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![Official portrait of Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/t000250_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
3,550 records where Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2020
This bill grants a federal charter to the National American Indian Veterans Inc., which is a nonprofit corporation organized in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2020
Women's Public Health and Safety Act This bill allows a state to exclude from participation in the state's Medicaid program a provider that performs an abortion, unless (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or (2) the woman suffers from a physical issue that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. (Under current law, a state plan for medical assistance must provide that any individual eligible for medical assistance may obtain required services from any provider qualified to perform them.)
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
Gilt Edge Mine Conveyance Act This bill provides for a land conveyance to South Dakota. Specifically, if South Dakota submits an offer to the Forest Service to acquire approximately 266 acres of National Forest System land within the Gilt Edge Mine Superfund Boundary for its market value, the Forest Service shall convey such land to South Dakota. Any proceeds received by the Forest Service from the conveyance shall be (1) deposited in a specified fund for the exchange of lands, and (2) available to the Forest Service for the maintenance and improvement of land or administration facilities in the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
Setting an American Framework to Ensure Data Access, Transparency, and Accountability Act or the SAFE DATA Act This bill establishes various requirements relating to the collection of consumer data, data transparency and security, and corporate accountability, including limiting the amount of data a covered entity may collect and prohibiting manipulation of data intended to increase the usage of online services (e.g., incorporating auto-play functions without the consent of a user).
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act of 2020 This bill provides for the portability of professional licenses of service members and their spouses who are relocated under military orders to a location that is not within the jurisdiction of the license. Specifically, a professional license in good standing of a service member or spouse shall be considered valid and in good standing in the new jurisdiction for the duration of such military orders. To establish and maintain eligibility, a service member or spouse must (1) provide a copy of the military orders to the licensing authority in the jurisdiction in which the new residency is located; (2) remain in good standing with the licensing authority that issued the license; and (3) submit to the authority of the licensing authority in the new jurisdiction for the purposes of standards of practice, discipline, and fulfillment of any continuing education requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
This resolution designates September 21-September 25, 2020, as National Clean Energy Week.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain are historic achievements. Further, it encourages other Arab nations to establish full relations with Israel, and it reaffirms the Senate's support for a negotiated, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to ensure that private sector entities administering the TSA PreCheck Program provide a secure end-to-end online web or mobile application enrollment capability that leverages electronic technologies to remotely capture biometrics and validate identity documents. (The PreCheck Program allows pre-approved passengers to use expedited security lanes at passenger screening checkpoints in airports.) The TSA must also ensure that any individual who enrolled in the PreCheck Program under the Universal Enrollment Services program is eligible for renewal of the individual's enrollment under the renewal process of the Universal Enrollment Services program. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice must enter into a memorandum of understanding with respect to cooperatively evaluating and approving a capability for remote collection of biometric information from a mobile device and associated vetting of individuals' criminal histories for trusted traveler enrollment programs of the TSA. The TSA must submit a plan for the implementation of the new online enrollment capability that (1) identifies appropriate security and privacy protections; and (2) includes a strategy for ensuring that the private sector entities administering the PreCheck Program operate locations for enrollment that are geographically dispersed from locations required for enrollment under the Universal Enrollment Services program, or otherwise increase enrollment beyond existing capabilities and current geographic markets.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2020
Adopt the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation Model Act or the Adopt GREET Act This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to update the methodology it uses in life cycle greenhouse gas assessments for corn-based ethanol and biodiesel fuels used in vehicles. The assessments are used to evaluate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and combustion of such fuels.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2020
Missouri River Basin Drought and Snowpack Monitoring Act This bill requires the Army Corps of Engineers to continue installing stations to monitor soil moisture and plains snowpack in the Upper Missouri River Basin. The bill also requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish a pilot program to use the data from such stations for various programs, such as the U.S. Drought Monitor.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2020
Telehealth Modernization Act This bill modifies requirements relating to coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill extends certain flexibilities that were initially authorized during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Among other things, the bill allows (1) rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); (2) the home of a beneficiary to serve as the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) for all services (rather than for only certain services); and (3) all types of practitioners to furnish telehealth services, as determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2020
This resolution declares that (1) the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable John Lewis, a late Member of the House of Representatives; and (2) when the Senate adjourns on July 28, 2020, it will stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the Honorable John Lewis.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2020
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Integrity Act This bill requires applicants for pandemic unemployment assistance to provide state unemployment agencies with documentation substantiating their employment or planned commencement of employment, including self-employment.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 2020
E-SIGN Modernization Act of 2020 This bill repeals certain requirements regarding the use of electronic records in commerce. Specifically, the bill repeals the requirement that consumers must demonstrate their ability to access information electronically in order to consent to the use of electronic records.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 2020
This bill waives certain eligibility requirements for hospitals participating in the 340B drug discount program (i.e., a program that allows entities to receive covered outpatient drugs at reduced prices from manufacturers) during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. Specifically, the bill waives the required minimum proportion of low-income patients served for hospitals that began participating in the program during or prior to the COVID-19 emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020
Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency Act or the PACT Act This bill requires providers of interactive computer services (e.g., social media platforms) to (1) publish an acceptable use policy, (2) provide a system for users to submit complaints related to the removal of content, and (3) periodically report about violations of the use policy and removal of content.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020
Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act This bill allows local educational agencies (LEAs) participating in the Impact Aid Program to use the student count and federal property valuation data from their FY2021 program applications for their FY2022 program applications. The program provides funding to LEAs that have lost property tax revenue due to the presence of tax-exempt federal property or to those that have experienced increased expenditures due to enrollment of federally connected children (e.g., children living on Indian lands or military bases).
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2020
Rural Connectivity Advancement Program Act of 2020 This bill sets aside 10% of the net proceeds from spectrum auctions to be deposited into a Rural Broadband Assessment and Deployment Fund, which shall be used for the buildout of broadband networks. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must use the fund to establish one or more programs to address (1) gaps in broadband internet access service coverage in high-cost rural areas, and (2) insufficient funding of other programs that could adversely affect the sustainability of broadband services or comparability of rates supported by such programs. Further, the FCC must establish transparency and accountability requirements for addressing such coverage gaps and funding shortfalls, and it must report annually on the distribution of amounts from the fund.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2020
Remote and Mobile Worker Relief Act of 2020 This bill prohibits the wages or other remuneration earned by an employee who performs employment duties in more than one taxing jurisdiction (i.e., states, localities, the District of Columbia, territories or possessions) from being subject to income tax in any other taxing jurisdiction other than (1) the taxing jurisdiction of the employee's residence, and (2) the taxing jurisdiction within which the employee is present and performing employment duties for more than 30 days during the calendar year in which the wages or remuneration are earned. The 30-day requirement is extended to 90 days in 2020 for employees performing duties outside the taxing jurisdiction of their residence during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. The bill exempts employers from income tax withholding and information reporting requirements for employees not subject to income tax in the taxing jurisdiction. For purposes of determining penalties related to withholding and information reporting requirements, an employer may rely on an employee's annual determination of the time expected to be spent in the taxing jurisdiction in the absence of the employer's actual knowledge of fraud or collusion between the employer and employee to evade tax. For the purposes of this bill, the term employee excludes professional athletes, professional entertainers, production employees who perform services in connection with certain film, television, or other commercial video productions, and public figures who are persons of prominence who perform services for wages or other remuneration on a per-event basis. The bill also sets forth a rule for the classification of wages earned by employees working remotely.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2020
Just and Unifying Solutions To Invigorate Communities Everywhere Act of 2020 or the JUSTICE Act This bill addresses policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. The bill funds state and local grants, incentivizes state and local reporting on the use of certain policing practices, creates new federal offenses for certain misconduct, establishes a commission to study the conditions affecting Black men and boys, and establishes best practices and training requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2020
This bill sets forth an approval process for advanced biofuel registrations and directs the Environmental Protection Agency to take final action on certain pending petitions for renewable fuel pathways.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020
Hand Sanitizer Guidance Extension Act of 2020 This bill specifies that certain Food and Drug Administration guidance related to the manufacture of alcohol-based hand sanitizers during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency shall remain in effect for two years after this bill's enactment. The bill also imposes various requirements related to the content of hand sanitizers manufactured while the guidance is in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2020
This resolution affirms that the Senate calls for justice for George Floyd and opposes efforts to defund the police.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2020
Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2020 This bill establishes a grant program to fund demonstration projects to provide mental health services to medically underserved individuals in rural areas or in the farming, fishing, and forestry industries. Specifically, the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth within the Health Resources and Services Administration must award grants to public or nonprofit telemental health provider networks to deliver, and evaluate the impact of, home-based telemental services for such individuals. The office must coordinate activities with the Rural Health Liaison of the Department of Agriculture.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2020
Paycheck Protection for Producers Act This bill modifies the Paycheck Protection Program, established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), by allowing certain farmers to calculate (or recalculate) their paycheck protection loan amount based on 2019 gross income. Under current law, such farmers must calculate their paycheck protection loan amount based on net income.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020
Pandemic Authority Suitable To Utilize Reserve Easements Act or the PASTURE Act This bill provides authority for the Department of Agriculture during a pandemic to permit activities such as emergency haying and grazing on land that is subject to a contract under the Conservation Reserve Program.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2020
Aircraft Safety Improvement Act of 2020 This bill addresses the aircraft certification process of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Among other requirements, the FAA must conduct a rulemaking proceeding to require aircraft manufacturers that hold both a type certificate and a production certificate, where the United States is the State of Design and State of Manufacture, to have in place a safety management system that is consistent with the standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization for such systems; develop best practices for Organization Designation Authorizations (ODA's), including requiring such practices to be incorporated into each ODA holder's approved procedures manual; initiate a review of its existing regulations and policies to integrate and emphasize human factors and human system integration, particularly those related to pilot and aircraft interfaces; develop a research plan to address the integration of human factors in the design and certification of transport category aircraft; revise existing policies for manufacturers of large transport category airplanes that are expected to be operated for passenger air transportation to ensure that pilot operational evaluations for airplanes that are in the process of being certified use pilots from foreign and domestic air carriers; and review its own aircraft certification expertise to determine whether it has the expertise and capability to adequately understand the safety implications of, and oversee the adoption of, new or innovative technologies, materials, and procedures that designers and manufacturers of aircraft may adopt or introduce.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2020
This joint resolution requests the Department of the Interior to authorize a one-time arrangement to commemorate the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution entitled LOOK UP TO HER at Mount Rushmore with a display of historical artifacts, digital content, film footage, and associated historical audio and imagery in and around the vicinity of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota for 14 nights of public display during August 18-September 30, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2020
Small Packer Overtime and Holiday Fee Relief for COVID-19 Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to reduce the fees charged to small meat, poultry, and egg processing plants for inspections that occur during overtime hours or on holidays. The bill also provides funding to implement the requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2020
Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act This bill revises and reauthorizes through FY2025 the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan program of the Department of Transportation (DOT). The bill revises the program to direct DOT to provide direct loans and loan guarantees to private entities with controlling ownership in one or more freight railroads other than Class 1 carriers. The bill provides DOT with flexibility in evaluating the types of collateral an applicant or infrastructure partner may propose under the program. The bill also establishes an expedited application review process under the program for loans meeting certain financial and operational criteria. DOT must provide applicants with regular updates on the status of their applications.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2020
This resolution declares that the Senate (1) has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Thomas Allen Coburn, former member of the U.S. Senate; (2) recognizes his life and achievements; and (3) expresses condolences to the family of the former Senator on his passing. Furthermore, this resolution declares that when the Senate adjourns on May 19, 2020, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the Honorable Thomas Allen Coburn.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2020
This resolution designates Michael P. DiSilvestro as Director Emeritus of Senate Security of the United States Senate, effective May 23, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2020
Renewable Fuel Feedstock Reimbursement Act of 2020 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to carry out a program to provide payments to certain renewable fuel producers to reimburse them for purchases of renewable fuel feedstock that were made between January 1, 2020, and March 31, 2020. The payment amount shall be equal to 75% of the purchase price of such feedstock.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2020
Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 This bill imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region and requires various reports on the topic. The President shall periodically report to Congress a list identifying foreign individuals and entities responsible for such human rights abuses. The President shall impose (1) property-blocking sanctions on the identified individuals and entities, and (2) visa-blocking sanctions on the identified individuals. The bill requires reports to Congress on (1) human rights abuses in Xinjiang; (2) efforts to protect U.S. citizens and residents, including ethnic Uyghurs and Chinese nationals studying or working in the United States, from harassment and intimidation by the Chinese government; and (3) the Chinese government's acquisition and development of technology to facilitate internment and mass surveillance in Xinjiang. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence shall submit a classified report to Congress on (1) Chinese government policies in Xinjiang that constitute gross violations of human rights, and (2) the scope and scale of the detention and forced labor of Muslim minority groups in China.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2020
Motor Carrier Safety Grant Relief Act of 2020 This bill provides relief for recipients of financial assistance awards for FY2019 and FY2020 from the Department of Transportation (DOT). The bill expands the period of availability during which grant recipients may spend funds awarded through the (1) motor carrier safety assistance program, (2) commercial motor vehicle operators grant program, and (3) commercial driver's license program implementation grant program. DOT may keep and redistribute funds that were not allocated for FY2019 or FY2020.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2020
This resolution expresses that the Senate urges the President to require the U.S. Trade Representative to enter into the trade negotiations necessary to implement mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef, in order to allow consumers to make an informed and free choice about where their food comes from.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2020
This resolution designates the week of May 10-May 16, 2020, as National Police Week.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2020
COVID-19 Consumer Data Protection Act of 2020 This bill generally prohibits covered entities from collecting, processing, or transferring an individual's personally identifiable information for the purpose of contact tracing with respect to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) without first obtaining the individual's affirmative consent to use such information. Applicable personally identifiable information includes, but is not limited to, precise geolocation data, long-lasting digital identifiers of individuals, and personal health information. However, such information does not include data that is de-identified, related to employee health screening for on-site entry, or publicly available. Covered entities, which include businesses, common carriers, and certain nonprofit organizations, also must provide a mechanism for individuals to revoke prior affirmative consent.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2020
Small Business Expense Protection Act of 2020 This bill amends the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to provide that tax deductions for ordinary business expenses and other tax incidents shall not be affected by the exclusion from gross income of amounts related to loan forgiveness received in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2020
Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act This bill makes previously unused immigrant visas available to nurses and physicians who petition for such a visa before the date that is 90 days after the end of the declared national emergency relating to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak. The number of visas available shall be the total number of unused employment-based immigrant visas from FY1992-FY2020, up to 40,000. Of such visas, 25,000 shall be reserved for nurses and 15,000 for physicians. Certain family members may accompany the principal beneficiary of a visa provided under this bill, and visas for such family members shall (1) be made available from the unused visas from FY1992-FY2020, and (2) not be counted against the 40,000 cap. Visas provided under this bill shall be exempt from per-country limitations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2020
Tax Filing Relief for America Act This bill extends the filing deadline for tax returns and the payment of tax to July 15, 2020, for taxable year 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2020
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act This bill imposes various restrictions related to China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region, including by prohibiting certain imports from Xinjiang and imposing sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations there. Goods manufactured or produced in Xinjiang or by entities working under certain Xinjiang government programs shall not be entitled to entry into the United States unless Customs and Border Protection (1) determines that the goods were not manufactured by convict labor, forced labor, or indentured labor under penal sanctions; and (2) reports such a determination to Congress and to the public. The President shall periodically report to Congress a list of foreign entities and individuals knowingly facilitating (1) the forced labor of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and members of other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang; and (2) the importation of forced labor goods from Xinjiang. The President shall impose property-blocking sanctions on the listed individuals and entities and impose visa-blocking sanctions on the listed individuals. Securities issuers required to file annual or quarterly reports with the Securities Exchange Commission shall disclose in such reports certain information related to Xinjiang, including instances where the issuer knowingly (1) engaged in activities with an entity helping to create mass surveillance systems in Xinjiang, (2) engaged in activities with an entity running or building detention facilities for Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang, or (3) acquired a significant amount of textiles produced in Xinjiang. After being notified of such a disclosure, the President shall determine whether to investigate if sanctions or criminal charges are warranted.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2020
Protect Our Military Families' 2nd Amendment Rights Act This bill broadens the scope of allowable firearm transactions involving active duty service members and their spouses. Specifically, the bill allows a licensed gun dealer, importer, or manufacturer to sell or ship a firearm or ammunition to the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty outside the United States. (Current law already allows a licensed dealer, importer, or manufacturer to sell or ship a firearm or ammunition to a member of the Armed Forces on active duty outside the United States.) The bill also specifies that, for purposes of federal firearms laws, a member of the Armed Forces on active duty, or his or her spouse, is a resident of the state in which (1) the member or spouse maintains legal residence, (2) the permanent duty station of the member is located, and (3) the member maintains a home from which he or she commutes to the permanent duty station.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2020
Cover Crop Flexibility Act of 2020 This bill modifies the federal crop insurance program to address the planting of cover crops following prevented planting. Specifically, the bill allows a producer that is prevented from planting its first crop to plant a second crop and receive an indemnity equal to the full guarantee for the first crop if the second crop (1) is an approved cover crop, and (2) cannot be harvested for grain or other uses unrelated to livestock forage or conservation. Under current law, if a producer plants a second crop it can only get an indemnity worth at most 35% of the prevented planting guarantee for the first crop. For a producer planting a cover crop following prevented planting, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) may provide separate prevented planting coverage factors that include preplanting costs, the cost of cover crop seed, and the cost of fencing and supplying water to livestock. Further, the FCIC must conduct research and development regarding a policy to insure crops on fields that regularly utilize cover crops, including research to examine the extent that cover crops reduce risks of prevented planting and other crop insurance losses.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2020
Reducing Unnecessary Senior Hospitalizations Act of 2020 or the RUSH Act of 2020 This bill establishes a program through which qualified group practices may provide certain items and services that are normally provided at hospital emergency departments to individuals who (1) are entitled to Medicare hospital services, (2) are enrolled for Medicare medical services, and (3) reside in qualified skilled nursing facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
Securing All Livestock Equitably Act of 2020 or the SALE Act of 2020 This bill requires all livestock purchased by a dealer in cash sales and all inventories of, or receivables or proceeds from, such livestock to be held by the dealer in a trust until all unpaid cash sellers of the livestock have been paid. The bill exempts from the requirement any dealer whose average annual purchases of livestock do not exceed $100,000. The bill also specifies requirements regarding enforcement, preserving a trust, notifying lien holders, and purchasing or transferring livestock that is subject to a trust.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2020
Network Security Trade Act of 2020 This bill expands the overall trade negotiating objectives of the United States to require that negotiators seek to ensure the security and autonomy of global communications infrastructure.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2020
This resolution expresses support for Australia, as well as greater collaboration between the United States and Australia to promote wildfire mitigation and prevention.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2020
Health Care Workforce Protection Act of 2020 This bill extends targeted liability protection to certain manufacturers, distributors, prescribers, and users of approved respiratory protective devices that are used under certain conditions during a declared public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2020
This resolution designates February 2020 as Career and Technical Education Month to celebrate career and technical education across the United States.