United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2013 or the ABLE Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts to assist an individual with a disability in building an account to pay for qualified disability expenses. Defines "qualified disability expenses" to include expenses for education, including higher education expenses, a primary residence, transportation, obtaining and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Treats a qualified ABLE program and an ABLE account in the same manner as a qualified tuition program for income tax purposes (i.e., allowing a tax exemption for such program and an exclusion from gross income of amounts attributable to a contributor to or a beneficiary of a program account). Defines "qualified ABLE program" as a program established and maintained by a state agency under which a person may make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses. Requires amounts in ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. Suspends the payment of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to an individual during any period in which such individual has excess resources attributable to an ABLE account.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2013
Includes as a homeless veteran, for purposes of eligibility for benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs, a veteran or veteran's family who: (1) is fleeing domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions in the individual's or family's current housing situation; and (2) has no other residence and lacks the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2013
Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2013 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require amounts received through FY2020 (currently, through FY2010) from leases under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to be available to the Secretary of the Interior for implementing the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as well as the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to: (1) prepare and publish a notice of intent to prepare a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to analyze the potential impacts of a program to develop solar and wind energy on National Forest System land and any necessary amendments to land use plans for such land, and (2) amend such plans to provide for the development of renewable energy on completion of the programmatic EIS. Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD), for states that have not completed such an analysis, to submit a report that: (1) identifies locations on land withdrawn from the public domain and reserved for military purposes that could be developed for renewable energy production, and (2) describes the administration of public land withdrawn for military purposes for the development of commercial-scale renewable energy projects. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish a wind and solar leasing pilot program on public land administered by the Secretary. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) make a joint determination on whether to establish such program within two years on all covered land, (2) establish such program unless they determine that the program is not in the public interest and does not provide an effective means of developing such energy, and (3) require as a condition for any authorization for the development of such energy on such land the payment of a royalty. Defines "covered land" as: (1) public land administered by the Secretary or National Forest System land administered by the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) land not excluded from the development of solar or wind energy under a land use plan established under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the National Forest Management Act of 1976, or other law. Establishes in the Treasury the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in regions impacted by the development of wind or solar energy for addressing and offsetting the impacts of such development on federal land, securing recreational access to federal land to provide enhanced public access to existing federal land that is inaccessible or significantly restricted, and carrying out activities authorized under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. Requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to determine the feasibility of carrying out a conservation banking program. Prohibits wind or solar generation projects with a capacity of 20 megawatts or more that are issued a lease, right-of-way, permit, or other authorization from being subject to the rental fee exemption for rights-of-way under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2013
Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Reauthorization Act or PREEMIE Reauthorization Act - Amends the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act to revise and reauthorize requirements for research on prematurity and preterm births. Requires the Director of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to give preference in awarding grants to an eligible entity that proposes to use the grant funds to develop plans for, or to establish, telehealth networks that provide prenatal care for high-risk pregnancies. Revises and reauthorizes through FY2017 the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct demonstration projects related to preterm births. Repeals establishment of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Prematurity and Low Birthweight. Authorizes the Secretary to establish the Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality. Directs the Advisory Committee (or an existing advisory committee designated by the Secretary) to develop, and periodically review and revise, a plan for conducting and supporting research, education, and programs on preterm birth through HHS. Requires the Secretary to designate an appropriate agency within HHS to coordinate existing studies and report to the Secretary and Congress on hospital readmissions of preterm infants.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2013
North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2013 - Withdraws federally owned land or interest in land within the North Fork Lands Withdrawal Area in Montana from: (1) all forms of location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (2) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2013
Excellence in Mental Health Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to set forth criteria for the certification of federally-qualified community behavioral health centers. Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to certify, and recertify at least every five years, federally qualified community behavioral health centers as meeting the criteria. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to make such centers eligible for payments for services under Medicaid. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award matching grants to states or Indian tribes to expend funds for the construction or modernization of facilities used to provide community-based mental health and substance abuse services to individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2013
Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act - Requires the days of active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of the reserves may retire for non-regular (reserve) service to occur in in any two consecutive fiscal years (under current law, in the same fiscal year).
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2013
Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2013 - Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (under current law, only a disability rated at 50% or more). Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2013
Recognizes that: (1) access to hospitals and other health care providers for patients in rural areas of the United States is essential to the survival and success of U.S. communities; (2) preserving and strengthening access to quality health care in rural areas is crucial to the success and prosperity of the United States; (3) strengthening access to hospitals and other health care providers for patients in rural areas makes Medicare more cost-effective and improves health outcomes for patients, and (4) rural health care providers are integral to the local economies and are one of the largest types of employers in rural areas of the United States. Celebrates the many dedicated medical professionals across the United States who work hard each day to deliver quality care to people living in rural areas.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
Parental Bereavement Act of 2013 - 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. Allows such an employee to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay. Applies the same leave entitlement to federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
Stolen Valor Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to rewrite provisions relating to fraudulent claims about military service to subject to a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both an individual who, with intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit, fraudulently holds himself or herself out to be a recipient of: a Congressional Medal of Honor, a distinguished-service cross, a Navy cross, an Air Force cross, a silver star, a Purple Heart, a Combat Infantryman's Badge, a Combat Action Badge, a Combat Medical Badge, a Combat Action Ribbon, a Combat Action Medal, or any replacement or duplicate medal for such medal as authorized by law.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2013
Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed, and age appropriate. Requires a comprehensive school mental health program funded under this Act to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence. Makes only a partnership between a local educational agency and at least one community program or agency that is involved in mental health eligible for such funding. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with at least one relevant community-based entity that clearly states the responsibilities of each partner; (2) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires grantees to comply with the health information privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to commemorate the lives of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley (children who lost their lives in the September 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, an incident recognized as a catalyst for the civil rights movement). Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals, with amounts received from the sale to be deposited in the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2013
Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians Restoration Act of 2013 - Extends federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. Makes the Tribe and each member eligible for all services and benefits provided by the United States to Indians and federally recognized Indian tribes, without regard to the existence of a reservation for the Tribe or the location of the residence of any member on or near an Indian reservation. Considers the federal service area of the Tribe to be the area comprised of Blaine, Cascade, Glacier, and Hill Counties, Montana. Directs the Tribe, as a condition of receiving recognition, services, and benefits pursuant to this Act, to submit to the Secretary of the Interior a membership roll consisting of the name of each individual enrolled as a member of the Tribe. Requires the Tribe to maintain such membership roll. Directs the Secretary to acquire, for the benefit of the Tribe, trust title to 200 acres of land within the Tribe's service area to be used for a tribal land base.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2013
Constitutional Amendment - Gives Congress the power to regulate the contribution of funds by corporations, for-profit entities, and labor organizations to a candidate for election to, or nomination for election to, a federal office, and the power to regulate the expenditure of funds by corporations, for-profit entities, and labor organizations made in support of, or in opposition to, such candidates. Gives a state the power to regulate the contribution of funds by corporations, for-profit entities, and labor organizations to a candidate for election to, or for nomination for election to, public office in the state, and the power to regulate the expenditure of funds by corporations, for-profit entities, and labor organizations made in support of, or in opposition to, such candidates.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2013
Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvements Act of 2013 - Includes fertility counseling and treatment within authorized Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical services. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish such counseling and treatment, including the use of assisted reproductive technology, to a spouse or surrogate of a severely wounded, ill, or injured veteran who has an infertility condition incurred or aggravated in the line of duty and who is enrolled in the VA health care system, as long as the spouse and veteran apply jointly for such counseling and treatment. Authorizes the Secretary to pay to any such veteran an amount to assist in the adoption of one or more children. Directs the Secretary to: (1) report annually to the congressional veterans committees on the counseling and treatment provided under this Act; (2) prescribe regulations on the furnishing of such counseling, treatment, and adoption assistance; and (3) coordinate the furnishing of such counseling and treatment with that provided by the Department of Defense (DOD). Directs the Secretary to facilitate research conducted collaboratively by the Secretaries of Defense and Health and Human Services (HHS) in order to improve VA's ability to meet the long-term 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, such as a spinal cord injury, that affects the veterans' ability to reproduce. Requires the Secretary to enhance the capabilities of the VA women veterans contact center: (1) to respond to requests for assistance with accessing VA health care and benefits, and (2) for referral to community resources to obtain assistance with services not furnished by the VA. Amends the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 relating to a pilot program of group retreat reintegration and readjustment counseling for women veterans recently separated from service to: (1) increase from at least 3 to at least 14 the number of locations for such counseling, and (2) extend the pilot program for an additional 2 years. Directs the Secretary to carry out a pilot program of providing child care assistance to veterans receiving or in need of VA readjustment counseling and related mental health services. Directs the Secretary to impose, as a contract condition, a contractor user fee with respect to each contract entered into by the VA for a good or service. Provides for the determination of fee amounts. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such fee if the contractor is an individual or a small business. Establishes in the Treasury the Department of Veterans Affairs Fertility Counseling and Treatment Fund. Provides for the deposit into such Fund of all contractor user fee amounts.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2013
Mental Health First Aid Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to award grants to initiate and sustain mental health first aid training programs. Requires such a program to include: (1) core live training courses on the skills, resources, and knowledge necessary to assist individuals in crisis to connect with appropriate local mental health care services; (2) training on mental health resources, including the location of community mental health centers in the state and local community; and (3) training on action plans and protocols for referral to such resources. States that the Secretary shall determine the categories of individuals to be trained. Requires such programs to train individuals to accomplish: (1) safe de-escalation of crisis situations, (2) recognition of the signs and symptoms of mental illness, and (3) timely referral to mental health services in the early stages of developing mental disorders. Requires the Secretary, in awarding grants, to: (1) ensure that grants are equitably distributed among the geographical regions of the United States, and (2) pay particular attention to the mental health training needs of populations and target audiences residing in rural areas.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2013
Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the definition of "qualified veteran" for purposes of the work opportunity tax credit to include recently discharged veterans. Requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Guard to inform military personnel who are discharged or released from active duty of the work opportunity tax credit and provide them with documentation relating to eligibility for and use of such credit. Veterans Employment and Training Services Act of 2013 or the VETS Act - Requires the Secretaries of Labor, Veterans Affairs, and Defense to enter into an agreement to govern the coordination of veteran job training services. Requires the Secretaries of Labor and Veterans Affairs to prepare reports on the veteran job training programs of their respective departments. Amends the DOD pilot program for assessing the feasibility and advisability of permitting enlisted personnel to obtain civilian credentialing or licensing for skills required for military occupational specialties to require the designation as military occupational specialties of the MOS 31B Military Police, MOS 15Q AC-Air Traffic Controller, and the MOS 12M Fire Protection, in addition to not fewer than three and not more than five additional military occupational specialties. Honoring Promises to Service-Disabled Veterans Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the head of each executive department to submit an annual report to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) containing the percentage of the total value of all prime contracts awarded by the executive department during the preceding one-year period to small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Makes such defense inapplicable where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner [ sic ] of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Voter Empowerment Act of 2013 - Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2013 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) to require each state to make available official public websites for online voter registration. Authorizes automated voter registration of certain individuals and establishes other initiatives to promote voter registration, such as same day registration and voter registration of individuals under 18 years of age. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit hindering, interfering with, or preventing voter registration. Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to establish requirements for states to promote access to voter registration and voting for individuals with disabilities, including a single office for providing related information. Directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to make grants to eligible states to conduct pilot programs enabling individuals with disabilities to register to vote and vote privately and independently at their own residences (including by telephone). Amends HAVA to reauthorize the program of grants to state and local governments to assure voting access for individuals with disabilities. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit state or local election officials from preventing an individual from registering or voting in any federal election (voter caging), or from permitting a formal challenge under state law to an individual's registration status or eligibility to vote, if the basis for such decision is evidence consisting of: (1) a voter caging document or voter caging list, (2) an unverified match list, (3) an error or omission on voter application or registration documents that is not material to an individual's eligibility to vote, or (4) any other evidence so designated by the Commission. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit a person, including an election official, from knowingly and willfully attempting to or depriving or defrauding the residents of a state of their free and fair exercise of the right to vote by the communication of election-related information that is known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent. Increases the penalty for voter intimidation. Declares that the right of an individual U.S. citizen to vote in any federal election shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless he or she is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution at the time of the election. Prescribes enforcement of this right by public or private civil action. Requires each state to notify in writing any individual convicted of a criminal offense under state law, upon release from state custody or upon sentence to probation, that he or she has the right to vote in a federal election and so may register to vote. Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2013 - Amends HAVA to revise requirements for the audit capacity of voting systems, particularly those for a permanent paper record. Requires the voting system to require the use of an individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot of the voter's vote that shall be marked and made available for inspection by the voter before the voter's vote is cast and counted, and which shall be counted by hand or read by an optical character recognition device or other counting device. Requires the voting system to provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any system-made error in the voter-verified paper ballot before it is permanently preserved. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make grants to eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Prescribes requirements for: (1) publication of poll tapes, (2) treatment of ballots cast at early voting sites and of absentee ballots, and (3) the counting of provisional ballots that will be treated as votes. Prescribes laboratory conflict-of-interest requirements and prohibitions. Requires the NSF Director to make grants to eligible entities to conduct research on the development of election-dedicated voting system software. Requires each state, except when the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the votes, to administer audits of federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected, consisting of random hand counts of the voter-verified paper ballots. Requires the Election Auditor of a state, as soon as practicable after the completion of an audit, to submit the results to EAC for publication. Prohibits certification of the results of any election until completion of audits. Amends HAVA to: (1) add requirements for counting provisional ballots, (2) require each state to allow early voting and facilitate the ability of voters to vote by mail. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend the guarantee of voting residency to family members of absent military personnel. Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act with respect to pre-election reports on availability and transmission of absentee ballots. Revises the 45-day absentee ballot transmission rule. Permits use of a single absentee ballot application for subsequent elections. Entitles to leave a federal employee who serves as a poll worker. Directs the EAC to: (1) make a grant to each eligible state for poll-worker recruitment and training, and (2) develop materials for a model state poll worker training program. Amends HAVA to make available to any person aggrieved by a violation of uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration requirements the option to file a complaint with the Attorney General or pursue a private right of action to enforce such requirements. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful for a chief state election administration official, unless he or she or a family member is a candidate, to take an active part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which such official has supervisory authority. Amends NVRA to treat universities as voter registration agencies. Amends HAVA to establish minimum notification requirements on behalf of voters affected by polling place changes. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) coordinate the establishment of a state-based response system for responding to questions and complaints from individuals voting or seeking to vote, or registering to vote or seeking to, in federal elections; (2) establish and operate a toll-free telephone service to connect directly to such response system; and (3) appoint a Voter Hotline Task Force. Makes requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and HAVA applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Amends HAVA to: (1) reauthorize and extend the EAC, and (2) repeal its exemption from certain government contracting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Global Democracy Promotion Act - Declares that foreign nongovernmental organizations: (1) shall not be ineligible for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 solely on the basis of health or medical services (including counseling and referral services) provided by them with non-U.S. government funds if such services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided, and would not violate U.S. federal law if provided in the United States; and (2) shall not be subject to requirements relating to the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations receiving such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and revise a research, training, and technical assistance resource center to prevent suicides (the Suicide Prevention Resource Center). Expands the program's focus from youth suicides to suicides among all ages, particularly among groups that are at high risk for suicide. Repeals authority for grants to establish research, training, and technical assistance centers related to mental health, substance abuse and the justice system. Reauthorizes a program of grants for the development of state or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies. Reauthorizes and revises a grant program to enhance services for students with mental health or substance use disorders at institutions of higher education. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) (who currently is merely authorized), acting through the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services, to award grants to enhance such services and to develop best practices for the delivery of such services. Permits grant funds to be used for the provision of such services to students and to employ appropriately trained staff. Requires the Secretary to give special consideration to applications for grants that describe programs that demonstrate the greatest need for new or additional mental and substance use disorder services and the greatest potential for replication.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2013
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Reauthorizes and revises the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act. Increases the number of directors appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Board of Directors. Makes uniform the experience required of each such appointee. Requires the Foundation to have an Executive Director who is appointed by the Board and is knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to fish and wildlife conservation. Gives the Foundation the power to receive and administer restitution and community service payments, amounts for mitigation of impacts to natural resources, and other amounts arising from legal, regulatory, or administrative proceedings, as long as the funds are used for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants, and other natural resources. Repeals provisions authorizing the Foundation to establish a national whale conservation endowment fund. Authorizes the Foundation to: (1) assess and collect fees for the management of amounts received from federal agencies; and (2) use such federal funds for matching contributions made by private persons, state and local agencies, and other entities (current law requires such use). Authorizes the Foundation to perform functions that the National Park Foundation is authorized to conduct, unless exclusive authority is given to the National Park Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2013
Forest Jobs and Recreation Act of 2013 - Establishes the Montana Forest Jobs and Restoration Pilot Initiative under which the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall implement authorized forest and watershed restoration projects and other land management projects on certain eligible lands within the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Kootenai National Forests in Montana to achieve the specified purposes of the Initiative and specified performance requirements. Permits the inclusion of the Seeley Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest within the Initiative. Requires the identification of one or more collaborative groups or resource advisory committees for each national forest within the Initiative. Requires the Secretary to: (1) annually implement one or more authorized forest and watershed restoration projects on the eligible lands; (2) implement, in one or more certain watershed areas, those projects that provide landscape-scale work in order to minimize watershed entries; and (3) enter into stewardship contracts or agreements to carry out authorized forest and watershed restoration projects. Designates specified lands administered by the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Montana as wilderness areas and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). Releases: (1) certain BLM wilderness study areas from further study for designation as wilderness, and (2) the Sapphire and West Pioneer Wilderness Study Areas from further study for inclusion as components of the NWPS. Designates specified federal lands in Montana as special management or recreation management areas. Requires a specified all-terrain vehicle study and report.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2013
Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act of 2013 - Amends the: (1) VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 to extend through March 31, 2016, the veterans retraining assistance program; and (2) Wounded Warrior Act to extend through 2016 the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) (Secretary) to provide the same rehabilitation and vocational benefits to members of the Armed Forces (members) with severe injuries or illnesses as are provided to veterans. Extends through: (1) March 31, 2016, additional VA rehabilitation programs for certain disabled veterans who have completed a VA rehabilitation program and have exhausted their rights to state unemployment benefits; and (2) FY2015 the collaborative veterans' training, mentoring, and placement program. Directs the Secretary to develop a single, unified federal web-based employment portal for veterans to access information on federal programs and activities concerning veterans employment, unemployment benefits, and training. Directs the: (1) Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to award grants to hire veterans as firefighters, and (2) Attorney General (AG) to award grants to hire veterans as law enforcement officers. Requires the head of each executive and defense agency to consider favorably, as an evaluation factor in federal solicitations for contracts and task or delivery orders valued at or above $25 million, the employment by a prospective contractor of veterans constituting at least 5% of the contractor's workforce. Allows a veteran on whose behalf a complaint of a violation of employment or reemployment rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) is made by the AG to intervene in such action, and to obtain appropriate relief. Requires the AG, within 60 days after receiving a referral of an unsuccessful attempt to resolve a complaint relating to a state or private employer, to notify the person on whose behalf the complaint is submitted of either the decision to commence such an action or of when such decision is expected to be made. Requires, in the latter case, such decision to be made within an additional 30 days. Requires the AG to commence such an action when there is reasonable cause to believe that a state or private employer is engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights and benefits, and that the pattern or practice denies the full exercise of such rights and benefits. Authorizes the suspension, termination, or debarment of federal contractors for repeated failures or refusals to comply with USERRA protections. Provides the Special Counsel with subpoena power to require the attendance and testimony of, and production of documents from, federal employees, to be enforced through the Merit Systems Protection Board. Authorizes the AG, in employment or reemployment rights investigations, to issue and serve a civil investigative demand for the production of documentary material.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2013
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) to add or expand definitions of several terms used in such Act. Modifies or expands grant conditions under such Act, including requirements relating to: (1) nondisclosure of personally identifying information or other client information, (2) information sharing between grantees and subgrantees, (3) civil rights and nondiscrimination, (4) audits, and (5) nonprofit organizations. Requires the Office on Violence Against Women of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a biennial conferral process with state and tribal coalitions, technical assistance providers, and other key stakeholders on the administration of grants and related matters. Requires the Attorney General to authorize in writing expenditures for DOJ conferences that exceed $20,000. Title I: Enhancing Judicial and Law Enforcement Tools to Combat Violence Against Women - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 for grants to: (1) combat violent crime against women (STOP grants); and (2) encourage governmental entities to implement policies, training programs, and best practices for recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of domestic violence and violent sex crimes. Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to expand the availability of competent pro bono legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and to authorize appropriations for such assistance for FY2014-FY2018. Revises the grant programs for supporting families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to such families and to train court personnel in assisting such families. Extends through FY2018 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) the training of probation and parole officers to manage sex offenders, and (2) the Court-Appointed Special Advocate program. Amends the federal criminal code with respect to the crime of stalking to prohibit the use of any interactive computer or electronic communication service to stalk victims. Revises and reauthorizes through FY2018 the grant program for outreach strategies targeted at adult or youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations. Title II: Improving Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking - Amends VAWA to extend through FY2018 grant programs to: (1) assist states, Indian tribes, and U.S. territories to establish, maintain, and expand rape crisis centers and other programs to assist victims of sexual assault; and (2) assist victims of domestic violence and other sexual assault crimes in rural areas. Amends the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 to extend through FY2018 the authorization of appropriations for grants to end violence against women with disabilities. Amends VAWA to authorize appropriations through FY2018 for the grant program to end elder abuse, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, exploitation, and neglect, and to provide training for law enforcement agencies to better serve victims of abuse in later life. Directs the Attorney General in awarding grants to end elder abuse to give priority to proposals for serving culturally specific and underserved populations. Title III: Services, Protection, and Justice for Young Victims of Violence - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) include tribal or territorial sexual assault coalitions in the grant program for rape prevention and education, and (2) extend through FY2018 the authorization of appropriations for grants for rape prevention and education programs conducted by rape crisis centers. Establishes a minimum allocation of grant funding for states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and each U.S. territory. Amends VAWA to replace certain grant programs for the protection of young victims of violent crimes with a program requiring the Attorney General, in collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Secretary of Education, to award grants to enhance the safety of youth and children who are victims of, or exposed to, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and to prevent future violence. Amends the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 to revise, expand, and reauthorize through FY2018 the grant program for combating violent crimes on college campuses. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand requirements for the disclosure of campus security policies and crime statistics by institutions of higher education to require education programs to: (1) promote the awareness of rape and other violent sex crimes, (2) require disclosure of disciplinary proceedings involving rape and other violent sex crimes and the standard of evidence that will govern such proceedings, and (3) establish procedures for the protection of the confidentiality of crime victims. Title IV: Violence Reduction Practices - Amends the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 to authorize appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 for grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to academic institutions and organizations to conduct research that examines best practices for reducing and preventing violence against women and children. Amends VAWA to authorize the Attorney General, in consultation with the HHS Secretary and the Secretary of Education, to award grants to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by taking a comprehensive approach that focuses on youth, children exposed to violence, and men as leaders and influencers of social norms (SMART Prevention grants). Title V: Strengthening the Healthcare System's Response to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize, revise, and consolidate grant programs that address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Permits grant funds to be used for the development, expansion, and implementation of sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs. Revises requirements for training and education grants. Title VI: Safe Homes for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking - Amends VAWA with respect to housing protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Revises eligibility requirements for transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to specify that any victims are eligible and extends the authorization of appropriations for such grants, but at decreased levels, for FY2014-FY2018. Extends the authorization of appropriations, but also at decreased levels, for FY2014-FY2018 for: (1) collaborative grants to increase the long-term stability of victims, and (2) grants to combat violence against women in public and assisted housing. Title VII: Economic Security for Victims of Violence - Amends VAWA to extend through FY2018 the authorization of appropriations for the grant program to establish and operate a national resource center on workplace responses to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence. Title VIII: Protection of Battered Immigrants - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) expand the definition of nonimmigrant U-visa (victims of certain crimes) to include victims of stalking; (2) make a child of an alien who was a self-petitioner under VAWA eligible for lawful permanent resident status under such alien's petition; (3) exclude from the public charge bar to admission an alien who is a VAWA self-petitioner, a U-visa applicant, or a battered spouse or child; (4) extend the conditions under which the hardship waiver of the two-year waiting period for permanent resident status may be granted to a battered alien spouse; and (5) expand the scope of criminal-related information that must be disclosed by a U.S. citizen petitioning for a nonimmigrant K-visa (alien fiancee or fiance); Amends the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 to require DHS to: (1) conduct a background check of the National Crime Information Center's Protection Order Database on each K-visa petitioner, and (2) include any appropriate information in the criminal background information provided to the alien fiance/fiancee. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to authorize the DHS Secretary (in addition to the Attorney General) to disclose information relating to aliens who are victims of domestic violence to law enforcement officials for law enforcement purposes in a manner that protects the confidentiality of such information. Authorizes the Attorney General and the Secretaries of Homeland Security and State to disclose such information to national security officials to be used solely for a national security purpose. Requires the Attorney General and the Secretaries of Homeland Security and State to provide guidance to officers and employees of their respective departments regarding such disclosures of information. Title IX: Safety for Indian Women - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) include sex trafficking as a target of the grants to Indian tribal governments to combat violent crime against Indian women, and (2) expand the purposes for which the Attorney General may award domestic violence and sexual assault prevention grants to Indian tribal coalitions. Amends the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 to include the Secretary of the Interior, in addition to the HHS Secretary and the Attorney General, as a participant in consultations with Indian tribes regarding the administration of tribal funds and programs, enhancement of Indian women's safety, and federal response to violent crimes against Indian women. Gives Indian tribes criminal jurisdiction over domestic violence, dating violence, and violations of protective orders that occur on their lands. Makes that jurisdiction concurrent with federal and state jurisdiction. Requires Indian tribes prosecuting crimes of violence to: (1) prove that the defendant has requisite ties to the Indian tribe; (2) provide defendants the right to an impartial jury trial; and (3) notify a defendant of his or her rights, including the right to file a writ of habeas corpus in federal court. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) increase maximum penalties for assault convictions; and (2) impose criminal penalties on individuals who commit an assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner and who assault such spouse or partner by strangling or suffocating. Reauthorizes appropriations for the national tribal sex offender registry and the tribal protection order registry for FY2014-FY2018. Title X: Safer Act - Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2013 or the SAFER Act of 2013 - Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to authorize the Attorney General to make Debbie Smith grants under such Act to states or local governments to: (1) conduct audits of samples of sexual assault evidence that are awaiting testing, provided such governments submit an audit plan that includes a good-faith estimate of the number of such samples; and (2) ensure that the collection and processing of DNA evidence by law enforcement agencies from crimes is carried out in an appropriate and timely manner and in accordance with specified protocols and practices. Requires not less than 5% but not more than 7% of Debbie Smith grant funds distributed in FY2014-FY2017 to be awarded for such purposes if sufficient applications to justify such amounts are received by the Attorney General, provided such awards do not decrease funds for other distribution requirements. Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to: (1) develop and publish a description of protocols and practices for the accurate, timely, and effective collection and processing of DNA evidence, which shall address appropriate steps in the investigation of cases that might involve DNA evidence; and (2) make available technical assistance and training to support states and local governments in adopting and implementing such protocols and practices. Requires the Attorney General to submit to Congress an annual report on: (1) grants awarded to states and local governments, (2) the number of deadline extensions granted by the Attorney General, and (3) the processing status of the samples of sexual assault evidence identified in Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reports. Requires, for each fiscal year through FY2018, that not less than 75% of Debbie Smith grant amounts be awarded to carry out for inclusion in the Combined DNA Index System DNA analyses of samples collected under applicable legal authority and of samples collected from crime scenes and to increase the capacity of state or local government laboratories to carry out DNA analyses. Requires the DOJ Inspector General to conduct audits of grant recipients to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Sunsets specified provisions of this Act regarding Debbie Smith grants for auditing sexual assault evidence backlogs on December 31, 2018. Title XI: Other Matters - Amends the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act to allow a prisoner in federal custody to bring a suit against the United States for a mental or emotional injury if such injury resulted from the commission of a sexual act (currently, requires a prior showing of a physical injury). Amends the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 to direct the DHS Secretary to publish a final rule adopting national standards for the detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment of rapes and sexual assaults in detention facilities against aliens detained for a violation of U.S. immigration law. Requires the HHS Secretary to publish a similar final rule for the protection of unaccompanied alien children in custodial facilities. Amends the Communications Act of 1934, with respect to obscene or harassing telephone calls, to: (1) remove the intent to annoy requirement in the definition of such crime; and (2) include any specific person as an intended victim of such crime (currently, any person at the called number or who receives the communication). Amends VAWA to extend through FY2018 the grant programs for: (1) improving and implementing processes for entering data on stalking and domestic violence into crime information databases, and (2) appointing victim/witness counselors for the prosecution of sex crimes and domestic violence crimes. Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to authorize appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 for child abuse and neglect technical assistance and training programs for judicial personnel and attorneys practicing in juvenile and family courts.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2013
Prohibits Members of Congress and the President from receiving basic pay for any period in which: (1) there is more than a 24-hour lapse in appropriations for any federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution, or (2) the federal government is unable to make payments or meet obligations because the public debt limit has been reached. Prohibits retroactive payment of such forfeited pay.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2013
End Government Shutdowns Act - Makes specified provisional (automatic) continuing appropriations in the event that any regular appropriation bill for a fiscal year is not enacted before the beginning of such fiscal year, or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations is not in effect. (Thus prevents a federal government shutdown.)
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2013
Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 - Repeals, but continues for crop year 2013: (1) direct payments, (2) countercyclical payments, and (3) the average crop revenue election program (ACRE). Establishes the agriculture risk coverage program through crop year 2018 for covered crops to make payments to producers for each planted crop when actual farm or county-wide crop revenue is below the agriculture risk coverage guarantee (89% of historical revenue). Requires producers to choose individual or county coverage. Authorizes: (1) nonrecourse marketing assistance loans, (2) loan deficiency payments, (3) payments in lieu of loan deficiency payments for grazed acreage, (4) programs for upland cotton and extra long staple cotton, (5) assistance for peanuts, (6) recourse loans for high moisture feed grains and seed cotton, and (7) programs for sugar and sugar beets. Establishes a dairy production margin protection program under which participating dairy operations are paid: (1) basic production margin protection program payments when production margins are less than threshold levels, and (2) supplemental production margin protection program payments if purchased by a participating dairy operation. Provides for a transition period under which the dairy production margin protection program and the milk income loss program shall both be in existence and producers may participate in either program. Establishes a dairy market stabilization program to assist in balancing the supply of milk with demand when participating dairy operations are experiencing low or negative operating margins. Terminates the production margin protection and stabilization programs on December 31, 2018. Repeals: (1) the dairy products price support program, (2) the milk income loss contract program, and (3) the dairy export incentive program. Extends: (1) the dairy indemnity program, (2) the dairy forward pricing program, and (3) the dairy promotion and research program. Provides assistance for livestock losses caused by: (1) adverse weather or attacks by federally reintroduced animals, including wolves; and (2) drought or fire. Provides assistance for orchardists and nursery tree growers for commercial losses caused by natural disasters. Suspends permanent price supports for covered commodities, cotton, sugar, and milk through 2018. Revises payment limitation provisions. Extends the conservation reserve program and the farmable wetland program through FY2018. Revises the conservation stewardship program. Extends the environmental quality incentives program through FY2018. Establishes the agricultural conservation easement program for the conservation of eligible land and natural resources through easements or other interests in land. (Combines the purposes and coordinates the functions of the wetlands reserve program, the grassland reserve program, and the farmland protection program.) Extends through FY2018: (1) the conservation of private grazing land program, (2) the grass roots source water protection program, (3) the voluntary public access and habitat incentive program, and (4) the small watershed rehabilitation program. Establishes a terminal lakes assistance program (in lieu of the desert lakes program) for the purchase of eligible land impacted by flooded or terminal lakes and their associated watershed or riparian resources. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for: (1) the conservation reserve program, (2) the agricultural conservation easement program, (3) the conservation stewardship program, and (4) the environmental quality incentives program. Repeals: (1) the conservation enhancement program, (2) the emergency forestry conservation reserve program, (3) the wetlands reserve program, (3) the farmland protection program, (4) the grassland reserve program, (5) the agricultural water enhancement program, (6) the wildlife habitat incentive program, (7) the Great Lakes Basin program, (8) the Chesapeake Bay watershed program, (9) the cooperative conservation partnership initiative, and (10) the environmental easement program. Extends specified programs under the Food for Peace Act and the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 through FY2018. Extends through FY2018: (1) the food for progress program, (2) the Bill Emerson humanitarian trust, and (3) the McGovern-Dole international food for education and child nutrition program. Establishes the Donald Payne Horn of Africa food resilience program. Extends the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) through FY2018. Revises provisions regarding participant eligibility, retail stores, and food assistance security. Extends through FY2018: (1) the food distribution program on Indian reservations, and (2) commodity purchases for emergency food assistance. Extends through FY2018: (1) the commodity distribution program, (2) the commodity supplemental food program, (3) distribution of surplus commodities to special nutrition projects, (4) purchases of fresh fruit and vegetables for schools and service institutions, and (5) the senior farmers' market nutrition program. Revises the hunger-free communities program. Establishes the healthy food financing initiative. Restructures agricultural credit program provisions under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. Extends through FY2018: (1) guarantee authority for rural electrification or telephone bonds and notes, and (2) expansion of 911 access. Extends the distance learning and telemedicine program through FY2018. Establishes a rural energy savings plan to provide consumer loans to implement energy efficiency measures. Extends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board until September 30, 2018. Establishes a grant program to develop and sustain veterinary services. Authorizes appropriations for agricultural and food policy research centers. Extends through FY2018: (1) grants and fellowships for food and agricultural sciences education, (2) education grants to Native Alaska Native Hawaiian serving institutions, (3) the nutrition education program, (4) animal health and disease research programs, (5) grants to upgrade agricultural and food sciences facilities at 1890 land-grant colleges, (6) grants for Hispanic-serving institutions, (7) grants for international agricultural science and education, and (8) assistance for extension, aquaculture, rangeland, and biosecurity programs. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for: (1) sustainable agriculture technology, (2) the genetics resource program, (3) the agricultural weather information system, (3) high priority and organic agriculture research, (4) farm business management, and (5) assistive technology for farmers with disabilities. Establishes a comprehensive food safety training network. Authorizes the prioritization of regional centers of excellence for specialized agricultural commodities. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for: (1) wheat disease research, (2) youth organizations, (3) specialty crop research, and (4) the Office of Pest Management Policy. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for activities under the Critical Agricultural Materials Act. Revises "1994 Institutions" (Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994) provisions. Establishes four regional integrated pest management centers. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for: (1) the Agricultural Biosecurity Communication Center and agricultural biosecurity grants and local capacity development, (2) activities under the National Aquaculture Act of 1990, (3) activities under the Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978, and (4) the beginning farmer and rancher development program. Extends the grazing lands research laboratory through September 30, 2018. Revises budget submission and funding provisions under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for: (1) the natural products research program, and (2) the sun grant program. Establishes the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Repeals: (1) the forest land enhancement program, (2) the watershed forestry assistance program, (3) the Hispanic-serving institution agricultural land leadership program, and (4) the tribal watershed forestry assistance program. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for: (1) the forest stewardship program, (2) the forest legacy program, (3) the community forest and open space conservation program, (4) urban and community forestry assistance, (5) rural revitalization technologies, (6) the Office of International Forestry, (7) insect infestation treatment areas, and (8) the healthy forests reserve program. Authorizes stewardship contracting projects with private persons or other public or private entities to perform land management services for national forests and public lands. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for: (1) the biobased marketing program, (2) the bioenergy program for advanced biofuels, (3) the biodiesel fuel education program, (4) the rural energy for America program, (5) biomass research and development, (6) the feedstock flexibility program for bioenergy producers, (7) the biomass crop assistance program, and (8) the community wood energy program. Repeals: (1) the forest biomass for energy program, and (2) the program encouraging biorefineries to replace fossil fuel operating systems with renewable biomass systems. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for: (1) the specialty crop market news program, (2) the farmers market and local food promotion program, (3) organic production and market initiatives, (4) national organic program upgrades, (5) food safety initiatives, and (6) specialty crop block grants. Repeals the specialty crop movement-to-market program. Establishes the national clean plant network for pathogen elimination services. Amends federal crop insurance provisions regarding: (1) a supplemental crop insurance coverage option; (2) catastrophic risk protection premiums; (3) enterprise units for irrigated and nonirrigated crops; (4) stacked income protection for upland cotton producers; (5) revenue crop insurance for peanuts; (6) administrative provisions; (7) research and development; (8) whole farm risk management insurance; (9) swine, poultry, and organic crop protection; (10) margin coverage for catfish; (11) a weather insurance pilot program; (12) beginning farmers and ranchers; (13) crop protection on native sod; and (15) income-based premium subsidy limits. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for outreach and assistance for socially disadvantaged or veteran farmers and ranchers. Establishes: (1) the wildlife reservoir zoonotic disease initiative, and (2) a program to improve the U.S. sheep industry. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for: (1) the national aquatic animal health plan, and (2) the trichinae certification program. Authorizes a feral swine eradication pilot program. Establishes the position of Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018 for grants to improve agricultural labor force supply, stability, safety, and training. Prohibits an individual from attending, or causing a minor to attend, an animal fight.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2013
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should: (1) reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA); (2) renew the commitment of the United States to providing the resources necessary to combat all forms of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; (3) build upon the success of VAWA in transforming the criminal justice and community-based response to abuse by bolstering and streamlining the programs, grants, and coalitions created by VAWA and expanding the reach of VAWA to meet the remaining needs of victims; (4) continue to provide the training, tools, and resources necessary for law enforcement officers and victim service providers to hold the perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence accountable and to keep victims safe; and (5) ensure that all victims of domestic and sexual violence receive the support and protections provided by VAWA.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2013
Amends Rule XXII (Precedence of Motions) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to limit, with exceptions, consideration of a motion to proceed to the consideration of any debatable matter to not more than two hours, equally divided between, and controlled by, the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader or their designees. Considers cloture of debate to have been invoked upon affirmative vote on the question of closing debate by three-fifths of Senators (two-thirds of those present and voting on a measure or motion to amend the Senate rules). Makes it in order for the Majority Leader (or his or her designee), if the question on closing debate is decided in the affirmative by a majority of Senators voting but less than three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn (or less than two-thirds of the Senators voting, a quorum being present, in the case of a measure or motion to amend the Senate rules), to initiate a period of extended debate, to begin one hour later, upon the measure, motion, or other matter pending before the Senate, or the unfinished business, in relation to which the motion to close debate was offered. Provides procedures applicable during such extended debate concerning: (1) the consideration of the measure, motion, or other pending matter, or the unfinished business, as the unfinished business to the exclusion of all other business; (2) the raising of a question about the presence of a quorum; (3) motions to adjourn or recess during such debate; (4) the number of times a Senator may speak; (5) postponement of a vote by the Majority Leader; and (6) the effects upon cloture if at any time no Senator seeks recognition. Limits to two hours post-cloture debate on the question of advice and consent to a nomination other than one to a position as Justice of the Supreme Court. Amends Rule XXVIII (Conference Committees; Reports; Open Meetings) to make in order and limit to two hours consideration of a nondivisible motion to: (1) disagree to a House amendment or insist upon a Senate amendment, (2) request a committee of conference with the House or to agree to a House request for a committee of conference, and (3) authorize the Presiding Officer to appoint conferees (or to appoint conferees).
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2012
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret of the death of the Honorable Daniel K. Inouye, Senator from Hawaii. Declares that when the Senate adjourns December 18, 2012, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2012
Condemns the senseless attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. Offers condolences to all of the students, teachers, administrators, and faculty of Sandy Hook Elementary School, as well as their families, and recognizes that the healing process will be long and difficult for the entire community. Honors the selfless, dedicated service of: (1) the teachers, school administrators, school support staff, medical professionals, and others in the greater Newtown community; (2) the emergency response teams and law enforcement officials who responded; and (3) the law enforcement officials who continue to investigate the attack. States that the Senate remains committed to working together to help prevent such tragedies from ever happening again.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2012
Observes the 100th birthday of civil rights icon Rosa Parks. Commemorates the legacy of Rosa Parks to inspire all people of the United States to stand up for freedom and the principles of the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2012
Urges European governments and the European Union (EU) to: (1) designate Hizballah as a terrorist organization so that Hizballah cannot use EU territories for fund raising, recruitment, and propaganda; and (2) impose sanctions on Hizballah for providing material support to Bashar al Assad's violent repression against the people of Syria. Supports Bulgaria's investigation into the July 18, 2012, terrorist attack in Burgas, and urges the President to provide related diplomatic, intelligence, and law enforcement support. Supports Bulgaria as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and urges the United States, NATO, and the EU to work with Bulgaria to safeguard its territory and citizens from terrorism. Urges the President to make available to European allies and the European public information about Hizballah's terrorist activities and material support for Bashar al Assad's campaign of violence in Syria.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2012
Declares that the Senate: (1) expresses profound sorrow at the death of the Honorable Arlen Specter, a former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania; and (2) conveys its condolences to his family. Declares that when the Senate adjourns December 10, 2012, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Arlen Specter.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2012
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) tax incentives for retirement savings plans play an important role in encouraging employers and employees to participate in such plans, (2) existing incentives have increased the number of Americans covered by a retirement plan, and (3) a reformed and simplified federal tax code should include incentives to maintain and contribute to such plans and to strengthen retirement security for all Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2012
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret of the passing of the Honorable George McGovern, a former U.S. Senator and Member of the House of Representatives from South Dakota. Extends heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends. Declares that when the Senate adjourns November 30, 2012, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of George McGovern.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2012
Declares that the Senate has received with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the passing of the Honorable Warren B. Rudman, a former Senator from New Hampshire. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on November 29, 2012, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Rudman.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 2012
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of American Diabetes Month, including encouraging people to fight diabetes through public awareness about prevention and treatment options, and increasing education about the disease; and (2) decreasing the prevalence of type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes in the United States through increased research, treatment, and prevention. Recognizes the importance of early detection, awareness of the symptoms, and the risk factors that often lead to the development of diabetes.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2012
Expresses unwavering commitment to the security of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders and supports its inherent right to act in self-defense to protect its citizens against acts of terrorism. Reiterates that Hamas must end Gaza-linked terrorist rocket and missile attacks against Israel, recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence, and agree to accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. Urges the U.N. Security Council to condemn the recent spike in Gaza-linked terrorist missile attacks against Israel. Encourages the President to continue to work diplomatically with the international community to prevent Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist organizations from retaining or rebuilding the capability to launch rockets and missiles against Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2012
Breast Cancer Patient Education Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide for the planning and implementation of an education campaign to inform breast cancer patients anticipating surgery regarding the availability and coverage of breast reconstruction, prostheses, and other options. Requires such campaign to include dissemination of the following information: (1) breast reconstruction is possible at the time of breast cancer surgery or in a delayed fashion; (2) prostheses or breast forms may be available; (3) federal law mandates that both public and private health plans include coverage of breast reconstruction and prostheses; (4) the patient has a right to choose the provider of reconstructive care, including the potential transfer of care to a surgeon that provides breast reconstructive care; and (5) the patient may opt to undergo breast reconstruction in a delayed fashion for personal reasons or after completion of all other breast cancer treatments. Prohibits such campaign from specifying, or being designed to serve as a tool to limit, the health care providers available to patients.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2012
Designates November 24, 2012, as Small Business Saturday. Supports efforts to: (1) encourage consumers to shop locally, and (2) increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and their impact on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2012
Recognizes the dedicated service and commitment of Ambassador John Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty in assisting the Libyan people as they navigate the complex currents of democratic transition marked in this case by profound instability. Praises Ambassador Stevens, who represented the highest tradition of American public service, for his extraordinary record of dedication to the interests of he Unites States in some of the most difficult and dangerous posts around the globe. Sends the Senate's condolences to the families of those American public servants killed in Benghazi. Commends the bravery of Foreign Service Officers, U.S. Armed Forces, and public servants serving in harm's way around the globe and recognizes the deep sacrifices made by their families. Condemns the despicable attacks on American diplomats and public servants in Benghazi and calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2012
Recognizes and honors the service of the First Special Service Force (a military unit composed of volunteers from the United States and Canada) during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Honoring Service Through National Park Access Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make a lifetime National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available, at a cost of $10, to veterans who were separated from military service under conditions other than dishonorable.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act - Makes an employee of a land management agency who served under a time-limited appointment in the competitive service eligible to compete for a permanent appointment in the agency if the original appointment was competitive, totaled a period of at least 24 months, and the employee's performance was satisfactory. Requires such an employee's appointment to a full-time position, if such a position is offered and the employee agrees to such employment, if the original position stated that there was the potential for the position to become permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Designates September 2012 as the National Month of Voter Registration. Calls on state and local election officials to conduct public outreach and take affirmative steps to encourage voter registration. Encourages states to be fully compliant with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and other federal voting rights laws as election day approaches.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2012
Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop a scientific framework for research on recalcitrant cancers (cancer with a 5-year relative survival rate below 50%), which includes: (1) a review of the status of research, such as a summary of findings, identification of promising scientific advances, a description of the availability of qualified scientific researchers, and the identification of resources available to facilitate research; (2) identification of research questions that have not been adequately addressed; and (3) recommendations for actions to advance research and for appropriate benchmarks to measure progress on achieving such actions. Requires the Director to develop the framework within 18 months and review and update it every 5 years. Requires the Director to identify within 6 months 2 or more recalcitrant cancers that have a 5-year relative survival rate of less than 20%, and are estimated to cause the death of at least 30,000 individuals in the United States per year. Authorizes the Director to identify additional such cancers and to consider additional metrics of progress (such as incidence and mortality rates) against such cancer. Requires the Director to convene a working group for each identified cancer to provide expertise on, and assist in developing, a scientific framework under this Act. Requires the Director to consider each relevant scientific framework developed under this Act when making recommendations for exception funding for grant applications.
![Official portrait of Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/t000464_200.jpg)