United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Vladimir Putin Transparency Act This bill directs the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress about Russian President Vladimir Putin. The report shall address topics including (1) Putin's estimated net worth and known sources of income; (2) intermediaries, including shell companies, that he uses; and (3) the identities of the most significant Russian senior officials and oligarchs who facilitate his corrupt acts.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
This resolution condemns Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime for targeting political opponents and attempting to cover up the assassination of Russian opposition leader and democracy advocate Boris Nemtsov. It also calls on the Department of State to impose sanctions on those involved and to report to Congress on the assassination.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2019 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of dental, vision, and hearing care. Coverage includes (1) routine dental cleanings and exams, basic and major dental services, emergency dental care, and dentures; (2) routine eye exams, eyeglasses, and contact lenses; and (3) routine hearing exams, hearing aids, and exams for hearing aids. With respect to such care, the bill establishes special payment rules, limitations, and coinsurance requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2019 This bill 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. The bill prescribes civil penalties for knowing violations of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019 This bill eliminates the five-month waiting period for disability benefits under the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a progressive neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord). Under current law, individuals must wait five months after becoming disabled before their disability insurance benefit payments may begin.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Original Black History Month Resolution of 2019 This resolution recognizes the importance of diversity and commemorates Black History Month to acknowledge the achievements of African Americans throughout history.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Big Cat Public Safety Act This bill revises requirements governing the trade of big cats (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species). Specifically, it revises restrictions on the possession and exhibition of big cats, including to restrict direct contact between the public and big cats.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act This bill withdraws 1,006,545 acres of federal lands in Arizona, including any land or interest in land acquired by the United States after enactment of this bill, from entry, appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws; location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and operation of the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws and mineral materials laws.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2019 This bill revises the requirements for calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits. Specifically, the bill increases the minimum SNAP benefit and requires that benefits be calculated using a low-cost food plan (i.e., the diet required to feed a family of four); directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to determine the requirements for the low-cost food plan; requires USDA to make adjustments to the plan to account for household size, changes in the cost of the diet, and the costs of food in specified areas; revises the amounts authorized for nutrition assistance block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa and requires that the amounts be modified based on adjustments to the low-cost food plan; modifies the requirements for calculating household income to determine SNAP eligibility by authorizing a standard medical expense deduction for households containing an elderly or disabled member and eliminating the cap on the deduction for excess shelter expenses; and revises eligibility requirements under SNAP for certain students enrolled in institutions of higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Inaugural Fund Integrity Act This bill limits donations to inaugural committees. Inaugural committees may not solicit, accept, or receive donations from foreign nationals or persons who are not individuals. An individual may not make a donation in the name of another individual or authorize his or her name to be used to make such a donation. Foreign nationals may not make donations or make promises to make donations to inaugural committees. The bill caps the amount an individual may donate to an inaugural committee. Donations to inaugural committees may not be converted to personal use. Inaugural committees must report information on donations and disbursements to the Federal Election Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act This bill includes veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands between January 1, 1977, and December 31, 1980, as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of the Department of Veterans Affairs presumption of service-connection for specified cancers. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific diseases diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Flu Vaccine Act This bill requires the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, to conduct or support research regarding the development of a universal influenza vaccine.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Children and Media Research Advancement Act or the CAMRA Act This bill requires the National Institutes of Health to fund research regarding the effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents. Such research must examine the impact of media (e.g., social media, television, video games) on cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Responsible Additions and Increases to Sustain Employee Health Benefits Act of 201 9 This bill modifies the tax exclusion for distributions from health flexible spending arrangements provided to employees under a cafeteria plan to (1) increase the annual limit on employee salary reduction contributions to $5,000, with an additional $500 for each additional employee dependent above two dependents that has not been taken into account by another person for the year; (2) revise the adjustment for inflation after 2020; and (3) allow a carryforward into the next year for unused amounts in such plans.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Child Care for Working Families Act This bill provides funds and otherwise revises certain child care and early learning programs for low- to moderate-income families. Specifically, the bill provides funds for the Child Care and Development Block Grant program and reestablishes it as a child care and development assistance program. It also allocates program funds for states to provide services and support to infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities. Further, it revises the program to require each state to, among other things create a tiered and transparent system for measuring the quality of child care providers, which must include evidence-based standards and payment rates that are based on a certain cost estimation model; assure that copayments are based on a sliding scale and that no family receiving assistance pays more than 7% of their household income on child care; and use quality child care amounts for certain activities, such as improving the supply of child care providers who provide care to infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities (e.g., professional development). It also provides funds and establishes grants for states to create preschool programs for low- to moderate-income children between the ages of three and five years. Finally, the Department of Health and Human Services must make grants to Head Start agencies to (1) provide children with access to full-school-year and full-school-day services, (2) provide access to additional service hours for migrant and seasonal agencies, or (3) enhance the quality of existing services.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Special Counsel Reporting Act This bill establishes reporting requirements with respect to a special counsel appointed under Department of Justice (DOJ) regulations. Specifically, it establishes these requirements: a special counsel must report periodically on the status of an investigation; a special counsel who is removed from office must report on the status of an investigation, as of the date of dismissal; and DOJ must report on the status of an investigation following the removal of a special counsel. The reports must be made publicly available.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices in these areas may take effect. (Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights.) A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if (1) 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 25 years; or (2) 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. A state or political subdivision that obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a voting practice to deny or abridge the right to vote shall be exempt from preclearance. The bill specifies practices that all jurisdictions must preclear before implementing. The bill expands the circumstances under which (1) a court may retain the authority to preclear voting changes made by a state or political subdivision, or (2) the Department of Justice may assign election observers. States and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. The bill revises the circumstances under which a court must grant preliminary injunctive relief in a challenge to voting practices.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2019
Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act This bill funds through FY2090 the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Additionally, the bill modifies the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF): to allow claims to be filed until October 2089, to require VCF policies and procedures to be reassessed at least once every five years (currently, at least once annually), to require claimants to be paid for the amount by which a claim was reduced on the basis of insufficient funding, to remove the cap on noneconomic damages in certain circumstances, and to adjust the annual limit on economic loss compensation for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2019
Corey Adams Searchlight Act This bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a national communications network—the Green Alert communications network—to support regional and local search efforts for missing veterans. The Green Alert communications network must operate in coordination with the AMBER Alert communications network (i.e., the communications network that supports search efforts for abducted children).
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2019
Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2019 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Pollinator Protection Board to develop an independent review process for pesticides that pose a threat to pollinators and their habitats. The bill also requires the EPA to cancel the registrations of any pesticides containing imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, acetamiprid, sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, or fipronil until the board has made a determination that such insecticide will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators based on findings that include results of studies of neonicotinoids and the effects of residues, repeated applications, and multiple chemical exposures. Under the bill, the EPA shall not issue any new registrations for any seed treatment, soil application, and foliar treatment on bee-attractive plants, trees, and cereals until the board has made determinations on such insecticides. The bill requires the Department of the Interior, the EPA, and the Department of Agriculture to coordinate monitoring activities and report on the health and population status of native bees and other pollinators. The bill prohibits unregistered uses of pesticides by a federal or state agency to address emergency conditions except (1) to avert significant risk to threatened or endangered species, (2) to quarantine invasive species, or (3) to protect public health.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2019
Territories Health Equity Act of 2019 This bill alters provisions under Medicaid, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage relating to U.S. territories, and generally modifies and establishes programs to expand health insurance coverage for residents. Among other things, the bill eliminates Medicaid funding limitations for U.S. territories beginning in FY2020; repeals provisions that exclude residents of Puerto Rico from a certain automatic enrollment process for Medicare medical services; establishes minimum criteria for certain elements used in Medicare Advantage payment calculations for areas within U.S. territories; and allows residents of U.S. territories who are unable to obtain health insurance through their employer or a health insurance exchange to instead obtain coverage through the District of Columbia exchange, including coverage that is available to Members of Congress and their staff.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2019
Restoring the Partnership for County Health Care Costs Act of 2019 This bill allows an otherwise eligible individual who is in custody pending disposition of charges (i.e., pretrial detainees) to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare, Medicaid, or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits. Any SSI benefits payable to such an individual (1) must be withheld until the individual is no longer in custody; and (2) if the individual dies while in custody, shall be paid to the individual's estate.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2019
This resolution expresses support for the goals and ideals of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month. PCOS is caused by a hormone imbalance. Symptoms can include infertility, weight gain, excess hair growth, and acne. It recognizes the need for further research, improved treatment and care options, and a cure for PCOS. It also acknowledges the struggles affecting all women and girls afflicted with PCOS.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2019
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Simeon Saunders Booker, Jr., in recognition of his achievements in the field of journalism, including his reporting during the civil rights movement and his social and political commentary. The medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution and made available for display and research.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2019
This bill requires the U.S. Coast Guard to submit to Congress a report on vulnerabilities to Coast Guard installations resulting from climate change over the next 20 years, including an overview of mitigations that may be necessary to ensure the continued operational viability of the vulnerable installations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2019
Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act This bill designates specified National Forest System lands, National Park System lands, and public lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and as components or additions to existing components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The bill also designates (1) specified federal lands as biological connecting corridors and as special corridor management areas; (2) segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; and (3) specified areas as wildland recovery areas. The Department of Agriculture shall develop a wildland recovery plan for each recovery area. A specified panel of independent scientists shall study roadless lands greater than 1,000 acres that are within the National Forest System in the Wild Rockies bioregion in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming and that are not designated as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System for their role in maintaining biological diversity in the Northern Rockies and as part of the overall forest reserve system. Any new road construction or reconstruction or timber harvest is prohibited in those lands after the evaluation without an Act of Congress. Oil or gas leasing, mining, or other development which impairs the natural and roadless qualities of the land is also prohibited.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2019
This resolution calls for the international community to demand that North Korea dismantle its labor camp system and for North Korea to cease human rights abuses and release political prisoners.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 2019
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to address workplace violence in the health care and social service sectors. Specifically, Labor must promulgate an occupational safety and health standard that requires certain employers in the health care and social service sectors, as well as employers in sectors that conduct activities similar to the activities in the health care and social service sectors, to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for protecting health care workers, social service workers, and other personnel from workplace violence. In addition, those employers must investigate workplace violence incidents, risks, or hazards as soon as practicable; provide training and education to employees who may be exposed to workplace violence hazards and risks; meet record keeping requirements; and prohibit acts of discrimination or retaliation against employees for reporting workplace violence incidents, threats, or concerns.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 2019
This resolution reaffirms U.S. policy to support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The resolution urges Palestine and other Arab and Muslim-majority states to engage in negotiations with Israel in order to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and improve bilateral relations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 2019
This bill authorizes the President, after the declaration of a major disaster, to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide assistance necessary for meeting unmet needs as a result of such disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2019
Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act This bill authorizes the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to promulgate regulations to implement and enforce the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, done at Cape Town, South Africa, on February 2, 2001. Specifically, the FWS and the NMFS may take action to protect albatrosses and petrels and their habitats. The bill prohibits the taking of an albatross or petrel without a permit, authorization, or exemption.The FWS, in consultation with the NMFS, may authorize the taking of an albatross or petrel under exceptional circumstances or incidental to otherwise lawful activities. The bill gives the FWS, the NMFS, and the Coast Guard authority to enforce this bill. Finally, the bill authorizes cooperation with other countries to achieve and maintain a favorable conservation status of albatrosses and petrels.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2019
Higher Education Dream Act of 2019 This bill prohibits institutions of higher education that receive federal student aid from discriminating or taking adverse action against Dreamer students (i.e., students who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status) based on their immigration status, including charging out-of-state tuition to students who would qualify as residents of the state. The bill also makes Dreamer students eligible for federal financial aid. The bill prohibits the use or publication of certain identifiable information related to such students, subject to civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2019
Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2019 This bill includes armor-piercing, concealable weapons in the definition of firearm under the National Firearms Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2019
Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The bill requires law enforcement agencies to be notified when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a grandfathered SAW. It also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
State Public Option Act This bill allows residents who are not already eligible for Medicaid and not concurrently enrolled in other health insurance coverage to buy into a state Medicaid plan beginning January 1, 2020, at the option of the state. State Medicaid programs may set premiums and cost-sharing requirements for such coverage in accordance with specified limitations. The bill also (1) provides the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to every state that expands Medicaid coverage for individuals who are newly eligible under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, regardless of when such expansion takes place; and (2) requires state Medicaid programs to cover comprehensive reproductive health care services, including abortion services.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019 This bill addresses extreme risk protection order laws. Extreme risk protection order laws, or red flag laws, generally allow certain individuals (e.g., law enforcement officers or family members) to petition a court for a temporary order that prohibits an at-risk individual from purchasing and possessing firearms. First, the bill establishes a grant program to help states and Indian tribes implement extreme risk protection order laws and carry out related activities. Local governments and other entities may also receive grants to carry out certain activities, such as raising public awareness of extreme risk protection order laws. Further, grant recipients must use a specified portion of funds to provide training for law enforcement. In addition, the bill expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from receiving, possessing, shipping, or transporting a firearm or ammunition to include persons who are subject to an extreme risk protection order.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Coastal and Ocean Acidification Stressors and Threats Research Act of 2019 or the COAST Research Act of 2019 This bill addresses the effects of ocean and coastal acidification on marine organisms and ecosystems. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2023 and revises the Ocean Acidification Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the ocean acidification grant program of the National Science Foundation. The bill expands those programs, as well as the ocean acidification activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to include efforts to research and monitor the effects of coastal acidification.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
No Guns for Abusers Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make grants for state and local governments to implement procedures to remove firearms from individuals who are charged with or convicted of domestic violence or subject to a domestic violence protective order. Additionally, the bill sets forth the following requirements: the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) must report to Congress on best practices for implementing such procedures, the NIJ must contract with nongovernmental entities to study the comparative effectiveness of such procedures, and DOJ must submit federal legislative recommendations in accordance with the best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to make grants to states, local governments, or gun dealers to conduct gun buyback programs. The BJA may distribute smart prepaid cards for use by a state, local government, or gun dealer to compensate individuals who dispose of firearms. Additionally, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for using or accepting a smart prepaid card in the acquisition or transfer of a firearm or ammunition. A violator is subject to a fine, up to two years in prison, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Ghost Guns Are Guns Act This bill broadens the definition of "firearm" for purposes of federal firearms laws. Specifically, it includes as a firearm any combination of parts designed and intended to be used to convert a device into a firearm and from which a firearm may be readily assembled.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
America's Public Land Act of 2019 This bill reaffirms that it is U.S. policy to retain public land in federal ownership unless its disposal has been authorized by an Act of Congress; to retain management authority over public land, except where a nonfederal individual or entity is authorized to exercise management authority pursuant to an Act of Congress or another applicable law; and that retention of public land and the management authority over it is in the public interest. Neither the Department of the Interior nor of Agriculture shall approve or permit the conveyance of public land or the granting of management authority over such land to nonfederal individuals or entities except as authorized by an Act of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take a series of actions to address the potential impacts of climate change on public health. Specifically, HHS must develop a strategic action plan and a climate and health program to ensure the public health and health care systems in the United States and other nations are prepared for, and can respond to, the impacts of climate change on health. The bill directs HHS to revise the plan periodically to reflect new scientific developments and information. HHS must establish a permanent science advisory board to provide (1) scientific and technical recommendations on the impacts of climate change on public health, and (2) advice for purposes of issuing the plan and conducting the program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Expanding Penalty Free Withdrawal Act of 2019 This bill expands the exceptions in the Internal Revenue Code that permit penalty-free distributions to unemployed individuals from retirement plans. The 10% additional tax on early distributions from retirement plans does not apply to an individual after separation from employment if (1) the individual has received federal or state unemployment compensation for 26 consecutive weeks or, if less, the maximum period available under state law; and (2) the distributions are made during the year or the succeeding year in which the compensation is paid. The exception is limited to the lesser of (1) $50,000 from all plans of the individual over a one-year period, or (2) the greater of $10,000 or one-half of the fair market value of the individual's retirement plans and the nonforfeitable portion of the individual's defined contribution plans. The exception does not apply to distributions that are (1) included in the existing exception for distributions to unemployed individuals for health insurance premiums, or (2) are made after the individual has been employed for at least 60 days after the separation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force This bill repeals the Authorization for Use of Military Force signed into law September 18, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
United States Coast Guard Commemorative Coin Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue in commemoration of the U.S. Coast Guard (1) $5 gold coins, (2) $1 silver coins, and (3) half-dollar clad coins. The design of such coins shall be emblematic of the traditions, history, and heritage of the Coast Guard and its role in securing the United States since 1790. The issuance of such coins is restricted to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2020. The bill prescribes the sale price of the coins and coin surcharges. Surcharges shall be paid by Treasury to the National Coast Guard Museum Association to help finance the design, construction, operations, and maintenance of the museum.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act of 201 9 This bill modifies several tax provisions that refer to married couples to make the provisions equally applicable to legally married same-sex couples.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act This bill amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to establish an unlawful employment practice when the complaining party demonstrates that age or participation in investigations, proceedings, or litigation under such Act was a motivating factor for any unlawful employment practice, even though other factors also motivated the practice (thereby allowing what are commonly known as "mixed motive" claims). The bill (1) permits a complaining party to rely on any type or form of admissible evidence, which need only be sufficient for a reasonable trier of fact to find that an unlawful practice occurred; and (2) declares that a complaining party shall not be required to demonstrate that age or retaliation was the sole cause of the employment practice (thereby rejecting the Supreme Court's decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. , which requires a complainant to prove that age was the "but-for" cause for the employer's decision). The bill authorizes a court in a claim in which age discrimination is shown to grant declaratory and injunctive relief, but prohibits a court from awarding damages or issuing an order requiring any admission, reinstatement, hiring, promotion, or payment. The bill applies the same standard of proof to other employment discrimination and retaliation claims, including claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act This bill establishes the National Park Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund into which, through FY2024, there shall be deposited an amount equal to 50% of all energy development revenues due to the federal government from oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy development on federal lands and waters. Deposited amounts must not exceed $1.3 billion for any fiscal year. From such amounts 80% shall be allocated to the National Park Service for high-priority deferred maintenance projects, ensuring parity between transportation and nontransportation projects; 10% shall be for the national wildlife refuge system maintenance backlog; 5% shall be for the public access and recreation backlog on public lands; and 5% shall be for school construction and deferred maintenance backlogs. The Department of the Interior must submit to Congress, with the President's annual budget submission, a list of projects receiving allocations from the fund and a description of each such project. Interior, and other specified agencies, may accept cash or in-kind donations that advance efforts to reduce maintenance backlogs and encourage public-private partnerships.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Help Extract Animals from Red Tape Act of 2019 or the HEART Act of 2019 This bill modifies notice requirements in a civil forfeiture proceeding that involves the seizure of an animal involved in animal fighting. Specifically, the government must notify interested parties of an animal's seizure within 30 days (currently, 60 days). The notice period may be extended only if a delay is warranted after considering certain factors, including the cost to the government of providing shelter for the animal, the health of the animal and the effect of a delay on its rehabilitation, and any increased risk that a delay could necessitate the euthanasia of the animal. Additionally, the bill authorizes amounts in the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund to be used to pay for costs associated with a seized animal, including transportation, shelter, care, veterinary services, and humane euthanasia.
![Official portrait of Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001068_200.jpg)