United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2017
Fair Access to Insurance for Retired (FAIR) Heroes Act of 2017 This bill permits a veteran who is disability-retired for a condition or injury incurred during service in the U.S. Armed Forces to choose health care coverage through Medicare or TRICARE. (TRICARE is a Department of Defense managed health care program for uniformed service members, military retirees, and their dependents.)
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2017
Gun Violence Research Act of 2017 This bill amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, with respect to the prohibition on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) using funds to advocate or promote gun control. The bill declares that this prohibition does not restrict HHS funding for research on mental health, gun violence, and how they intersect. The Surgeon General must report annually on the effects of gun violence on public health, including mental health, and the status of actions taken to address those effects. HHS must report on the effects of gun violence on public health in minority communities.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2017
Workplace Action for a Growing Economy Act or the WAGE Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to award back pay and additional damages to any employee whose rights under the NLRA have been violated by an employer; impose penalties upon an employer for failing to post a notice of the rights of their employees under the NLRA; impose penalties upon an employer whose violations of the NLRA result in the discharge of an employee or other serious economic harm to the employee; provide civil remedies, including restraining orders, and a private right of action for violations of the NLRA; require the NLRB to issue an order requiring collective bargaining when a majority of valid ballots have been cast in favor of union representation; prevent the classification of employees as supervisors for the purpose of denying such employees the protections of the NLRA; and expedite the establishment of initial collective bargaining agreements. The bill empowers the NLRB to enforce its own orders without petitioning a court for enforcement.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2017
Continuing Community Health and Medical Professional Programs to Improve Our Nation and Keep Insurance Delivery Stable Act of 2017 or the CHAMPION KIDS Act of 2017 This bill extends funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), community health centers, and other specified public health programs, and otherwise modifies provisions related to Medicaid, CHIP, and public health.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2017
Bears Ears National Monument Expansion Act This bill expands the boundaries of the Bear Ears National Monument in Utah. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture USDA shall administer the lands under their jurisdictions within the expanded boundaries: (1) as part of the monument; and (2) in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 9558, dated December 28, 2016, which provided for establishment of the monument. Interior and USDA shall promptly carry out the proclamation's provisions, including the provisions requiring them to engage the Bear Ears Commission to: ensure the proper care and management of the objects identified; ensure that management decisions affecting the monument reflect tribal expertise and traditional and historical knowledge; and provide guidance and recommendations on the development and implementation of management plans and on management of the monument. The National Park Service shall administer Natural Bridges National Monument and those portions of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area that are within the expanded boundaries as part of the monument. Interior and USDA may acquire lands, waters, or interests in land that are located within the revised boundaries of the monument by donation, purchase, or exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2017
Stop Tax Breaks for Sexual Misconduct Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit a tax deduction for trade or business expenses paid or incurred for: (1) liability insurance providing coverage with respect to sexual misconduct by an employee; or (2) damages, settlement costs, or attorney's fees with respect to sexual misconduct by an employee. The bill also excludes from gross income amounts received as damages or settlement payments on account of injuries due to sexual misconduct.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2017
No Congressional First Class Flights Act This bill prohibits funds provided for the official travel expenses of a Member of Congress from being used for airline accommodations that are not coach-class, unless the accommodations are necessary to accommodate a medical disability or other special need.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2017
Authorizing Critical Conservation and Enabling Sportsmen and Sportswomen Act or the ACCESS Act This bill revises, reauthorizes, and establishes programs and entities regarding the conservation of wildlife and expanded access to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on federal lands. The bill makes permanent the authorizations for: (1) the program for the sale and exchange of public lands identified for disposal under approved land use plans, and (2) the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The bill revises requirements for appointment to the Board of Directors of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and reauthorizes the foundation through FY2022. This bill reauthorizes through FY2022 the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the multinational species conservation funds. The Department of the Interior shall convene a panel of experts on great apes to identify the greatest needs and priorities for their conservation. Certain federal departments and agencies shall implement activities to protect water and wildlife to control invasive species on the lands which they manage. The bill establishes Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize competitions regarding wildlife related concerns. The bill establishes the National Fish Habitat Board and provides for the designation of Fish Habitat Partnerships by it. Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act The bill amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to facilitate the construction and expansion of public target ranges. The bill declares that federal lands shall be open to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting, unless closed in accordance with this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2017
Congressional Accountability and Hush Fund Elimination Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to (1) prohibit the use of public funds for payments of awards and settlements resulting from violation of certain CAA rights and protections if the violation consists of sexual harassment or sexual assault, (2) prohibit an imposition of a nondisclosure agreement as a prerequisite for CAA procedures to consider the violation, and (3) permit an individual to publicize any information relating to such a prior award or settlement if it was conditioned on a nondisclosure agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2017
This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to prohibit the use of public funds for payments of awards or settlements in connection with certain CAA violations of employees' rights and protections by employing offices of the House of Representatives or of the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 28 November 2017
Directs the Committee on House Administration to issue regulations requiring Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives to complete a training program on workplace rights and responsibilities, including anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, during each congressional session. Requires Members, officers, or employees to certify completion of such training within 90 days after a congressional session begins or within 90 days after beginning service during a session. (Sets forth a special rule requiring such training to be completed within 180 days after the beginning of the second session of the 115th Congress.) Directs the committee to issue regulations requiring that each House employing office post in a prominent location in its office and in each Member's congressional district office a statement of rights and protections provided to House employees under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, including procedures for responding to and adjudicating allegations of violations of such rights and protections.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2017
Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act This bill establishes the Pension Rehabilitation Administration within the Department of the Treasury and a related trust fund to make loans to certain multiemployer defined benefit pension plans. To receive a loan, a plan must be either in critical and declining status (including any plan with respect to which a suspension of benefits has been approved) or insolvent, if the plan became insolvent after December 16, 2014, and has not been terminated. Treasury must issue bonds to fund the loan program and transfer amounts equal to the proceeds to the trust fund established by this bill. The Pension Rehabilitation Administration may use the funds, without a further appropriation, to make loans, pay principal and interest on the bonds, or for administrative and operating expenses. The bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow the sponsor of a multiemployer pension plan that is applying for a loan under this bill to also apply to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) for financial assistance if, after receiving the loan, the plan will still become (or remain) insolvent within the 30-year period beginning on the date of the loan. The bill also appropriates to the PBGC the funds that are necessary to provide the financial assistance required by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2017
Member and Employee Training and Oversight On Congress Act or the ME TOO Congress Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to revise procedures for reporting, investigating, and resolving allegations of legislative branch employees that their rights and protections under the CAA, such as protections against sexual harassment and discrimination, have been violated.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2017
Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program. Under the program, grants may be awarded for providing and expanding study abroad opportunities for undergraduate students.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2017
No Pensions for Corrupt Politicians Act of 2017 This bill prohibits Members of Congress who have been convicted of certain felonies from receiving pension payments between the date of sentencing and the date of final conviction for the offense (i.e., after all appeals have been exhausted). (Under current law, Members of Congress who have been convicted of such an offense may continue receiving pension payments until there is a final conviction.) If such a conviction is overturned on appeal, the Members may continue receiving their pensions as normal and are also eligible to retroactively receive the pension payments that were denied under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
This bill directs the Department of Justice to study and report to Congress on whether an individual's history of domestic violence can be used to determine the likelihood of that individual committing a mass shooting.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2017
Women in Aerospace Education Act This bill amends the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 to require the National Science Foundation (NSF) to encourage eligible entities that administer a fellowship program using grant funds awarded on or after October 1, 2018, under the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program to include in such fellowship program opportunities for the placement of fellows in research or education internship opportunities at national laboratories and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) centers. The NSF may give priority to proposals for placements that provide female fellows with research experience in aerospace engineering and related fields in which women are underrepresented. By October 1, 2018, NASA must institute a process to prioritize the promotion and recruitment of qualified candidates who are women or individuals who are historically underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science for internships and fellowships that are relevant to the aerospace sector and related fields.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2017
Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act or the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award cooperative agreements to state and local health departments to expand activities related to Alzheimer's disease, including activities involving early detection, support for caregivers, and public awareness.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017 This bill modifies various provisions of federal firearms laws. Among other things, it does the following: prohibits certain firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check; and requires states to implement plans to improve the submission of mental health and criminal history records to the national instant criminal background check system.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
American Promise Act of 2017 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit an alien who is in temporary protected status (TPS) or deferred enforced departure (DED) status to apply for legal permanent resident status if such alien: is eligible for permanent resident status, applies for adjustment within three years, was granted or was eligible for TPS or DED status on or before October 1, 2017, and has been continuously physically present in the U.S. for at least three years. (TPS designations permit eligible nationals of designated counties affected by armed conflict or natural disasters to temporarily reside and work in the United States. DED designations permit eligible nationals of presidentially-designated counties to be temporarily not subject to removal from the United States.) The bill: waives certain grounds of inadmissibility; authorizes the waiver of the continuous physical presence requirement if an alien's removal would cause extreme hardship to the alien or to the alien's spouse, children, parents, or domestic partner; authorizes an alien who has applied for status adjustment to work; and authorizes an alien who has been ordered removed or granted voluntary departure to apply for status adjustment. An alien's spouse, parent, or unmarried child shall have his or her status adjusted to legal permanent resident if such person is eligible for status adjustment and applies within three years. Aliens from countries that no longer have valid TPS designation and aliens who no longer have valid DED status are not included in this bill unless such TSP or DED status expires on or after January 1, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2017
Congress Leads by Example Act of 2017 This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to grant the Office of Compliance (OOC) subpoena authority under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) for inspections and investigations in offices covered by the CAA (Congressional offices and committees, the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services, the Capitol Police, the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, the Office of the Attending Physician, and the OOC) and in the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Library of Congress (LOC). CAA-covered offices, the GAO, and the LOC are subject to OSH Act recordkeeping requirements and may not: (1) retaliate against employees for requesting OOC action or for instituting or testifying in any proceeding that arises from the application of the OSH Act to that office, (2) fire an employee because the employee's earnings have been garnished for any one debt, or (3) discriminate against an employee for being a debtor or bankrupt. Whistle-blower protections are extended to employees of CAA-covered offices, the GAO, and the LOC. CAA-covered offices must: (1) retain records necessary to administer certain rights and protections of employees under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; and (2) post conspicuously all notices describing employee rights and protections under federal law. This bill amends the federal judicial code to extend protections for jurors' employment to CAA-covered offices, the GAO, the Government Publishing Office, and the LOC.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2017
Closing the Bump-Stock Loophole Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to regulate a reciprocating stock, or any other device which is designed to accelerate substantially the rate of fire of a semiautomatic weapon (i.e., bump stocks) in the same manner as a machine gun. Any person possessing such a device when this bill is enacted must register the device with the ATF within one year of the enactment of this bill, and the registration must be included in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The bill defines a "semiautomatic weapon" as any repeating weapon that: (1) utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and (2) requires a separate function of the trigger to fire each cartridge.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2017
Protect Victims of Crime Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase from 10,000 to 40,000 the number of U visas that may be issued in a fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
Grid Cybersecurity Research and Development Act This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop an initiative to mitigate the consequences on the electric grid from the results of cyberattacks by increasing cybersecurity capabilities of the electricity sector. Additionally, DOE must collaborate with other federal agencies, state agencies, and the private sector to develop guidance for research and demonstration activities to improve cybersecurity capabilities of the electricity sector. The National Institute of Standards and Technology must develop voluntary cybersecurity training standards that minimize duplication and maintain a public database of cybersecurity training programs. The Energy Sector Government Coordinating Council must develop a coordinated interagency strategic plan to advance cybersecurity capabilities in the electricity sector.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
State Public Option Act This bill allows residents not already eligible for Medicaid who are not concurrently enrolled in other health insurance coverage to buy into a state Medicaid plan beginning January 1, 2018. The bill makes such buy-in coverage eligible for premium subsidies and reduced cost sharing under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shall develop standardized, state-level metrics of access to, and satisfaction with, providers for individuals enrolled in state Medicaid plans. Primary care services furnished under Medicaid by certain providers must be paid at a rate that is not less than the rate under Medicare part B. Beginning in FY2019, the Department of Health and Human Services may award grants to states for the purpose of improving access to services for individuals enrolled in state Medicaid plans. The bill provides the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage to every state that expands Medicaid coverage for individuals who are newly eligible under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, regardless of when such expansion takes place.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act of 2017 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require mammography facilities to include up-to-date information about breast density in both the written report of the results of a mammography examination provided to a patient's physician and the summary of that written report given to the patient. The summary must convey: (1) the effect of breast density in masking the presence of breast cancer on a mammogram, and (2) that individuals with dense breasts should talk with their health care providers about any questions or concerns regarding the summary and whether they would benefit from additional tests. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to expand and intensify research on breast density, the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of supplemental imaging relating to breast density, and best practices concerning mammograms and supplemental screening for those with dense breasts.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
Promoting Apprenticeships through Regional Training Networks for Employers' Required Skills Act of 2017 or the PARTNERS Act This bill establishes a grant program to promote registered apprenticeships and other work-based learning programs for small and medium-sized businesses within in-demand industry sectors, through the establishment and support of industry or sector partnerships.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
USS Indianapolis Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the House of Representatives and the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design to the crew of the USS Indianapolis, in recognition of their perseverance, bravery, and service. Following the award of the gold medal, it shall be given to the Indiana War Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it will be displayed and made available for research. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the Indiana War Memorial Museum should make the gold medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations and events associated with the USS Indianapolis.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
Surviving Spouses Income Security Act This bill increases monthly rates for veterans' dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
This bill provides that the Department of Veterans Affairs per diem payment calculation for an entity receiving homeless veterans shelter grants for a homeless veteran who has care of a minor dependent while receiving services from such entity shall be the sum of the daily cost of care for the veteran plus, for each minor dependent, an amount that equals 50% of the veteran's daily cost of care.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2017
Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to intentionally and willfully conceal knowledge of a security breach that results in economic harm of at least $1,000 to any individual. It imposes criminal penalties on a violator and authorizes the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate offenses. The bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file a civil action: (1) to prevent ongoing conduct that damages 100 or more protected computers (e.g., government computers); and (2) to prevent the disposition of unlawfully obtained property. The bill also adds to the list of money laundering predicate offenses financial transactions that involve proceeds of unlawful manufacturing, distribution, possession, and advertising of wire, oral, or electronic communication intercepting devices. Finally, the bill requires certain commercial entities to implement a comprehensive consumer privacy and data security program. A commercial entity must notify a U.S. resident whose sensitive personally identifiable information (PII) has been, or is reasonably believed to have been, accessed or acquired. Sensitive PII includes electronic or digital forms of personal, financial, health, and biometric data, geographic location, and password-protected photographs and videos. It establishes civil penalties for violations and authorizes DOJ, the Federal Trade Commission, and states to enforce compliance.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2017
Protect Access to Birth Control Act This bill nullifies interim final rules issued by the Department of Labor, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Health and Human Services that allow employers with religious or moral objections to be exempt from the requirement in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to cover contraceptive services without cost-sharing.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2017 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of firearms (and explosives) licenses and permits to a known or suspected terrorist.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
Keep Americans Safe Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to knowingly transfer, possess, import, or bring into the United States a large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). It permits the continued possession of a grandfathered LCAFD. Additionally, the bill does not prohibit, with respect to an LCAFD: manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; transfer or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification that clearly shows the device was manufactured after this bill's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
Title IX Protection Act This bill amends the Department of Education Organization Act to require recipients of federal financial assistance to comply with specified procedural requirements when responding to sexual harassment and sexual violence to prevent and effectively respond to sexual discrimination as required by title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
Recognizes the celebration of Filipino American History Month as: a study of the advancement of Filipino Americans; and a time to renew efforts toward the research and examination of history and culture so as to provide an opportunity for all people of the United States to learn more about Filipino Americans, and to appreciate the historic contributions of Filipino Americans to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2017
Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2017 This bill directs the President to establish a five-year strategy to accelerate progress toward ending preventable child and maternal deaths within a generation and ensure healthy and productive lives for women and children. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shall: (1) identify target countries with the greatest need and the highest burden of preventable child and maternal deaths, and (2) designate a current USAID employee serving in the Senior Executive Service or at the level of a Deputy Assistant Administrator or higher to serve concurrently as the Senior Coordinator for Child and Maternal Survival.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2017
NIE on Iranian Proxy Forces Act This bill requires the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to produce a National Intelligence Estimate on Iranian support of proxy forces in Syria and Lebanon and the threat such support poses to Israel, other U.S. regional allies, and specified U.S. interests. Not later than 60 days after the National Intelligence Estimate is completed, the President shall provide to Congress a strategy to prevent Iran from expanding its power in Syria and Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2017
This bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to revise the quorum requirement for the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States to require the lesser of three members or the number of members holding office on the board (currently, at least three members) for there to be a quorum.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2017
This bill amends the federal criminal code to prohibit certain conduct with respect to any part or combination of parts that is designed and functions to increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but does not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun. Specifically, it makes it a crime to manufacture, possess, or transfer such device: (1) in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or (2) that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. An individual who knowingly violates the prohibition is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. Additionally, the U.S. Sentencing Commission must review and amend the sentencing guidelines and policy statements to provide an enhanced penalty if the device has been: (1) used, carried, or possessed during or in relation to a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime; or (2) unlawfully smuggled into or from the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2017
Small Business Cybersecurity Enhancement Act This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Small Business Administration to guarantee up to 90% of the amount of a loan made to a small business that has 100 or fewer employees, has been in business for at least one year, and has obtained training from a small business development center. The loan guarantee must be used for the acquisition of cybersecurity technology and services and the cost of the installation or use of such technology and services. For purposes of this bill "cybersecurity technology and services" excludes information technology whose sole use is financial management, maintenance of inventory of basic supplies, or appointment scheduling.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2017
Securing Energy Infrastructure Act of 2017 This bill establishes a two-year pilot program within the Department of Energy's (DOE) national laboratories to (1) identify the security vulnerabilities of certain entities in the energy sector; and (2) research, develop, test, and implement technology that can be used to isolate the most critical systems of such entities from cyberattacks. The bill also directs the Director of Intelligence and Counterintelligence of DOE to establish a working group to evaluate the technology solutions proposed by the national laboratories and to develop a national strategy to isolate the energy grid from attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2017
Requests the President and directs the Department of the Interior to transmit to the House of Representatives copies of all documents and communications that refer or relate to Executive Order 13792, dated April 26, 2017, which requires Interior to review designations or expansions of certain national monuments under the Antiquities Act since 1996.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2017
Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a trigger crank, a bump-fire device, or any part, combination of parts, component, device, attachment, or accessory that is designed or functions to accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun. The bill does not prohibit, with respect to such firearm accessories, the importation or manufacture for, sale or transfer to, or possession by a federal, state, or local government. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2017
Gold Star Family Support and Installation Access Act of 2017 This bill directs the appropriate military department to issue a standardized Gold Star Installation Access Card to the widow and dependent children of a deceased member of the Armed Forces to allow them to gain unescorted access to military installations to attend memorial events, visit gravesites, and obtain on-installation services and benefits. The Department of Defense shall prescribe regulations to provide that a surviving spouse of a deceased member, regardless of martial status, who has guardianship of dependent children of the deceased member, is entitled to use commissary stores and MWR retail facilities to the same extent and on the same basis as the unremarried spouse of a member of the uniformed services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2017
AFG and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017 This bill amends the the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to: (1) repeal the expiration dates of, and to reauthorize through FY2023, the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program, the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FPSG) Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) Program; and (2) authorize the use of AFG Program grants, instead of SAFER Program grants, to provide specialized training to first responders on how to recognize and properly intervene with individuals with mental illness. The SAFER Program is revised to permit the use of grants to change the status of part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters. The United States Fire Administration (USFA) may develop and make widely available an electronic, online training course for members of the fire and emergency response community on matters related to the administration of AFG, FPSG, and SAFER grants. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall ensure that any such training is: (1) tailored to the financial and time constraints of members of the fire and emergency response community; and (2) accessible to all individuals in the career, combination, paid-on-call, and volunteer fire and emergency response community. The USFA shall develop and implement a grant monitoring and oversight framework to mitigate and minimize risks of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement relating to such grants programs.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2017
Stop Waste And Misuse by Presidential Flyers Landing Yet Evading Rules and Standards Act or the SWAMP FLYERS Act This bill prohibits the use of federal funds for the official travel of a senior political appointee on a non-commercial, private, or chartered flight, unless: (1) a commercial flight was unavailable for the travel in question, or (2) the aircraft is owned or leased by the government. An appointee who travels on a non-commercial, private, or chartered flight must provide a statement to Congress certifying that no commercial flight was available. The bill makes it a crime for an appointee to knowingly and willfully make such a statement that is false, fictitious, or fraudulent.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2017
Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2017 This bill deems certain service performed before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts to be active military service for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA shall, in determining eligibility under this bill, take into account any relevant service documentation, including documentation other than the Missouri List (the list of all discharged and deceased veterans from the 20th century). The VA shall report to Congress annually regarding the number of individuals applying for benefits, and the number approved, during the previous year.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2017
Securing the Electric Grid to Protect Military Readiness Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Defense to submit to Congress a report: (1) identifying significant cybersecurity risks to critical defense infrastructure, (2) assessing the potential effects of such risks on the readiness of the Armed Forces, (3) evaluating the strategic benefits and challenges of isolating military infrastructure from the electric grid, and (4) recommending a path forward to address these security risks.
![Official portrait of Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000608_200.jpg)