United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Women Veterans and Families Health Services Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to furnish fertility treatment and counseling, including through the use of assisted reproductive technology, to a severely wounded, ill, or injured member of the Armed Forces who has an infertility condition incurred or aggravated while serving on active duty (covered member) or to the spouse, partner, or gestational surrogate of such member. DOD shall: establish procedures for gamete retrieval from a member of the Armed Forces in cases in which the fertility of such member is potentially jeopardized as a result of an injury or illness incurred or aggravated while serving on active duty; and give members of the Armed Forces on active duty the opportunity to cryopreserve and store their gametes prior to a combat zone deployment at no cost to the member. Fertility counseling and treatment are included within authorized Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical services. The VA shall furnish such treatment and services to a jointly applying covered veteran and his or her spouse, partner, or gestational surrogate. The VA may pay the adoption expenses (for up to three adoptions) for a covered member who is enrolled in the VA health care system. The VA shall facilitate research conducted collaboratively by DOD and the Department of Health and Human Services to improve the VA's ability to meet the reproductive health care needs of veterans who have a service-connected genitourinary disability or a condition that was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty that affects the veterans' reproductive ability. The VA shall enhance the capabilities of the VA women veterans contact center to: (1) respond to assistance requests, and (2) refer such veterans to federal or community resources. The pilot program of group retreat reintegration and readjustment counseling for women veterans recently separated from service is enlarged and extended. The bill provides child care assistance to qualified veterans for: (1) mental health care services, and (2) readjustment counseling and related mental health services.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Honor Our Commitment Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish mental and behavioral health care to individuals who: served in the active military, naval, or air service for more than 180 days and were deployed in a theater of combat operations, in support of a contingency operation, or or in an area at a time during which hostilities occurred in that area for more than 30 days; were discharged or released from such service, by reason of committing a covered offense, under conditions other than honorable but not dishonorable or by court-martial; and either were diagnosed by a qualified mental health care provider with a mental or behavioral health condition before committing such offense; or are diagnosed with such a condition after committing such offense but before the expiration of five years after the later of the date of enactment of this bill or the date the individual is discharged or released from service, if a provider certifies such condition may have led to such offense and if the VA determines such individual had such condition at the time of the offense. The VA: (1) may furnish initial mental health screenings within five years after this bill's enactment or five years after the date of discharge or release from service, at no cost to the individual; and (2) shall notify each eligible individual about eligibility for covered mental and behavioral health care within 180 days of discharge or release from active service.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Tax Relief for Guard and Reserve Training Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deductions for expenses in connection with the performance of services as a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces, to: (1) reduce from 100 miles to 50 miles (without regard to whether such period includes an overnight stay) the distance from home requirement for the above-the-line deduction; and (2) exempt from the 2% floor on miscellaneous itemized deductions the deductions allowed that consist of expenses paid or incurred in connection with the performance of such services for any period (without regard to whether such period includes an overnight stay) during which the individual is more than 50 miles away from home in connection with the services. (Above-the-line deductions are subtracted from gross income to arrive at adjusted gross income. Under current law, miscellaneous itemized deductions are only allowed if the aggregate of the deductions exceeds 2% of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income.)
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide support for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. These centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees, social work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician assistant studies in palliative care. HHS may provide support to schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs for training physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. HHS must: (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development; (2) support entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) support advanced practice nurses, social workers, physician assistants, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a nurse assistant to train individuals in providing palliative care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care. The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2017
Clean Water for Rural Communities Act This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to carry out the projects 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. The bill defines the service areas of such projects in North Dakota and Montana. Interior must enter into a cooperative agreement with the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority 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 must 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 system is eligible to receive such power only if it: (1) operates on a nonprofit basis, and (2) is constructed pursuant to the cooperative agreement with the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority. The bill provides for the purchase of additional power. The authority is responsible for: (1) charges for such additional power, (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. The bill authorizes appropriations and adjustments in authorized amounts in accordance with ordinary fluctuations in development costs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2017
Deborah Sampson Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a three-year pilot program to assess the feasibility of peer-to-peer assistance for women veterans (including those who are separating or newly separated from the Armed Forces), with emphasis placed on women who suffered service-related sexual trauma or who are at risk of becoming homeless. Additionally, the VA shall: expand the women veterans call center to include a text messaging capability; establish a partnership with at least one nongovernmental organization to provide legal services to women veterans based upon their 10 highest unmet needs; retrofit VA medical facilities with fixtures, materials, and other outfitting measures to support the care of women veterans; ensure that each VA medical facility has at least one full-time or part-time women's health primary care provider; expand to 14 days VA post-delivery care services for women veterans who are receiving maternity care in a VA or VA-contracted facility; ensure that the women veteran manager program is supported at each VA medical center with a program manager and an ombudsman; collect, analyze, and publish data on each VA service or benefit program and disaggregate such data by sex and minority status; and publish an Internet website that serves as a centralized information source for women veterans' benefits and services. The bill makes funds available for: (1) primary care and emergency care clinicians' participation in the women veterans health care mini-residency program, and (2) organizations that focus on providing assistance to women veterans and their families. The bill: (1) provides for reintegration and readjustment services to veterans and family members in group retreat settings, and (2) expresses the sense of Congress that the VA's motto should be more inclusive.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2017
Affirms that the U.S.-Israel economic partnership has benefitted both countries and is a foundational component of the strong alliance. Recognizes that science and technology innovation present promising new frontiers for U.S.-Israel economic cooperation, particularly in light of widespread drought, cybersecurity attacks, and other major challenges impacting the United States. Encourages the President to regularize and expand forums of economic dialogue with Israel and foster public and private sector participation. Supports the exploration of new agreements with Israel, including in the fields of energy, water, agriculture, medicine, neurotechnology, and cybersecurity.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2017
Contractor Accountability and Transparency Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to require the posting online of any contract, subcontract, purchase order, task order, or delivery order for the procurement of property or services with a value greater than the simplified acquisition threshold (covered contract). The website established pursuant to such Act, containing information on each federal award of federal financial assistance and expenditures, shall include a machine readable, searchable copy of each covered contract entered into by a federal agency after the date of this bill's enactment. A contractor may request to redact any national security sensitive or classified information or trade secrets or other proprietary information from such a contract. The federal contracting official shall determine the extent to which redaction is appropriate in accordance with Office of Management and Budget guidance. Any information required to be made available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act may not be redacted.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2017
Creating Transparency to Have Drug Rebates Unlocked (C-THRU) Act of 2017 This bill amends title XI (General Provisions) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to require the public disclosure of certain information provided to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) that contracts with: (1) a prescription drug plan (PDP) under Medicare or Medicare Advantage (MA), or (2) a qualified health benefits plan offered through an exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Specifically, HHS must publish on its website, with respect to each PBM, information regarding: (1) the amount and type of rebates and discounts negotiated by the PBM and the extent to which these rebates and discounts are passed on to the plan sponsor, and (2) the difference between the amount paid by the plan sponsor to the PBM and the amount paid by the PBM to pharmacies. As a condition of participation as a contractor under Medicare or MA, a PBM must pass on to a PDP sponsor a minimum percentage, as established by HHS, of the amount of rebates and discounts negotiated by the PBM that are attributable to patient utilization under the plan. The bill also amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the SSAct to modify requirements regarding enrollees' access to negotiated drug prices. Current law requires a PDP sponsor to provide enrollees in Medicare or MA with access to negotiated drug prices that account for rebates and discounts. The bill requires that, with respect to a covered drug, a negotiated price (or, if necessary, an approximate negotiated price) be provided at the point of sale.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2017
Public Online Information Act of 2017 This bill establishes a Public Online Information Advisory Committee to: (1) coordinate the government's efforts to make information from all three branches of government available on the Internet, and (2) issue nonbinding guidelines on how the government should make public information available. The government must make public records available on the Internet at no charge, except as imposed by federal law before this bill's enactment. The bill requires: (1) public records to be permanently available on the Internet; (2) current information technology to be applied to the formats and means through which records are made available; and (3) each agency to publish on the Internet a searchable, machine-processable list of all records it makes publicly available. The bill delineates the roles of the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Electronic Government, and the chief information officers of independent regulatory agencies. It allows exceptions to the Internet publication requirement, including a process for an agency's request for an exception to be granted if: (1) there is a clear and convincing reason for the record to not be made available on the Internet, and (2) the harm caused by disclosure significantly outweighs the public's interest in having the record available on the Internet. Inspectors general must periodically review agency compliance. Private individuals or organizations may file a complaint in federal court if an agency denies a request to place public records on the Internet. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) judicial and legislative agencies adopt or adapt the advisory committee's recommendations, and (2) the Government Publishing Office make all of its publications permanently available on the Internet in a multiplicity of formats.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2017
Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2017 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to include physical therapy within the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps. The bill makes physical therapists eligible for repayment of their educational loans in order to ensure an adequate supply of physical therapists.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2017
Native American Business Incubators Program Act This bill requires the Department of the Interior to establish a grant program in the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development for establishing and operating business incubators that serve Native American communities. A business incubator is an organization that: (1) provides physical workspace and facilities resources to startups and established businesses, and (2) is designed to accelerate the growth and success of businesses through a variety of business support resources and services. Grant applicants may be institutions of higher education, private nonprofits, Native American tribes, or tribal nonprofits. Interior must facilitate the establishment of relationships between grant recipients and educational institutions serving Native American communities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2017
Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act of 2017 This bill amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 to require a program under which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs provides chiropractic care and services to veterans through Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and clinics to be carried out at: (1) no fewer than 75 medical centers by December 31, 2018, and (2) all medical centers by December 31, 2020. Chiropractic examinations and services are included within required VA medical, rehabilitative, and preventive health care services.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act This bill amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to facilitate the construction and expansion of public target ranges by: (1) authorizing a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorizing a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for those costs; (3) limiting the federal share of those costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) requiring amounts provided for those costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. The United States shall be shielded from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. The bill urges the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Litigation Relief for Forest Management Projects Act This bill amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the Federal land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to prohibit the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior from being required to engage in any additional consultation with respect to: (1) the listing of a species as threatened or endangered, or a designation of a critical habitat, if a land management plan or land use plan, respectively, has been adopted by USDA or Interior as of the date of the listing or designation; or (2) any provision of such an adopted plan.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to eliminate the expected family contribution (EFC) used to determine financial need in the case of a Pell Grant-eligible student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty as a police officer, firefighter, or other public safety officer. Such student is eligible to receive an automatic zero EFC and qualify for the maximum Pell Grant award if the student was less than 24 years old or enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of the parent or guardian's death.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2017 This bill expands eligibility for the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are seriously injured or who became ill on active duty prior to September 11, 2001 (currently, limited to service after September 11, 2001). Services to caregivers of veterans under such program are expanded to include child care services, financial planning services, and legal services. The bill terminates the support program for caregivers of covered veterans on October 1, 2022, except that any caregiver activities carried out on September 30, 2022, shall be continued on and after October 1, 2022. The bill authorizes the transfer of entitlement to post 9/11 education assistance to family members by veterans who are retired for a physical disability or who are seriously injured veterans in need of family caregiver services, without regard to length-of-service requirements. The VA is authorized to pay monthly special compensation to seriously injured or ill veterans in need of personal care services and to their caregivers. Flexible work schedules or telework are authorized for federal employees who are caregivers of veterans. The Public Health Service Act is amended to designate a veteran participating in the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers as an adult with a special need for purposes of the lifespan respite care program. An interagency working group is established in the executive branch to review and report on policies relating to the caregivers of veterans and members of the Armed Forces. The VA shall provide for studies on members of the Armed Forces who commenced service after September 11, 2001, and veterans who have incurred a serious injury or illness, including a mental health injury, and their caregivers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Encourages the people of the United States to join in a national effort to salute AmeriCorps members and alumni and raise awareness about the importance of national and community service. Acknowledges the accomplishments of AmeriCorps members, alumni, and community partners and recognizes the important contributions made by members and alumni to the lives of the people of the United States. Encourages individuals of all ages to consider opportunities to serve in AmeriCorps.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act This bill amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to make permanent the authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Funds deposited into the LWCF may be spent without being subject to the appropriations process. These funds are in addition to amounts made available by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 or otherwise appropriated from the LWCF. The President shall submit to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds provided by this bill. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures. At least 1.5% of the annual authorized funds shall be used for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act This bill amends the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 to revise requirements for federal and private flood insurance. This bill revises the financial requirements that apply to flood insurance for home loans or loan guarantees by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). Private flood insurance must meet any financial strength requirements set forth by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Private flood insurance may include nonadmitted insurers (including surplus lines insurance) as long as the insurer is eligible to provide insurance in the home state of the insured and complies with the laws and regulations of that state. The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 is amended to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to consider any period during which a property was continuously covered by private flood insurance to be a period of continuous insurance coverage, including for the purposes of National Flood Insurance Program subsidies.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Performance Accountability and Contractor Transparency Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that each VA contract for services includes: measurable metrics on the cost, schedule, and fulfillment of contract requirements; a plan of action and milestones for the provision of the service, including a description of the resources the provider will assign to provide the service; safeguards, including authority to levy financial penalties, to ensure that the service provided meets a minimum threshold of quality; and measurable metrics on the use of award or incentive fees. In each case of a contract that would result in the VA incurring an obligation exceeding $100 million, the VA must: ensure that the contract requires the service provider to document its work through VA information technology systems so that the VA can review and validate the quality of the service provided using the metrics set forth in the contract; use the appropriate VA project management accountability system to ensure that the contract provides an adequate return on investment; report on any failure of the service provider to meet contractual obligations, the effect of such failure, and the actions taken by the VA and by the contractor to address it; report the details of any modifications made to the contract and a justification for such modifications; and publish information about the contract and any modifications on its website.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to eliminate the August 7, 2017, sunset date for the Veterans Choice Program, thus allowing the program to operate until all of the money in the Veterans Choice Fund is expended. The bill makes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the primary payer (currently the VA is the secondary payer) for medical care relating to non-service connected disabilities and recovery of costs from third parties for certain care under the program. The VA may share medical information with a non-VA entity (including private entities and other federal agencies) that provides veterans with authorized hospital care or medical services. Such entity may not redisclose or use such information for a purpose other than that for which the disclosure was made.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Timber Innovation Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA), acting through the Research and Development and the State and Private Forestry deputy areas of the Forest Service, to conduct performance-driven research and development, education, and technical assistance to facilitate the use of innovative wood products in wood building construction in the United States. Such activities shall give priority to: (1) improving the commercialization of such products, (2) analyzing the safety of tall wood building materials, (3) calculating and reducing the life cycle environmental footprint of tall wood building construction, and (4) analyzing the potential implications of the use of innovative wood products in building construction on wildlife. "Tall wood building" means a building designed to be over 85 feet high and constructed with large panelized wood construction, including cross-laminated timber, nail laminated timber, glue laminated timber, laminated strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber. USDA shall carry out an annual competition for FY2017-FY2021 for a tall wood building design, or other innovative wood product demonstration, in accordance with the requirements for prize competitions carried out under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980. The Forest Service, in carrying out a wood innovation grant program, may make grants to advance the use of innovative wood products, with priority to grant proposals that include the use or retrofitting of existing sawmill facilities in counties where the average annual unemployment rate exceeded the national average by more than 1% in the previous year.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2017
Parental Bereavement Act of 2017 or the Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger Act This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to entitle an eligible employee to up to 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month period because of the death of a son or daughter. Such an employee may substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay. The bill applies the same leave entitlement to federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to complete a landscape assessment of the Seeley Lake Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest in Montana to: (1) assess the ecological condition of its forests and watersheds; and (2) identify actions needed to facilitate ecosystem sustainability, resilience, and health by assisting in the recovery of its forest ecosystems. A collaboratively developed restoration project within the district may be carried out according to certain provisions applicable to authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. The bill designates specified federal land in the forest as: (1) the Otatsy Recreation Management Area, and (2) the Spread Mountain Recreation Area. USDA shall, if, a local collaborative group submits a proposal to improve motorized and nonmotorized recreational trail opportunities within the district, analyze the proposal in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. It may also provide for the construction of any of the routes included in such proposal. The bill designates specified wilderness additions in the forest as wilderness areas and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
East Rosebud Wild and Scenic Rivers Act This bill amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate specified river segments of the East Rosebud Creek in Montana as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Nothing in this bill creates a protective perimeter or buffer zone outside of the designated boundary of the designated river segments.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Small and Rural Community Clean Water Technical Assistance Act This bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to authorize the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants or cooperative agreements to qualified technical assistance providers for assisting publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) serving 10,000 individuals or fewer in complying with the Act or obtaining financing under the Act for eligible projects. Assistance may be provided to POTWs through onsite technical assistance, circuit rider technical assistance programs, regional technical assistance programs, and onsite and regional training.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
This bill amends the federal criminal code to increase to five years the ban on individuals appointed to executive schedule positions (except special government employees who serve less than 60 days in a 1-year period) from engaging in lobbying activities in the executive branch. The Office of Government Ethics may waive lobbying restrictions for certain executive schedule employees if it determines that the restrictions would create an undue hardship in obtaining qualified personnel for agency positions and granting such waiver would not create the potential for use of undue influence or unfair advantage. The bill increases to five years the ban on lobbying activities by Senators or Members of the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Honoring Service Through National Park Access Act This bill amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 to direct the Department of the Interior to make the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available at a cost of $80 to any veteran who was separated from military service under conditions other than dishonorable, if the veteran provides specified proof of that status. Such pass shall be valid for the lifetime of the passholder.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2017 This bill requires a business that employs 50 or more call center employees, excluding part-time employees, or 50 or more call center employees who in the aggregate work at least 1,500 hours per week, exclusive of overtime, to notify the Department of Labor at least 120 days before relocating such center outside of the United States. Violators are subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day. Labor must make publicly available a list of all such employers that relocate a call center. It may remove from the list an employer that has relocated the call center from a location outside the United States to a location inside the United States. Employers must remain on the list for up to three years after each relocation. An employer is ineligible for federal grants or federal guaranteed loans for five years after being added to the list, except where the employer demonstrates that a lack of such loan or grant would threaten national security, result in substantial job loss in the United States, or harm the environment. Federal or state executive agencies or military departments, when awarding a civilian or defense-related contract, must give preference to a U.S. employer that does not appear on the list. Businesses that initiate or receive a customer service communication must require each of their employees or agents participating in the communication to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each such communication unless all involved employees or agents are located in the United States. The bill exempts any communication: (1) initiated by a consumer if the consumer knows or reasonably should know that the employee or agent is located outside the United States, or (2) related to the provision of emergency services. Upon request, businesses must transfer a customer to a customer service agent who is physically located in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may exclude certain classes or types of business entities or customer service communications from the requirements of this bill under exceptionally compelling circumstances. The bill sets forth authority for the FTC to enforce against violations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Women's Health Protection Act of 2017 This bill prohibits any government from imposing on abortion services: a requirement that a medical professional perform specific tests or medical procedures; a requirement that the same clinician who performs a patient's abortion also perform additional tests, services or procedures; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to prescribe or dispense drugs or provide services via telemedicine; a requirement or limitation concerning the physical plant, equipment, staffing, or hospital transfer arrangements of facilities where abortions are performed, or the credentials, hospital privileges, or status of personnel at those facilities; a requirement that, prior to obtaining an abortion, a patient make medically unnecessary in-person visits to any individual or entity; a limitation on medical training for abortion procedures; a prohibition prior to fetal viability, including a prohibition on a particular abortion procedure; a prohibition after fetal viability when continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the woman's life or health; a restriction on a woman's ability to obtain an immediate abortion when a delay would pose a risk to the woman's health; or a restriction on obtaining an abortion prior to fetal viability based on a woman's reasons or perceived reasons or that requires her to state her reasons before obtaining an abortion. A measure or action that is similar to a requirement or limitation listed above is prohibited if it singles out abortion services or makes abortion services more difficult to access and does not significantly advance women's health or the safety of abortion services.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Lymphedema Treatment Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover certain lymphedema compression treatment items as durable medical equipment under Medicare. (Lymphedema is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling that is caused when the lymphatic system is damaged or blocked.)
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
This bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, upon request, to reinstate the construction license for the Gibson Dam Hydroelectric Project located on the Sun River in Lewis, Clark, and Teton Counties, Montana. Construction on the project must commence within six years.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
This bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, upon request, to reinstate the construction license for the Clark Canyon Dam Hydroelectric Project located on the Beaverhead River in Beaverhead County, Montana. Construction on the project must commence within three years.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Stewardship End Result Contracting Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to authorize the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to obligate funds to cover any potential cancellation or termination costs (cancellation ceiling) in stages that are economically or programmatically viable with respect to an agreement or contract for a stewardship end result contracting project. The Forest Service and BLM shall submit written notice to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget 30 days before entering into a multiyear agreement or contract that includes a cancellation ceiling exceeding $25 million if proposed funding for the costs of cancelling the agreement or contract up to the ceiling is not included. If the offset value of the forest products to be removed exceeds the value of the resource improvement treatments, the Forest Service and BLM may: (1) use the excess to satisfy any outstanding liabilities for cancelled agreements or contracts; or (2) if there are no such outstanding liabilities, apply the excess to other authorized stewardship projects.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2017 This bill waives Medicare coinsurance requirements with respect to colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of the code billed for a resulting diagnosis or procedure.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2017
Educational Development for Troops and Veterans Act of 2017 This bill provides for eligibility of members of reserve components of the Armed Forces who are ordered to active duty for: (1) Post-9/11 educational assistance, (2) non-reduction in pay while serving in the uniformed services or National Guard, and (3) extension of the time limitation with respect to training and rehabilitation assistance for veterans with service-connected disabilities. The bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow members of the Armed Forces and National Guard to defer principal payments on Federal Family Education Loans, William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans for the period (not to exceed 180 days) beginning on the date they receive a duty order in connection with a war, military operation, or national emergency and ending on the first day of service. (Currently, the payment of principal on those loans is deferred during the service period and for the 180-day post-service period.) The bill replaces the grant program for model programs to support veterans in postsecondary education with a grant program to assist in the establishment and operation of Veteran Student Centers. The annual educational assistance increase payable to certain Selected Reserve members shall not be less than the percentage by which the average cost of U.S. undergraduate tuition for an academic year exceeds the previous year's average cost. (Currently, such increase is Consumer Price Index based.) Post-9/11 educational assistance shall be prorated in any month in which a Reserve member is on both active and non-active duty, effective on or after August 1, 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2017
Isla Rose Life Flight Act This bill provides that statutory provisions prohibiting state or local governments from enacting or enforcing a law or regulation relating to a price, route, or service of an air carrier shall not apply to a state or local law or regulation governing network participation, reimbursement and balance billing, or transparency for an air carrier providing air ambulance services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Native Educator Support and Training Act or the NEST Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish scholarships, loan forgiveness plans, and training programs for educators who commit to teaching in Native American or Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. This bill establishes three scholarship programs for students who are seeking degrees in education or school administration at institutions of higher education and commit to teaching in Native American or BIE schools: the Indian Student Educator Scholarship Program for students seeking degrees, the Indian Educator Scholarship Program for Indian students seeking degrees, and the Indian Educator Graduate Fellowship Program for Indian students seeking graduate degrees. Recipients of the scholarships must commit to working for a BIE school, a school serving Native Americans, or other specified schools and agencies for the greater of three years or the number of school years that the scholarship funded. The bill establishes loan forgiveness programs for educators and Native Americans who have taught for at least five consecutive years at BIE schools or local educational agencies with high percentages of Native American students. The bill extends the federal Perkins Loan Cancellation Program to educators teaching in BIE schools or in Native American language immersion programs. The bill authorizes professional development grants for native-serving elementary and secondary schools. It also establishes the Native American Language Teacher Training Program to provide grants for institutions of higher education to develop training programs for Native American immersion and language teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Rural Educator Support and Training Act or the REST Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to: (1) establish several new grant programs for students training to become educators in rural schools, and (2) enhance federal student loan forgiveness for rural educators. The Department of Education (ED) shall award undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships to students who are studying to become educators in rural schools. To be eligible, a recipient must maintain acceptable academic standing and shall agree to fulfill a service obligation of three or more years, depending on the number of years for which funding is provided. ED may also award grants to eligible educational agencies for the purpose of: (1) reimbursing eligible rural educators for out-of-pocket costs associated with obtaining national board certification, and (2) increasing annual compensation for eligible rural educators who have become certified. Rural educators shall also be eligible for additional student loan forgiveness. Specifically, a teacher who is employed for five consecutive years in a rural school shall be eligible for up to $17,500 in federal student loan forgiveness. Under current law, a highly qualified teacher who is employed for five consecutive years in a high-poverty school is eligible for up to $5,000 in federal student loan forgiveness; such a teacher who teaches mathematics, science, or special education is eligible for up to $17,500.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Restoring Rural Residencies Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reimburse medical residency training programs under Medicare for certain graduate medical education costs associated with resident time spent in rural community hospitals known as "critical access hospitals."
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Medicare Mental Health Access Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to expand the definition of "physician," for purposes of the Medicare program, to include a clinical psychologist with respect to the furnishing of qualified psychologist services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2017 This bill allows Medicare payment for home health services ordered by a nurse practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse-midwife, or a physician assistant.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2017
Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act of 2017 or the HIRE Vets Act This bill directs the Department of Labor to establish a HIRE Vets Medallion Program to solicit voluntary information from employers for purposes of recognizing through a HIRE Vets Medallion Award verified efforts by these employers to: (1) recruit, employ, and retain veterans; and (2) provide community and charitable services supporting the veteran community. Labor shall annually: (1) solicit, verify, and review award applications from employers, (2) notify award recipients, and (3) issue awards at a time coinciding with Veterans Day. An employer who receives an award is not eligible for an award the following year. Labor shall establish two levels of awards for employers of 500 or more employees, to be designated the Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award and the Platinum HIRE Vets Medallion Award. Criteria for such awards shall include the percentage of hired employees who are veterans, the percentage of veteran employees who are retained, the establishment of related veterans' assistance and training programs, the employment of dedicated human resources professionals for veterans, and income and tuition support for veterans. Labor shall establish similar awards to recognize achievements in supporting veterans by: (1) employers with 50 or fewer employees, and (2) employers with more than 50 but fewer than 500 employees. Labor shall establish the design of each award certificate. A recipient may publicly display the award and award certificate through the end of the calendar year in which it is awarded. The bill prohibits an employer from publicly displaying an award as a part of any advertisement or business activity in order to convey the false impression that the employer received such award for any other year. The bill establishes the HIRE Vets Medallion Award Fund. Labor may assess a reasonable application fee to carry out the award program and shall deposit such fees into the fund. The bill excludes from the definition of "employer" the federal government or any state government.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Grow Our Own Directive: Physician Assistant Employment and Education Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a five-year Grow Our Own Directive (or G.O.O.D.) pilot program to provide educational assistance to certain former members of the Armed Forces for education and training as VA physician assistants in exchange for recipients agreeing to be employed as physician assistants for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) for a specified period at a VA medical facility located in a community designated as a medically underserved population in a state with a per capita population of veterans of more than 9%. The VA shall: (1) provide at least 35 new scholarships under the pilot program each year, and (2) ensure that at least 25 new scholarships are awarded each year under its health professional and employee incentive scholarship programs for the education and training of physician assistants. The VA must: (1) establish specified standards to improve its use of educational assistance programs to educate and hire physician assistants, and (2) increase for each of the next five years the scholarship amounts provided under such programs. The bill establishes pay grades and competitive pay requirements for physician assistants. The VA must implement a national strategic plan for the retention and recruitment of VA physician assistants that includes competitive pay in comparison to the pay of physician assistants in the private sector.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
CHAMPVA Children's Care Protection Act of 2017 This bill provides that a child shall be eligible for medical care under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) until the child's 26th birthday, regardless of the child's marital status. Before January 1, 2018, this bill shall not apply to a child who is eligible to enroll in an employer-sponsored health care plan.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017 This bill includes as part of the Republic of Vietnam its territorial seas for purposes of the presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure by veterans to certain herbicide agents while in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit Medicare Prescription Drug Plan sponsors from retroactively reducing payment on clean claims submitted by pharmacies. (A "clean claim" is a Medicare claim that is free of defects such as incomplete documentation.)
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
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.
![Official portrait of Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/t000464_200.jpg)