United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act - Makes any veteran who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations during World War II, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam era, the Persian Gulf War, Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom, or any other period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities, eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for any mental illness through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the mental illness is attributable to such service.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue regulations to require: (1) the installation of secondary barriers to prevent access to the flight deck of a commercial aircraft; (2) with respect to an aircraft that is equipped with a cockpit door, that such barriers remain locked while the aircraft is in flight and the cockpit door separating the flight deck and the passenger area is open; and (3) with respect to an aircraft that is not equipped with a cockpit door, that such barriers remain locked as determined by the pilot.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Cell Phone Theft Prevention Act of 2013 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit a provider of commercial mobile or commercial mobile data service from providing service on a mobile device that has been reported to such provider as stolen: (1) by the person who holds the account with respect to such service, or (2) by another service provider receiving a report that the device has been stolen. Requires service providers receiving a report that a device has been stolen to inform all other providers. Directs service providers to make available to the account holders the capability of deleting, from a remote location, all information that was placed on a mobile device after its manufacture. Prohibits the manufacturing of a mobile device, or the importation of such a device into the United States for sale or resale to the public, unless the device is equipped with an identification number and configured with remote deletion capability. Establishes criminal penalties for the alteration or removal of a mobile device identification number or for the knowing use, production, trafficking in, control, custody, or possession of hardware or software configured to engage in the alteration or removal of such numbers.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
America Votes Act of 2013 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit an individual required to present identification as a condition for voting in a federal election to meet the requirement by presenting the appropriate state or local election official with a sworn written statement, signed by the individual under penalty of perjury, attesting to the individual's identification and that he or she is registered to vote in the election. Allows an individual desiring to vote by mail to submit such a statement with the ballot. Requires any state subject to this identification requirement to: (1) prepare a pre-printed version of the statement which includes a blank space for an individual to provide a name and signature, (2) make copies of the pre-printed version available at polling places for election officials to distribute to individuals who desire to vote in person, and (3) include a copy of the pre-printed version with each blank absentee or other ballot transmitted to an individual who desires to vote by mail. Prohibits a state from requiring an individual who presents or submits such a sworn written statement to cast a provisional ballot in the election. Excepts first-time voters registering by mail from application of this Act. Requires states requiring an individual to present identification as a condition of receiving and casting a ballot in a federal election to include the use of a sworn written statement in voting information posted at polling places.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Veterans Backlog Reduction Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), in the case of any claim for veterans' disability compensation that is not adjudicated within 125 days after submission, to pay such claimant provisional benefits, from the period beginning on the date of such deadline and ending on the date on which a final claim decision is made. Provides a conditional provisional benefit amount. Requires the Secretary to reduce any final claim amount covering the same period by the amount of provisional benefits received. Prohibits the Secretary, upon the eventual denial of a claim, from recovering any provisional payments unless the Secretary determines an indication of fraud, misrepresentation, or bad faith in connection with the original claim.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
American Opportunity Tax Credit Act of 2013 - 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 40% of the credit refundable. Allows an exclusion from gross income of any amount received as a Federal Pell Grant.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Shareholder Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require that any solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any security of an issuer: (1) describe the specific nature (to the extent known) and total amount of expenditures proposed for political activities for the forthcoming fiscal year but not yet authorized by a vote of the issuer's shareholders, and (2) provide for a separate shareholder vote to authorize such proposed expenditures. Prohibits an issuer from making an expenditure for political activities in any fiscal year unless: (1) such expenditure is of the nature of those proposed by the issuer according to the requirements of this Act, and (2) authorization for such expenditure has been granted by votes representing a majority of outstanding shares. Deems a violation of this requirement to be a breach of the fiduciary duty of the officers and directors who authorized such expenditure. Subjects officers and directors who authorize the expenditure without prior shareholder authorization to joint and several liability to any shareholder or class of shareholders for the amount of such expenditure. Requires certain institutional investment managers to disclose annually in mandatory reports how they voted (proxies) in certain shareholder votes. Prohibits any person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against an institutional investment manager, or any of its employees, officers, or directors, based solely upon the investment manager's decision to divest from, or not to invest in, securities of an issuer because of expenditures for political activities made by that issuer. Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to direct the national securities exchanges and national securities associations to prohibit the listing of any equity security of an issuer whose corporate bylaws do not expressly provide for a vote of the issuer's directors on any individual expenditure for political activities in excess of $50,000. Requires an issuer to make public, within 48 hours, the individual votes of the directors regarding any such expenditure. Directs the SEC to: (1) require issuers to disclose expenditures for political activities made during the preceding quarter and the individual votes by board members authorizing such expenditures, and (2) make such reports publicly available through the SEC website. Requires the SEC to make annual assessments of the compliance by public corporations and their management with the reporting and disclosure requirements of this Act, and the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate periodically the effectiveness of SEC oversight of these requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Medicare DMEPOS Market Pricing Program Act of 2013 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish a market pricing program for durable medical equipment (DME), prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) as a replacement for the competitive acquisition program, which is terminated as of December 31, 2013. Terminates contracts awarded before enactment of this Act on July 1, 2013. Prescribes requirements for transitional payments for items and services, including payments for diabetic supplies and off-the-shelf orthotics, in areas designated for rounds 1 and 2 of the erstwhile phase-in of the competitive acquistion program, as well as during the initial two-year period of the market pricing program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct market-priced auctions in eligible auction areas throughout the United States for the furnishing of market priced items and services, (2) establish an auction design through a specified process and meeting certain requirements, and (3) ensure that the first auction will be conducted for all eligible auction areas not later than 14 months after contracting with an auction expert. Directs the Secretary to: (1) select a combination of two categories of items and services for each auction, (2) establish a lead product for each product category, (3) establish for each market priced item and service a clearing price equal to the highest cost bid that will meet capacity targets in the market area, (4) award a contract to any entity in an auction's eligible market area whose bid is at or below the clearing price, and (5) monitor the performance of suppliers that are awarded a contract to ensure their compliance with certain requirements. Requires the Secretary, through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, to contract with an auction expert and a market monitor to assist in the design, development, implementation, and functioning of the auction. Requires the market monitor, on an ongoing basis, also to monitor suppliers and the effects of the market pricing program. Rescinds unobligated balances of all discretionary appropriations for each fiscal year (except those for accounts, programs, projects and activities operated by the Department of Defense [DOD] or the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA]) in an amount necessary to make this Act budget neutral for such fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a federal court to impose a sentence below a statutory minimum if necessary to avoid violating federal provisions prescribing factors courts must consider in imposing a sentence. Requires the court to give the parties notice of its intent to impose a lower sentence and to state in writing the factors requiring such a sentence.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Sudan Peace, Security, and Accountability Act of 2013 - Directs the President to develop and transmit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to end serious human rights violations in Sudan and to promote comprehensive peace and democratic reform. Requires the strategy to include an interagency plan along with a description of the resources and additional personnel required for the diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military activities to be undertaken to address and end human rights violations, strengthen democratic institutions, and expand democratic participation and governance, including capacity building of Sudanese civil society, political parties, and nongovernmental organizations seeking peaceful democratic change. Requires a description of: (1) the options for expanding U.S. diplomatic engagement with countries with close political or economic relations with Sudan, including China, Russia, Qatar, Egypt, and other traditional allies and multilateral organizations; and (2) the manner in which sanctions against Sudan or Sudanese individuals will be more effectively enforced, including by providing adequate resources and personnel to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) within the Department of the Treasury, prioritizing the enforcement of Sudan sanctions within OFAC, and mandating increased collection of intelligence information on Sudanese targets of sanctions. Directs the President to impose specified visa, development assistance, security assistance, property, credit, financial assistance, export, cultural, or scientific sanctions on any person or government that: (1) supported or assisted Sudan in the commission of serious human rights violations in Sudan, including by selling, leasing, or otherwise transferring military equipment to Sudan or providing property, goods, technology, services, or other support in the amount of $500,000 or more that directly and significantly contributes to Sudan committing or assisting in the commission of serious human rights violations; (2) is interfering or has interfered with the delivery of humanitarian aid to Sudan; (3) is impeding the peace process or threatening the stability of any part of Sudan or the region; or (4) failed to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against any Sudanese official if such person or government had the jurisdictional authority to execute the warrant and failed to make the arrest without reasonable justification. Prohibits the imposition of sanctions or other prohibitions on any government or person that is: (1) acting on behalf of the government of South Sudan in connection with the shipment or payment for oil from South Sudan or the advancement of peace between Sudan and South Sudan, or (2) providing humanitarian aid to Sudan. Amends: (1) the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004 to make its asset and visa sanctions applicable to Sudan, and (2) the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006 to impose such sanctions on Janjaweed commanders and coordinators threatening peace and stability in Sudan. Terminates sanctions upon certification by the President that specified conditions have been met.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem misbranded any food that has been genetically engineered or contains one or more genetically engineered ingredients, unless such information is clearly disclosed. Exempts from this requirement any food that: (1) is served in restaurants or other similar eating establishments, (2) is a medical food, (3) would be subject to such requirement solely because it was produced using a genetically engineered vaccine, or (4) would be subject to such requirement solely because it includes the use of a genetically engineered processing aid (including yeast) or enzyme. Defines "genetically engineered" as a material intended for human consumption that is: (1) an organism produced through the intentional use of genetic engineering, or (2) the progeny of intended sexual or asexual reproduction (or both) of one or more organisms that is the product of genetic engineering. Defines "genetically engineered ingredient" as an ingredient in a food that is derived from any part of an organism that has been genetically engineered, without regard to whether: (1) the altered molecular or cellular characteristics of the organism are detectable in the material, and (2) the organism is capable for use as human food. Excludes from penalties for misbranding of genetically engineered food or ingredients any recipient that establishes a guaranty or undertaking that: (1) is signed by, and contains the name and address of, a person residing in the United States from whom the recipient received the food in good faith (including the receipt of seeds to grow raw agricultural commodities); and (2) contains a statement to the effect that the food is not genetically engineered or does not contain a genetically engineered ingredient. Applies this exclusion from penalties without regard to the manner in which the recipient uses the food. Excludes an agricultural producer also from such penalties when a violation occurs because food the producer has grown, raised, or otherwise produced, which neither contains nor was produced with a genetically engineered material, is subsequently contaminated with a food that does contain or was produced with a genetically engineered material, and the agricultural producer has not intended any such contamination nor was negligent in the matter.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships as corporations, to expand the definition of "qualifying income" for such partnerships to include income and gains from renewable and alternative fuels (in addition to fossil fuels), including energy derived from thermal resources, waste, renewable fuels and chemicals, energy efficient buildings, gasification, and carbon capture in secure geological storage.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Promoting Automotive Repair, Trade, and Sales Act of 2013 or PARTS Act - Makes it not an act of infringement, with respect to a design patent that claims a component part of a motor vehicle as originally manufactured, to: (1) make, test, or offer to sell within the United States, or import into the United States, any article of manufacture that is similar or the same in appearance to the component part claimed in such design patent if the purpose of such article is for the repair of a motor vehicle to restore its appearance to as originally manufactured; and (2) use or sell within the United States any such same or similar articles for such restorations more than 30 months after the claimed component part is first offered for public sale as part of a motor vehicle in any country. Defines "component part" as a component part of the exterior of a motor vehicle only (such as a hood, fender, tail light, side mirror, or quarter panel), excluding an inflatable restraint system or other component part located in the interior of a motor vehicle. Specifies that an offer to sell includes any marketing of an article of manufacture to prospective purchasers or users and any pre-sale distribution. Applies this Act to any patent issued, or application filed, before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Trash Reduction Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require retailers to pay a $0.05 excise tax on each disposable carryout bag provided to a consumer. Defines "disposable carryout bag" to mean a bag of any material, commonly plastic or kraft paper, which is provided to a consumer at the point of sale to carry or cover purchases, merchandise, or items. Exempts reusable bags and certain other bags used for specified purposes from such tax. Allows a refund of such tax for retailers who establish a disposable carryout bag recycling program. Establishes in the Treasury the Disposable carryout bag Trust Fund to hold tax revenues generated by this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make payments from such Trust Fund for the disposable carryout bag recycling program and for the land and water conservation fund established by the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the effectiveness of this Act in reducing the use of disposable carryout bags and encouraging recycling of such bags.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Patient Centered Quality Care for Life Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a Patient-Centered Health Care and Quality of Life Stakeholder Strategic Summit to: (1) analyze key health system barriers to providing patient-centered health care that integrates symptom management and other aspects of coordinated or palliative care; and (2) identify strategic solutions for collectively addressing quality of life concerns for the rapidly expanding population of patients and survivors facing serious, complex, and chronic illness in the United States and for the families of such patients and survivors. Requires the Secretary to establish a Summit Steering Committee, which shall draft a summary report detailing Summit recommendations for a national strategic action agenda to improve patient-centered care and quality of life. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a national quality of life education and awareness grants program initiative for seriously ill patients, their families, and health professionals who treat them for the purposes of encouraging an increased demand for and delivery of integrated and patient-centered care for managing their pain and symptoms and improving their quality of life. Requires the Director to award competitive grants to develop new and expand existing information, resources, and communication materials about symptom management and other aspects of patient-centered care as an integral part of quality care for serious illnesses. Directs the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish a health care professional workforce training grants program initiative for purposes of promoting and enhancing symptom assessment and management, communications skills, coordinated patient-centered care, and other quality of life focused clinical core competencies across all clinical specialties that serve seriously ill patients and patients with multiple or complex chronic diseases. Requires the Secretary: (1) to update and expand the September 2002 HRSA report, titled "The Supply, Demand and Use of Palliative Care Physicians in the United States"; (2) to establish a Quality of Life Cross-Agency Advisory Committee to assist the CDC and HRSA in conducting the national quality of life education and awareness initiative and the health care professional workforce training initiative and to disseminate initiative findings for cross agency implementation of best practices; and (3) acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop and implement a strategy to be applied across NIH institutes and centers that is in accordance with the Advisory Committee's recommendations to expand national research programs in symptom management, palliative, psychosocial, and survivorship care.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Speaker should follow regular House procedure and immediately request a conference and appoint conferees to negotiate a FY2014 budget resolution conference agreement with the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2013
Improving Cancer Treatment Education Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend Medicare coverage to comprehensive cancer patient treatment education services, including a one-hour patient treatment education session delivered, in advance of treatment, by a registered nurse to an individual diagnosed with cancer (or whose course of treatment has been materially modified). Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate research programs to: (1) improve the treatment and management of symptoms and side effects associated with cancer and cancer treatment, and (2) evaluate the role of nursing interventions in the amelioration of such symptoms and side effects.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
National Commission on Federal Marijuana Policy Act of 2013 - Establishes the National Commission on Federal Marijuana Policy to undertake a comprehensive review of current policies of the federal government toward marijuana in light of the growing number of states in which marijuana is legal for medicinal or personal use. Requires such review to include: (1) how federal policy should interact with state laws that make marijuana legal for such use; (2) the cost of the prohibition and potential regulation of marijuana and the potential revenue generated by taxation of marijuana; (3) the impact of federal banking and tax laws on businesses operating in compliance with state laws related to marijuana; (4) the health impacts related to marijuana use, and in comparison to alcohol and tobacco use; (5) the public safety effects and impact of the prohibition, and the regulation and control, of marijuana; (6) the impact of marijuana prohibition on criminal justice and the collateral consequences of prosecution for marijuana possession; (7) recommendations for the appropriate placement of marijuana in the schedule of the Controlled Substances Act; and (8) the effects of the prohibition or future regulation and control of marijuana on international relationships and treaty obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin, (2) Grand Staircase-Escalante, (3) Moab-La Sal Canyons, (4) Henry Mountains, (5) Glen Canyon, (6) San Juan-Anasazi, (7) Canyonlands Basin, (8) San Rafael Swell, and (9) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas, (2) federal reservation of water rights, (3) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness, (4) authorized livestock grazing, and (5) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Rebuilding America's Schools Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to tax-exempt bond funding for educational facilities, to: (1) reinstate the national qualified school construction bond limitation amount for calendar years after 2013, (2) make permanent the qualified zone academy bond (QZAB) limitation amount, (3) permit private entities to waive the 10% matching requirement for QZABs, and (4) permit QZAB proceeds to be used for constructing a public school facility in which such an academy is established.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces (military spouse) who moves with such member to another state under a permanent change of station order a tax credit for up to $500 of qualified relicensing costs incurred by such spouse. Defines "qualified relicensing costs" as costs for a state license or certification to engage in the profession that such military spouse engaged in while residing in the former state.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Supports the designation of Saint Louis, Missouri, as the "National Chess Capital." Honors the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis as the thought-leader in chess education in the United States. Encourages the "National Chess Capital" to continue promoting the educational benefits of chess among schoolchildren.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Chained Consumer Price Index should not be used to calculate cost of living adjustments for Social Security benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Student Loan Relief Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans to loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act or STOP Act - Establishes a Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Council, composed mainly of civilians, as an independent entity from the chain of command of the Department of Defense (DOD). Directs the Council to: (1) appoint personnel to the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, and advise such Office; (2) appoint the Director of Military Prosecutions (Director); (3) review each request of the Director with respect to a case stemming from a sexual-related offense that has been referred to a military appellate court or to the Department of Justice (DOJ); and (4) submit to the Secretary of Defense, Congress, and the Attorney General a report on each Director request for referral to a higher court. Requires the Council to advise on the development of sexual assault reporting protocols, risk-reduction and response training, and policy. Establishes within DOD the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, headed by an Executive Director, to undertake specified duties and responsibilities relating to the investigation, prevention, and reduction of sexual assault incidents within the Armed Forces. Requires the Office to establish protocols to ensure that all reports of sexual assault are taken out of the chain of command and reported directly to the Office. Establishes the position of Director of Military Prosecutions, appointed by the Council, to have independent and final authority to oversee the prosecution of all sexual-related offenses committed by a member of the Armed Forces, and to refer such cases to trial by courts-martial.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Veteran's I.D. Card Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to issue a veteran's identification card to any veteran who requests such card and is neither entitled to military retired pay nor enrolled in the VA system of patient enrollment. Requires such card, among other things, to: (1) display their name and photograph, and (2) serve as proof that the veteran honorably served in the Armed Forces and has a DD-214 form or other official document in their personnel file that describes their military service. Directs the Secretary to charge a card fee. States that such card shall not serve as proof of entitlement to any benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to reauthorize for FY2014-FY2017 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 reductions in grant funding to states that have not implemented a relief from disabilities program; (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 (HIPAA). 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 (ATF); (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 2013 - 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 · 15 April 2013
Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue orders applicable to manufacturers of concrete masonry products (concrete). Requires any such order to provide for the establishment of a Concrete Masonry Products Board, which shall carry out a program of promotion, research, and information regarding concrete products. Requires manufacturers and importers to maintain, and make available, specified records. Requires any such order to provide that assessments shall be paid by concrete manufacturers with respect to concrete manufactured and marketed in the United States. Provides assessment rates. Requires at least 50% of the assessments paid by a manufacturer to be used to support research, education, and promotion plans and projects in support of the geographic region of the manufacturer. Directs the Secretary, during the 60-day period preceding the proposed effective date of an order, to conduct a referendum for order approval among the manufacturers required to pay assessments under the order. Outlines referendum procedures. Provides for petition and review of an order, and order enforcement through U.S. district courts. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct appropriate investigations in order to administer this Act (with power of subpoena). Directs the Secretary to suspend or terminate any order or provision that obstructs or does not tend to effectuate the purposes of this Act, or that is not favored by persons voting in a referendum.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Fairness in International Taxation Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit a reduction under any treaty of the United States of tax withholding for a tax deductible payment made between persons who are members of the same foreign controlled group of entities unless there would be a similar reduction for payments made directly to the foreign parent corporation of such entities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
International Tax Competitiveness Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) treat foreign corporations that are managed, directly or indirectly, within the United States as domestic corporations for U.S. tax purposes; (2) subject certain royalty income and income from intangibles received from a controlled foreign corporation to U.S. taxation; and (3) revise the tax treatment of property other than stock received in connection with a corporate reorganization (i.e., boot) to provide that such property shall be treated as a taxable dividend.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to impose restrictions on foreign jurisdictions or financial institutions operating in the United States that are of prime money laundering concern or that significantly impede U.S. tax enforcement. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a rebuttable presumption against the validity of transactions by institutions that do not comply with reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, (2) treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for tax purposes, (3) require tax withholding agents and financial institutions to report certain information about beneficial owners of foreign-owned financial accounts, (4) treat swap payments sent offshore as taxable U.S. source income, (5) allow the use of tax return information to evaluate foreign financial account reports, (6) increase penalties for promoting abusive tax shelters and for aiding and abetting the understatement of tax liability, (7) prohibit tax advisor contingent fee agreements for obtaining a tax savings or benefit, and (8) impose additional requirements for third party summonses used to obtain information in tax investigations that do not identify the person with respect to whose liability the summons is issued (i.e., John Doe summons). Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to: (1) require corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report annually, on a country-by country basis, on employees, pre-tax gross revenues, and payments made to governments; and (2) authorize a fine of up to $1 million for failure to disclose any holding or transaction involving equity or debt instruments known to involve a foreign entity that would otherwise be subject to disclosure requirements. Requires the Secretary to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register requiring investment advisors to establish anti-money laundering programs and submit suspicious activity reports. Extends anti-money laundering requirements to persons engaged in the business of forming new businesses or other legal entities. Requires federal banking agencies and the SEC to develop examination techniques to detect and prevent abusive tax shelter activities or the aiding or abetting of tax evasion by financial institutions. Requires the Secretary to: (1) disclose tax return information to federal financial regulators for purposes of tax shelter investigations; (2) disclose to Congress documents relating to a determination to grant, deny, revoke, or restore the tax-exempt status of an organization; and (3) expand the standards applicable to tax practitioners for issuing written advice on transactions which have a potential for tax avoidance or evasion.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit a veterinarian who is registered to manufacture or distribute controlled substances from being required to have a separate registration in order to transport and dispense controlled substances in the usual course of veterinary practice at a site other than such veterinarian's principal place of business or professional practice, as long as the dispensing site is located in a state where the veterinarian is licensed to practice.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Act of 2013 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group or individual health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection, insofar as the attending physician, in consultation with the patient, determines such stay to be medically necessary; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act, and (2) ensure that coverage is provided for secondary consultations. Prohibits a health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Allows a health insurance issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage to nonrenew or discontinue an individual's coverage based on the intentional concealment of material facts regarding a health condition related to the condition for which coverage is being claimed.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide that provisions of such Act related to marihuana shall not apply to any person acting in compliance with state laws relating to the production, possession, distribution, dispensation, administration, or delivery of marihuana.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Student Loan Interest Deduction Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the maximum tax deduction for interest paid on any qualified education loan to $5,000 ($10,000 for married couples filing a joint tax return), and (2) repeal the limitation on such deduction based upon modified adjusted gross income.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Directs the United States Postal Service (USPS) to issue and sell an Alzheimer's Disease Research Semipostal Stamp. Requires proceeds from the sale of the stamp to be transferred to the National Institutes of Health. Requires the stamp to be made available to the public for six years.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Nutrition Education Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require local educational agencies participating in the school lunch or breakfast programs to include in their school wellness policies the requirement that each student receive 50 hours of nutrition education each school year. Requires such instruction to meet specified standards, including that it is consistent with nutritional requirements for food served under the school lunch, school breakfast, and child and adult care food programs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education for Alzheimer's Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for comprehensive Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and services.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013 or the PAST Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to replace the Designated Qualified Persons program responsible for inspecting horses for soring with a new inspection system. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.) Directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prescribe regulatory requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events. Prohibits issuing a license to any person unless such person is free from conflicts of interest. Authorizes USDA to revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. Requires USDA to give a preference to persons who are licensed or accredited veterinarians in issuing the licenses. Requires USDA to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. Directs an inspector to issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of the violations within five days of the citation being issued. Requires USDA to: (1) publish on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's website information on violations of such Act; and (2) disqualify a horse that is sore for specified time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance. Prohibits a person in any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, auctioning, or offering for sale the horse. Prohibits showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device that causes friction by rotating around a horse's leg or sliding up and down the leg or strikes the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter a horse's gait and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties for certain HPA violations. Authorizes USDA to disqualify a violator from: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; or (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted. Permits USDA to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Military Suicide Reduction Act - Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to provide a one-on-one mental health assessment for each member of the Armed Forces deployed in support of a contingency operation once during each 180-day period of such deployment. Requires that, if the Secretary determines that such assessment cannot be performed by personnel trained and certified to do so, the Secretary shall ensure that the assessment is conducted using an Internet-based questionnaire. Requires, in such case, that the commanding officer (CO) of such member also complete a separate questionnaire containing the CO's observations with respect to the mental health of that member. Requires such questionnaires to: (1) be reviewed and acted upon by trained and certified mental health personnel, and (2) be accorded appropriate privacy under requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Condemns the government of Iran for its persecution of religious minorities, including Saeed Abedini (a U.S. citizen sentenced to prison in Iran after being tried for his religious beliefs and convicted for undermining the government of Iran). Calls on: (1) Iran to release Saeed Abedini to the United States; and (2) the U.S. government to work aggressively for his release by designating appropriate Iranian officials for human rights abuses pursuant to the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans to loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Veterans Pensions Protection Act of 2013 - Excludes from annual income, for purposes of eligibility for pensions for veterans and their surviving spouses and children, reimbursements resulting from: (1) any accident; (2) any theft or loss; (3) any casualty loss; (4) medical expenses resulting from any such accident, theft, or loss; and (5) pain and suffering (including insurance settlement payments and general damages awarded by a court) related to such accident, theft, or loss.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Work-Study for Student Veterans Act - Reauthorizes through June 30, 2018 (under current law, the authorization expires as of June 30, 2013) certain qualifying work-study activities for individuals receiving educational assistance through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Enforcing Orders and Reducing Customs Evasion Act of 2013 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require the Commissioner responsible for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to initiate, upon petition or a referral from another federal agency, an investigation into claims of evasion of antidumping or countervailing duties (including any cash deposits or other security) with respect to covered merchandise entered into the United States. Requires the Commissioner, in the case of an affirmative preliminary determination, to: (1) suspend liquidation of each unliquidated entry of the covered merchandise and extend the liquidation of covered merchandise entered before such determination, (2) review and reassess the amount of bond or other security required to be posted for each entry of covered merchandise, (3) require the posting of a cash deposit for each entry, and (4) take other appropriate measures to ensure the collection of any duties that may be owed on covered merchandise. Requires the Commissioner, in the case of an affirmative final determination, to: (1) suspend or continue to suspend liquidation of each entry of covered merchandise and extend the liquidation of covered merchandise entered before such determination, (2) notify the administering authority (Secretary of Commerce or other responsible U.S. officer) of the determination and request identification of the applicable antidumping or countervailing duties or cash deposit rate for such entries, (3) require the posting of cash deposits and assess duties, (4) review and reassess the amount of bond or other security required to be posted for covered merchandise entered on or after the date of such determination, and (5) take appropriate additional enforcement measures. Requires the administering authority to apply the highest applicable cash deposit or antidumping or countervailing duty in cases where the producer or exporter of covered merchandise is unknown. Applies the amendments made by this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico. Requires the Commissioner, to the maximum extent practicable, to ensure that CBP employs and assigns sufficient personnel to prevent the entry of covered merchandise in a manner that evades antidumping and countervailing duty orders or findings. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), the Commissioner, and the Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assess and properly allocate the resources of CBP and ICE to improve efforts to investigate and combat evasion. Directs the Comptroller General to report on: (1) efforts to prevent the entry of covered merchandise into the U.S. customs territory through evasion, and (2) the estimated amount of duties that could not be collected on covered merchandise that entered U.S. customs territory through evasion during FY2011-FY2012 because the Commissioner did not have the authority to reliquidate the entries of such merchandise.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2013 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Benefits) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend the months of coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to make eligible for enrollment in Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), solely for the purpose of such drug coverage, every individual whose insurance benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) have ended by reason of a kidney transplant or the end of any requirement for a regular course of dialysis. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine a monthly premium rate for such individuals equal to 35% of the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees age 65 and over. Prescribes a formula for detemination of a government contribution to such a premium.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2013 - Declares that, notwithstanding the presidential sequestration order issued on March 1, 2013, the budgetary resources sequestered for payments for drugs and biologicals under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act shall be available for obligation for drugs and biologicals furnished on or after enactment of this Act in the same amount and manner as if such order had not been issued. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make any payments under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) that may be required to reimburse for reductions in payments made under the sequestration order for drugs and biologicals furnished on or after April 1, 2013, and before enactment of this Act.
![Official portrait of Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001068_200.jpg)