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![Official portrait of Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/fd3cb364b8bf93c25834cff750637802_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
6,152 records where Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2019
Support UNFPA Funding Act This bill authorizes annual contributions to support the core functions and programs of the United Nations Population Fund for the five fiscal years following the bill's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2019
Take Unsafe Limos Off the Road Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to award grants to states that have enacted and are enforcing laws that require the impoundment or immobilization of stretch limousines if such limousines are found to have certain defects upon inspection.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2019
Safety, Accountability, and Federal Enforcement of Limos Act of 2019 or the SAFE Limos Act This bill establishes safety standards for stretch limousines. Among other requirements, the bill requires safety belts to be installed in stretch limousines with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8,500 pounds at each designated seating position, including on side-facing seats; the Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop and issue guidelines, best practices, and recommendations to assist stretch limousine alterers develop and administer a vehicle modifier plan; DOT to complete research into side impact protection, roof crush resistance, and air bag systems for the protection of occupants in stretch limousines given alternative seating positions or interior configurations, including perimeter seating arrangements; stretch limousine operators to disclose (1) the date of the most recent inspection of the limousine required under state or federal law, (2) the results of the inspection, and (3) any corrective actions taken to ensure the limousine passes inspection; and the use of event data recorders in stretch limousines.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2019
Health Equity and Access under the Law for Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2019 or the HEAL Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2019 This bill extends Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program coverage to individuals lawfully present in the United States who otherwise meet eligibility requirements. Individuals granted federally authorized presence also are required to maintain minimum essential health insurance coverage and are eligible for health insurance exchanges, reduced cost sharing, premium subsidies, and premium tax credits.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2019
End the Limo Loophole Act This bill revises the definition of commercial motor vehicle to include vehicles that are designed to transport 9 or more passengers including the driver (currently, at least 16 passengers including the driver) and requires the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to finalize a rulemaking to require states to implement an annual inspection program for commercial passenger-carrying vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2019
This resolution expresses support for the designation of National Wildlife Refuge Week. The resolution acknowledges the importance of national wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities and contribution to local economies. Finally, the resolution reaffirms the support of the House of Representatives for wildlife conservation and the National Wildlife Refuge System.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2019
Equitable Student Aid Access Act This bill revises certain income requirements for calculating federal student financial aid amounts, and it requires the Department of Education (ED) to publish certain requirements for financial aid offers. Specifically, the bill eliminates the simplified needs test in financial aid applications for families with income below a specified threshold, and it increases the income threshold that automatically qualifies a student for certain financial aid. When determining the total income of an applicant or an applicant's household, ED shall provide for the use of data from the second preceding tax year to simplify applications used for the estimation and determination of financial aid eligibility. ED must also conduct consumer testing to serve as the basis for determining requirements for financial aid offers. A financial aid offer must contain information such as cost of attendance and sources of available financial aid, as well as a standardized quick reference box to enable comparison of information on college costs and financial aid.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2019
Medicare Vision Act of 2019 This bill expands Medicare coverage to include eyeglasses, contact lenses, and vision services, in accordance with specified limitations. Covered services include routine eye examinations and contact lens fittings.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2019
Medicare Dental Act of 2019 This bill expands Medicare coverage to include dentures and dental and oral health services, in accordance with specified limitations. Covered services include basic and major treatments (as determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) as well as specified preventive and screening services.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2019
Affordable Pricing for Taxpayer-Funded Prescription Drugs Act of 2019 This bill prohibits federal agencies and nonprofit entities that conduct federally funded health care research from providing a patent for a drug based on such research until the entity receiving the patent enters into a reasonable pricing agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2019
Medicare Hearing Act of 2019 This bill expands Medicare coverage to include hearing aids and hearing rehabilitation and treatment services, in accordance with specified limitations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2019
Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy Act or the SHIELD Act This bill establishes a duty to report election interference from foreign entities, applies existing campaign advertising requirements to online advertisements, and generally limits political spending and election interference by foreign entities. Specifically, a political committee must report certain foreign contacts involving an offer of unlawful election assistance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Election Commission. The bill establishes criminal penalties for violations of these requirements. Existing requirements for political advertisements and electioneering communications apply to internet and digital advertisements, including requirements related to disclosures and contributions. Additionally, large online platforms must maintain a public database of certain political advertisements. The bill places limitations on political spending by foreign entities. Specifically, foreign entities may not (1) contribute to campaigns related to ballot initiatives and referenda, or (2) make disbursements for certain internet activity referring to a candidate or a political issue. A candidate is prohibited from offering to share nonpublic campaign information with certain foreign entities. The bill also prohibits (1) the dissemination of false statements regarding federal elections or public endorsement, or (2) the intentional hindering of voting or registering to vote. The bill establishes criminal penalties and a private right of action with respect to these prohibitions.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2019
Better Tools to Lower Costs Act of 2019 This bill allows beneficiaries to qualify for low-income subsidies under the Medicare prescription drug benefit without having to meet certain resource requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2019
Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2019 This bill establishes the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program. Under the program, grants may be awarded for providing and expanding study abroad opportunities for undergraduate students.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2019
Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act This bill establishes an alternative formula to calculate Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits for those who receive pensions for certain non-covered employment. (The existing formula is known as the windfall elimination provision.) The alternative formula adjusts an individual's total lifetime earnings based on the proportion of covered earnings (i.e., earnings subject to Social Security payroll taxes). It applies to individuals who (1) first become eligible for benefits after 2021, (2) have earnings from non-covered service performed after 1977 and (3) have less than 30 years of coverage (i.e., years in which a beneficiary is considered to have contributed a substantial amount into the Social Security trust funds). Beneficiaries receive the higher benefit amount as calculated under the alternative method or the existing formula. In addition, the bill provides rebates for certain beneficiaries currently impacted by the existing formula. The Social Security Administration must include non-covered earnings in Social Security account statements, and the Government Accountability Office must study the availability of certain information related to retirement plans maintained by state and local governments.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
This joint resolution nullifies a rule issued by the Department of Education (ED) on September 23, 2019. The rule revised the process for a student loan borrower to obtain a discharge from a student loan if an institution of higher education misrepresented a material fact. Among other requirements, the 2019 rule requires each borrower to apply to ED for a defense to repayment. However, under the previous 2016 rule, an application could be submitted on behalf of an entire group (e.g., veterans).
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement Act of 2019 This bill expands transportation benefits for veterans and beneficiaries related to travel to certain Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, including Vet Centers.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
Closing Loopholes for Orphan Drugs Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which currently requires drug manufacturers to discount orphan drugs (i.e., drugs for rare conditions) for certain entities covered by the program. The bill discounts orphan drugs that are not being used to treat rare conditions for all entities covered by the program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
Pediatricians Accelerate Childhood Therapies Act of 2019 or the PACT Act of 2019 This bill provides statutory authority for the Trans-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pediatric Research Consortium to coordinate pediatric research across national health research institutions. The consortium, chaired by the director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, must develop priorities for the NIH to award research grants to early career pediatric researchers, including physician-scientists and researchers from underrepresented populations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution This concurrent resolution requires the congressional budget committees to conduct an annual joint hearing to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General regarding (1) the Government Accountability Office's audit of the financial statement of the executive branch, and (2) the financial position and condition of the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2019
Codifying Useful Regulatory Definitions Act or the CURD Act This bill provides statutory authority for a definition of natural cheese. Under the bill, natural cheese is defined as cheese that is produced from animal milk or certain dairy ingredients and is produced in accordance with established cheese-making standards.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2019
This resolution urges the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) to support continued peace on the island of Ireland and the commitments of the Good Friday Agreement in the event that the UK leaves the EU. The resolution also expresses opposition to the reintroduction of a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. (The island of Ireland is divided between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state. There is currently an open border between them, but there is discussion that the UK's exit from the EU may require the reintroduction of a hard border.)
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2019
Nursing Home Workforce Quality Act This bill repeals certain restrictions under Medicare and Medicaid that prohibit the approval of nurse-aide training and competency evaluation programs in skilled nursing facilities that have been subject to specified regulatory actions (e.g., civil penalties) for substandard quality of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must still disapprove such programs for up to two years; however, the CMS must rescind the disapproval upon completion of corrective action and may require additional oversight of the program for purposes of rescission.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2019
This resolution express the sense of the House of Representatives that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence must remedy the executive branch's continuing violation of national security laws by forwarding to Congress the whistle-blower complaint (and related materials) received August 12, 2019, by the Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, fully complying with the September 13, 2019, subpoena from Congress, taking affirmative steps to protect the whistle-blower who filed the complaint, and preserving all information that relates to allegations in the complaint. The resolution also states that the President and his associates must immediately cease public efforts to discredit the whistle-blower.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2019
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should issue a commemorative stamp series honoring women veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2019
Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Energy to award grants to assist rural electric cooperatives with identifying, evaluating, designing, and demonstrating energy storage and microgrid projects that utilize energy from renewable energy sources. (A microgrid is a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources that acts as a single controllable entity and that can connect and disconnect from the grid to operate in grid-connected or island mode.)
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2019
Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act of 2019 This bill modifies the criminal civil rights statute that prohibits the deprivation of rights under color of law. Currently, the second prong of the prohibition bars the application of different punishments, pains, or penalties based on an individual's alien status, color, or race. This bill specifies that the application of any pressure to a person's throat or windpipe which may prevent or hinder breathing or reduce intake of air (e.g., a chokehold) constitutes a punishment, pain, or penalty.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2019
This resolution supports the designation of National Clean Energy Week.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2019
This concurrent resolution supports existing regulations with the goals of (1) reducing greenhouse gas emissions and oil usage, and (2) protecting national security and human health and welfare. The concurrent resolution also supports policies that will help meet these goals, such as policies that achieve maximum feasible reductions in oil use.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2019
Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019 This bill establishes several programs and requirements relating to the prices of prescription drugs. In particular, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate prices for certain drugs (current law prohibits HHS from doing so). Specifically, HHS must negotiate maximum prices for (1) insulin products; and (2) at least 25 single source, brand-name drugs that do not have generic competition and that are among the 125 drugs that account for the greatest national spending or the 125 drugs that account for the greatest spending under the Medicare prescription drug benefit and Medicare Advantage (MA). The negotiated prices must be offered under Medicare and MA, and may also be offered under private health insurance unless the insurer opts out. The negotiated maximum price may not exceed (1) 120% of the average price in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom; or (2) if such information is not available, 85% of the U.S. average manufacturer price. Drug manufacturers that fail to comply with the bill's negotiation requirements are subject to civil and tax penalties. The bill also makes a series of additional changes to Medicare prescription drug coverage and pricing. Among other things, the bill (1) requires drug manufacturers to issue rebates to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for covered drugs that cost $100 or more and for which the average manufacturer price increases faster than inflation; and (2) reduces the annual out-of-pocket spending threshold, and eliminates beneficiary cost-sharing above this threshold, under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2019
Strengthen CTE in Higher Education Act This bill authorizes appropriations for greater cooperation and alignment between Perkins Career and Technical Education programs and educational institutions and employers, including outlying areas and tribally-controlled institutions. Specifically, entities offering these programs are eligible when partnering with a local educational agency or a consortia of local educational agencies, an area career and technical education school, a state or local workforce development system, and a four-year institution of higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2019
Protect America’s Wildlife and Fish In Need of Conservation Act of 2019 or the PAW and FIN Conservation Act of 2019 This bill nullifies the 2019 rules relating to the listing of endangered or threatened species and the designation of critical habitats. Among other things, the restored rules automatically give threatened species the same protections as endangered species; revise requirements governing when an agency must consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service about endangered species, threatened species, or their habitats; prohibit economic assessments from being considered in listing decisions; and revise the criteria used for designating critical habitats for the species.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2019
End Racial Profiling Act of 2019 This bill establishes a framework to eliminate racial profiling at the federal, state, and local levels. Specifically, it requires federal law enforcement agencies to maintain policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling, including training, data collection, and complaint procedures. State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies must maintain similar policies and procedures as a condition of receiving funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program and the Community Oriented Policing Services program. To enforce violations, the bill authorizes civil suits by the Department of Justice and affected individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2019
Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019 This bill modifies and reauthorizes various programs and provisions related to Tibet and China. The President shall provide grants to nongovernmental organizations for projects supporting Tibetan communities in Tibet in areas such as sustainable economic development, cultural preservation, and education. The Department of State shall (1) seek to establish a U.S. consulate in Lhasa, Tibet; (2) establish a Tibet section in the U.S. embassy in Beijing; (3) make diplomatic efforts on issues such as water security in the region; and (4) encourage Nepal to provide legal documentation to certain Tibetan residents in Nepal. The bill reauthorizes the Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and expands the office's duties to include additional tasks, such as pursuing international coalitions to ensure that the next Dalai Lama is appointed solely by the Tibetan Buddhist faith community. The bill also adds China-related topics to an existing annual report on international religious freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2019
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act or the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement a pilot program to assess the effectiveness of addressing post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder through a method where veterans train service dogs for veterans with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2019
Bahamas TPS Act of 2019 This bill designates the Bahamas as a temporary protected status (TPS) country for 18 months from the enactment of this bill. (Qualified nationals of a TPS-designated country shall have work authorization and may not be removed from the United States while the designation is in effect.) A Bahamian national shall qualify for temporary protected status if the individual (1) has been continuously physically present in the United States since the bill's enactment, (2) meets certain admissibility and eligibility requirements generally required for such status, and (3) registers with the Department of Homeland Security.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2019
Building Efficiently Act of 2019 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the new energy efficient home tax credit to allow, in lieu of the existing credit, a credit for 3.3% of the cost of constructing a new energy efficient home that is a qualified energy efficient residential rental property. An energy efficient residential rental property must be certified as being constructed, reconstructed, or retrofitted under a plan designed to reduce energy and power consumption of the building by at least 40% compared to (1) the baseline annual energy and power consumption of the building in the case of a retrofit made to an existing building, or (2) a reference building which meets the minimum requirements of the International Energy Conservation Code 2018 in any other case. The bill also (1) extends through 2020 the energy efficient commercial buildings deduction; and (2) eliminates the basis reduction requirements for certain low-income housing properties receiving the energy efficient home credit, the energy efficient commercial building deduction, or the credit for investments in energy property.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2019
TPS for Victims of Hurricane Dorian Act of 2019 This bill designates the Bahamas as a temporary protected status (TPS) country for 18 months from the enactment of this bill. (Qualified nationals of a TPS-designated country shall have work authorization and may not be removed from the United States while the designation is in effect.) A Bahamian national shall qualify for temporary protected status if the individual (1) has been continuously physically present in the United States since the bill's enactment, (2) meets certain admissibility and eligibility requirements generally required for such status, and (3) registers with the Department of Homeland Security.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2019
Border Officers Utilization for National Defense Act of 2019 or the BOUND Act This bill sets a minimum number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers that must be deployed along the border between the United States and Canada. The minimum number of officers is the maximum number of officers that were deployed along that border at any time between January 1, 2016, and the enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2019
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act Amendments of 2019 This bill reauthorizes the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund fees and expands the payments from the fund for abandoned coal mine cleanups. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to reimburse states and tribal governments from the fund for the emergency restoration, reclamation, abatement, control, or prevention of adverse effects of coal mining practices; extends the authority for Interior to collect reclamation fees through FY2036; and increases the minimum amount of funds from $3 million to $5 million that Interior must award to states and Indian tribes who have an approved abandoned mine reclamation program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2019
Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act or the Broadband DATA Act This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to change the way broadband data is collected, verified, and reported. Specifically, the FCC must collect and disseminate granular broadband service availability data (broadband maps) from wired, fixed-wireless, satellite, and mobile broadband providers. To do this, the FCC is required to establish the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (a dataset of geocoded information for all broadband service locations, atop which broadband maps are overlaid) as the vehicle for reporting broadband service availability data. Additionally, the FCC must put forth specified requirements for service availability data collected from broadband providers, and it must create a challenge process to enable the submission of independent data challenging the accuracy of FCC broadband maps.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2019
Mapping Accuracy Promotes Services Act or the MAPS Act This bill makes it unlawful to willfully, knowingly, or recklessly submit inaccurate broadband coverage information or data (mapping data) to the Federal Communications Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2019
Rare disease Advancement, surveillance Research, and Education Act of 2019 or the RARE Act of 2019 The bill reauthorizes through FY2024 the National Institutes of Health Rare Disease Regional Centers of Excellence and expands activities to facilitate research and increase awareness of rare diseases and conditions. (Rare diseases and conditions are those with a prevalence of fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States.) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may expand infrastructure and activities to track the epidemiology of up to four rare diseases and conditions and incorporate this information into a National Rare Disease or Condition Surveillance System. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must expand its activities to increase health care providers' awareness of rare diseases and conditions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, or another appropriate entity, must update the 2010 report Rare Diseases and Orphan Products: Accelerating Research and Development.
United States · United States Congress · 9 August 2019
No Federal Funding for Confederate Symbols Act This bill prohibits federal funds from being used for the creation, maintenance, or display of any Confederate symbol on federal public land or other federal property. An exception to such prohibition is provided (1) if the use of such funds is necessary to allow for the removal of the Confederate symbol to address public safety; or (2) in the case of a Confederate symbol created, maintained, or displayed in a museum or educational exhibit. The Department of Defense shall redesignate the following military installations with such designation as it determines appropriate: Fort Rucker, Alabama, Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Gordon, Georgia, Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, Fort Polk, Louisiana, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fort Hood, Texas, Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, Fort Lee, Virginia, and Fort Pickett, Virginia.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2019
Humane Correctional Health Care Act This bill allows states to cover inmates of public institutions under Medicaid. The Government Accountability Office must report on specified information relating to the health of inmates and the effects of Medicaid coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2019
This joint resolution nullifies the rule issued October 24, 2018, that lessens requirements for states to obtain waivers from certain requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2019
Green Jobs and Opportunity Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to address current and future workforce shortages within the clean energy technology sector. Labor must monitor trends and shortages within the sector, recommend ways to prepare the workforce to meet the demands of a clean energy economy, and provide grants to establish training programs for occupations or fields of work with such shortages. Labor must also establish a National Advisory Committee on the Clean Energy Technology Workforce to provide advice on preparing the workforce to transition to a clean energy economy.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Broadband Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2019 This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to make financing available for the construction and deployment of broadband infrastructure through a broadband infrastructure finance and innovation program. Specifically, the bill provides a means for communities and public-private partnerships to apply for low-interest secured loans, lines of credit, or loan guarantees to finance broadband infrastructure investments.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Negro National League, a professional baseball league that was formed in response to African-American players being banned from baseball's major leagues. The design of the coins shall be emblematic of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and its mission to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion. All surcharges from sales of these coins shall be paid to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to fund educational and outreach programs and exhibits.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill revises and reauthorizes through FY2024 the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The bill expands the goals of ARPA-E to include the development of energy technologies that (1) provide transformative solutions to improve the management, clean-up, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel; and (2) improve the resilience, reliability, and security of infrastructure to produce, deliver, and store energy. The bill also authorizes DOE to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate how well ARPA-E is achieving its goals and missions.