United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2019
Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 This bill modifies the requirements for employer-provided retirement plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and other tax-favored savings accounts. With respect to employer-provided retirement plans, the bill modifies requirements regarding automatic enrollment and nonelective contributions; tax credits for small employers that establish certain plans; loans; lifetime income options; the treatment of custodial accounts upon termination of section 403(b) plans; retirement income accounts for church-controlled organizations; the eligibility rules for certain long-term, part-time employees; required minimum distributions; nondiscrimination rules; and minimum funding standards for community newspaper plans. The bill also includes provisions that treat taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments as compensation for the purpose of an IRA, repeal the maximum age for traditional IRA contributions, treat difficulty of care payments as compensation for determining contribution limits for retirement accounts, allow penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans if a child is born or adopted, expand the purposes for which qualified tuition programs (commonly known as 529 plans) may be used, reinstate and increase the tax exclusion for certain benefits provided to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders, increase penalties for failing to file tax returns, and require the Internal Revenue Service to share tax information with U.S. Customs Border Protection to administer the heavy vehicle use tax.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2019
Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act of 201 9 This bill limits the aggregate amount of a partner's annual tax deductions for qualified conservation contributions of a partnership to 2.5 times the partner's adjusted basis in the partnership. (Under current law, a "qualified conservation contribution" is the contribution of a qualified real property interest to a qualified organization exclusively for conservation purposes.) The limitation applies for the first three taxable years after the individual becomes a partner in the partnership. It does not apply to certain family partnerships.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2019
VA Medical Center Facility Transparency Act This bill requires the directors of medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit to the VA and Congress an annual pamphlet containing certain statistics (such as how many veterans were treated at each facility), as well as plans for improvements and descriptions of successes experienced by the facilities. The bill also requires the pamphlets to be made publicly available online and as hard copies at the medical facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2019
Lymphedema Treatment Act of 2019 This bill includes certain lymphedema compression treatment items as covered durable medical equipment under Medicare. (Lymphedema is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling that is caused when the lymphatic system is damaged or blocked.)
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2019
Family Savings for Kids and Seniors Act This bill increases the amount that employees may exclude from their gross income for employer-provided dependent care assistance. The bill increases the existing $5,000 limit by requiring annual adjustments that account for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2019
Women's History and Nineteenth Amendment Centennial Quarter Dollar Coin Program Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue quarter-dollar coins in commemoration of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote. The design on the reverse of each coin shall be emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of a prominent woman who was a resident of a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory. Such coins shall be issued in alphabetical order of the area represented, starting with the state of Alabama. Treasury shall initiate a program to promote collection of the coins and recognition of their subjects, and strike and make available for sale silver bullion coins that are the exact duplicates of the coins.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2019
Native American Business Incubators Program Act This bill requires the Department of the Interior to establish a grant program in the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development for establishing and operating business incubators that serve Native American communities. A business incubator is an organization that (1) provides physical workspace and facilities resources to startups and established businesses, and (2) is designed to accelerate the growth and success of businesses through a variety of business support resources and services. Grant applicants may be institutions of higher education, private nonprofits, Native American tribes, or tribal nonprofits. Interior must facilitate the establishment of relationships between grant recipients and educational institutions serving Native American communities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2019
Wage Equity Act of 2019 This bill addresses pay discrimination in the workplace between men and women. Specifically, the bill allows an employer to base a wage differential determination on an employee's participation in a flexible work arrangement; protects employers who conduct a pay analysis audit to identify and correct pay discrimination from liability for damages relating to such discrimination; makes it an unlawful practice for an employer to rely on the wage history of a prospective employee for hiring and wage determination purposes unless the wage history is voluntarily provided by the prospective employee; makes it an unlawful practice for an employer to prohibit an employee from requesting wage information from another employee or from requesting information about wage differentials; authorizes the Department of Labor to establish a grant program for negotiation skills training for women and girls; and requires the Government Accountability Office to study and report on the causes and effects of pay disparities among men and women in the workplace and the impact on pay and opportunity for employees who leave the workforce for parental reasons.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2019
Younger Onset Alzheimer's Act This bill makes individuals with younger-onset Alzheimer's disease (i.e., individuals who experienced onset of the disease before age 60) eligible for certain federal grants and programs that support older adults. Under current law, these grants and programs serve only individuals 60 and older.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2019
Supporting Children of the National Guard and Reserve Act This bill expands the military student identifier program to include students of parents who serve in reserve components of the Armed Forces, not just active duty members. The military student identifier program provides educators with information about the educational experience of children of members of the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2019
Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to conduct outreach to health care practitioners regarding comprehensive care planning services that are available under Medicare for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The CMS must report on its outreach efforts, as well as on the number of beneficiaries receiving such services and any barriers to access.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2019
Restoring Investment in Improvements Act This bill confirms that the applicable recovery period for qualified improvement property (nonresidential real estate) for depreciation purposes is 15 years under the modified accelerated cost recovery system (MACRS) and 20 years under the alternative depreciation system (ADS).
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2019
National Law Enforcement Museum Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins that are emblematic of the National Law Enforcement Museum in the District of Columbia and the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers throughout the history of the United States. All sales of such coins shall include specified surcharges, which shall be distributed to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc., for educational and outreach programs and exhibits.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2019
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to provide blood testing, during annual physical examinations of DOD firefighters, to determine and document exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2019
Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019 This bill exempts traditional large and premium cigars from regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and from user fees assessed on tobacco products by the FDA.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2019
Fair and Open Competition Act or FOCA Act This bill prohibits federal construction contracts or controlling documents for federally supported construction projects from requiring or prohibiting project labor agreements. Such documents also may not discriminate against or give preference to a bidder or contractor who signs or refuses to sign a project labor agreement. An agency may exempt a project from this prohibition to avert an imminent threat to public health or safety or to serve the national security.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2019
Employee Rights Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to (1) make it an unlawful labor practice for a labor organization to interfere (currently, also restrain or coerce) with the rights of employees to organize and collectively bargain; (2) require union recertification after a turnover in the workforce exceeding 50% of the bargaining unit; (3) require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to give 14 days advance notice before a hearing investigating an election petition; and (4) require an employer to provide the NLRB with a list consisting only of employee names and addresses of all eligible voters within seven days after an NLRB determination of the appropriate bargaining unit or an agreement on eligible voters. The bill (1) grants union and nonunion employees the right to vote by secret ballot on whether to ratify a collective bargaining agreement or engage in a strike, (2) prohibits the use of union dues for any purpose not directly related to collective bargaining, (3) prohibits a strike without the consent of a majority of all represented employees determined by secret ballot, and (4) prohibits the use or threat of force or violence to obtain the right to represent employees. .
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2019
United States-Israel Cooperation Enhancement and Regional Security Act This bill authorizes various joint research and cooperation programs between the United States and Israel, reauthorizes security assistance to Israel, and establishes reporting requirements regarding various related issues. The bill authorizes the Department of State to work with Israel on research and development to establish directed energy capabilities. It authorizes through FY2024 cooperative projects involving the United States, Israel, and developing countries to identify and address sustainability challenges related to water resources, agriculture, and energy storage. The bill authorizes through FY2022 (1) activities of the U.S.-Israel Energy Center; (2) cooperation with and assistance to Israel related to security, explosives detection, and cybersecurity; (3) activities related to the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund; and (4) activities to establish a cooperative program with Israel to develop health technologies. The State Department shall establish a grant program to support cybersecurity research and development and commercialization of cybersecurity technology open to joint ventures involving U.S. and Israeli entities. The President shall establish contingency plans to provide Israel with necessary defense articles and services and assess plans to assist and supply Israel with munitions in the event of a sustained armed confrontation with Hezbollah. The bill authorizes the President to (1) waive export control requirements and immediately transfer defense articles to Israel in response to an existing or imminent military threat, and (2) transfer precision guided munitions to Israel as necessary for legitimate self-defense. The bill extends through FY2024 security assistance and loan guarantees for Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2019
This resolution opposes the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS) and other efforts targeting Israel, and states that BDS undermines the possibility for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The resolution urges both sides to return to direct negotiations and expresses support for a solution resulting in the state of Israel existing alongside a democratic Palestinian state.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2019
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, 2021. The bill prescribes surcharges for coin sales, which shall be paid to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc., to support the mission of such organization, including capital improvements to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2019
ABLE Age Adjustment Act This bill increases from 26 to 46 the age threshold for tax-favored ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts. (ABLE accounts are designed to enable individuals with disabilities to save for and pay for disability-related expenses. To establish an account, an individual must have a qualifying impairment that began before the individual attained the age threshold.)
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2019
Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 a diesel emissions reduction program under which the Environmental Protection Agency provides grants, rebates, or loans for replacing diesel engines or retrofitting the engines with pollution control technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2019
Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This bill increases the number of states that may participate in two-year Medicaid demonstration programs that improve access to community mental health services. It also extends the two-year term for existing state demonstration programs by two years.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2019
Voting Rights Amendment 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 five or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 15 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, in the previous 15 years (1) three or more voting rights violations occurred there, or (2) one or more voting rights violations occurred there and the subdivision had minority voter turnout below certain thresholds. 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 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 · 14 March 2019
Partner with Korea Act This bill creates an E-4 treaty trader visa category for up to 15,000 nationals of South Korea each fiscal year who are coming to the United States solely to perform specialty occupation services, subject to various requirements. The 15,000 limit shall only apply to principal aliens and not the spouses or children of such aliens. A specialty occupation is one that requires the theoretical and practical application of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor's degree or higher.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2019
Warrior Wellness Act This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to report to congressional committees on its shortage of mental health providers and include a strategy to better recruit and retain mental health providers. DOD must report on the practices for prescribing medication during a specified period that were inconsistent with the post-traumatic stress disorder medication guidelines developed by DOD and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force must each establish a monitoring program to (1) periodically review the medication prescribing practices of providers and report the results to DOD and the VHA, and (2) establish procedures to address prescribing practices that are inconsistent with post-traumatic stress disorder medication guidelines developed by the departments.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2019
Ensuring Safe Housing for Our Military Act This bill addresses certain health, safety, and environmental hazards in private military housing units and offers certain protections to service members. Among other things, the bill (1) requires uniform credentials for housing inspectors; (2) allows the Department of Defense (DOD) to withhold payment to landlords over health, safety, or environmental hazard concerns; (3) requires a landlord to pay certain relocation costs in connection with a hazard and to reimburse a tenant for personal property damage; and (4) disallows deposits and certain fees or penalties. DOD must maintain an electronic work order system to facilitate repairs to units.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2019
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Centennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 100,000 $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the establishment of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. All sales of such coins shall include a surcharge of $10 for each coin. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid to the National World War I Museum and Memorial to assist in the commemoration of the centennial.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2019
College Transparency Act This bill requires the National Center for Education Statistics to establish a secure and privacy-protected data system that contains information about postsecondary students. Specifically, the data system must evaluate student enrollment patterns, progression, completion, and postcollegiate outcomes, and higher education costs and financial aid; provide complete and customizable information for students and families making decisions about postsecondary education; reduce the requirements for reporting by institutions of higher education; and periodically match with other federal systems of data. The bill also establishes a postsecondary student data system advisory committee.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2019
This resolution recognizes the importance of alliances in advancing U.S. interests and urges the President to reaffirm the United States' commitment to alliances.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2019
Cancer Drug Parity Act of 2019 This bill requires health plans that cover anticancer medications administered by a health care provider to provide no less favorable cost sharing for patient-administered anticancer medications. This requirement applies to medications that are (1) approved by the Food and Drug Administration; (2) medically necessary for the cancer treatment; and (3) clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration. To comply with this requirement, health plans may not, with respect to anticancer medications (1) change or replace benefits to increase out-of-pocket costs, (2) reclassify benefits to increase costs, or (3) apply more restrictive limitations to orally administered medications than to intravenously administered or injected medications.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2019
CHampioning Apprenticeships for New Careers and Employees in TECHnology Act or the CHANCE in TECH Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to enter into contracts with industry intermediaries to promote the development of and access to apprenticeships in the technology sector. The Department of Education (ED) may issue CHANCE in TECH Awards for 21st Century Schools to secondary schools or junior or community colleges that demonstrate high achievement in providing students necessary skills to compete in the 21st century workforce. In making an award, ED must consider the availability of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), career and technical education, and computer technology courses at the schools.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2019
Build a Better VA Act This bill prohibits funds from being appropriated for any fiscal year for a Department of Veterans Affairs major medical facility lease unless the House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs adopt resolutions approving the lease.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2019
Lonnie Kilpatrick Central Pacific Relief Act This bill provides a presumption of service-connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents to veterans who served on (1) Guam or American Samoa, or in the territorial waters thereof between January 9, 1962, and July 31, 1980; or (2) Johnston Atoll or a ship that went to Johnston Atoll between January 1, 1972, and September 30, 1977. 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. Additionally, the bill expands eligibility for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans with a disability associated with exposure to certain herbicides during specified times of military service on Guam, American Samoa, or Johnston Atoll.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2019
Native American Voting Rights Act of 2019 This bill modifies the voting rights of Native American and Alaska Native voters. Changes made by the bill include the following: expanding the types of facilities that can be used as voter registration agencies, increasing polling site accessibility, providing enforcement power to citizens and attorneys general, requiring approval for actions like moving a polling place, validating certain tribal identification for voting or registering, and expanding requirements for bilingual voting accessibility. The bill also establishes a Native American voting task force grant program for the purpose of increasing voter outreach, education, registration, turnout, and accessibility for Native American communities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2019
Promoting Affordable Childcare for Everyone Act or the PACE Act This bill modifies the tax credit for expenses for household and dependent care services necessary for gainful employment (known as the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit) to (1) make the credit refundable, (2) increase the rate for the credit, and (3) require the dollar amounts for such credit to be adjusted for inflation after 2019. The bill also increases the amount of employer-provided dependent care assistance which may be excluded from the gross income of an employee and requires the increased exclusion amount to be adjusted for inflation after 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2019
Community Services Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes the Community Services Block Grant program through FY2028 and makes other changes to the program, including with respect to administration and leadership; performance measurement; and minimum and maximum allotments to states and territories.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2019
Native American Indian Education Act This bill requires the Department of Education to pay, and provides annual funding beginning in FY2020 for such payments to, Native American Indian-serving, nontribal institutions of higher education (IHEs) for the tuition of their out-of-state Native American Indian students. The bill applies only to IHEs that are required to provide tuition-free education, with the support of their state, to Native American Indian students as a condition under which the IHE or state received its original grant of land and facilities from the federal government. Payments are treated as reimbursements to IHEs from their states.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2019
NICS Denial Notification Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Justice to notify state and local law enforcement authorities following a firearms-related background check that results in a denial.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2019
Let Everyone Get Involved in Opportunities for National Service Act This bill authorizes The American Legion to expand membership eligibility to include veterans and service members who served during times that were not designated periods of war. Currently, only veterans and service members who served during periods of time specified by Congress are eligible to join The American Legion.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2019
Building Success for Youth ChalleNGe Act This bill authorizes the federal government and state, tribal, county, and local governments to transfer excess equipment and facilities to the National Guard for purposes of the Youth Challenge Program, which seeks to improve life skills and employment potential of at-risk youth.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2019
Veteran Education Empowerment Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to make grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) or consortia of IHEs for the establishment, maintenance, improvement, and operation of veteran student centers. A veteran student center is a dedicated space on a campus that provides students who are veterans or members of the Armed Forces with (1) a lounge or meeting space for themselves, their spouses or partners, their children, and veterans in the community; (2) a centralized office for veteran student services that serves as a single point of contact to coordinate veterans support services; and (3) comprehensive academic and tutoring services to veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2019
This resolution expresses support for increased U.S. efforts to combat malnutrition among women and children and acknowledges the contributions of the U.S. Agency for International Development in addressing global nutritional needs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2019
National POW/MIA Flag Act The bill changes the days on which the POW/MIA flag is required to be displayed at specified locations to all days on which the U.S. flag is displayed. (Current law requires the POW/MIA flag to be displayed only on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, and Veterans Day.)
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2019
Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish a program to provide children with parents on active duty in the uniformed services with funds to pay educational expenses. Specifically, ED shall establish a tax-exempt Military Education Savings Account for dependent children of parents in the uniformed services for the payment of the children's educational expenses. Funds in the savings account may be used for, among other things, the cost of attendance at a private elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education, private tutoring, or costs associated with an apprenticeship or other vocational training program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2019
Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2019 This bill waives Medicare coinsurance requirements with respect to colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of the code billed for a resulting diagnosis or procedure.