Defence

Detaining Terrorists to Protect Americans Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2016

Detaining Terrorists to Protect Americans Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the use of funds to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee who: (1) is not a U.S. citizen or a member of the Armed Forces; and (2) is or was held by the Department of Defense (DOD) on or after January 20, 2009, at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. No funds may be used: to construct or modify any facility in the United States, its territories, or possessions to house any individual detained at Guantanamo under DOD custody or control unless expressly authorized by Congress; or through FY2017 to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release of an individual detained at Guantanamo to any foreign country or foreign entity unless expressly authorized by Congress. "Individual detained at Guantanamo" means any individual located at Guantanamo as of October 1, 2009, who: (1) is not a U.S. citizen or a member of the Armed Forces; and (2) is under DOD custody or control, or otherwise under detention at Guantanamo. No funds may be used to: (1) close or abandon Guantanamo, (2) relinquish control of Guantanamo to Cuba, or (3) implement a material modification to the Treaty Between the United States of America and Cuba that constructively closes Guantanamo.

Dimitri Frank Kusnezov, of California, to be Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security Administration, vice Donald L. Cook, resigned.

United States · United States Senate · 7 April 2016

Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2016

Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 This bill allows civil claims or causes of action to recover artwork or other cultural property unlawfully lost because of persecution during the Nazi era, or for damages for the taking or detaining of such artwork or cultural property, to be commenced within six years after the claimant's actual discovery of: (1) the identity and location of the artwork or cultural property, and (2) information or facts sufficient to indicate that the claimant has a claim for a possessory interest in the artwork or cultural property that was unlawfully lost. Such statutory limitation period of six years after actual discovery preempts any other statutes of limitation or defenses relating to the passage of time. The term: (1) "persecution during the Nazi era" means persecution by the Nazis or their allies between January 1, 1933, and December 31, 1945, that was based on race, ethnicity, or religion; and (2) "unlawfully lost" includes any theft, seizure, forced sale, sale under duress, or other loss of an artwork or cultural property that would not have occurred absent such persecution. This bill applies to claims or actions that are pending on the date of, or filed after, enactment but before 2027. Such claims or actions may include those: (1) that were dismissed before enactment of this bill based on the expiration of a federal or state statute of limitations, laches, or any other defense at law or equity relating to the passage of time; and (2) in which final judgment has not been entered.

United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2016

United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act of 2016 This bill deems as active military service for Department of Veterans Affairs purposes any service as a member of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps between July 1, 1943, and December 15, 1945 (qualified service). The Department of Defense shall issue an honorable discharge within one year to each person whose qualified service warrants one. Retroactive benefits shall not be paid to persons as a result of enactment of this Act.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 AND THE FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM

United States · United States Senate · 6 April 2016

Preventing Iran's Access to United States Dollars Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2016

Preventing Iran's Access to United States Dollars Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the President from issuing a license that permits a person to: conduct an offshore U.S. dollar clearing system for transactions involving the government of Iran or an Iranian person, or provide U.S. dollars for any offshore U.S. dollar clearing system conducted by a foreign government or a foreign financial institution for transactions involving the government of Iran or an Iranian person. The Department of the Treasury shall report to Congress: a list of financial institutions operating or participating in an offshore U.S. dollar clearing system that conducts transactions involving the government of Iran or an Iranian person, and an assessment of Treasury efforts to prevent such transactions. The President shall block and prohibit all transactions in property and property interests of any listed institution if the property and interests: (1) are in the United States, (2) come within the United States, or (3) are or come within the possession or control of a U.S. person. The President may impose additional sanctions pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 is amended to subject to sanctions: (1) u-turn transactions (fund transfers from a foreign bank that pass through a U.S. financial institution and are then transferred to a second foreign bank), and (2) book transfers (fund transfers for the benefit of an Iranian financial institution made between accounts of the same financial institution).

CHALLENGES FOR SMALL DEFENSE CONTRACTORS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 5 April 2016

A bill to provide an exception from the reduced flat rate per diem for long-term temporary duty under Joint Travel Regulations for civilian employees of naval shipyards traveling for direct labor in support of off-yard work, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2016

This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Department of Defense (DOD) civilian public shipyard workers play a critical role in maintaining U.S. ships and submarines; and (2) in order to reduce temporary duty expenses DOD should eliminate unnecessary temporary duty and not cut the reimbursement rate for workers undertaking temporary duty to sustain military readiness, such as temporary duty in support of ship and submarine maintenance. The bill requires that DOD Joint Travel Regulations be modified to require that: (1) the reduced flat rate per diem for long-term temporary duty not be imposed on civilian employees of naval shipyards traveling on such duty for direct labor in support of off-yard work, and (2) those employees be paid the full per diem rate for such travel.

Detaining Terrorists to Protect Americans Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2016

Detaining Terrorists to Protect Americans Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the use of funds to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee who: (1) is not a U.S. citizen or a member of the Armed Forces; and (2) is or was held by the Department of Defense (DOD) on or after January 20, 2009, at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. No funds may be used: to construct or modify any facility in the United States, its territories, or possessions to house any individual detained at Guantanamo under DOD custody or control unless expressly authorized by Congress; or through FY2017 to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release of an individual detained at Guantanamo to any foreign country or foreign entity unless expressly authorized by Congress. "Individual detained at Guantanamo" means any individual located at Guantanamo as of October 1, 2009, who: (1) is not a U.S. citizen or a member of the Armed Forces; and (2) is under DOD custody or control, or otherwise under detention at Guantanamo. No funds may be used to: (1) close or abandon Guantanamo, (2) relinquish control of Guantanamo to Cuba, or (3) implement a material modification to the Treaty Between the United States of America and Cuba that constructively closes Guantanamo.

A resolution designating April 5, 2016, as "Gold Star Wives Day".

United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2016

Designates April 5, 2016, as Gold Star Wives Day. Recognizes the contributions of the members of the Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., and their dedication to the members and veterans of the Armed Forces.

A bill to prohibit the transfer or release of individuals detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to state sponsors of terrorism.

United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2016

This bill prohibits the use of funds available to the Department of Defense (DOD) to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to Libya, Somalia, Yemen, or a country that is a state sponsor of terrorism of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee who: is not a U.S. citizen or a member of the Armed Forces; and is or was held by DOD on or after January 20, 2009, at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

[H.A.S.C. No. 114-118] HEARING ON NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 AND OVERSIGHT OF PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED PROGRAMS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION

United States · United States House of Representatives · 23 March 2016

Disabled Veterans Student Loan Protection Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016

Disabled Veterans Student Loan Protection Act of 2016 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the federal student loan discharge process for a veteran who has a total and permanent disability. Specifically, it directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish a system to automatically transmit, from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the Department of Defense (DOD), an applicable determination of unemployability or assignment of a service-connected disability rating of 100%. ED must accept, as sufficient documentation of a borrower's total and permanent disability, a determination of unemployability by the VA or an assignment of a service-connected disability rating of 100% by the VA or DOD that is transmitted in accordance with such system.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives to support the territorial integrity of Georgia.

United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016

Supports the U.S. Stimson Doctrine to not recognize territorial changes effected by force, and affirms that this policy should continue to guide U.S. foreign policy. Condemns Russia's military intervention and occupation of Georgia and its continuous illegal activities along the occupation line in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia. Calls upon Russia to: (1) withdraw its recognition of Georgia's territories of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia as independent countries, (2) refrain from acts and policies that undermine Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and (3) take steps to fulfill the August 12, 2008, Ceasefire Agreement between Georgia and the Russian Federation. Urges the United States to: (1) declare that it will not recognize Russian de jure or de facto sovereignty over any part of Georgia, including Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia; (2) deepen cooperation with Georgia, including Georgia's advancement towards Euro-Atlantic integration; and (3) enhance Georgia's security through joint military training and the provision of self-defensive capabilities. Affirms that a free, united, democratic, and sovereign Georgia is in the long-term U.S. interest.

Comprehensive Strategy to Destroy ISIL Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016

Comprehensive Strategy to Destroy ISIL Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Defense and the Department of State to jointly develop and submit to Congress a strategy to destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and its affiliates. The Director of National Intelligence shall assess for Congress: the willingness and capabilities of coalition members and allies to defeat ISIL and its affiliates; the presence of ISIL or its affiliates in countries other than Syria, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, and Afghanistan; prevention of radicalization of citizens of regional countries by ISIL and its affiliates; the number of foreign fighters joining ISIL and its affiliates and tactics to prevent further recruitment; and significant U.S. intelligence gaps concerning ISIL and its affiliates and the ability of the United States to carry out a regional strategy to defeat ISIL and its affiliates.

Stopping Sexual Exploitation of Power Act

United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016

Stopping Sexual Exploitation of Power Act This bill amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice to declare guilty of sexual assault, subject to punishment by court martial, any person who commits a sexual act upon another person by using position, rank, or authority to obtain compliance by the other person.

Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Act

United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016

Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds for acts of valor in World War II to save the lives of more than 200 Jewish members of the Armed Forces.

Electronic Warfare Capabilities Enhancement Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016

Electronic Warfare Capabilities Enhancement Act of 2016 This bill permits the use of appropriations authorized for electromagnetic spectrum warfare systems and electronic warfare in order to develop and field electromagnetic spectrum warfare systems and electronic warfare capabilities. The Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 is amended to include electronic warfare programs in the rapid acquisition authority program. Electronic warfare is military action involving the use of electromagnetic and directed energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack the enemy. The Department of Defense shall delegate to the senior electronic warfare executive the authority to review and validate all Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System documents for electronic warfare acquisition programs. The Electronic Warfare Executive Committee shall submit to the congressional defense committees a strategic plan with measurable and timely objectives to achieve its mission according to specified metrics.

Co-Prescribing Saves Lives Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016

Co-Prescribing Saves Lives Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Department of Defense (DOD) to: (1) establish training guidelines for federal health care facilities and federally qualified health centers; and (2) train certain health care providers at federal health care facilities on best practices for prescribing pain medications, principles of pain management, the misuse potential of controlled substances, identification of potential substance use disorders and referral to further evaluation and treatment, and disposal of controlled substances. HHS, the VA, and DOD must establish, for certain health care facilities, guidelines for the prescription of naloxone to individuals at an elevated risk of overdose. (Naloxone is a prescription drug used to rapidly reverse an overdose of opioids, which are drugs with effects similar to opium, such as heroin and certain pain medications.) HHS must award grants to state departments of health for the development and application of guidelines for the prescription of opioid overdose reversal drugs and to increase access to naloxone. Grants may be used to: establish a program for purchasing, prescribing, and distributing opioid overdose reversal drugs; expand innovative models of naloxone distribution; train and provide resources to health care providers and pharmacists on prescribing opioid overdose reversal drugs; offset individuals' cost-sharing for opioid overdose reversal drugs; conduct community outreach to raise awareness of the availability of opioid overdose reversal drugs; and establish protocols to connect patients who have experienced a drug overdose with treatment.

Expressing support for designation of a "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day".

United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016

Expresses support for the designation of Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. Honors and recognizes the contributions of veterans who served in Vietnam.

[H.A.S.C. No. 114-115]THE FISCAL YEAR 2017 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

United States · United States House of Representatives · 22 March 2016

[H.A.S.C. No. 114-117] HEARING ON NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 AND OVERSIGHT OF PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED PROGRAMS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION

United States · United States House of Representatives · 22 March 2016

Energy and American Security Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2016

Energy and American Security Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should take appropriate actions to prohibit energy production by the Islamic State and its ability to profit from energy production revenues, and (2) U.S. national energy policy should include consideration of national security. The Department of Energy may provide technical assistance to the Armed Forces regarding Armed Forces activities to address Islamic State energy resources. Such assistance may include identifying: (1) energy resources and related revenue streams; and (2) methods to hinder, destroy, or discourage the development, transportation, and sale of such energy resources. "Islamic State" means the Islamic State, any affiliate, or any immediate successor organization.

S.O.S. Veterans Caregivers Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2016

Support our Services to Veterans Caregivers Act or the S.O.S. Veterans Caregivers Act This bill includes a veteran who has a serious illness or injury (currently, a serious injury) incurred or aggravated in the line of active duty on or after September 11, 2001, as an "eligible veteran" for purposes of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers of eligible veterans. As part of such program, the VA shall give each caregiver designated as the primary provider of personal care services for an eligible veteran, not less than annually, a multidimensional assessment to measure the burden and strain the caregiver has felt. The VA's annual report on such program shall include a description of the satisfaction experienced by caregivers and veterans with such program.

U.S.-India Defense Technology and Partnership Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2016

U.S.-India Defense Technology and Partnership Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the U.S.-India defense partnership is vital to regional and international stability and security, and (2) the President should take action to formalize India's status as a U.S. major partner. The President should coordinate with India annually to develop military contingency plans for addressing threats to mutual security interests. The President shall: (1) annually assess the extent to which India possesses strategic operational capabilities to execute military operations of mutual interest to the United States and India; and (2) ensure that such assessment is used in reviewing applications to sell or export defense articles, defense services, or technical data. The Arms Export Control Act is amended to extend special foreign military sales status to India.

Commercializing on Small Business Innovation Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

Commercializing on Small Business Innovation Act of 2016 This bill reauthorizes for FY2017-FY2022 both the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program. The bill also: increases required expenditure amounts for those programs for each of those fiscal years, revises SBIR and STTR reporting requirements, requires indexing of SBIR and STTR awards for inflation, and converts from authorizations to requirements certain features of the Department of Defense Commercialization Readiness Program. The Small Business Administration shall modify its policy directives to make clear that HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) small business concerns owned and controlled by Alaska Native Corporations, Indian tribal governments, and Native Hawaiian Organizations are eligible to receive SBIR and STTR awards.

Recreation Not Red-Tape Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

Recreation Not Red-Tape Act This bill amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service to adopt a consistent and uniform special recreation permitting process with respect to outfitters and guides. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall sell National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes entrance and recreation fees through federal websites. Interior and USDA should: work with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans have access to outdoor programs, and increase programs focused on improving education about and access to outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands for individuals age 55 or older. Interior and USDA shall make available, free of charge, a certain quantity of America the Beautiful passes for use by specified schools or their students and their families. Interior and USDA shall study the overall impact that recreation on federal recreational land and water has on the U.S. economy and labor market. The Forest Service, BLM, and National Park Service may develop respective management plans for extending the recreation season or increasing recreation use during the offseason. The Forest Service and BLM shall include metrics on recreation use in specified evaluations of lands under their jurisdictions. The Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall consider how land and water management decisions can enhance recreation opportunities and the recreation economy. The bill amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to prescribe requirements for deposit, administration, and distribution of revenues collected from rental charges for certain ski area permits issued on National Forest System lands. The bill establishes: (1) a National Recreation Area System, (2) a private sector volunteer enhancement program, and (3) a priority trail maintenance program. Interior and USDA shall establish an interagency trail management plan under which federal land management agencies shall coordinate so that trails that cross jurisdictional boundaries between those agencies are uniformly managed and maintained. The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 is amended to conform to this Act.

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2016, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Each such increase shall be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date.

U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation Act This bill authorizes the Department of Defense (DOD) to carry out research, development, test, and evaluation activities on a joint basis with Israel to establish directed energy capabilities to detect and defeat ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, mortars, and improvised explosive devices. Activities carried out pursuant to such authority shall be conducted in a manner that protects sensitive information and U.S. and Israeli national security interests. DOD's Missile Defense Agency shall be lead agency in carrying out these activities.

Military Parental Leave Modernization Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

Military Parental Leave Modernization Act This bill revises military parental leave requirements to state that: a member of the armed forces, regardless of gender or marital status, shall be authorized to take at least 84 days of parental leave in connection with the birth of a child, a qualifying adoption of a child, or the placement of a child in foster care with the service member; and in the case of a dual military family, both service members shall be authorized to take parental leave. (The Department concerned shall permit the transfer of such leave between the two service members to accommodate individual family circumstances.) Such parental leave shall be in addition to other leave. Convalescent or other leave taken before childbirth by a pregnant service member shall not reduce the number parental leave days.

Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known collectively as the "Ghost Army," in recognition of its service during World War II. It is the sense of the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with the Ghost Army, and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian.

SCRA Enhancement and Improvement Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

SCRA Enhancement and Improvement Act of 2016 This bill amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to require servicers of federally issued or guaranteed student loans to use the Defense Manpower Data Center to monitor the duty status of service member borrowers. A servicer shall notify: (1) the Department of Education, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the service member prior to selling or transferring such loan to another servicer; and (2) a service member regarding any denied SCRA benefit or protection, including an explanation for such decision and a description of related appeal procedures. A service member who dies: (1) in the line of duty while on active duty shall have student loans forgiven, and (2) from a service-connected death shall have the balance of federally issued or guaranteed student loans forgiven. The interest cap on debt incurred by a service member before entering service is extended to cover all loans regardless of when the debt is incurred. Such cap is reduced: (1) from 6% to 3%, and (2) to 0% during the time a service member is eligible for hostile fire pay. Each federal student loan servicer shall: (1) employ at least one dedicated service member representative, and (2) ensure that each service member's request for an SCRA benefit or protection is processed within 14 days after such request is received or by such date as ED may prescribe, whichever is earlier. Each student loan servicer shall inquire whether an applicant or cosigner has served in the military and, if so, shall inform the individual of his or her SCRA rights and protections. The CFPB shall: (1) establish and make available an Internet database to evaluate student loan servicers, and (2) develop a servicer oversight plan. The termination/repossession protection period for a service member who breaches an installment contract for the purchase of real or personal property is extended until one year after completion of military service. Mortgage prepayment penalties may not accrue during military service. The expiration of a license issued by a state or local licensing authority to a service member, or a continuing education requirement to maintain such a license, is delayed to 180 days after such service member is no longer eligible for hostile fire special pay. Protections are expanded with respect to collection of property taxes owed by a service member. The bill prohibits denial of credit to a service member solely by reason of entitlement to SCRA protections. Due diligence requirements are expanded for determining whether an individual is a service member prior to taking a default judgment against such individual. SCRA protections are extended to service members who are personally liable as a guarantor or co-maker of a mortgage, trust deed, or other security in the nature of a mortgage. The Department of Justice may issue a civil investigative demand for documents relating to an investigation under SCRA prior to initiating a civil action for violations of such Act. The bill permits the use of Arbitration under SCRA only if all parties consent in writing. The bill doubles penalties penalties for SCRA violations.

National Security Whistleblower Protection Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

National Security Whistleblower Protection Act of 2016 This bill extends personnel protections to whistleblowers by classifying the suspension or revocation of access to classified information as a personnel action. This classification also applies to employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall report to Congress on allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers whose access to classified information was suspended or revoked.

Security Clearance Oversight and Accountability Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

Security Clearance Oversight and Accountability Act This bill requires the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, rather than the Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to exercise the duties and responsibilities of an Inspector General under the Inspector General Act of 1978 with respect to OPM's National Background Investigation Bureau.

Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to identify: certain severance payments to veterans with combat-related injuries paid after January 17, 1991, from which DOD withheld amounts for tax purposes, and the individuals to whom such severance payments were made. DOD shall provide each such veteran with: notice of the amount of improperly withheld severance payments, and instructions for filing amended tax returns to recover such amount. The period for filing a related claim with the Internal Revenue Service for a credit or refund is extended beyond the three-year limitation to the date that is one year after DOD provides the veteran with the information required by this Act. DOD shall ensure that amounts are not withheld for tax purposes from DOD severance payments to individuals when such payments are not considered gross income.

Recreation Not Red-Tape Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016

Recreation Not Red-Tape Act This bill amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service to adopt a consistent and uniform special recreation permitting process with respect to outfitters and guides. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall sell National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes entrance and recreation fees through federal websites. Interior and USDA should: work with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans have access to outdoor programs, and increase programs focused on improving education about and access to outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands for individuals age 55 or older. Interior and USDA shall make available, free of charge, a certain quantity of America the Beautiful passes for use by specified schools or their students and their families. Interior and USDA shall study the overall impact that recreation on federal recreational land and water has on the U.S. economy and labor market. The Forest Service, BLM, and National Park Service may develop respective management plans for extending the recreation season or increasing recreation use during the offseason. The Forest Service and BLM shall include metrics on recreation use in specified evaluations of lands under their jurisdictions. The Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall consider how land and water management decisions can enhance recreation opportunities and the recreation economy. The bill amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to prescribe requirements for deposit, administration, and distribution of revenues collected from rental charges for certain ski area permits issued on National Forest System lands. The bill establishes: (1) a National Recreation Area System, (2) a private sector volunteer enhancement program, and (3) a priority trail maintenance program. Interior and USDA shall establish an interagency trail management plan under which federal land management agencies shall coordinate so that trails that cross jurisdictional boundaries between those agencies are uniformly managed and maintained. The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 is amended to conform to this Act.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017

United States · United States Senate · 16 March 2016

[H.A.S.C. No. 114-112] HEARING ON NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 AND OVERSIGHT OF PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED PROGRAMS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION

United States · United States House of Representatives · 16 March 2016

[H.A.S.C. No. 114-113] HEARING ON NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 AND OVERSIGHT OF PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED PROGRAMS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION

United States · United States House of Representatives · 16 March 2016

[H.A.S.C. No. 114-111] HEARING ON NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 AND OVERSIGHT OF PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED PROGRAMS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION

United States · United States House of Representatives · 16 March 2016

REBUILDING AFGHANISTAN: OVERSIGHT OF DEFENSE DEPARTMENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 16 March 2016

To expand the eligibility for headstones, markers, and medallions furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for deceased individuals who were awarded the Medal of Honor and are buried in private cemeteries, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish at a private cemetery, and upon request, a headstone, marker, or medallion that signifies the status of an eligible veteran who served in the Armed Forces on or after April 6, 1917, as a Medal of Honor recipient. If the VA furnished a headstone, marker, or medallion for a deceased veteran that does not signify his or her status as a Medal of Honor recipient, the VA shall upon request replace that headstone, marker, or medallion with one that signifies the deceased's status as a Medal of Honor recipient.

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay costs relating to the transportation of certain deceased veterans to veterans' cemeteries owned by a State or tribal organization.

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016

This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay the burial transportation costs of certain deceased veterans to a state- or tribal-owned veterans' cemetery.

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the award of the Presidential Memorial Certificate to certain deceased members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces and certain deceased members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016

This bill authorizes award of the Presidential Memorial Certificate to certain deceased members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces and certain deceased members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

State Secrets Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016

State Secrets Protection Act This bill declares that the government has a privilege to refuse to give information and to prevent any person from giving information in civil actions in federal or state courts only if the government shows that public disclosure of the information that the government seeks to protect would be reasonably likely to cause significant harm to the national defense or the diplomatic relations of the United States. Courts must take steps, which may include in camera and ex parte hearings and other security procedures, to protect sensitive information that comes before them. The bill sets forth the court's authority regarding the participation of counsel, appointment of a guardian ad litem to represent an absent litigant's interests, and the disclosure of information when it presents a risk of harm. The bill also provides standards for the court to order the government to produce adequate or nonprivileged substitutes (redacted copies, summary of information, stipulation of facts) for privileged information. The government may: (1) assert the privilege in connection with any claim in a civil action to which it is a party, or (2) intervene in a civil action to which it is not a party in order to do so. Once the government has asserted the privilege, and before the court makes any determinations, the court shall: (1) undertake a preliminary review of the information in question, and (2) provide the government an opportunity to seek protective measures under this Act. The bill establishes procedures and a standard for assessing the privilege claim. If the court determines that the privilege is not validly asserted, the court must issue appropriate orders regarding the disclosure of the information to a nongovernmental party and its admission at trial, with the right to an interlocutory appeal for any such orders. The bill prohibits such disclosure or admission if the privilege is determined valid. Courts of appeal are provided jurisdiction of an appeal from a decision or order of a district court determining that the state secrets privilege is not validly asserted, sanctioning a refusal to provide an adequate or nonprivileged substitute, or refusing protective steps sought by the government pending the resolution of the claim of state secrets privilege.

To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to American military personnel who fought in defense of Bataan, Corregidor, Guam, Wake Island, and the Philippine Archipelago between December 7, 1941, and May 10, 1942, and who died or were imprisoned by the Japanese military in the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Wake Island, and Guam from April 9, 1942, until September 2, 1945, in recognition of their personal sacrifice and service to their country.

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016

This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award on behalf of the Congress of a single gold medal to American military personnel who fought in defense of Bataan, Corregidor, Guam, Wake Island, and the Philippine Archipelago between December 7, 1941, and May 10, 1942, and who died or were imprisoned by the Japanese military in the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Wake Island, and Guam from April 9, 1942, until September 2, 1945, in recognition of their personal sacrifice and service to their country. Following its award the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution where it shall be displayed and made available for research. The bill expresses the sense of the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal available for display at other locations, particularly locations associated with these American military prisoners.

Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016

Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), through the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, to carry out a five-year pilot program under which the VA shall provide service dogs and veterinary health insurance to certain veterans who: (1) served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001; and (2) were diagnosed with, and continue to suffer from, post-traumatic stress disorder. The provision of a service dog shall be done in addition to other types of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and shall not replace established treatment modalities.

Wounded Warrior Housing Reform Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016

Wounded Warrior Housing Reform Act of 2016 This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937, with respect to the determination of income of each member of a household applying for or receiving low-income rental assistance, to exclude from the income of an Armed Forces veteran any: service-connected disability compensation, and pension paid to a veteran age 65 or older.

Adoption Leave for Military Families Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016

Adoption Leave for Military Families Act This bill revises adoptive leave requirements for dual military couples to permit one service member to take up to 21 days of leave and the other service member to take up to 14 days of leave. (Current law permits up to 21 days of leave for only one service member.)

NC OFFSHORE Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016

North Carolina Opening Fossil Fuels Safely and Harnessing Opportunities for Robust Employment Act or the NC OFFSHORE Act This bill requires the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to conduct one oil and gas lease sale off North Carolina's coast every year for five years. In addition, it protects military operations by allowing BOEM and the Department of Defense to mutually make certain areas off limits to exploration and allows coastal states to receive revenue from offshore energy projects. This mandate shall take effect not later than two years after enactment of this bill.