Affordable Credit Act This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA), if demand for commitments for authorized general business loans exceeds the limit on the total amount of commitments the SBA may make for such loans, to make such commitments up to 110% of that limit. The SBA may not exercise this authority until specified congressional committees have approved.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2016
Life at Conception Act of 2016 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 Act 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 · 21 January 2016
Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to revise the objectives for the civilian nuclear energy research and development programs of the Department of Energy (DOE). DOE shall carry out a specified program to enhance U.S. capabilities to develop new reactor technologies and related systems technologies through high-performance computation modeling and simulation techniques. DOE shall: (1) determine the mission need for a versatile reactor-based fast neutron source, which shall operate as a national user facility; and (2) submit a plan to Congress for establishment of such a facility. DOE may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to establish a National Nuclear Innovation Center that: enables the testing and demonstration of reactor concepts to be proposed and funded by the private sector, establishes and operates a database to store and share data and knowledge on nuclear science between federal agencies and private industry, and establishes capabilities to develop and test reactor electric and nonelectric integration and energy conversion systems. DOE shall submit to Congress three alternative 10-year budget plans for civilian nuclear energy research and development. The NRC shall report to Congress on: the extent to which it is capable of licensing advanced reactor designs developed under this bill by the end of a specified four-year period, and any organizational or institutional barriers it will need to overcome to be able to license such designs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2016
Opposes: (1) the European Commission interpretive notice regarding labeling Israeli products and goods manufactured in the West Bank and other areas; and (2) politically motivated acts of boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel or Israeli-controlled territory. Calls upon the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the European Parliament to oppose boycott, divestment, or sanctions initiatives aimed at singling out Israel, and to refrain from actions counterproductive to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Encourages European Union (EU) member states to exert prudence in the implementation of the EU labeling guidelines regarding Israeli products and goods manufactured in the West Bank and other areas. Urges the Administration to increase its influence in international forums to oppose boycott, divestment, and sanctions actions against Israel. Supports efforts by U.S. state legislatures to enact measures that oppose such acts against Israel. Reaffirms support for a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2016
Honors the 230th anniversary of the passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on Religious Freedom Day, January 16, 2016. Affirms that: religious freedom includes the right to live, work, associate, and worship in accordance with one's beliefs for people of any faith or of no faith; all Americans 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 · 11 January 2016
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Dale Bumpers, former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on January 11, 2016, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Bumpers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2015
Ending Iran's Nuclear Weapon Program Before Sanctions Relief Act of 2015 This bill requires the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to report to Congress on the military dimensions of of Iran's nuclear program. The U.S. government shall not provide any sanctions relief to Iran until 90 days after: (1) the report's submission; (2) the DNI, the Department of Energy, the Department of State, and the Department of Defense certify jointly to Congress that Iran has ended all military dimensions of its nuclear program; and (3) a joint resolution has been enacted into law approving such sanctions relief.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2015
This joint resolution disapproves and nullifies a Department of Agriculture rule published on December 2, 2015, to establish a mandatory inspection program for fish of the order Siluriformes, including catfish and products derived from the fish.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2015
Liberty Through Strength Act II This bill requires the National Security Agency (NSA) to have access to business records, telephone call records, and other tangible things collected under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) prior to November 29, 2015, in the same manner and for the same purposes for which the NSA had access to such records prior to such date (thereby allowing the NSA to access such records in the same manner as prior to the effective date of amendments made by the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015). The NSA must maintain such records for five years after they are acquired. The NSA's authority to access such business records under this Act shall be in effect for five years after enactment of this Act. The bill amends the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to make permanent expiring FISA provisions concerning: (1) roving electronic surveillance orders, (2) a revised definition of "agent of a foreign power" that includes any non-U.S. persons who engage in international terrorism or preparatory activities (commonly referred to as the "lone wolf" provision), and (3) authority for the Department of Justice and the Director of National Intelligence to authorize the targeting of non-U.S. persons located outside the United States to acquire foreign intelligence information. The federal criminal code is amended to: (1) return procedures for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) access to toll and transactional records to how they operated prior to the USA FREEDOM Act in order to allow the FBI (without using a term that specifically identifies a person, entity, telephone, or account) to request the name, address, length of service, and local and long distance toll billing records of a person or entity if the FBI certifies to the wire or electronic communication service provider that such information is relevant to an authorized investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities; and (2) add electronic communications transactional records as information that the FBI may request under such certification procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
Bosnia and Herzegovina-American Enterprise Fund Act This bill authorizes the President to designate a private, nonprofit organization as the Bosnia and Herzegovina-American Enterprise Fund to promote the private sector, job creation, and creation of a middle class in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
Expresses the sense of Congress that: the President should submit to the Senate for advice and consent the climate change agreement proposed for adoption at the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-21), and Congress should refuse to consider any budget resolutions and appropriations language that include funding for the Green Climate Fund until COP-21 emissions commitments are submitted to the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
Liberty Through Strength Act This bill amends the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 to postpone amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) that: (1) require the Federal Bureau of Investigation to use specific selection terms when applying for FISA court orders requiring the production of business records or other tangible things for an investigation to obtain foreign intelligence information not concerning a U.S. person or to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities; (2) establish additional requirements for production on an ongoing basis of call detail records relating to an authorized investigation to protect against international terrorism; and (3) authorize the Department of Justice to require the emergency production of tangible things without first obtaining a court order. The bill postpones the effective date of these amendments, which are currently scheduled to take effect 180 days after the USA FREEDOM Act was enacted on June 2, 2015, to: (1) January 31, 2017; or (2) the date that the President certifies to Congress that such amendments will have no operational impacts on the intelligence community. The bill also amends the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to make permanent expiring FISA authorities concerning: (1) roving electronic surveillance orders, and (2) a revised definition of "agent of a foreign power" that includes any non-U.S. persons who engage in international terrorism or preparatory activities (commonly referred to as the "lone wolf" provision).
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
Nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule published on October 26, 2015, that revises the primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards for ozone.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2015 This bill exempts small businesses from the enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission under which any person engaged in the provision of broadband Internet access service must disclose publicly accurate information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of its broadband Internet access services sufficient for: consumers to make informed choices regarding their use; and content, application, service, and device providers to develop, market, and maintain Internet offerings.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
Condemns the brutal attacks on the people of Paris that resulted in the death of at least 129 people, including one U.S. citizen, through shootings, hostage-taking, and suicide bombings of civilian targets. Expresses the Senate's condolences and deepest sympathies for the victims and their family members. Renews the solidarity of the people and government of the United States with the people and government of France. Pledges support for the government of France to pursue justice against those involved in these attacks and to prevent future attacks.
![Official portrait of Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000584_200.jpg)