United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2015
Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act Establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration (SSA), to be headed by the Deputy SSA Commissioner. Entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for each month beginning on the first day of the first month in which the individual meets the criteria specified below and ending 365 days later (benefit period), not to exceed 60 qualified caregiving days per period. Qualifies for such a benefit payment any individual who: is insured for disability insurance benefits under the Social Security Act at the time his or her application is filed; has earned income from employment during the 12 months before filing it; has filed an application for a FMLI benefit in accordance with this Act; and was engaged in qualified caregiving (any activity, except regular employment, for a reason entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993), or anticipates being so engaged, during the 90-day period before the application is filed or within 30 days after. Prescribes a formula for determination of an individual's monthly FMLI benefit payment, as well as for the maximum and the minimum monthly benefit amounts. Requires a FMLI benefit payment to be coordinated with any periodic benefits received from temporary disability insurance or family leave insurance programs under any state law or plan, local government, or an instrumentality of two or more states. Prescribes criteria that makes an individual ineligible for a FMLI benefit payment. Specifies prohibited acts by an employer, and penalties for violations. Establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund in the Treasury. Requires FMLI benefit payments to be made only from this Fund. Prohibits the use of amounts from the Social Security Trust Fund or appropriated to the SSA to administer Social Security programs for FMLI benefits or administration. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on every individual and employer, all self-employment income, and every railroad employee, employee representative, or railroad employer to finance the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund in the Treasury for FMLI benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2015
Transit Accessibility Innovation Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of Transportation to implement a transit accessibility innovation program by distributing competitive discretionary grants to public transit agencies for eligible projects in order to encourage public transit systems to take action to address deficiencies in service for individuals with disabilities. Directs the Secretary, for each fiscal year, to use 2% of funds made available under this Act to carry out activities to ensure that innovative practices, program models, and new service delivery options are collected, reviewed, and disseminated to other public transit agencies for replication in other communities. Directs the Secretary, for each fiscal year, also to use certain funds to carry out a transportation promotion pilot program to ensure that: (1) public transit agencies fulfill their requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and (2) individuals with disabilities have advocates to ensure greater opportunities for integration and access into transit systems. Requires the Secretary to make grants to: (1) agencies implementing a system established under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 that have demonstrated histories of transportation expertise or advocacy, and (2) nonprofit organizations that have also demonstrated such histories. Increases from 10% to 15% the limitation on the use of a recipient's annual formula apportionment for provision of nonfixed route paratransit transportation services in accordance with the ADA.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2015
Supermarket Tax Credit for Underserved Areas Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the rate of the rehabilitation tax credit for a supermarket building placed in service after December 31, 2015, and before January 1, 2018, in an underserved area (i.e., any enterprise community or empowerment zone and any renewal community); (2) increase by $1,000 the limit on wages eligible for the work opportunity tax credit for employees of a supermarket located in an underserved area; and (3) allow a business-related tax credit for 15% of the gross receipts from the retail sale of locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables in a supermarket in an underserved area.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2015
Veteran Education Empowerment Act Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to award up to 30 four-year grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) or consortia of IHEs to establish, maintain, and improve Veteran Student Centers. Permits a grantee to use a portion of the grant to provide veteran students with supportive instruction services. Requires a grantee to be an IHE or consortium that: (1) enrolls in undergraduate or graduate courses a significant number or percentage of veterans or members of the Armed Forces, and (2) presents a sustainability plan demonstrating that its Veteran Student Center will be maintained and will continue to operate after the grant ends. Defines a "Veteran Student Center" as a dedicated space on a campus that provides students who are veterans or members of the Armed Forces with: (1) a lounge or meeting space for themselves, their spouses or partners, and veterans in the community; (2) a centralized office for veteran services that is staffed by trained employees and volunteers and serves as a single point of contact to coordinate veterans support services; and (3) comprehensive academic and tutoring services to veterans. Requires that office to provide such students with assistance in: transitioning from the military to student life, transitioning from the military to the civilian workforce, networking with other veteran students and veterans in the community, understanding and obtaining benefits provided by the IHE and federal and state government for which they may be eligible, understanding how to succeed in the IHE, and understanding their disability-related rights and protections under specified federal laws. Requires the Secretary to develop and implement a website for veteran student services at IHEs, which details best practices for serving veteran students at IHEs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2015
Social Security 2100 Act Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to: increase the primary insurance amount formula factor from 90% to 93% for all eligible beneficiaries, beginning in 2016; revise computation of cost-of-living adjustments to use the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers; increase the special minimum primary insurance amount for lifetime low earners based on years in the workforce. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to increase the gross income threshold for taxation of Social Security benefits from $25,000 to $50,000 for single taxpayers and from $32,000 to $100,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns, beginning in 2016. Amends the IRC and SSAct title II to impose the employment tax on all wage income above $400,000, effective in 2016. Requires incremental increases, up to 15.3% in 2084, in the employment and self-employment taxes. Amends SSAct title II to include 2% of an individual's excess average indexed monthly earnings (over $400,000 per annum) in the formula for determining primary insurance amounts. Amends IRC to increase the Social Security tax rate on employees and employers and with respect to self-employment income. Requires reallocation of a portion of employment tax revenues from the OASDI Trust Fund to the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund for wages paid after 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2015
Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2015 or the JOLT Act of 2015 Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to admit into the United States a qualifying Canadian citizen over 50 years old and spouse for a period not to exceed 240 days (in a single 365-day period) if the person maintains a Canadian residence and owns a U.S. residence or has rented a U.S. accommodation for the duration of such stay. Revises the secure travel partnership program (the visa waiver program as renamed by this Act) to: (1) authorize DHS to designate any country as a program country; (2) adjust visa refusal rate criteria, including addition of a 3% maximum overstay rate; and (3) revise probationary and termination provisions. Expresses the sense of Congress that DHS should, in evaluating countries participating in the secure travel partnership program, give review priority to countries where circumstances indicate that such a review is necessary or desirable. Directs the Department of State to require U.S. diplomatic and consular missions to: (1) conduct nonimmigrant visa application interviews expeditiously, consistent with national security requirements and in recognition of resource allocation considerations; and (2) set a goal of interviewing 90% of all nonimmigrant visa applicants, worldwide, within 10 days of application receipt. Directs the State Department to: (1) develop and conduct a pilot program for processing visas using secure remote videoconferencing technology, and (2) seek to coordinate enrollment and interview processes for individuals eligible for both a U.S. visa and enrollment in the Global Entry program. Requires an alien at the time of application for U.S. entry under the secure travel partnership program to have a valid, unexpired electronic passport that incorporates biometric and document authentication identifiers that comply with internationally accepted practices.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2015
Expanding Nutrition's Role in Curricula and Healthcare Act or the ENRICH Act This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration to establish a program of three-year competitive grants to accredited medical schools for the development or expansion of an integrated nutrition and physical activity curriculum. The curriculum must: (1) be designed to improve communication and provider preparedness in the prevention, management, and reversal of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer; and (2) address additional topics regarding individuals in at-risk populations, as practicable, including physical activity and training programs, food insecurity, and malnutrition.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2015
Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young Jr., Social Work Reinvestment Act This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide independent counsel to Congress and the Secretary on policy issues related to recruitment, retention, research, and reinvestment in the profession of social work. The Commission shall study issues facing the social work profession, including: (1) fair market compensation, high educational debt, social work workforce trends, translating social work research to practice, and social work safety; and (2) state-level social work licensure policies and reciprocity agreements for providing services across state lines. The Secretary is directed to award grants to four eligible entities, including at least two agencies of state or local governments, to assist them in carrying out a workplace improvement program to address concerns for the social work profession. The Secretary shall also award grants to: (1) 25 social workers who hold a doctoral degree in social work for postdoctoral research in social work, (2) 20 eligible institutions of higher education to support the recruitment and education of social work students in advanced degree programs and the professional development of social work faculty, and (3) six eligible covered entities to test and replicate effective social work interventions. The Secretary shall contract with a national social work entity that serves as a coordinating center to: (1) engage in activities to build on the efforts of the National Association of Social Workers National Center for Workforce Studies; (2) collect, coordinate, monitor, and distribute data and information on best practices and findings regarding grant-funded activities; (3) report to the Secretary recommendations on the need to recruit new social workers, retain current social worker, conduct social worker research, and reinvest in the profession of social work; and (4) select research topics to further the goals of this Act. The Secretary must develop and issue public service announcements that advertise and promote the social work profession.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2015
Medicare Adult Day Services Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) cover certified adult day services furnished in a certified adult day services center and meeting specified requirements, and (2) require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to increase by 3% the payment amount otherwise effective for such services furnished in a rural area on or after January 1, 2016, and before January 1, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2015
America's Fund for Future Opportunities and Outcomes in the United States Act of 2015 or the America's FOCUS Act of 2015 Establishes a separate account in the U.S. Treasury to be known as the America's FOCUS Fund, into which shall be deposited: (1) revenue generated by civil and criminal fines and penalties for violations or alleged violations of federal law; (2) revenue generated by legal settlements reached between corporations and the federal government for violations or alleged violations of federal law; and (3) gifts, bequests, or donations to the Fund from private entities or individuals. Requires that, of the total revenue in the Fund: (1) up to 33% be used to award grants for youth mentoring and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; (2) up to 33% be used to award grants for justice reinvestment; (3) up to 33% be used to award grants and prizes for innovations in medical research and development; and (4) the remaining revenue be used to reduce the federal budget deficit or, if there is no deficit, to reduce the federal debt. Directs the Secretary of Education to award the grants for youth mentoring programs, and the Associate Administrator for Education for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to award the grants for STEM education programs, to: (1) national non-profit, community-based organizations with at least two years of experience in administering such programs; and (2) state or local governments. Requires that, of the funds available for justice reinvestment, the Department of Justice (DOJ): (1) award 50% to state and local governments for justice reinvestment projects, (2) use up to 25% of the funds to support federal justice reinvestment projects, and (3) allocate up to 25% of the funds to grant programs established under the Second Chance Act within DOJ. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health to use the revenue designated for medical innovation to fund entities that conduct innovative medical research and development. Authorizes the Director to use up to 15% of those funds to award monetary prizes to entities that have used their own funding and research facilities to produce innovative results. Requires that the grant funds be used to supplement, not supplant, other federal, state, and local funds designated to carry out those activities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2015
Armor-Piercing Bullets Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to provide that: (1) a .22 caliber projectile that would otherwise constitute "armor piercing ammunition" shall be considered to be primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes (and thus excluded from the definition of "armor piercing ammunition" for purposes of federal firearms provisions) if the projectile weighs 40 grains or less and is loaded into a rimfire cartridge, and (2) a projectile that would otherwise constitute "armor piercing ammunition" shall be considered to be primarily intended to be used for a sporting purpose if the projectile is loaded into a cartridge for which the only handgun that is readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade is a single shot handgun. Defines a "single shot handgun" as a break-open or bolt action handgun that can accept only a single cartridge manually and that does not accept or use a magazine or other ammunition feeding device, excluding a pocket pistol or derringer-type firearm. Authorizes the Attorney General to treat a projectile as not primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes if substantial evidence exists that the projectile is not primarily intended to be used for such purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2015
Women Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) establish standards to ensure that all VA medical facilities have the structural characteristics necessary to adequately meet the gender-specific health care needs of veterans at such facilities, including privacy, safety, and dignity; (2) integrate such standards into its prioritization methodology with respect to requests for funding major medical facility projects and major medical facility leases; and (3) report on such standards, including regarding the facilities that fail to meet such standards and the costs of projects and leases required to meet them. Requires the VA to: (1) use health outcomes for women veterans furnished health care by the the VA in evaluating the performance of VA medical center directors, (2) publish on its website information on such performance and on health outcomes for women veterans for each VA medical facility, (3) ensure that every VA medical center has a full-time obstetrician or gynecologist, and (4) carry out a pilot program to increase the number of residency program positions and graduate medical education positions for obstetricians and gynecologists at VA medical facilities in not less than three Veterans Integrated Service Networks. Directs the VA to develop procedures to share information that includes military service and separation data, personal email addresses and telephone numbers, and mailing addresses of veterans with state veterans agencies in electronic format as a means of facilitating the furnishing of assistance and benefits to such veterans. Allows a veteran to elect to prevent their information from being shared. Directs the Government Accountability Office to carry out an examination of whether VA medical centers are able to meet the health care needs of women veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2015
Permanently Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2015 This bill amends the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 to repeal its sunset date December 31, 2014 (thus making the Act permanent). This bill restores and revives such Act, the provisions of law amended or repealed by it, and any regulations promulgated pursuant to it, as were in effect on December 31, 2014, as if the sunset had not taken effect.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2015
John Tanner Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act Prohibits a state that has been redistricted after an apportionment from being redistricted again until after the next apportionment of Representatives, unless the state is ordered by a court to conduct such a subsequent redistricting in order to: (1) comply with the U.S. Constitution, or (2) enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Requires such redistricting to be conducted through a plan developed by the independent redistricting commission established in the state, or if such plan is not enacted into law, the redistricting plan selected by the state's highest court or developed by a U.S. district court. Prescribes requirements for: (1) establishment of a state independent redistricting commission (including provisions for holding each of its meetings in public and maintaining a public Internet site); (2) development of a redistricting plan (including soliciting and considering public comments) and its submission to the state legislature (with public notice of plans at least seven days prior to such submission); (3) selection of a plan, under specified conditions, by the state's highest court or the U.S. district court for the district in which the capital of the state is located; (4) special rules for redistricting conducted under a federal court order; and (5) Election Assistance Commission payments to states for carrying out redistricting.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2015
Establishing Beneficiary Equity in the Hospital Readmission Program Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) with respect to the hospital readmissions reduction program under the inpatient (hospital) prospective payment system (IPPS). The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in determining a hospital's excess readmission ratio for purposes of making payments for discharges occurring during FY2016-FY2017, is required to make a risk adjustment to the ratio that takes into account both: (1) a hospital's proportion of inpatients who are full-benefit dual eligible individuals (eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid under SSAct title XIX), and (2) the socioeconomic status of patients served by the hospital. The Secretary must base the risk adjustment under the readmission program for subsequent fiscal years on specified reports required by the Improving Medicare Post Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 as well as a report the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission shall submit on the appropriateness of using a threshold of 30 days for readmissions under the program. The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must then incorporate report recommendations in carrying out risk adjustments for discharges occurring in such fiscal years in order to ensure that the most vulnerable populations are not unfairly penalized by the program. The Secretary shall consider the use of V or other International Classification of Diseases-related codes for potential exclusion of noncompliant patient cases when promulgating related regulations for FY2017. The Secretary must: (1) assess whether to exclude from the calculation of excess readmissions any patients whose clinical conditions or diagnoses may require frequent hospitalizations; then (2) exclude, starting in FY2018, any relevant clinical conditions identified in the assessment recommendations when determining a hospital's publicly reported readmission rate and excess readmissions ratio. The Secretary is directed to make a payment adjustment to subsection (d) hospitals necessary to ensure that the implementation of this Act does not result in any increase in aggregate expenditures under the IPPS. (Generally, a subsection (d) hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payment under the IPPS when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2015
Dignified Interment of Our Veterans Act of 2015 Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to study and report to Congress on matters relating to the interring of veterans' unclaimed remains in national cemeteries under the control of the National Cemetery Administration, including: the scope of the issues relating to veterans' unclaimed remains, including the estimated number of such remains; the effectiveness of VA procedures for working with persons or entities having custody of unclaimed remains to facilitate the interment of such remains in such cemeteries; state and local laws that affect the Secretary's ability to inter unclaimed veterans' remains in such cemeteries; and recommendations for appropriate legislative or administrative action.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2015
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services. Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner, (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law, (3) a certified nurse-midwife, or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Songwriter Equity Act of 2015 Amends federal copyright law regarding the exclusive rights of sound recording copyright owners to remove a provision that prohibits license fees payable for the public performance of sound recordings, by means of a digital audio transmission, from being taken into account in any administrative, judicial, or other governmental proceeding to set or adjust the royalties payable to copyright owners of musical works for the public performance of their works. Requires Copyright Royalty Judges (CRJs), when setting royalty rates under the compulsory license available for the reproduction and distribution of musical works (commonly referred to as a "mechanical license"), to establish rates and terms that most clearly represent the rates and terms that would have been negotiated in the marketplace between a willing buyer and seller. Requires CRJs, in establishing such rates and terms, to base their decision on marketplace, economic, and use information presented by the participants. Allows consideration of comparable uses and circumstances under voluntary license agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act Directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) publish and implement a national strategic action plan to assist health professionals in preparing for and responding to the impact of climate change on public health in the United States and other nations, particularly developing nations; (2) revise the plan periodically to reflect new information; (3) establish a permanent science advisory board; and (4) contract with the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine to assess the need for health professionals to prepare for and respond to the impact of climate change on public health.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2015 Prohibits a person from transporting a horse in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle (except a vehicle operated exclusively on rail or rails) containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another. Prescribes civil penalties for persons who knowingly violate such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Child Tax Credit Permanency Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the child tax credit, to: (1) adjust the earned income threshold for determining the amount of the refundable portion of such credit, and (2) provide for an inflation adjustment to the $1,000 credit amount for calendar years after 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Improving Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to revive, for a three-year period, VA's Intermediate Care Technician Pilot Program that was carried out between January 2013 and February 2014. Requires VA to: (1) expand the pilot program to include at least 250 intermediate care technicians, and (2) give priority in assigning those technicians to VA facilities at which veterans have the longest wait times. Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to transfer credentialing data regarding DOD health care providers that are hired by VA to VA. Authorizes VA to allow a covered nurse to practice to the full scope of the nurse's practice, as defined by the applicable national professional association, under a set of VA-approved privileges, regardless of the state in which VA employs the covered nurse. Defines a "covered nurse" as an advanced practice registered nurse who is employed by VA as: (1) a nurse midwife, (2) a clinical nurse specialist, (3) a nurse practitioner, or (4) a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act Revises the Department of Defense's (DOD's) authority to transfer excess personal property to federal and state law enforcement agencies. Removes DOD's authority to transfer property for counter-drug activities. Requires recipients of DOD property to certify that they: (1) have personnel, technical capacity, and training to operate the property; and (2) will return to DOD any property that is surplus to the recipient's needs. Requires recipients that are not federal agencies to certify that they have notified their local community of requests for DOD property with a notice on a publicly accessible Internet website and postings at prominent locations in the jurisdiction. Requires DOD to submit annually to Congress a description of property to be transferred along with a certification that the transfers are not prohibited by law. Prohibits transfers of: controlled (i.e., military grade) firearms, ammunition, grenades, and explosives; controlled vehicles, certain trucks, and other highly mobile or mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles; armored or weaponized drones; controlled aircraft that are combat configured or combat coded, or that have no established commercial flight application; silencers; long range acoustic devices; and items in the Federal Supply Class of banned items. Prohibits transfers conditioned upon the agency demonstrating the use of any small arms or ammunitions. Prohibits transfers of previously transferred DOD property from one federal or state agency to another such agency. Allows DOD to waive transfer prohibitions for certain trucks and vehicles (other than mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles) if necessary for disasters, rescues, or other purposes where life and public safety are at risk. Requires notice of such a waiver to be provided to Congress and the public. Permits DOD to exempt aircraft parts transferred for regular maintenance of aircraft in an existing fleet. Prohibits obligations or expenditures of appropriations to carry out DOD's property transfer program unless specified conditions have been met, including requirements to verify: (1) that in-person inventories of transferred property have been conducted at each agency, and (2) that 100% of such property was accounted for during the inventories or that agencies unable to account for such property have been suspended from the program. Prohibits federal or state agencies that receive controlled equipment from taking ownership of the property. Requires the Defense Logistics Agency to maintain an Internet website to make available to the public: (1) information on each transfer, broken down by state, county, and recipient; (2) during the 30-day period preceding the date on which any property is transferred, information on the property to be transferred and the recipient; and (3) information on any use of controlled equipment by the transfer recipient.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Pet and Women Safety Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit threats or acts of violence against a person's pet under the offenses of stalking and interstate violation of a protection order. Defines "pet" to mean a domesticated animal that is kept for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes. Requires the "full amount of the victim's losses" for purposes of restitution in domestic violence and stalking offenses to include any costs incurred for veterinary services relating to physical care for the victim's pet. Directs the Department of Agriculture to award grants to eligible entities to carry out programs to provide specified housing assistance, support services, and training of relevant stakeholders to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and their pets. Expresses the sense of Congress that states should encourage the inclusion of protections against violent or threatening acts against the pet of the person in domestic violence protection orders.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015 Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a national Blue Alert communications network within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue Blue Alerts through the initiation, facilitation, and promotion of Blue Alert plans for the dissemination of information received as a Blue Alert, in coordination with states, local governments, and law enforcement agencies; and (2) assign an existing DOJ officer to act as the national coordinator of the network. Defines "Blue Alert" as information sent through the network relating to: (1) the serious injury or death of a law enforcement officer in the line of duty, (2) an officer who is missing in connection with the officer's official duties, or (3) an imminent and credible threat that an individual intends to cause the serious injury or death of a law enforcement officer. Sets forth the duties of the national coordinator, including: providing assistance to states and local governments that are using Blue Alert plans; establishing voluntary guidelines for states and local governments to use in developing such plans; developing protocols for efforts to apprehend suspects; working with states to ensure appropriate regional coordination of various elements of the network; establishing an advisory group to assist states, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and other entities in initiating, facilitating, and promoting Blue Alert plans; acting as the nationwide point of contact for the development of the network and the regional coordination of Blue Alerts through the network; and determining what procedures and practices are in use for notifying law enforcement and the public of a Blue Alert and which procedures and practices are effective and do not require the expenditure of additional resources to implement. Requires the guidelines to: (1) provide that appropriate information relating to a Blue Alert is disseminated to officials of law enforcement, public health, and other agencies; (2) provide mechanisms that ensure that Blue Alerts comply with all applicable federal, state, and local privacy laws and regulations; and (3) include standards that specifically provide for the protection of the civil liberties of law enforcement officers and their families. Directs the coordinator to report annually on the coordinator's activities and the effectiveness and status of the Blue Alert plans that are in effect or being developed.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Rape Survivor Child Custody Act Directs the Attorney General to make grants to states that have in place a law that allows the mother of any child that was conceived through rape to seek court-ordered termination of the parental rights of her rapist with regard to that child, which the court shall grant upon clear and convincing evidence of rape. Limits such a grant to: (1) an amount that is not greater than 10% of the average of the total funding of the three most recent awards a state received under the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program and the Sexual Assault Services Program; and (2) a one-year term, subject to renewal for not more than three additional years. Requires a state that receives such a grant to use: (1) 25% of grant funds for permissible uses under the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program, and (2) 75% of funds for permissible uses under the Sexual Assault Services Program.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2015 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend the registration of members of the nitro group of neonicotinoid insecticides that are registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) for use in seed treatment, soil application, or foliar treatment on bee-attractive plants, trees, and cereals until the EPA determines that the insecticides will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators. The determination must be based on: an evaluation of the published and peer-reviewed scientific evidence on whether the use or uses of those neonicotinoids cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators, including native bees, honeybees, birds, bats, and other species of beneficial insects; and a completed field study that meets the criteria required by the EPA and evaluates residues, chronic low-dose exposure, and cumulative effects of multiple chemical exposures. The EPA may not issue new registrations of the neonicotinoid pesticides for any seed treatment, soil application, and foliar treatment on bee-attractive plants, trees, and cereals under FIFRA until it has made the determination with respect to the insecticide. For purposes of protecting and ensuring the long-term viability of native bees and other pollinators, the Department of the Interior must: (1) regularly monitor the health and population status of native bees, (2) identify the scope and likely causes of unusual native bee mortality, and (3) submit to Congress and make public an annual report on the health and population status of native bees.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Coastal State Climate Change Planning Act This bill amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to direct the Department of Commerce to establish a coastal climate change adaptation planning and response program which shall assist coastal states with the voluntary development of coastal climate change adaptation plans in order to: (1) minimize contributions to climate change, and (2) prepare for and reduce the negative consequences that may result from climate change in the coastal zone. The program must also provide financial and technical assistance and training to implement the plans through enforceable state policies. Commerce may make grants to coastal states for developing the plans and supporting projects that implement strategies contained in approved plans. Commerce must promote and encourage the use of National Estuarine Research Reserves as sites for pilot or demonstration projects carried out with the grants.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
National Health Service Corps Improvement Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to include optometry services in primary health services for purposes of the National Health Service Corps. Optometrists are eligible for the fellowship program for the delivery of primary health services in health professional shortage areas, the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, and the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Postal Service should issue a commemorative postage stamp honoring the 50th anniversary of the three civil rights marches from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Amends federal shipping law to extend through October 31, 2028, the exemption of certain vessels from the requirement that U.S. passenger vessels having berth or stateroom accommodations for at least 50 passengers be constructed of fire-retardant materials in order to be granted a certificate of inspection. Continues to apply this exemption only to vessels in operation before January 1, 1968, which operate only within the Boundary Line (the dividing point between inland waters and high seas). Requires the owner or managing operator of an exempt vessel to: notify crew members that the vessel does not comply with applicable fire safety standards due primarily to the wooden construction of passenger berthing areas, and make annual structural alterations to at least 10% of vessel areas that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials. Requires any noncombustible material requirements prescribed by the Coast Guard (with which an exempt vessel is still required to comply) to be consistent with the preservation of a vessel's historic integrity in areas carrying or accessible to passengers or generally visible to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
American Opportunity Tax Credit Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to replace the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax credits with a new American Opportunity Tax Credit that: (1) allows an income tax credit of up to $2,500 of the qualified tuition and related expenses of a student who is carrying at least one half of a normal course load, (2) increases the income threshold for reductions in the credit amount based upon modified adjusted gross income, (3) allows a lifetime dollar limitation on such credit of $15,000 for all taxable years, and (4) makes a portion of such credit refundable. Allows an exclusion from gross income of any amount received as a Federal Pell Grant.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2015
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2015 Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to reauthorize for FY2016-FY2019 the grant program for improvements to the criminal history record system. Amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to: (1) establish a four-year implementation plan to ensure maximum coordination and automation of reporting of records or making records available to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; (2) direct the Attorney General to make grants to states, Indian tribal governments, and state court systems to improve the automation and transmittal of mental health records and criminal history dispositions; (3) provide for withholding grant funds from states that have not implemented a relief from disabilities program and the reallocation of such funds to states that are in compliance; (4) make federal court information available for inclusion in the System; and (5) allow the submission to the System of mental health records that would otherwise be protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) expand the enforcement authority or jurisdiction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; (2) allow the establishment, directly or indirectly, of a federal firearms registry; or (3) extend background check requirements to transfers of firearms other than those made at gun shows or over the Internet, or to temporary transfers for purposes including lawful hunting or sporting, or to temporary possession of a firearm for purposes of examination or evaluation by a prospective transferee. National Commission on Mass Violence Act of 2015 Establishes the National Commission on Mass Violence to study the availability and nature of firearms, including the means of acquiring firearms, issues relating to mental health, and the impacts of the availability and nature of firearms on incidents of mass violence or in preventing mass violence. Requires the Commission to conduct a comprehensive factual study of incidents of mass violence, including incidents not involving firearms, to determine the root causes of such mass violence.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2015
Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to waive coinsurance for colorectal cancer screening tests (in order to cover 100% of their cost under Medicare part B [Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for the Aged and Disabled]), regardless of the code billed for a diagnosis as a result of a test, or for the removal of tissue or other procedure furnished in connection with, as a result of, and in the same clinical encounter as the screening test.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2015
Mental Health in Schools Act of 2015 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 funding. Requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating grant program activities, including the development of: (1) guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) outcome measures to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, including student and family measures and local educational measures.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2015
Gold Star Fathers Act Includes as a preference eligible for federal employment purposes a parent (currently, the mother only) of either an individual who lost his or her life under honorable conditions while serving in the Armed Forces during a war, in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized, or during the period beginning April 28, 1952, and ending July 1, 1955, or a service-connected permanently and totally disabled veteran, if: (1) the spouse of such parent is totally and permanently disabled; or (2) such parent, when preference is claimed, is unmarried or legally separated from his or her spouse.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2015
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Women's History Month. Recognizes and honors the women and organizations in the United States that have fought for and continue to promote the teaching of women's history.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2015
National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission to evaluate and recommend solutions regarding better coordination and leveraging of federal programs that relate to supporting appropriate clinical care for people with pre-diabetes, diabetes, and the chronic diseases and conditions that are complications of or caused by diabetes. The duties of the Commission include: evaluating HHS programs regarding the utilization of preventive health benefits, identifying current activities and critical gaps in federal efforts to support clinicians in providing integrated care, making recommendations regarding the development and coordination of federally funded clinical practice support tools, recommending clinical pathways for new technologies and treatments, evaluating and expanding education and awareness to health care professionals regarding prevention of diabetes, and reviewing and recommending appropriate methods for outreach and dissemination of educational resources. The Commission must submit an operating plan to HHS and Congress within 90 days of its first meeting.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2015
Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act of 2015 Directs the President to establish the Commission to Accelerate the End of Breast Cancer to help end breast cancer by January 1, 2020. Directs the Commission to: (1) identify opportunities and ideas within government and the private sector that are key components in achieving the end of breast cancer and which have been overlooked, yet are ripe for collaboration and investment; (2) recommend projects to leverage such opportunities and ideas in the areas of the primary prevention of breast cancer and the causes and prevention of breast cancer metastasis; and (3) ensure that its activities are coordinated with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, programs and laboratories of other government agencies. Directs the President to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine for an evaluation of the Commission's progress. Terminates the Commission on June 1, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2015
Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015 Amends the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) to locate the Office on International Religious Freedom in the Office of the Secretary of State. Directs the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to seek to coordinate religious freedom policies and religious engagement strategies across all U.S. programs, projects, and activities. Specifies additional foreign government actions violating religious freedom for the Ambassador's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, including a Special Watch List of countries or violent nonstate actors that have engaged in or tolerated such violations but do not yet meet the criteria for designation as countries of particular concern for religious freedom. Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary to develop a curriculum for, and the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center to begin, mandatory training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers. Amends IRFA to require the Commission on International Religious Freedom to compile and make publicly available regularly updated lists of persons imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of faith by: (1) a foreign government recommended for designation as a country of particular concern for religions freedom, or (2) a violent nonstate actor. Extends the Commission's termination date. Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to direct the President to appoint in the National Security Council a Special Adviser for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom (in lieu of the Special Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom) who shall assist the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to coordinate executive branch international religious freedom policies and global religion engagement strategies. Establishes within the National Security Council: (1) the Interagency Policy Committee on Religious Freedom and Engagement; and (2) the Interagency Policy Committee on Religion, International Religious Freedom, and National Security. Amends IRFA to revise requirements, including reporting requirements, for presidential actions with respect to country and violent nonstate actor designations, in particular those countries on the Special Watch List. Declares the sense of Congress that: ongoing and persistent waivers for designated countries, especially those engaging in particularly severe violations of religious freedom, do not fulfill IRFA purposes; and the President, the Secretary, and other executive branch officials, in consultation with Congress, should seek to find ways to address existing violations, on a country-by-country basis, through specified actions. Repeals the automatic termination of a presidential designation after two years. States that it should be U.S. policy that violent nonstate actors should be eligible for designation as countries of particular concern and that specified presidential actions should apply to them or individual members of such groups. Makes funds available for FY2016-FY2021 for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund. Establishes in the State Department the Religious Freedom Defense Fund, to be administered by the Ambassador at Large. Authorizes the President to take specified actions against foreign persons: (1) responsible for committing or supporting systemic violations of religious freedom, or (2) supporting violence or terrorist acts targeting members of religious groups. Declares the sense of Congress about: (1) adoption of codes of conduct by U.S. institutions of higher education outside the United States, and (2) national security strategy to promote religious freedom through U.S. foreign policy.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2015
Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad Act Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a governmental entity to require the disclosure by a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service of the contents of a wire or electronic communication that is in electronic storage with or otherwise stored, held, or maintained by the provider only pursuant to a warrant issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. Authorizes such a warrant to require such disclosure regardless of where such contents may be in electronic storage or otherwise stored, held, or maintained by the provider if the holder of the account the contents of which are sought by the warrant is a U.S. person. Requires a court, on a service provider's motion, to modify or vacate such a warrant upon finding that it would require the provider to violate the laws of a foreign country. Sets forth requirements for government notification of provider customers or subscribers regarding the receipt of communication contents pursuant to such a warrant. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a form for use by a foreign government filing a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) request; (2) establish an online docketing system for all MLAT requests; and (3) publish statistics annually on MLAT requests made by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to foreign governments, and by foreign governments to DOJ, to obtain the contents of communications or other information or records from a provider of electronic communications or remote computing services. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) data localization requirements imposed by foreign governments on data providers are incompatible with the borderless nature of the Internet, an impediment to online innovation, and unnecessary to meet the needs of law enforcement; and (2) DOJ, the Department of State, and the U.S. Trade Representative should pursue open data flow policies with foreign nations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2015
USPSTF Transparency and Accountability Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to expand the scope and responsibilities of the United States Preventive Services Task Force to require it to: (1) publish research plans to guide its review of scientific evidence relating to the effectiveness of preventive services; (2) make evidence reports and recommendations available for public comment; (3) establish a system for grading preventive care (Grades A, B, C, and D and a Grade I for insufficient information); and (4) convene a preventive services stakeholders board to provide feedback on Task Force activities and recommend preventive services and scientific evidence for the Task Force to review. Members of the Task Force and the preventive services stakeholders board are considered federal employees for purposes of disclosure and management of conflicts of interest. The Government Accountability Office must submit a report that: (1) lists current recommendations of the Task Force; (2) compares Task Force recommendations and recommendations of other federal health agencies, national medical professional societies, and patient and disease advocacy organizations; and (3) analyzes the impact of Task Force recommendations on public and private insurance coverage, access, and outcomes, including the impact on morbidity and mortality. This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the authority of HHS to make no payment for a preventive service that has not been graded by the Task Force.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2015
American Civil Rights Cities Act Requires the National Park Service to designate at least one city in the United States each year as an "American Civil Rights City" based on the city's: (1) contributions to protect civil rights by preventing discrimination; and (2) efforts to highlight the struggle of the United States to secure civil rights and liberties through preservation and celebration, including the establishment of historical organizations or museums and recognition of civil rights leaders. Designates Greensboro, North Carolina, and Selma, Alabama, as the first cities to have that designation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2015
Urges the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and other relevant U.S. government agencies and officials to work with the European Union and European governments to encourage further efforts to address anti-Semitism.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2015
Responsible Additions and Increases to Sustain Employee Health Benefits Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax exclusion for distributions from health flexible spending arrangements, to: (1) increase to $5,000, with an additional $500 for each additional employee dependent above two dependents, the maximum annual amount of funding for such plans, and (2) allow a carryforward into the next year for unused amounts in such plans.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices Act or the BEST Practices Act Requires the Department of Defense (DOD), no later than: (1) October 1, 2018, to develop, test, and validate human-based training methods for training members of the Armed Forces in the treatment of combat trauma injuries, with the goal of replacing live animal-based training methods; and (2) October 1, 2020, to use only use human-based training methods for such purposes. Prohibits the use of animals in such training after the latter date. Requires DOD to submit an annual report to Congress regarding the development and implementation of the human-based training methods.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Protecting Immigrants From Legal Exploitation Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to subject a person to fine, imprisonment, or both, who: (1) knowingly or recklessly executes a scheme in connection with any federal immigration law-related matter to defraud a person, or to obtain money or anything else of value from a person by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises; or (2) knowingly and falsely represents that such person is an attorney or an accredited representative in any federal immigration law-related matter. Directs the Attorney General (DOJ) and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), to promulgate regulations, forms, and procedures defining the circumstances in which: (1) persons submitting immigration-related applications, petitions, motions, or other written materials must identify who (other than immediate family members) assisted them in preparing or translating such submissions; and (2) any person who received compensation (other than a normal fee for copying, mailing, or similar services) in connection with the preparation or submission of such materials must sign the form as a preparer and provide identifying information. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil injunction against an immigration service provider engaging in fraudulent conduct that substantially interferes with the administration of the immigration laws or who willfully misrepresents such provider's legal authority to provide representation before DOJ or DHS. Authorizes an alien to withdraw an immigration-related application or other submission if the alien: (1) submits information indicating that the application or submission was prepared or submitted by an individual engaged in the unauthorized practice of law or immigration practitioner fraud, and (2) attests that he or she had no prior knowledge that the application or submission was prepared or submitted by such an individual. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to waive the bar on reentry for an alien who left the United States based on the erroneous advice of an individual engaged in the unauthorized practice of law or immigration practitioner fraud. Directs the Secretary and the Attorney General, through the Director of the Office for Immigration Review, to carry out an outreach program to educate aliens regarding who may provide legal services and representation in immigration proceedings. Directs the Secretary and the Attorney General to establish, within the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Executive Office for Immigration Review, programs to award grants to eligible nonprofit organizations for direct legal services to aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Increasing American Jobs Through Greater Exports to Africa Act of 2015 Directs the President to establish a comprehensive U.S. strategy for public and private investment, trade, and development in Africa (including the Republic of South Sudan) that focuses, among other things, on: (1) increasing exports of U.S. goods and services to Africa by 200% in real dollar value within 10 years, (2) promoting the alignment of U.S. commercial interests with development priorities in Africa, (3) improving the competitiveness of U.S. businesses in Africa, (4) encouraging a greater understanding among U.S. business and financial communities of the opportunities Africa holds for U.S. exports, and (5) fostering partnership opportunities between U.S. and African small- and medium-sized enterprises. Requires the President to designate a Special Africa Export Strategy Coordinator. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Commerce and other high-level U.S. officials with responsibility for export promotion, financing, and development should conduct a joint trade mission to Africa. Directs the Secretary to ensure that at least 10 total U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service officers are assigned to U.S. embassies in Africa for each of the first 5 fiscal years after enactment of this Act. Requires the Secretary to assign at least one full-time officer to the office of the U.S. Executive Director at the World Bank and the African Development Bank to: (1) increase access of U.S. businesses to procurement contracts with the bank; and (2) facilitate access of such businesses to risk insurance, equity investments, consulting services, and lending provided by the bank. Prescribes increases in the number of: (1) Export-Import Bank of the United States employees dedicated to expanding business development for Africa and assigned to bank field offices in Africa and the United States, and (2) Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) staff needed to promote stable and sustainable economic growth and development in Africa as well as to help U.S. businesses to expand into African markets. Directs the President to develop a plan for standardized training of all U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service officers, Department of State economic officers, and U.S Agency for International Development economic officers with respect to Bank, OPIC, Small Business Administration , and U.S. Trade and Development Agency programs and procedures. Expresses the sense of Congress that foreign export credit agencies are providing non-Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) arrangement compliant financing in Africa that is trade distorting and threatens U.S. jobs. Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to direct the Bank to increase the amount of loans, guarantees, and insurance for projects in Africa. Requires the Bank to report annually to Congress if it has not used at least 10% of such loans, guarantees, and insurance for projects in Africa. Directs the Bank to make Bank capitalization available annually for loans that counter trade distorting non-OECD arrangement compliant financing or preferential, tied aid, or other related non-market loans offered by other nations for which U.S. companies are also competing or interested in competing. Amends the Small Business Act to require the Associate Administrator of Small Business for International Trade to work closely with the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee , among others, in maintaining a trade distribution network. Directs the President to explore opportunities to negotiate bilateral, subregional, and regional agreements to encourage trade and eliminate nontariff barriers to trade between countries (including Africa), such as negotiating investor friendly double-taxation treaties and investment promotion agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise Medicare payments for dialysis services provided to individuals with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and acute kidney injury. Extends the time period when a private health insurer, in determining benefits, cannot consider a group health insurance enrollee's ESRD or entitlement to Medicare coverage due to ESRD. Makes individuals with ESRD eligible for Medicare Advantage. Allows dialysis facilities to provide kidney disease education services and allows physician assistants, nurse practitioners, or clinical nurse specialists to refer individuals to those services. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an ESRD Care Coordination program to provide higher Medicare payments to nephrologists, dialysis facilities, and other providers that reduce spending on ESRD by being part of a coordinated care organization. Amends the Public Health Service Act to include dialysis as a service provided by the National Health Service Corps in health professional shortage areas. Makes nephrologists and non-physician practitioners who provide dialysis eligible for the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program and Loan Repayment Program. Requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report identifying gaps in chronic kidney disease research and comparing research funding to expenditures on disease treatment. Requires HHS to study the causes of kidney disease and efforts to treat kidney disease in disproportionately affected minority populations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Constitutional Amendment States that nothing in the U.S. Constitution shall prohibit Congress and the states from imposing content-neutral regulations and restrictions on the expenditure of funds for political activity by any corporation, limited liability company, or other corporate entity, including but not limited to contributions in support of, or in opposition to, a candidate for public office.
![Official portrait of Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001068_200.jpg)