United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Presidential Tax Transparency Act This bill amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require the President and certain candidates for President to disclose federal income tax returns for the three most recent taxable years in reports filed with either the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) or the Federal Election Commission (FEC), in the case of a candidate. The OGE or the FEC must make the disclosed tax returns publicly available after making appropriate redactions. If the income tax returns are not disclosed as required by this bill, the OGE or the FEC must request the returns from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the IRS, upon receiving a written request from the FEC or the OGE, to provide any income tax return that is required to be disclosed under this bill. The bill also establishes civil and criminal penalties for failing to file or falsifying income tax returns that are required to be disclosed pursuant to this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of door delivery for all businesses and residential customers.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Declares that a viable and sustainable two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved through direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Calls for the United States to continue to: support a durable and sustainable two-state solution; oppose, and if necessary, veto future United Nations Security Council resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final status issues or that are one-sided and anti-Israel; and work with Israelis and Palestinians to create the conditions for successful final-status peace negotiations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2017
Calls upon President-elect Donald J. Trump to: (1) follow the precedent established by prior Presidents and convert his assets to conflict-free holdings, adopt blind trusts, or take other equivalent measures to ensure compliance with the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution; and (2) not use the powers or opportunities of his position as President-elect or President of the United States for any purpose related to the Trump Organization. Declares that in the absence of such actions or specific authorization by Congress, Congress regards dealings that Donald Trump, as President, may have through his companies with foreign governments or entities owned or controlled by foreign governments to be potential violations of such clause.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act Amendments of 2017 This bill reauthorizes through FY2022 and revises the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act This bill reauthorizes the African Elephant Conservation Act, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994, the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997, the Great Ape Conservation Fund, and the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund through FY2022. This bill amends the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000 to authorize Department of the Interior to award a multi-year grant to carry out a project that is an effective, long-term conservation strategy for great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, orangutans, or gibbons) and their habitats. Interior is required to convene a panel of experts to identify the greatest needs and priorities for the conservation of great apes within a year and every five years thereafter. Current law authorizes Interior to convene a panel to consider the greatest conservation needs every two years. The panel is required to consider relevant great ape conservation plans or strategies. This bill amends the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 to make a wildlife management authority of a U.S. territory eligible for financial assistance for marine turtle conservation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Safe Freight Act of 2017 This bill prohibits the operation of a freight train or light locomotive engine used in the movement of freight unless it has a crew of at least two individuals, one of whom is certified by the Federal Railroad Administration as a locomotive operator and the other as a train conductor.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Protect Medical Innovation Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the excise tax on the sale of a medical device by the manufacturer, producer, or importer.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Route 66 Centennial Commission Act This bill establishes the Route 66 Centennial Commission to honor Route 66 on the occasion of its centennial anniversary. The Department of Transportation shall prepare a plan on the preservation needs of Route 66.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in any area of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, or Washington.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Safeguard American Food Exports Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem equine (horses and other members of the equidae family) parts to be an unsafe food additive or animal drug. The bill prohibits the knowing sale or transport of equines or equine parts for human consumption.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal, beginning with taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the excise tax on employer-sponsored health care coverage for which there is an excess benefit (high-cost plans).
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training Act or the ENLIST Act This bill authorizes the enlistment in the Armed Forces of aliens unlawfully present in the United States on December 31, 2012, who: (1) have been continuously present in the United States since such date; (2) were younger than 15 years of age when they initially entered the United States; and (3) are otherwise eligible for original enlistment in a regular component of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. The Department of Homeland Security shall adjust the status of an alien enlisted under such authority to the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act applicable to aliens who entered the United States prior to January 1, 1972. The bill rescinds such lawful permanent resident status if the alien is separated from the Armed Forces under other than honorable conditions before serving the term of enlistment.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016
Presidential Tax Disclosure Act of 2016 This bill requires any individual holding the office of President to submit federal tax returns to the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). The individual must submit: (1) each return filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for any year ending while the individual is President, and (2) each return filed with the IRS for the three years before the individual assumed office. After receiving the returns, the OGE must: (1) make the returns publicly available on the Internet, and (2) submit the returns to specified congressional committees. No information may be redacted from the disclosed returns except for: (1) Social Security, tax identification, and account identification numbers; and (2) the names of any dependent of the taxpayer. The bill establishes civil and criminal penalties to enforce the disclosure requirements. It also amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit the IRS to disclose to the OGE any federal tax return that is required to be disclosed by this bill, but has not been submitted to the OGE within a specified deadline.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016
National Guard Bonus Repayment and Financial Relief Act This bill requires the Army to review all bonuses, incentive pays, or similar benefits received by members of the Army National Guard between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2010, to determine if such benefits were issued erroneously and to either: (1) waive repayment of such an erroneous payment if the member concerned fully satisfies any period of service otherwise agreed to or imposed upon the member in connection with receipt of the payment; or (2) repay any such erroneous payment and any interest that was repaid by a member before this bill's enactment if the member fully satisfies any such period of service. The Army may require an Army National Guard member to repay any such erroneous payment upon determining that: (1) the member knowingly received the benefit through fraud or misrepresentation in which the member participated, or (2) repayment is otherwise consistent with provisions governing repayment of unearned pay. For any such member granted relief under this bill, the Army shall: (1) notify all consumer credit reporting agencies that any debt subject to the relief was never valid, and (2) provide assistance to the member facing financial hardship as a result of recoupment actions taken in connection with receipt of the payment. A consumer reporting agency notified of the invalidity of such a debt may not, after the date of notice, make any consumer report containing information relating to the debt.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016
Presidential Accountability Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for the President or Vice President to personally and substantially participate in official matters that affect their financial interests, unless the financial interests are held in a blind trust or the President or Vice President discloses the financial interests and receives an exemption. It imposes criminal penalties—a prison term, a fine, or both—on a President or Vice President who commits the offense. It also authorizes civil penalties and injunctions. Additionally, a violation constitutes a high crime and misdemeanor (i.e., grounds for impeachment) under Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution. Finally, the bill prohibits the President or Vice President from entering into contracts with the U.S. government.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016
Constitutional Amendment Every Vote Counts Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the President and the Vice President to be elected by people of the several states and the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2016
This bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system at 5901 East 7th Street, Long Beach, California, as the "Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center."
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2016
Norman Yoshio Mineta 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 to Norman Yoshio Mineta in recognition of his dedication to public service, civic engagement, and civil rights.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2016
Fair Pay for Presidential Protection Act This bill creates an exception to a limitation on premium pay for U.S. Secret Service personnel performing protective services during any year in which a presidential election is held to the extent that payment of such pay does not cause: (1) the aggregate total of basic and premium pay for any pay period to exceed the biweekly equivalent of the annual salary rate established for level I of the Executive Schedule; or (2) the total basic and premium pay in any calendar year to exceed the annual salary rate established for such level. Such additional premium pay shall not be considered or creditable as basic pay for purposes of retirement or any other purpose and shall not be used in computing payment for accumulated and accrued annual leave. The Director of the Secret Service may act as the head of an agency in applying such annual limitation on premium pay in calendar years in which a presidential election is not held.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2016 This bill bans food containers composed, in whole or in part, of bisphenol A (BPA). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may grant waivers to a facility for a particular product if the facility: (1) demonstrates that it is not technologically feasible to replace BPA in the container or to use a BPA-free container, and (2) submits to the FDA a plan and time line for removing BPA from the container. Products granted a waiver must include a warning on the label. The FDA must promote and facilitate the use of BPA replacements. BPA may not be replaced with substances that: (1) are known or likely human carcinogens; (2) have been found by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic; (3) cause reproductive or developmental toxicity; or (4) are endocrine disrupting chemicals. The FDA must review substances that may be found in food, including food additives and food contact substances, and take remedial action if it does not determine that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure, taking into consideration potential adverse effects from low-dose exposure and the effects on vulnerable populations and populations with high exposure. This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the manufacturer or supplier of a food contact substance to notify the FDA of the identity and intended use of the substance prior to its introduction into interstate commerce and that: (1) no adverse health effects result from low-dose exposures to the substance, and (2) the substance has not been shown to cause reproductive or developmental toxicity in humans or animals.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Norman Yoshio Mineta 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 to Norman Yoshio Mineta in recognition of his dedication to public service, civic engagement, and civil rights.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Combating European Anti-Semitism Act of 2016 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) it is in the U.S. national interest to combat anti-Semitism at home and abroad; (2) there is a need to ensure the security of European Jewish communities, including synagogues, schools, and cemeteries; and (3) the United States should continue to emphasize the importance of combating anti-Semitism in multilateral bodies. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 is amended to require the Department of State's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom to include, for each European country in which threats or attacks against Jewish persons, schools, and religious institutions are particularly significant, a description of: the security challenges and needs of European Jewish communities and European law enforcement agencies; U.S. efforts to partner with European law enforcement agencies and civil society groups to combat anti-Semitic incidents; educational programming and public awareness initiatives that impart values of pluralism and tolerance, showcase the positive contributions of Jews, and pay special attention to population segments that exhibit a high degree of anti-Semitic animus; and efforts by European governments to adopt and apply a working definition of anti-Semitism.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Recognizes the celebration of Filipino American History Month as: a study of the advancement of Filipino Americans; and a time to renew efforts toward the research and examination of history and culture so as to provide an opportunity for all people of the United States to learn more about Filipino Americans, and to appreciate the historic contributions of Filipino Americans to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Observes and recognizes the new crisis of voter suppression tactics that have been enacted by states and localities since the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision. Urges congressional leadership to allow for an immediate vote on the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
All Ballots Count Act of 201 6 This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit an election official from enforcing any requirement that an individual produce a photo identification as a condition of registering to vote, or of voting, in an election for federal office, except to the extent that the requirement was in effect as of June 25, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the President from using the Armed Forces to conduct a first-use nuclear strike unless such strike is conducted pursuant to a congressional declaration of war expressly authorizing such strike. "First-use nuclear strike" means a nuclear weapons attack against an enemy that is conducted without the President determining that the enemy has first launched a nuclear strike against the United States or a U.S. ally.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 560 East Pleasant Valley Road, Port Hueneme, California, as the "U.S. Naval Construction Battalion 'Seabees' Fallen Heroes Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to enter into agreements with public or private entities to fund, through the award of a grant or the use of a contract, a portion of the pro bono legal services such entities provide to homeless veterans or veterans at risk of homelessness related to housing, family law, income support, and criminal defense.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Immigration Courts Bail Reform Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the minimum bond amount needed to release a detained alien. An immigration judge may review an initial custody determination for an adult alien, subject to specified rules, which include the following: the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall, within 72 hours, file the notice to appear or charging document with the appropriate immigration court and serve such notice on the detained alien; except for criminals or suspected terrorists, DHS may continue to detain an alien only if no conditions will reasonably assure the alien's appearance and the safety of any other person and the community; the Department of Justice shall ensure that an alien has the opportunity to promptly appear before an immigration judge for a custody redetermination hearing; except for criminals or suspected terrorists, an immigration judge shall review the custody determination de novo and may continue to detain the alien only if DHS demonstrates that no conditions will reasonably assure the alien's appearance and the community's safety; DHS and an immigration judge shall order an alien's release on personal recognizance or upon an unsecured appearance bond unless such release will not reasonably assure the alien's appearance or the community's safety; if DHS or an immigration judge determines that such release will not reasonably assure the alien's appearance or such safety, DHS or the immigration judge shall order the alien's release under the least restrictive conditions that will assure the alien's appearance and the community's safety; DHS or an immigration judge shall consider the alien's financial ability in determining whether to impose a bond as a condition of release; and DHS or an immigration judge may not impose a financial condition that results in an alien's detention.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
Election Infrastructure and Security Promotion Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) designate voting systems used in the United States as critical infrastructure; (2) include threats of compromise, disruption, or destruction of voting systems in national planning scenarios; and (3) conduct a campaign to proactively educate local election officials about the designation of voting systems as critical infrastructure and election officials at all levels of government of voting system threats. In furtherance of local election official preparedness and response, DHS shall conduct research and development to mitigate the consequences of voting systems threats. DHS shall prepare and submit to Congress a comprehensive plan to protect and prepare the critical infrastructure of the voting systems used in the United States against threats, including from acts of terrorism. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall develop standards for ensuring the operational security of the voting systems used in elections for federal office. This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require a state, in operating the voting system, to comply with applicable standards for ensuring the operational security of voting systems. The testing and certification of voting systems hardware and software shall test whether voting systems are in compliance with applicable standards developed by NIST for ensuring the operational security of voting systems. NIST shall develop standards for ensuring that the process by which ballots are counted in elections for federal office is transparent and permits voters to verify that votes in such elections are counted correctly. States shall comply with applicable standards, in operating the voting system, for ensuring that the process by which ballots are counted in elections for federal office is transparent and permits voters to verify that votes in such elections are counted correctly. The National Science Foundation shall establish an election technology innovation research and development program.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
Election Integrity Act of 2016 This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to: (1) prohibit states or jurisdictions from purchasing or otherwise acquiring for use in an election for federal office a direct recording electronic voting system or other electronic voting system that does not produce a voter-verified paper record; (2) prohibit imposition of conditions on voting by mail; (3) make mandatory the availability of early voting; and (4) require sufficient polling places, equipment, and resources to facilitate voting. The Director of the National Science Foundation shall make grants to eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Each state shall, except when the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the votes, administer audits of federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected, consisting of random hand counts of the voter-verified paper ballots. This bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful for a chief state election administration official, unless he or she or a family member is a candidate, to take an active part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which such official has supervisory authority. Mandatory response by the Attorney General is required to allegations of voter intimidation or suppression by law enforcement officers and other government officials. The Election Assistance Commission shall study and, on the basis of the findings of the study, issue standards for states to follow in establishing an appropriate number and geographic distribution of voting sites in elections for federal office.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
This joint resolution prohibits the issuance of a letter of offer with respect to proposed sales to the government of Saudi Arabia of 153 M1A1/A2 Abrams Tank structures and specified other defense equipment and ammunition.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Offshore Wind Incentives for New Development Act or the Offshore WIND Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the tax credit for investment in energy property to include a qualified offshore wind property until January 1, 2026. Under the bill, a qualified offshore wind property is an offshore facility that uses wind to produce electricity, excluding certain small wind energy property which uses a small wind turbine to generate electricity.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Expresses the sense of Congress that a National Voting Rights Act Mobilization Day should be designated to remind all Americans of the critical role that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 continues to play in protecting the right to vote, and to be an occasion for them to voice their support for this landmark civil rights law.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2016
Declares that the House of Representatives has heard with profound sorrow of the death of the Honorable Mark Takai, a Representative from Hawaii. Declares that when the House adjourns on September 14, 2016, it adjourn as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2016
Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2016 or the MGT Act This bill establishes in each covered agency (specified agencies for which there are Chief Financial Officers) an information technology system modernization and working capital fund for necessary expenses for the agency to: improve, retire, or replace existing information technology systems to improve efficiency and effectiveness; transition to cloud computing or to information technology systems shared by multiple agencies; assist and support efforts to provide adequate, risk-based, and cost-effective information technology capabilities that address evolving threats to information security; and reimburse amounts transferred from the Information Technology Modernization Fund (ITMF) (established under this bill). Each agency shall prioritize amounts within such fund to be used initially for cost savings activities approved by the agency's Chief Information Officer. The bill establishes the ITMF for technology related activities, to improve information technology, and to enhance cybersecurity across the federal government. The ITMF shall be administered by the General Services Administration (GSA) in accordance with guidance established by, and with the concurrence of, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The GSA shall: transfer amounts from the ITMF to an agency to improve, retire, or replace existing information technology systems to enhance cybersecurity and improve efficiency and effectiveness; use amounts in the ITMF for the development, operation, and procurement of information technology products, services, and acquisition vehicles for use by agencies to improve efficiency and cybersecurity; and use amounts in the ITMF to provide services or work performed in support of such activities. An agency shall: (1) reimburse the ITMF for any such transfer, and (2) pay a price to be fixed by the GSA forany such product or service the agency uses. The bill establishes an Information Technology Modernization Board, which shall: (1) evaluate proposals submitted by agencies for modernization of information technology used by the government; (2) make recommendations to the GSA to assist agencies in the further development and refinement of select proposals; and (3) monitor progress and performance in executing approved projects and, if necessary, recommend the suspension or termination of funding. The GSA shall support Board activities and provide technical support to, and oversight of, agencies that receive transfers from the ITMF.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2016
Recognizes September 11 as a day of remembrance and extends sympathies to persons affected by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Honors the service and sacrifice of the men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in the aftermath of such attacks. Honors the sacrifices made by military families and the support they provide to members of the Armed Forces. Expresses sorrow for those members who gave their lives in service to the United States and extends sympathies to their families. Extends gratitude to the armed forces of all nations who have served and fought alongside the U.S. Armed Forces since September 11, 2001. Reaffirms the duty to understand and honor our post-9/11 veterans and faithfully serve the needs of all veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2016
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.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2016
Expresses support for efforts to: (1) exempt sunscreen from over-the-counter medication bans in schools, and (2) encourage health care professionals to educate parents and children about sun-safe behaviors. Encourages schools to allow students to possess sunscreen without restriction and without physician authorization.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016
Campus Sexual Assault Whistleblower Protection Act of 2016 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit the suspension of federal student aid eligibility for a student who: (1) admits, in a sexual assault report, unlawful consumption of a controlled substance or alcohol; and (2) is convicted of a drug offense involving controlled substance possession based on conduct described in such admission. The bill also modifies eligibility requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) to participate in federal student aid programs. Specifically, it prohibits an IHE from taking a retaliatory action (e.g., suspension or expulsion) against an enrolled student who reports a sexual assault and admits, in such report: (1) sexual activity, or (2) unlawful consumption of a controlled substance or alcohol. An IHE must annually inform enrolled students that such retaliatory action is prohibited.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016
Strengthening Social Security Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe special rules for the determination of taxable wages and self-employment income above the contribution and benefit base after 2016. Title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) is amended to: (1) increase from 90% to 95% over five years the first bend point factor used in determining the primary OASDI insurance amount; and (2) include surplus average indexed monthly earnings in the determination of such amounts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor shall prepare and publish the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-EC) that indicates changes over time in expenditures for consumption which are typical for individuals in the United States who have attained early retirement age for purposes of an old-age, wife's, or husband's insurance benefit. The bill amends the SSAct to make the CPI-EC the applicable Consumer Price Index for computation of cost-of-living increases in OASDI benefits for such individuals. The bill revises OASDI benefits for a widow or widower to provide benefits at a level equal to at least 75% of the amount received prior to the death of a spouse. The bill prevents any decrease in the benefit level of supplemental security income recipients resulting from any increase in other social security benefits in this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016
Expresses support for the designation of National Suicide Prevention Month. Recognizes suicide as a preventable public health problem and supports declaring that suicide prevention should be a priority. Promotes awareness that suicide most often occurs when stressors exceed the current coping abilities of an individual suffering from a mental health condition.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2016
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 830 Kuhn Drive in Chula Vista, California, as the "Jonathan 'J.D.' De Guzman Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2016
Dialysis PATIENTS Demonstration Act of 2016 or the Dialysis Patient Access to Integrated-care, Empowerment, Nephrologists, Treatment, and Services Demonstration Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program for the provision of integrated care to Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Under the voluntary program, eligible participating providers may form organizations to offer ESRD integrated care models and serve as medical homes for program-eligible beneficiaries. Such a model: (1) shall cover medical and hospital services, other than hospice care, under Medicare; (2) must include benefits for transition into palliative care; and (3) may cover prescription drug benefits. An organization must offer at least one open network model but may also offer one or more preferred network models. An organization shall return savings achieved under the models to program-eligible beneficiaries. A beneficiary shall have the opportunity to: (1) opt out of the program, (2) make an assignment change into an open network model offered by a different organization, or (3) elect a preferred network model. The bill establishes requirements regarding: (1) benefits for program-eligible beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicaid benefits, (2) program quality and reporting, (2) ESRD integrated care strategy, (3) program operation and scope, (4) beneficiary notification, and (5) payment.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2016
Veterans Care Agreement and West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into Veterans Care Agreements with certain eligible providers to furnish hospital care, medical services, or extended care to eligible veterans if: (1) furnishing such care and services at VA facilities or under otherwise authorized contracts or sharing agreements with non-VA facilities is impracticable or inadvisable because of the veteran's medical condition, the travel involved, or the nature of the care or services required; and (2) the VA determines that the hospital care or medical services to be furnished are not available from a non-VA health care provider under a contract or sharing agreement other than an agreement under this bill. The bill sets forth provider eligibility criteria and requires the VA to establish a process for provider certification. The VA may carry out leases at the VA West Los Angeles Campus in Los Angeles, California: for supportive housing for veterans and their families; for third party services to veterans and their families for health and wellness promotion, education, employment-related training, peer activities and physical recreation, legal and federal benefits assistance, family support services including child care, and transportation; and to The Regents of the University of California for additional services for veterans and their families. The VA shall establish a Community Veterans Engagement Board for the Campus to coordinate locally with the VA to identify community goals and advise the VA on improving services and outcomes for veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and their families. The bill amends provisions regarding the VA's enhanced-use lease authority, including to prohibit the VA from waiving or postponing the obligation of a lessee to pay any consideration, including rent, under an enhanced-use lease.