United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Police Training and Independent Review Act of 2017 This bill requires a state that receives funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to train law enforcement officers on diversity and sensitivity. The Department of Justice (DOJ) may reduce by up to 20% the JAG allocation of a state that fails to comply. Additionally, the bill requires a state or local government that receives JAG funding to have in effect a law requiring the appointment of an independent prosecutor to investigate and prosecute an offense involving the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer that results in a death or injury. DOJ must reduce by 20% the JAG allocation of a state or local government that fails to comply.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Paycheck Fairness Act This bill amends equal pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to: (1) restrict the use of the bona fide factor defense to wage discrimination claims, (2) enhance nonretaliation prohibitions, (3) make it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages, and (4) increase civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs shall train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination. The bill directs the Department of Labor to: (1) establish and carry out a grant program for negotiation skills training for girls and women, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace is established for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. The bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Commemorates the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s sermon titled "Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence." Encourages the U.S. government to conduct foreign policy in a manner consistent with the vision delineated in that speech.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Recognizes the significance of Equal Pay Day to illustrate the disparity between wages paid to men and women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of Larry Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to specify that communications decency provisions protecting providers or users of interactive computer services from liability for the private blocking or screening of offensive material shall not be construed to impair the enforcement of, or limit availability of victim restitution or civil remedies under, state or federal criminal or civil laws relating to sexual exploitation of children or sex trafficking. The bill amends the federal criminal code to specify that the violation for benefiting from "participation in a venture" engaged in sex trafficking of children, or by force, fraud, or coercion, includes knowing or reckless conduct by any person or entity and by any means that furthers or in any way aids or abets the violation. A provider of an interactive computer service that publishes information provided by an information content provider with reckless disregard that the information is in furtherance of a sex trafficking offense shall be subject to a criminal fine or imprisonment for not more than 20 years.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Urges the United States to: (1) continue to be a global leader in whale conservation and protection, and (2) promote international efforts to conserve and protect the world's whales. Opposes commercial whaling. Urges Japan to cease all whaling. Welcomes the opportunity to work with International Whaling Commission member countries at the next Commission meeting in Brazil in 2018 on preventing and mitigating threats to whales and their habitats.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
This bill: (1) designates the area between the intersections of Wisconsin Avenue and Davis Street and Wisconsin Avenue and Edmunds Street in northwest Washington, DC as "Boris Nemtsov Plaza," and (2) redesignates the address of 2650 Wisconsin Avenue in northwest DC as "1 Boris Nemtsov Plaza."
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017 This bill amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA) to modify and reauthorize juvenile justice programs and activities. Specifically, it: revises and reauthorizes through FY2022 programs and activities under title II of the JJDPA, including the State Formula Grant Program and the activities of the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP); revises and expands the purpose areas of the JJDPA; expands membership on the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to include the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the Secretary of the Interior; expands requirements for the OJJDP's annual report on juveniles in custody; modifies the required components of a state's juvenile justice and prevention plan; modifies the four core requirements with which a state must comply to receive a full allocation of funds under the State Formula Grant Program; and repeals the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Block Grant program. The bill revises, restructures, and reauthorizes through FY2022 programs under title V of the JJDPA, including the Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Program. The Government Accountability Office must evaluate the OJJDP's performance and audit selected grant recipients. The bill subjects juvenile justice grants to accountability provisions. Finally, it reauthorizes through FY2022 programs and activities: (1) for missing and exploited children, under title IV of the JJDPA; and (2) for runaway and homeless youth, under title III of the JJDPA.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act This bill directs the Department of Justice to issue a final order that removes marijuana in any form from all schedules of controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Marijuana is exempted from the CSA except as provided in this bill. The definition of "felony drug offense" does not include conduct related to marijuana. Marijuana is not included in the provisions setting forth penalties applicable to prohibited conduct under the CSA. It shall be unlawful to ship or transport marijuana from any place outside a jurisdiction of the United States into such a jurisdiction in which its possession, use, or sale is prohibited. The bill eliminates marijuana from regulation under various federal laws including the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act, the National Forest System Drug Control Act of 1986, the federal Wiretap Act, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998. Further, it subjects marijuana to the provisions that apply to: (1) intoxicating liquors under the Original Packages Act, the Webb-Kenyon Act, and the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000; and (2) distilled spirits under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act. The Food and Drug Administration shall have the same authorities with respect to marijuana as it has for alcohol. Functions of the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration relating to marijuana enforcement shall be transferred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The ATF is renamed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, Firearms and Explosives and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is renamed the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Tax and Trade Bureau.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Responsibly Addressing the Marijuana Policy Gap Act of 2017 This bill amends various provisions of law and sets forth new provisions: to eliminate regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act for marijuana-related activities authorized by state or tribal law (i.e., state-authorized); to allow businesses that sell marijuana in compliance with state or tribal law to claim certain federal tax credits and deductions; to eliminate restrictions on print and broadcast advertising of state-authorized marijuana-related activities; to create protections for depository institutions that provide financial services to marijuana-related businesses; to specify that a marijuana-related business is entitled to federal bankruptcy protections; to establish a process to expunge criminal records related to certain marijuana-related convictions; to reestablish federal student aid eligibility for certain students convicted of a misdemeanor offense for marijuana possession; to exempt real property from civil forfeiture due to state-authorized marijuana-related conduct; to prohibit the inadmissibility or deportability of aliens for state-authorized marijuana-related conduct; to specify that drug-related criminal activity, which is prohibited in federally assisted housing, does not include state-authorized marijuana-related conduct; to establish a new, separate registration process to facilitate medical marijuana research; to authorize health care providers employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to recommend participation in state marijuana programs; and to authorize medical providers through an Indian health program to make medical recommendations regarding marijuana.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) require the payment system for ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services to feature certain positive annual adjustments equivalent to those made with respect to hospital outpatient department (OPD) services; (2) revise quality reporting requirements to permit publicly available, side-by-side comparisons of quality measures for ASCs and OPDs in the same geographic area; and (3) require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), when excluding requested procedures from the list of those approved to be performed in ASCs, to cite specified reasons for doing so. With respect to excluding procedures from the approved list for ASCs, HHS may not cite as a basis for exclusion that a procedure can only be reported using an unlisted surgical procedure code. (Physicians sometimes use unlisted codes when performing new procedures or services if no existing code is adequately descriptive.)
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Rural Access to Hospice Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow payment under Medicare for certain services furnished to hospice patients by rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). With respect to a patient who elects to receive hospice care under Medicare, current law generally limits payment for services that are either duplicative of such care or related to the treatment of the individual's terminal illness. However, current law exempts from this limitation: (1) physicians' services furnished by an attending physician not employed by the hospice program; and (2) services provided or arranged by the hospice program. The bill expands this exemption with regard to rural health clinic and FQHC services. Specifically, the payment limitation shall not apply to such services that: (1) would otherwise be physicians' services if furnished by an individual unaffiliated with a rural health clinic or FQHC; and (2) are either arranged by the hospice program or furnished by an attending physician not employed by the hospice program.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2017 This bill allows Medicare payment for home health services ordered by a nurse practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse-midwife, or a physician assistant.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Big Cat Public Safety Act This bill amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit any person from breeding or possessing prohibited wildlife species (i.e., any live species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species). Breeding means facilitating propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or negligently), or failing to prevent propagation or reproduction. The bill revises the list of entities that are exempt from Lacey Act prohibitions regarding those wildlife species to include: (1) certain entities that hold Class C licenses in good standing under the Animal Welfare Act, and (2) current owners of animals that were born before this bill's enactment if the animals are registered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Those entities and owners may not allow direct contact between the public and the prohibited wildlife species. A person who knowingly violates the prohibition must be fined not more than $20,000, or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both. The bill considers each violation to be a separate offense. The offense must be deemed to have been committed not only in the district where the violation first occurred, but also in any district in which the defendant may have taken or been in possession of the prohibited wildlife species. The bill extends forfeiture provisions to fish, wildlife, or plants that are bred or possessed.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Congressional Leadership In Mitigating Administration Threats to the Earth Act or the CLIMATE Act This bill nullifies the Executive Order entitled "Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth" that was released on March 28, 2017. No federal funds may be used to implement or enforce the order. The bill takes effect on March 28, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2017 or the PAST Act This bill amends the Horse Protection Act to establish a new system for inspecting horses for soring, revise penalties for violations of the Act, and modify enforcement procedures. 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. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions to detect and diagnose sore horses. A license may not be issued to a person with conflicts of interest, and USDA must give preference to veterinarians. USDA may revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. USDA must assign licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. An inspector must issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of violations. USDA must publish information on violations of this bill and disqualify a horse that is sore. The bill prohibits a person in any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning the horse. The bill prohibits the use of specified devices on a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse at a show, exhibition, sale, or auction. The bill increases the maximum criminal and civil liability penalties for certain violations. USDA may disqualify violators from specified activities related to horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
This bill authorizes FY2018-FY2023 appropriations for the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Veterans Equal Access Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to authorize VA health care providers to: (1) provide veterans with recommendations and opinions regarding participation in their state's marijuana programs, and (2) complete forms reflecting such recommendations and opinions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Fair Play Fair Pay Act of 2017 This bill amends federal copyright law to extend a sound recording copyright owner's rights to include the exclusive right to perform or authorize the performance of the recording publicly by means of any audio transmission, thereby requiring terrestrial AM/FM broadcast radio stations that play copyrighted sound recordings to pay royalties for the nondigital audio transmissions of the recordings. (Currently, sound recording copyright owners have a performance right that applies only to digital transmissions by cable, satellite, and Internet radio stations.) Copyright Royalty Judges (CRJs) must commence a proceeding to determine royalty rates and terms for nonsubscription broadcast transmissions. In determining royalty rates for statutory licensing of such digital or nondigital transmissions, the CRJs must: (1) distinguish among different types of services, and (2) include a minimum fee for each type of service. Differences may be based on the quantity and nature of the use of sound recordings and the degree to which use of the service may substitute for or promote consumer purchases of phonorecords. The CRJs must establish rates that most clearly represent the rates and terms that would have been negotiated in the marketplace between a willing buyer and a willing seller. The decision must be based on economic, competitive, and programming information presented by the parties, including: (1) the sound recording copyright owner's other streams of revenue from the recordings; and (2) the relative creative contribution, technological contribution, capital investment, cost, and risk of the copyright owner and the transmitting entity. The bill caps the annual royalty rate at: (1) $500 for small commercial broadcast stations with less than $1 million in revenues for the calendar year, and (2) $100 for public broadcasting stations. Exemptions are provided for religious service broadcasts or incidental uses of music from royalty payment requirements. Proceeds for direct licenses of transmissions otherwise licensable under the statutory license must be distributed in the same manner as statutory license proceeds. The bill requires payment of 45% to featured artists, 2.5% to nonfeatured musicians, and 2.5% to nonfeatured vocalists. Such payments shall be the sole payments to which featured and nonfeatured artists are entitled under a direct license. Performance royalties for sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, must be paid in the same manner as royalties for sound recordings fixed after such date. A collective designated by the CRJs must implement a policy to accept instructions (referred to as a "letter of direction") from a sound recording copyright owner, or from a recording artist, to distribute a portion of performance royalty payments to a producer, mixer, or sound engineer who was part of the creative process behind the sound recording. The collective must adopt special procedures for a producer, mixer, or sound engineer to receive a portion of royalties for recordings fixed before November 1, 1995, by certifying that a reasonable effort has been made to obtain a letter of direction from an artist who owns the right to receipts payable with respect to the sound recording.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Medical Leave for Disabled Veterans Act This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to provide eligibility for specified medical/hospital care for an employee who: (1) has a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability rating of between 30% and 50% and at least 833 hours of service with the employer (from whom leave is requested) during the previous eight-month period, or (2) has a VA disability rating of 60% or higher and at least 625 hours of service with such employer during the previous 6-month period. Medical/hospital leave shall also be provided to an employee who is not covered by the above provision but who retired from the Armed Forces by reason of a service-connected disability: (1) rated at between 30% and 50% at retirement and who has at least 833 hours of service with such employer during the previous eight-month period, or (2) rated at 60% or higher at retirement and who has at least 625 hours of service with such employer during the previous 6-month period. (Under current law, employees of an FMLA-covered employer become eligible for medical leave after 12 months on the job and at least 1,250 hours of service with such employer during the previous 12-month period.) A employee must submit a certification to the employer from the VA or the Department of Defense, as appropriate, to be eligible for such adjustment.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose: (1) an excise tax on any marijuana product produced in or imported into the United States, and (2) an occupational tax on marijuana production facilities and export warehouses. The term "marijuana product" does not include: (1) any article containing marijuana which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for sale for therapeutic purposes and is marketed and sold solely for such purpose, or (2) industrial hemp. The excise tax includes exemptions for: (1) marijuana products that are used for research or by government entities for nonconsumption purposes; and (2) the transfer of products between production, import, and export facilities. A credit or refund of the tax must be issued for products that are withdrawn from the market, lost, or destroyed. The bill requires producers, importers, and exporters of marijuana products to: obtain a permit and a bond covering tax liability from the Department of the Treasury prior to beginning operations, meet recordkeeping requirements, and comply with certain policies and restrictions regarding packaging and labeling. The bill also: (1) establishes penalties for violations of marijuana laws, and (2) prohibits the sale of more than one ounce of marijuana in any single retail transaction.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Small Business Tax Equity Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt a trade or business that conducts marijuana sales in compliance with state law from the prohibition against allowing business-related tax credits or deductions for expenditures in connection with trafficking in controlled substances.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Recognizes the accomplishments and example of Cesar Estrada Chavez, pledges to promote his legacy, and encourages the people of the United States to commemorate his legacy and to always remember his rallying cry, "Si, se puede!" ("Si, se puede!" is Spanish for "Yes, we can!")
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act This bill establishes a comprehensive women's history museum within the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, to provide for: (1) the collection, study, and establishment of programs related to women's contributions that have influenced the direction of the United States; (2) collaboration with other Smithsonian museums and facilities, outside museums, and educational institutions; and (3) the creation of exhibitions and programs that recognize diverse perspectives on women's history and contributions. The bill establishes a council within the Smithsonian Institution to: (1) make recommendations to the Smithsonian's Board of Regents for the construction of the museum; (2) advise and assist the board on the administration and preservation of the museum; (3) recommend annual operating budgets for the museum; and (4) report annually to the board on the acquisition, disposition, and display of objects related to women's art, history, and culture. The council shall have sole authority to: (1) acquire artifacts for the museum's collections, (2) dispose of any part of the collections but only if funds generated are used for additions to the collections, (3) specify criteria for the use of the museum's collections and resources, and (4) preserve and maintain the collections. The museum's director may carry out educational and liaison programs in support of its goals.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
DUE PROCESS Act of 2017 or the Deterring Undue Enforcement by Protecting Rights O f Citizens from Excessive Searches and Seizures Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to revise provisions related to federal civil forfeiture cases. Specifically, the bill: raises the evidentiary standard in such cases from preponderance of the evidence to clear and convincing evidence; with respect to property owners who are indigent, provides for the appointment of counsel; provides for recovery of attorney's fees with respect to settled claims in which the claimant prevails; adds notice requirements; and expedites and otherwise modifies certain procedures. The Department of Justice (DOJ) must: (1) annually audit federal civil forfeiture cases, and (2) establish a publicly available database with respect to seizures in such cases. Finally, the bill amends the federal judicial code to authorize DOJ to use amounts from the DOJ Assets Forfeiture Fund to pay for costs associated with a seized animal, including transportation, shelter, care, veterinary services, and humane euthanasia.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Veterans Education Priority Enrollment Act of 2017 This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs or a state approving agency from approving a program of education offered by an educational institution for purposes of an educational assistance program for veterans or members of the Selected Reserve or the Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces unless any such institution that administers a priority enrollment system allows an eligible veteran, member, or dependent to enroll in courses at the earliest possible time.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Improving Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) develop a plan for working with institutions of higher education to develop partnerships for the establishment or expansion of programs of advanced degrees in prosthetics and orthotics in order to improve and enhance the availability of high quality prosthetic and orthotic care for veterans; and (2) provide full practice authority to advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and such other licensed VA health care professionals as is consistent with the education, training, and certification of such professionals without regard to any limitation that would otherwise be imposed on the health care practice of such professionals by a state licensing or credentialing body. The Department of Defense (DOD) must transfer to the VA upon request the credentialing data of a DOD health care provider who is hired by the VA.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 201 7 This bill declares that it is the policy of the United States that the Arctic Ocean should be managed for the best interests of the people of the United States, including by keeping fossil fuels in the ground to avoid the dangerous impacts of climate change. The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act is amended to prohibit the Department of the Interior from issuing or renewing a lease or any other authorization for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in the Arctic Ocean, including the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
This bill amends provisions of various laws relating to prescription-drug pricing and affordability. Specifically, the bill: expands reporting requirements for drug manufacturers and establishes corresponding civil penalties for noncompliance; adds reporting requirements for certain nonprofit patient-assistance programs; requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress on the impact of patient-assistance programs on prescription-drug pricing and expenditures; requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate prices for certain prescription drugs under the Medicare program; requires the GAO to report to Congress on such negotiations conducted by the CMS; requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within the CMS to test specified models for negotiating drug prices; establishes reporting requirements, and corresponding civil penalties for noncompliance, for pharmaceutical companies with respect to spikes in prescription-drug prices; establishes an excise tax on prescription drugs subject to price spikes; lessens prescription-drug cost-sharing requirements under qualified health plans, group health plans, and the Medicare program; modifies provisions related to the importation of prescription drugs; requires drug manufacturers to provide drug rebates for drugs dispensed to certain low-income individuals under the Medicare program; establishes a prize fund for new and more effective treatments of bacterial infections; establishes a Center for Clinical Research within the National Institutes of Health; modifies provisions related to drug exclusivity; allows the Federal Trade Commission to initiate enforcement proceedings against parties to an agreement resolving or settling a patent-infringement claim in connection with the sale of a drug product; requires the Food and Drug Administration to establish a database of generic drugs; and modifies other provisions related to generic drugs, prescription-drug advertising, and product hopping.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017
Pro bono Work to Empower and Represent Act of 2017 or the POWER Act This bill requires each U.S. Attorney for each judicial district to lead at least one public event that promotes pro bono legal services as a critical way to: (1) empower survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and (2) engage citizens in assisting those survivors. A similar requirement applies to districts containing Indian tribes and tribal organizations. Each U.S. Attorney shall: (1) have discretion on the design, organization, and implementation of such public events; and (2) seek to maximize an event's local impact and the access of such survivors to high-quality pro bono legal services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017
Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to establish a prohibition on the use of exotic or wild animals in performances (e.g., circus, ride, carnival, or parade) of a traveling animal act. The prohibition does not apply to the use of animals in: (1) zoos; (2) aquariums; (3) research facilities; (4) film, television, or advertising, if the performance is not before a public studio audience; or (5) rodeos. The prohibition also does not apply to domestic animals or farm animals.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017
Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act of 2017 This bill establishes restrictions and requirements for checkoff programs, which are programs overseen by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to promote and provide research and information for a particular agricultural commodity without reference to specific producers or brands. The bill prohibits boards established to carry out a checkoff program or a USDA order issued under a checkoff program from entering into a contract or agreement to carry out program activities with a party that engages in activities to influence any government policy or action that relates to agriculture. A board or its employees or agents acting in their official capacity may not engage in any: act that may involve a conflict of interest; anticompetitive activity; unfair or deceptive act or practice; or act that may be disparaging to, or in any way negatively portray, another agricultural commodity or product. Upon approval of USDA, a board may enter directly into contracts and agreements to carry out generic promotion, research, or other activities authorized by law if the agreement or contract requires records accounting for the funds received to be submitted to the board. The board must meet specified requirements regarding the publication of budgets and disbursements of funds. The USDA Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office must conduct specified audits regarding checkoff programs.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017
Opening Doors for Youth Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Labor to provide funding to states for the development or expansion of summer and year-round youth employment programs that: (1) match youth participants with appropriate employers for high-quality employment opportunities; and (2) provide work-readiness training and educational programs, coaching and mentoring, career and college planning services, financial literacy education, and supportive services. In addition, Labor must award grants to assist community partnerships in improving high school graduation and youth employment rates. The bill establishes labor standards, performance accountability measures, and reporting requirements with respect to each of these new programs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017
Combating Anti-Semitism Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to modify prohibitions with respect to intentionally defacing, damaging, or destroying religious real property. Specifically, the bill broadens the scope of prohibited conduct to also criminalize threats to deface, damage, or destroy religious real property. Additionally, it establishes a criminal penalty—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both—for a violation that results in damage or destruction to religious property. Finally, the bill broadens the definition of "religious real property" to include real property owned or leased by a nonprofit, religiously affiliated organization.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017
Repeal Existing Policies that Encourage and Allow Legal HIV Discrimination Act of 2017 or the REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act of 2017 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that federal and state laws, policies, and regulations regarding people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) should: (1) not place unique or additional burdens on such individuals solely as a result of their HIV status; and (2) demonstrate a public health-oriented, evidence-based, medically accurate, and contemporary understanding of HIV transmission, health implications, treatment, and the impact of punitive HIV-specific laws, policies, regulations, and judicial precedents and decisions on public health and on affected people, families, and communities. The bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Defense (DOD) to initiate a national review of federal (including military) and state laws, policies, regulations, and judicial precedents and decisions regarding criminal and related civil commitment cases involving people living with HIV. DOJ must transmit to Congress and make publicly available the results of such review with related recommendations. DOJ and HHS must: (1) develop and publicly release guidance and best practice recommendations for states, and (2) establish an integrated monitoring and evaluation system to measure state progress. DOJ, HHS, and DOD must transmit to the President and Congress any proposals necessary to implement adjustments to federal laws, policies, or regulations. This bill shall not be construed to discourage the prosecution of individuals who intentionally transmit or attempt to transmit HIV to another individual.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2017
End of Debtors Prison Act of 2017 This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to prohibit the Department of Justice from allocating Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program funding to a state or local government that has a contract with a person (e.g., a private probation company) who: (1) collects unpaid debt (i.e., state- or court-imposed fines or fees) from an individual placed on probation for failing to pay such debt; and (2) charges separate fees (e.g., monthly fees) to the probationer with respect to the collection.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act of 2017 This bill amends federal copyright law to require the Register of Copyrights to be a U.S. citizen with a professional background and experience in copyright law who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. (Currently, the Register of Copyrights is appointed by the Librarian of Congress.) The term of office for the Register of Copyrights is limited to 10 years, but the individual may be reappointed subject to the same Senate advice and consent requirement. The President may remove the Register of Copyrights from office and must notify both chambers of Congress of any such removal.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Iran Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement Act This bill states that it is U.S. policy to prevent Iran from undertaking any activity related to nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. The President shall report to Congress regarding the foreign and domestic supply chain in Iran that supports Iran's ballistic missile program. The report shall identify individuals and companies involved in such activities. The President shall submit to Congress a determination of whether any Iranian ballistic missile test violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. Such resolution endorses the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and sets out a mechanism to monitor Iranian compliance. The President shall impose sanctions against: (1) Iranian government agencies involved in ballistic missile development; (2) foreign entities that supply material for, or otherwise facilitate or finance, such efforts; (3) foreign persons or foreign government agencies that import, export, or re-export prohibited arms or related material to or from Iran; and (4) foreign persons or entities that transfer goods or technologies contributing to Iran's ability to acquire or develop ballistic missiles, including launch technology, and destabilizing numbers and types of advanced conventional weapons. The President shall investigate potential violations of ballistic missile and conventional weapons sanctions against Iran. The President shall report to Congress regarding credible information about Iran's violations of arms restrictions and attempts to pursue sanctionable activities.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Firearm Risk Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to prohibit a firearm purchase by or sale to a person who is not covered by a qualified liability insurance policy. Additionally, it requires the owner of a newly purchased firearm to be covered by a qualified liability insurance policy. A qualified liability insurance policy, with respect to a firearm purchaser, is a policy: (1) that covers the purchaser specifically for losses resulting from use of the firearm while it is owned by the purchaser, and (2) that is issued by an insurer licensed or authorized by the state in which the purchaser resides. The prohibition does not apply to a firearm purchase or sale for the use of a federal, state, or local government. A violator is subject to a fine.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Making Access Records Available to Lead American Government Openness Act or the MAR-A-LAGO Act This bill directs the President to establish and update, every 90 days, a publicly available database that contains records of: the name of each visitor at the White House, residence of the Vice-President, or any other location at which the President or Vice President regularly conducts official business (covered location); the name of each individual with whom the visitor met at the covered location; and the purpose of the visit. The President shall not include in the database any such record: (1) the posting of which would implicate personal privacy or law enforcement concerns or threaten national security, or (2) relating to a purely personal guest at a covered location. For a particularly sensitive meeting, the President shall: (1) include in the database the number of visitors at the covered location, and (2) post the applicable records in the database when their release is no longer sensitive.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide support for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. These centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees, social work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician assistant studies in palliative care. HHS may provide support to schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs for training physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. HHS must: (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development; (2) support entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) support advanced practice nurses, social workers, physician assistants, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a nurse assistant to train individuals in providing palliative care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care. The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Countering Illegal Firearms Trafficking to Mexico Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to make trafficking in firearms a stand-alone criminal offense. A person who commits or conspires to commit a gun trafficking offense is subject to criminal penalties—a prison term of up to 20 years (or up to 25 years, if the person also acted as an organizer), a fine, or both. The bill directs the President to design and implement a strategy to improve collaboration between the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in the investigation of illegal firearms trafficking to Mexico. The Office of National Drug Control Policy must establish indicators to measure the progress of efforts to stem firearms trafficking to Mexico. The ATF must publish detailed information about each firearm seized by Mexican authorities and submitted to the ATF for tracing.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Women Veterans and Families Health Services Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to furnish fertility treatment and counseling, including through the use of assisted reproductive technology, to a severely wounded, ill, or injured member of the Armed Forces who has an infertility condition incurred or aggravated while serving on active duty (covered member) or to the spouse, partner, or gestational surrogate of such member. DOD shall: establish procedures for gamete retrieval from a member of the Armed Forces in cases in which the fertility of such member is potentially jeopardized as a result of an injury or illness incurred or aggravated while serving on active duty; and give members of the Armed Forces on active duty the opportunity to cryopreserve and store their gametes prior to a combat zone deployment at no cost to the member. Fertility counseling and treatment are included within authorized Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical services. The VA shall furnish such treatment and services to a jointly applying covered veteran and his or her spouse, partner, or gestational surrogate. The VA may pay the adoption expenses (for up to three adoptions) for a covered member who is enrolled in the VA health care system. The VA shall facilitate research conducted collaboratively by DOD and the Department of Health and Human Services to improve the VA's ability to meet the reproductive health care needs of veterans who have a service-connected genitourinary disability or a condition that was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty that affects the veterans' reproductive ability. The VA shall enhance the capabilities of the VA women veterans contact center to: (1) respond to assistance requests, and (2) refer such veterans to federal or community resources. The pilot program of group retreat reintegration and readjustment counseling for women veterans recently separated from service is enlarged and extended. The bill provides child care assistance to qualified veterans for: (1) mental health care services, and (2) readjustment counseling and related mental health services.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Celebrates, during Women's History Month, the life and legacy of Henrietta Lacks. Honors Lacks as a hero of modern medicine for contributions to the medical discoveries resulting from her HeLa cells, which helped make possible some of the most important medical advances of the last century. Recognizes her legacy, which has contributed to developments in bioethics and patient rights.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Investing in America: A Penny for Progress Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to require federal taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel or kerosene to be increased annually after 2017 to account for: (1) highway construction costs, and (2) reduced fuel usage due to Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The bill exempts kerosene fuels used in aviation from the increases and limits the annual increases to 1.5 cents. The bill also requires the Department of the Treasury to issue 30-year Invest in America Bonds in specified amounts annually through FY2030. The revenue from the bonds must be transferred to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), with 80% allocated to the Highway Account and 20% allocated to the Mass Transit Account. The bill specifies requirements for allocating the additional funding from the HTF. Treasury must repay the bonds using the revenues that are attributable to the increased taxes required by this bill. After all of the bonds have been redeemed, additional revenues attributable to the increases must be transferred to the HTF. The bill also modifies Department of Transportation reporting requirements regarding: (1) infrastructure investment needs, and (2) public transportation investment needs. The bill amends the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) to repeal a rescission of certain unobligated federal-aid highway funds apportioned among the states.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. The bill limits the issuance of such coins to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2020. The bill prescribes surcharges for coin sales, which shall be paid to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc., to help finance the construction of a new building and renovation of existing National Purple Heart Hall of Honor facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2017
Affirms that the U.S.-Israel economic partnership has benefitted both countries and is a foundational component of the strong alliance. Recognizes that science and technology innovation present promising new frontiers for U.S.-Israel economic cooperation, particularly in light of widespread drought, cybersecurity attacks, and other major challenges impacting the United States. Encourages the President to regularize and expand forums of economic dialogue with Israel and foster public and private sector participation. Supports the exploration of new agreements with Israel, including in the fields of energy, water, agriculture, medicine, neurotechnology, and cybersecurity.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2017
Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy Act of 2017 or the CREATE Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow artists to claim tax deductions for qualified artistic charitable contributions based on the fair market value of a piece of artwork, rather than the value of the materials used to create it; and (2) revise income and gift tax requirements for charitable contributions of fractional gifts, the valuation of subsequent gifts, and recapture of the charitable deduction. The Small Business Act is amended to require the Small Business Administration to develop loan criteria, evaluation procedures, and technical assistance programs for small business concerns owned and controlled by artists and concerns that support the creative economy. The Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 and the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act are amended to require the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture to ensure that traditional economic development tools, such as business incubators and grant programs, support the arts industry and creative economy. The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to require the Department of Homeland Security to adjudicate petitions for nonimmigrant visas for aliens with extraordinary ability or achievement, and artists and entertainers within 14 days after receiving them. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall promulgate rules to ensure that expenses incurred, because of a major disaster or emergency, by specified artists, designers, or musicians to repair or replace needed tools are considered eligible for disaster assistance. The National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended to authorize the recipient of a national service program grant to carry out the program through an Artist Corps that identifies and meets unmet needs within communities through artistic activities, including technical assistance for grant writing, marketing, and financial planning. The Department of the Treasury shall develop guidelines for the creation and operation of qualified community development entities focusing on investment in and the development and encouragement of the creative economy in low-income communities. Commerce shall establish a demonstration program to promote creative and performing arts in the economic planning of local governments.
![Official portrait of Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001068_200.jpg)