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Bill· HRH.R. 3665 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Medical Foods Equity Act of 2013 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of medically necessary food and food modified to be low protein formulated to be consumed or administered under the supervision of a qualified medical provider, for the treatment of conditions as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (the Advisory Committee), and the medical equipment and supplies necessary to administer such food. Provides coverage under the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE and Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHBP) programs for such health benefits. Defines "medically necessary food" as a food formulated to be consumed or administered through the gastrointestinal tract orally or by tube under the supervision of a physician and intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on recognized scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation. Includes nutritionally modified counterparts of traditional foods and other forms of foods such as formulas, pills, capsules, and bars. Provides Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP prescription drug coverage of pharmacological doses of vitamins and amino acids used for the treatment of inborn errors of metabolism, for the treatment of conditions as recommended by the Advisory Committee, and as prescribed by a qualified medical provider. Provides similar coverage of such items under the TRICARE and FEHBP programs, without regard to the age of the patient.
Bill· HRH.R. 3657 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of any Department of Defense (DOD) funds to retire, prepare to retire, or place in storage any A-10 aircraft until: (1) the Secretary of the Air Force certifies that the F-35A aircraft has achieved full operational capability and Block 4A capabilities and that a sufficient number of F-35A aircraft exists in the Air Force inventory to replace the A-10 aircraft in order to meet close air support capability requirements of the combatant commands; and (2) the Comptroller General submits a report that assesses whether each such certification is comprehensive, fully supported, and sufficiently detailed and that identifies any shortcomings, limitations, or other reportable matters that affect the quality or findings of any such certification.
Bill· HRH.R. 3672 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Support our Services to Veterans Caregivers Act or the S.O.S. Veterans Caregivers Act - 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. Requires the VA Secretary, as part of such program, to provide to each caregiver who is 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 felt by such caregiver. Requires the Secretary's annual report on such program to include a description of the satisfaction experienced by caregivers and veterans with respect to such program.
Bill· HRH.R. 3671 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish a medallion or other device to signify the veteran status of a deceased individual, to be attached to a headstone or marker furnished at private expense, regardless of the date of death of such individual.
Bill· HRH.R. 3647 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2013
Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide trained guide dogs to veterans who are blind by reason of a service-connected disability, are enrolled for VA hospital care and medical services, and elect to receive such a dog.
Bill· HRH.R. 3653 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2013
Jobs for Veterans Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an increased work opportunity tax credit for the hiring in 2013 or 2014 of veterans discharged or released from active military duty after September 11, 2001. Reduces amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs for general administration in FY2013 and FY2014 to offset the cost of the increased credit allowed by this Act.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 68 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2013
Recognizes on behalf of the United States the dedicated service and ultimate sacrifice of the 11 African-American soldiers of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion of the United States Army who were massacred in Wereth, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge on December 17, 1944. Calls on the Senate Armed Services Committee to correct the omission in the 1949 report of its subcommittee and appropriately recognize the Wereth 11.
Bill· HRH.R. 3643 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2013
Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act of 2013 - Amends the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 to extend such Act for 10 years. Revises what are prohibited firearms to include any firearm: (1) that, after removal of all parts other than major components (currently, of grips, stocks, and magazines), is not as detectable by walk-through metal detectors as the Security Exemplar; or (2) any major component of which, if subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices (currently, x-ray machines) commonly used at airports for security screening, would not generate an image that accurately depicts the shape of the component. Modifies the definition of: (1) "major component" to include the barrel of a firearm only in the case of a rifle or shotgun; and (2) "Security Exemplar" to repeal the requirement that it be fabricated within 12 months after enactment of such Act. Exempts from undetectable firearms provisions: (1) a prototype firearm for detectability testing; (2) any firearm received by, in the possession of, or under the control of the United States; or (3) the manufacture, importation, possession, transfer, receipt, shipment, or delivery of a firearm by a licensed manufacturer or licensed importer pursuant to an existing contract with the United States. (Replaces the exemption of any firearm that has been certified by the Secretary of Defense [DOD] or the Director of Central Intelligence [CIA] as necessary for military or intelligence applications or that is manufactured and sold exclusively to U.S. military or intelligence agencies.)
Bill· HRH.R. 3639 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2013
Provide for the Common Defense Act of 2013 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to nullify the presidential sequestration order issued for the revised security category (discretionary appropriations in budget function 050) for FY2014-FY2015 to enforce a specified budget goal. Establishes the discretionary spending limit for the revised security category for each such fiscal year. Amends part B (Supplemental Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to adjustments to the calculation of Medicare parts B and D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) premiums for high income beneficiaries for 2017 and subsequent years. Reduces the monthly amount of the Medicare parts B and D premium subsidies (with a corresponding increase in the monthly premium amount) for individuals whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds the threshold amount by specified applicable percentages for modified adjusted gross incomes in certain ranges starting at $85,000 (40%) and finally exceeding $214,000 (90%). Revises the temporary adjustment to income thresholds used to calculate premiums between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2019, to extend it through December 31 of the first year after 2019 after the year in which at least 25% of individuals enrolled in the Medicare parts B and D are subject to a reduction to the monthly amount of the applicable premium subsidy. Increases by $25 per year the part B deductible for new enrollees after January 1, 2017, and subsequent years. Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to establish caps beginning with FY2014 for: (1) combined crop insurance provider rates of return, and (2) reimbursements for crop insurance provider administrative and operating expenses. Reduces according to a specified formula the crop insurance premium for catastrophic risk protection coverage. Reduces the portion of premium paid by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (premium subsidies) for the following coverages: (1) additional insurance, (2) enterprise and whole farm units, (3) area revenue plans, and (4) area yield plans. Requires an additional .4% increase per year, beginning in calendar 2014, in the percentage of basic pay that federal employees or Members of Congress must contribute to their pension plans under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Reduces government contributions to CSRS and FERS by the amount of such increased employee contributions. Eliminates annuity supplements for federal employees hired after 2013. Revises the definition of “price index,” for purposes of cost-of-living adjustments to federal employee benefits, to mean the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (Chained CPI) instead of the Consumer Price Index. Amends SSA title II (Old Age, Surivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) to require the use of the Chained CPI for calculation of Social Security cost-of-living adjustments.
Bill· HRH.R. 3630 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2013
Cure for AIDS Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD), through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, to establish and support an accelerated research program dedicated to discovering a cure for HIV/AIDS. Instructs the Secretary to collaborate with the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and other appropriate federal agencies. Requires the Secretary to: (1) ensure that such research is highly targeted, (2) coordinate with at least one eligible nonprofit entity, and (3) ensure that the responsibilities of the non-profit entity include partnering with the Secretary in establishing research priorities.
Bill· HRH.R. 3628 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2013
Transportation Reports Elimination Act of 2013 - Eliminates certain mandatory reports to specified congressional committees from the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) on: (1) Airport Improvement Project grants, (2) Pipeline Safety Information Grants to Communities, (3) the pilot program for innovative financing of air traffic control equipment (under the Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act), and (4) the application of new aircraft and aircraft engine standards or technologies to reduce aircraft noise levels (under the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century). Eliminates certain mandatory Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports with respect to the Air Traffic Services Committee and the establishment of an Air Defense Identification Zone (under the Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act). Eliminates mandatory reports to specified congressional committees from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding Great Lakes Management, the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (under the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act of 1992), and the research program respecting ocean dumping and other methods of waste disposal (under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972). Requires the annual marine safety report to Congress of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to identify: (1) the number of civilian and military Coast Guard personnel assigned to marine safety positions; and (2) marine safety positions that are understaffed for purposes of facilitating the marine safety strategy and achieving its goals. Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to submit an annual Maritime Transportation Security report to specified congressional committees that includes: (1) a summary of security standards established and the level of compliance with them, and steps taken to ensure compliance, by ports, terminals, vessel operators, and shippers; and (2) the number of security zones established for vessels containing especially hazardous cargo, and the number of such vessels provided a waterborne security escort. Requires such report also to assess any additional vessels, personnel, infrastructure, or other resources that may be necessary to provide waterborne escorts to such vessels. Postpones till certain dates in 2014 the DOT Secretary's first biennial reports to specified congressional committees on infrastructure investment needs and the financial performance of projects receiving, or which have already received, infrastructure finance assistance. Changes from March to July, starting July 2014, the deadline for the biennial DOT public mass transportation system reports to Congress. Repeals the requirement that the Comptroller General (GAO) evaluation and audit of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) be conducted at least annually. Requires the DOT Secretary and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to include the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in their quarterly briefings to Congress on any memorandum of agreement between them for coordination of their roles and responsibilities in providing assistance for public transportation. Revises the requirement for biennial reports to specified congressional committees on state progress in implementing projects to improve railway-highway crossings to make them (paperless) reports to the public on the DOT website. Requires the same shift to paperless reports to the public on the DOT website with respect to mandatory annual or biennial reports concerning: (1) the national bridge and tunnel inventory; (2) the surface transportation project delivery program; (3) highway safety programs; (4) in-vehicle alcohol detection device research; (5) the National Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Program Plan; (6) research, technology, and education advisory committee recommendations; (7) high-risk rural roads best practices; and (8)a specified comparison of the completion times of categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and environmental impact statements for federal-aid highway projects among specified time periods. Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to require publication also on the DOT website of national ferry database updates.
Bill· SS. 1775 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Victims Protection Act of 2013 - Revises or adds provisions concerning sexual assault prevention and response programs and activities within the Department of Defense (DOD), including provisions concerning: a prohibition on service within the Armed Forces by individuals convicted of certain sexual offenses; the inclusion of information on sexual-related offenses within military service records; increased responsibilities within DOD's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office; review of the adequacy of training for members of the Armed Forces (members) on sexual assault prevention and response; programs for the provision of a Special Victims' Counsel for victims of sexual assault; commanding officer responsibilities and actions with respect to sexual offenses involving members; the investigation of allegations of retaliatory personnel actions after protected communications regarding sexual assault; independent panel duties concerning the review and assessment of judicial proceedings of sexual assault cases; additional military department actions on sexual assault prevention and response; sexual assault prevention and response within the military service academies; and collaboration between DOD and the Department of Justice (DOJ) in efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault. Revises or adds provisions concerning court-martial actions for offenses involving sex-related crimes, including provisions concerning: elimination of the five-year statute of limitations on trial by court-martial; mandatory discharge or dismissal upon conviction for certain sex-related offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ); limitations on the modification of court-martial findings; a report on UCMJ modifications to prohibit sexual acts and contacts between military instructors and trainees; and the discharge, in lieu of court-martial, of members who commit sex-related offenses. Outlines provisions concerning other military justice and legal matters, including provisions concerning: the prohibition of retaliation against members for reporting a criminal offense; the extension of crime victims' rights to victims of offenses under the UCMJ; and preliminary hearings on alleged offenses under the UCMJ.
Bill· SS. 1770 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Future of American Innovation and Research Act of 2013 or the FAIR Act - Authorizes the owner or lawful possessor of a covered trade secret (that is related to or included in a product or service that is used in or reasonably anticipated to be used in interstate or foreign commerce) to bring a civil action in a U.S. district court against a person (including a legal or commercial entity) who misappropriates, threatens to misappropriate, or conspires to misappropriate such trade secret: (1) while located outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States; or (2) on behalf of, or for the benefit of, a person located outside such territorial jurisdiction. Defines "misappropriate" as the acquisition or disclosure of a trade secret under specified circumstances through improper means, including theft, bribery, misrepresentation, breach or inducement of a breach of a duty to maintain secrecy, and espionage through electronic means. Excludes reverse engineering or independent derivation from the categories of improper means when such activity alone is the only alleged conduct. Permits an action to arise from conduct outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States if the conduct, either by itself or in combination with conduct within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States, causes or is reasonably anticipated to cause an injury: (1) within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or (2) to a U.S. person. Provides for an affirmative defense to such an action if each alleged trade secret in dispute was readily ascertainable through proper means by other persons who did not already know the trade secret at the time of the alleged conduct. Authorizes a court, upon an ex parte application, to order the seizure of any property used to commit or facilitate specified conduct alleged in the civil action.
Bill· SS. 1764 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of any Department of Defense (DOD) funds to retire, prepare to retire, or place in storage any A-10 aircraft until: (1) the Secretary of the Air Force certifies that the F-35A aircraft has achieved full operational capability and Block 4A capabilities and that a sufficient number of F-35A aircraft exists in the Air Force inventory to replace the A-10 aircraft in order to meet close air support capability requirements of the combatant commands; and (2) the Comptroller General submits a report that assesses whether each such certification is comprehensive, fully supported, and sufficiently detailed and that identifies any shortcomings, limitations, or other reportable matters that affect the quality or findings of any such certification.
Bill· SS. 1760 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Coast Guard Quality of Life Act - Amends the duties and responsibilities of the Coast Guard with respect to former and current Coast Guard members and their families, including authorities relating to medical care reimbursements, flag officer retirement processing, cancellation of members' debts, child care programs and facilities, education and training, housing choices, and qualifications for post-service careers. Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, in lieu of current requirements relating to the reimbursement of medical or dental care that the Department of Defense (DOD) or a military department has provided to a member or former member of the Coast Guard or an eligible dependent, to transfer from funds appropriated for Coast Guard operating expenses an amount determined by the Board of Actuaries to represent the value of care that the DOD or a military department is to provide during the fiscal year in which funds are made available. Authorizes the Secretary, when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service of the Navy, to determine whether a flag officer being processed for retirement by reason of age or length of service should, by reason of unfitness to perform duties, be retired because of physical disability, placed on the temporary disability retired list, or separated with severance pay. Permits the Secretary to make such determinations without approval by the DOD Secretary or the recommendation of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Allows a person's indebtedness to the United States to be remitted or cancelled if it was incurred while the person was serving as an active duty Coast Guard member and the cancellation or remission is in the best interest of the United States. Authorizes the Commandant of the Coast Guard to: (1) establish a program to support the well-being of Coast Guard active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel and their families; (2) provide tuition assistance to an eligible spouse of a member of the Coast Guard; and (3) establish, within any Coast Guard unit, a youth sponsorship initiative to help integrate into new communities the dependent children of Coast Guard members. Revises health and safety standards and inspection requirements for Coast Guard child development centers, including by requiring the establishment of: (1) a means for individuals to report suspected violations at such centers or in a family home daycare, (2) a training program for center employees, and (3) parent boards to coordinate parent participation. Makes specialized training and correspondence courses available to eligible spouses of active duty members. Authorizes the Commandant to make textbooks, manuals, and other materials available to Coast Guard personnel and eligible spouses of active duty members participating in training or courses of instruction. Prohibits remoteness or driving distance from a hospital from being used as the policy basis for preventing a member with a dependent with special medical needs (such as diabetes, asthma, or moderate disabilities) from residing in a particular area, unless the Commandant has determined that such needs cannot be sufficiently met with appropriate services while residing in such area. Expands the Coast Guard's authority to acquire or construct housing to include the acquisition, building, renovation, or improvement of child development center facilities. Directs the Commandant to promote awareness among Coast Guard personnel regarding post-service use of Coast Guard training, education, and experience as qualifying experience for merchant mariner credentials. Requires sea service letters to be provided to eligible members, at their request, on or before the member's retirement or separation date. Prohibits a committee within the Coast Guard that advises or assists the Coast Guard in the performance of any function that affects members of military families and that includes in its membership a retired Coast Guard member or a member of a military family from being considered an advisory committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act solely because of such membership.
Bill· SS. 1755 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Dignified Interment of Our Veterans Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on matters relating to the identification, claiming, and interring of unclaimed remains of veterans, including: (1) estimating the number of unclaimed remains; (2) assessing the effectiveness of the procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for claiming and interring unclaimed remains of veterans; (3) assessing state and local laws that affect the ability of the Secretary to identify, claim, and inter such remains; and (4) recommending appropriate legislative or administrative action. .
Resolution· SCONRESS.Con.Res. 27 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Support of Israel Against Existential Threat Resolution of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should ensure that Israel is able to adequately address an existential Iranian nuclear threat, (2) the Secretary of Defense (DOD) should seek related opportunities for defense cooperation and partnership on military capabilities where appropriate, and (3) the delivery of the S-300 air defense system to Syria would pose a grave risk to Israel and the United States supports Israel's right to respond to such threat.
Bill· HRH.R. 3593 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
VA Construction Assistance Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the management of the major medical center construction projects of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been an abysmal failure; (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should fully implement all recommendations made by the Comptroller General in an April 2013 report to improve VA construction procedures; and (3) management of the major medical facility projects currently underway in Denver, Colorado, Orlando, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana, (covered projects) should be subject to the oversight of a special project manager of the Army Corps of Engineers that is independent of the VA. Requires the Secretary, for any construction or alteration project that is a major medical facility project, to: (1) use the services of a medical equipment planner as part of the architectural and engineering firm for the project, (2) develop and use a project management plan to ensure clear and consistent communication among all parties, (3) subject the project to construction peer excellence review, (4) develop a metrics program to enable the monitoring of change-order processing time and goals for the change-order process consistent with the best practices of other federal agencies, and (5) use design-build processes to minimize multiple change orders. Directs the Secretary to procure the services of the Army Corps of Engineers with respect to appointing not less than one special project manager who has experience in managing construction projects that exceed $60 million to oversee such covered projects until completion. Requires a special project manager to submit to specified congressional committees detailed plans of a covered project and progress reports, which shall include an analysis of all changes ordered by the VA and recommendations for improving the operation of any construction-related activity to reduce costs or complete the project in a more timely manner.
Bill· HRH.R. 3614 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Military Skills to Careers Act - Requires a state, as a condition for receipt of a grant or contract from the Department of Labor to employ disabled veterans' outreach program specialists and local veterans' employment representatives, to establish a program under which that state administers an examination and issues a license or credential to a veteran without requiring any training or apprenticeship if such veteran: (1) receives a satisfactory score on such examination, (2) has been awarded a military occupational specialty that is substantially equivalent to or exceeds the state requirements for such license or credential, (3) has engaged in active practice of such occupation for at least two of the five years preceding the date of application for such license or credential, and (4) pays any fees required by the state for such license or credential. Requires the state to report annually to the Secretary of Labor on the exams administered, the number of veterans who completed such exams, and exam results, disaggregated by occupational field. Allows the Secretary to waive the requirement that a state establish such a program if the state certifies that it: (1) takes into account previous military training or testing; (2) permits veterans to satisfy through examination training or testing requirements for which a veteran has previously completed military training; and (3) substantially reduces training time, based on the military training received by a veteran, required to satisfy requirements the veteran is unable to completely satisfy through examination. Requires an annual report from the Secretary to Congress and the Secretary of Defense on administered exams and exam results.
Bill· HRH.R. 3590 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement Act of 2013 or the SHARE Act of 2013 - Title I: Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax and sport fishing equipment components. Title II: Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of BLM to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training. Title III: Public Lands Filming - Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), for any film crew of five persons or fewer, to require a permit and assess an annual fee of $200 for commercial filming activities or similar projects on federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary. Makes such a permit valid for such activities or projects that occur in areas designated for public use during public hours on all federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary for a 12-month period. Title IV: Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act - Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of any polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person who submits proof that the polar bear was legally harvested before May 15, 2008 (currently by February 18, 1997), when polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior. Title V: Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act - Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013 - Grants the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize any state to issue electronic duck stamps. Sets forth state electronic duck stamp application requirements. Allows the Secretary to determine the number of new states permitted per year to participate in the electronic duck stamp program. Instructs the Secretary to require electronic stamp revenue and customer information collected by each state to be transmitted in accordance with a written agreement between the Secretary and the state. Title VI: Access to Water Resources Development Projects Act - Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of the Army from promulgating or enforcing any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm at a water resources development project administered by the Chief of Engineers if: (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm, and (2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the state in which the project is located. Title VII: Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act to establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture (USDA) on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting, and recreational shooting. (Abolishes the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council.) Title VIII: Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Declares that recreational fishing and hunting are environmentally acceptable and beneficial activities that occur and can be provided on public lands and waters without adverse effects on other uses or users. Requires a federal public land management official, in cooperation with the respective state and fish and wildlife agency, to exercise the authority of the official under law, including regarding land use planning, to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public land for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting, except as described in this Act. Requires the heads of federal public land management agencies to exercise their discretion in a manner that supports and facilitates hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting opportunities, to the extent authorized under applicable law. Prohibits actions taken under this Act or actions concerning the National Wildlife Refuge System under the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 from being considered to be a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. Prohibits public land management officials from being required to consider the existence or availability of recreational fishing, hunting, or shooting opportunities on adjacent or nearby lands in the planning for or determination of which public lands are open for these activities or in the setting of levels of use for these activities on public lands, unless the combination or coordination of such opportunities would enhance the opportunities available to the public. Requires that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service land, excluding land on the Outer Continental Shelf, be open to recreational fishing, hunting, or shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity. Permits closures or restrictions on such land for purposes including resource conservation, public safety, energy or mineral production, energy generation or transmission infrastructure, water supply facilities, national security, protection of private property rights, or compliance with other law. Requires agencies to: (1) lease or permit use of federal public land for shooting ranges, and (2) designate specific land for recreational shooting activities. Declares that the provision of opportunities for hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and the conservation of fish and wildlife to provide sustainable use recreational opportunities on designated wilderness areas on federal public lands constitutes the measures necessary to meet the minimum requirements for the administration of such areas. Provides that such declaration does not authorize or facilitate commodity development, use, or extraction, motorized recreational access or use that is not otherwise allowed under the Wilderness Act, or permanent road construction or maintenance within designated wilderness areas. Reaffirms the provisions of the Wilderness Act that stipulate that wilderness purposes are "within and supplemental to" the purposes of the underlying federal land unit. Requires the head of each federal agency, when seeking to carry out fish and wildlife conservation programs and projects or providing fish and wildlife dependent recreation opportunities on designated wilderness areas, to implement these supplemental purposes while not impeding on the underlying conservation purpose. Prohibits such implementation from authorizing or facilitating commodity development, use or extraction, or permanent road construction or use within designated wilderness areas. Requires biennial reports on closures of federal public lands to sport hunting, recreational fishing, or shooting. Sets forth requirements for specified closures or significant restrictions involving 640 or more contiguous acres of federal public land or water to hunting or recreational fishing or related activities. Instructs federal public land agencies to consult with the advisory councils specified in Executive Orders 12962 (relating to recreational fisheries) and 13443 (relating to the facilitation of hunting heritage and wildlife conservation) in carrying out this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 3603 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Prohibits the President from authorizing or permitting the construction of a satellite positioning ground monitoring station directly or indirectly controlled by a foreign government on U.S. soil until the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) jointly certify to Congress that such station will not possess the capability or potential to be used to gather intelligence or improve foreign weapons systems. Directs the Secretary, DNI, and the Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command to jointly report to Congress regarding the use of such stations by foreign governments to gather intelligence or improve the accuracy of missile guidance systems.
Bill· HRH.R. 3576 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Safeguarding Elections for our Nation's Troops through Reforms and Improvements Act or the SENTRI Act - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for federal office held in November 2014 and thereafter, to: require the chief election official of a state to report, not later than 43 days before any federal election held in the state, on the number of absentee ballots validly requested by absent uniformed services and overseas voters whose requests were received by the 46th day before the election, and whether such ballots were timely transmitted; eliminate the hardship waiver allowed for states from the requirement to provide absent members of the uniformed services and overseas voters abstentee ballots 45 days prior to an election; require express delivery of an absentee ballot that is not timely transmitted; allow an absentee voter to use a single abstentee ballot application for subsequent elections; make such Act applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; modify reporting requirements to require a biennial report on the effectiveness of the federal voting assistance program; and require the Comptroller General (GAO) to review and report on such biennial reports for elections occurring in calendar years 2014 through 2020. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Secretary of each military department, to: (1) affirmatively offer, on an annual basis, each member of the Armed Forces on active duty (other than active duty for training) the opportunity, through an online system, to register to vote in a federal election, update voter registration information, or request an absentee ballot; (2) implement an online system for such purpose; and (3) implement a system to track a change of address or duty status of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty to provide an automatic notice to such member of voter registration requirements. Repeals the demonstration project allowing absent members of the uniformed services to vote in the regularly scheduled general election for federal office for November 2002 through an electronic voting system. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to permit dependents of an absent member of the Armed Forces to retain residency status in their state for voting purposes.
Bill· HRH.R. 3615 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Careers for Heroes Act - Directs the head of each federal agency other than the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a plan for exercising, during the five-year period beginning on the enactment of this Act, authority to make veterans recruitment appointments and authority under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to ensure that, under such plans, agencies shall appoint no less than 15,000 qualified covered veterans during such period. (Covered veterans include those who: (1) are disabled or recently separated; (2) served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized; or (3) while serving on active duty, participated in a military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded.)
Bill· HRH.R. 3600 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
GI Education Benefit Fairness Act - Expands the definition of "children," for purposes of provisions allowing members or former members of the uniformed services who served on active duty for specified periods beginning on or after September 11, 2001, to transfer their entitlement to educational assistance, to mean an unmarried person who: (1) is placed in the legal custody of a member or former member by court order for at least 12 consecutive months, (2) has not attained the age of 21, (3) has not attained the age of 23 and is enrolled in a full-time course of study at an institution of higher learning, (4) is incapable of self support due to a mental or physical incapacity that occurred while such person was a dependent of the member or former member, (5) is dependent on the member or former member for over one-half of his or her support, (6) resides with the member or former member unless separated due to military service or institutionalization for a disability or incapacitation, and (7) is not a dependent of a member or former member under any other provision defining dependent.
Bill· HRH.R. 3579 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Debt Management Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, within 21 to 60 days before any date on which the Secretary anticipates the public debt will reach the current debt limit, to appear before specified congressional committees to provide specified information. (The debt limit was $16.699 trillion before its suspension in the Continuing Appropriations Act, FY2014 [P.L. 113-46].) Requires the Secretary to include in such appearance: a report on the state of the public debt, including (1) its historical trajectory, major drivers of the current debt and their quantities, and debt projections; and (2) how, if the debt limit is raised, the United States will meet existing debt obligations, including principal and interest; a detailed explanation of: (1) any proposal of the President to reduce the structural deficit in the short-term (the following fiscal year), medium-term (approximately 3-5 years), and long-term (approximately 10 years); (2) the impact an increased debt limit will have on future federal spending, service provision, and the status of the U.S. dollar as the international reserve currency; (3) projections of fiscal health and resilience to long-term entitlement program pressures (including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid), given the proposed measures to reduce the structural deficit and the amount of increase in the debt limit; and (4) any proposal of the President to reduce the debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio, based on current trends, with the exclusion of extreme events (i.e. military, economic, and natural catastrophes); and a detailed report on the progress of implementing all such proposals. Declares that this report shall only be delivered if a Secretary has already appeared at least once during any term of office for a particular President.
Bill· SS. 1752 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to direct the Secretaries of Defense (DOD) and Homeland Security (DHS) to require the Secretaries of the military departments to modify the process for determining whether to try by court-martial a member accused of: (1) certain UCMJ offenses for which the maximum punishment includes confinement for more than one year; or (2) a conspiracy, solicitation, or attempt to commit such offenses. Requires courts-martial determinations for such offenses to be made by a commissioned officer available for detail as trial counsel who is outside the chain of command of the member subject to the charges. (Currently, courts-martial decisions are made by commanding officers of accused members.) Excludes from the revised procedures that require counsel outside the chain of command to make such courts-martial determinations certain UCMJ offenses relating specifically to military service, including absence without leave, insubordination, and aiding the enemy. Prohibits an outside counsel's determination not to proceed to trial by general or special court-martial from altering the authority of commanding officers to: (1) refer noncapital offenses to summary courts-martial with limits on the punishments that may be imposed; or (2) impose non-judicial admonitions, reprimands, or disciplinary punishment for minor offenses. Requires military chiefs of staff to establish offices to convene general and special courts-martial. Prohibits officers in the chain of command of an accused or a victim from detailing members to serve on a resulting trial by court-martial.
Bill· SS. 1751 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Amends the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 to extend until December 31, 2016, the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide for persons other than VA employees (i.e., contract physicians) to conduct medical disability examinations of applicants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Permits licensed, VA-contracted physicians to conduct such examinations at any location in any state, the District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, so long as the examination is authorized under the contract. Amends the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 1996 to provide similar authorities with respect to permissible examination locations to licensed physicians under the pilot program authorizing the VA to use contract physicians to perform medical disability examinations of applicants for benefits under laws carried out through the Under Secretary for Benefits. Expands from 10 to 15 the maximum number of VA regional offices through which the Secretary is authorized to carry out such pilot program. Sets forth criteria for the selection of such regional offices. Directs the Secretary to conduct an annual data analysis (including an analysis of backlogged claims, pending workloads, and the timeliness of completed cases) to determine the regional offices requiring support.
Bill· SS. 1749 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Military Installations Enhancement Act of 2013 - Requires each major military installation master plan to include consideration of: (1) planning for redevelopment and infill development to reduce consumption of undeveloped land on installations, (2) horizontal and vertical mixed-use development, (3) the full lifecycle costs of planning decisions, (4) capacity planning through the establishment of growth boundaries around cantonment areas to focus development towards the core and preserve range and training space, and (5) ways to diversify and connect transit systems and increase safety for all road users.
Bill· SS. 1745 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Somalia Stabilization Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) support the Somali Federal Government, regional administrations, federal units, and people in their efforts to consolidate political gains and develop credible and representative government systems and institutions; (2) support African-led regional efforts to improve security and stability in Somalia; (3) support the development of professional and regionally and ethnically representative Somali security forces; (4) provide humanitarian assistance as needed while building a foundation for Somalia's development; and (5) carry out all diplomatic, economic, intelligence, military, and development activities in Somalia within the context of a comprehensive strategy coordinated through an interagency process. Directs the President to submit to Congress a strategy to guide future U.S. action in support of the government and people of Somalia to foster economic growth, counter armed threats to stability, and develop credible and representative government systems and institutions.
Bill· SS. 1741 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Military Savings Act of 2013 - Requires the Under Secretary of Defense (DOD) to carry out a five-year pilot program at at least 10 military installations to develop innovative consumer financial products that encourage savings and wealth-creation among members of the Armed Forces on active duty. Authorizes products designed to: (1) increase the rate of savings among such members by providing automatic deposit of special pay and allowances; (2) reduce the need for high-cost short-term lending services by providing alternatives, such as financial institutions providing an option for members to receive advances on salary payments; and (3) address obstacles to traditional consumer banking and lending for members with limited credit history. Requires a financial institution seeking to begin or renew operating on a military installation selected for such program to agree to offer such products and to notify members about the availability of such products. Directs the Under Secretary to contract for an annual independent evaluation of such program. Authorizes the Under Secretary to extend the program and expand it nationwide upon determining that such expansion would improve member savings rates or decrease their need to rely on payday lenders.
Bill· SS. 1740 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Department of Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Lease Authorization Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out specified major medical facility leases (leases) in New Mexico, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, Texas, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Nebraska, Arizona, and Oklahoma. Directs the Secretary, in exercising the authority to enter into such leases, to record as the full cost of the contractual obligation at the time a contract is executed either: (1) the amount of total payments under the full lease term; or (2) if the lease specifies payments to be made in the event the lease is terminated before its full term, an amount sufficient to cover the first-year payments plus the specified cancellation costs. Requires the funding prospectus of a proposed lease to include a detailed analysis of how the lease is expected to comply with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-11 (which provides guidance to federal agencies in meeting statutory requirements for disclosure of the full costs of contracts or leases) and the Anti-Deficiency Act, including an analysis of: (1) the classification of the lease as a lease-purchase, capital lease, or operating lease; (2) the obligation of budgetary resources associated with the lease; and (3) the methodology used in determining the asset cost, fair market value, and cancellation costs of the lease. Directs the Secretary, at least 30 days before entering into a lease, to submit to the congressional veterans committees: (1) notice of the intention to enter into, and a copy of, such lease; (2) a description and analysis of any differences between the lease prospectus submitted and the proposed lease; and (3) a scoring analysis demonstrating that the proposed lease fully complies with OMB Circular A-11. Requires the Secretary, no later than 30 days after entering into a lease, to report any material differences between the proposed lease and the lease entered.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 307 (113th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Authorizes a Senator, officer, or employee of the Senate to: (1) collect from another such individual, within Senate buildings, nonmonetary donations of clothing, toys, food, and housewares for charitable purposes related to serving persons in need or members of the Armed Forces and the families of those members during the holiday season, if the charitable purposes do not otherwise violate any rule or regulation of the Senate or of federal law; and (2) work with a nonprofit organization with respect to the delivery of such donations.
Bill· HRH.R. 3561 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Prevent Russian Infiltration Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of State from approving a Russian space agency (Roscosmos) request to build or operate a ground monitoring station in the United States, including in any U.S. territory or possession, until the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense (DOD), and the Director of National Intelligence jointly certify to Congress that any such proposed station does not raise counterintelligence or other national security concerns.
Bill· HRH.R. 3569 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Protecting the Freedoms and Benefits for All Veterans Act - Revises the definition of "surviving spouse" for purposes of veterans benefits provisions to eliminate the requirement that the person who was the spouse of a veteran at the time of the veteran's death be a person of the opposite sex. Considers an individual to be a "spouse" if: (1) the marriage is valid in the state in which it was entered into; or (2) in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, the marriage is valid in the place in which it was entered into and could have been entered into in a state, or it was valid in the place in which all parties to it resided at the time it was entered into.
Bill· HRH.R. 3544 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Office of Strategic Services Congressional Gold Medal Act - Requires 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 the members of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in recognition of their superior service and major contributions during World War II.
Bill· SS. 1728 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Safeguarding Elections for our Nation's Troops through Reforms and Improvements (SENTRI) Act - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for federal office held in November 2014 and thereafter, to: require the chief election official of a state to report, not later than 43 days before any federal election held in the state, on the number of absentee ballots validly requested by absent uniformed services and overseas voters whose requests were received by the 46th day before the election, and whether such ballots were timely transmitted; eliminate the hardship waiver allowed for states from the requirement to provide absent members of the uniformed services and overseas voters abstentee ballots 45 days prior to an election; require express delivery of an absentee ballot that is not timely transmitted; allow an absentee voter to use a single abstentee ballot application for subsequent elections; make such Act applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; modify reporting requirements to require a biennial report on the effectiveness of the federal voting assistance program; and require the Comptroller General (GAO) to review and report on such biennial reports for elections occurring in calendar years 2014 through 2020. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Secretary of each military department, to: (1) affirmatively offer, on an annual basis, each member of the Armed Forces on active duty (other than active duty for training) the opportunity, through an online system, to register to vote in a federal election, update voter registration information, or request an absentee ballot; (2) implement an online system for such purpose; and (3) implement a system to track a change of address or duty status of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty to provide an automatic notice to such member of voter registration requirements. Repeals the demonstration project allowing absent members of the uniformed services to vote in the regularly scheduled general election for federal office for November 2002 through an electronic voting system. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to permit dependents of an absent member of the Armed Forces to retain residency status in their state for voting purposes.
Bill· SS. 1736 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Support Earned Recognition for Veterans Act or the SERVe Act - Excludes from the definitions of "active duty," "active duty for training," and "inactive duty training," for veteran benefit or employment preference purposes, any service performed at a preparatory school of a service academy by a student who is not otherwise a member of the Armed Forces.
Bill· SS. 1732 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to convey to the state of Utah, without consideration, certain lands located within the boundaries of the public lands currently withdrawn for military use by the Utah National Guard and known as "Camp Williams" in order to permit the Utah National Guard to use such conveyed land for National Guard and national defense purposes.
Bill· SS. 1727 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Army Combat Vehicle Industrial Base Study Validation Act of 2013 - Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to report to the congressional defense committees on the Army's study of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle industrial base submitted to Congress pursuant to the conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Requires such report to: (1) address each of the combat vehicles included in the study, (2) include an assessment of the reasonableness of the study's methods, and (3) include findings and recommendations on the combat vehicle industrial base.
Bill· SS. 1718 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2013
Petersburg National Battlefield Boundary Modification Act - Modifies the boundary of Petersburg National Battlefield in Virginia to include the land and interests in land identified on the map titled "Petersburg National Battlefield Boundary Expansion," and dated June 2007. Transfers from the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to the Secretary of the Army administrative jurisdiction over approximately 1.170 acres of land for the Fort Lee Military Reservation. Transfers from the Secretary of the Army to the Secretary administrative jurisdiction over approximately 1.171 acres of land for the Battlefield. Requires inclusion of the conveyed land within the boundary of the Petersburg National Battlefield.
Bill· HRH.R. 3521 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2013
Department of Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Lease Authorization Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out specified major medical facility leases (leases) in New Mexico, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, Texas, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Nebraska, Arizona, and Oklahoma. Directs the Secretary, in exercising the authority to enter into such leases, to record as the full cost of the contractual obligation at the time a contract is executed either: (1) the amount of total payments under the full lease term; or (2) if the lease specifies payments to be made in the event the lease is terminated before its full term, an amount sufficient to cover the first-year payments plus the specified cancellation costs. Requires the funding prospectus of a proposed lease to include a detailed analysis of how the lease is expected to comply with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-11 (which provides guidance to federal agencies in meeting statutory requirements for disclosure of the full costs of contracts or leases) and the Anti-Deficiency Act, including an analysis of: (1) the classification of the lease as a lease-purchase, capital lease, or operating lease; (2) the obligation of budgetary resources associated with the lease; and (3) the methodology used in determining the asset cost, fair market value, and cancellation costs of the lease. Directs the Secretary, at least 30 days before entering into a lease, to submit to the congressional veterans committees: (1) notice of the intention to enter into, and a copy of, such lease; (2) a description and analysis of any differences between the lease prospectus submitted and the proposed lease; and (3) a scoring analysis demonstrating that the proposed lease fully complies with OMB Circular A-11. Requires the Secretary, no more than 30 days after entering into a lease, to report any material differences between the proposed lease and the lease entered.
Bill· HRH.R. 3508 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2013
Authorizes the appointment of hearing aid specialists in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requires an eligible person to: (1) hold an associate's degree in hearing instrument sciences or its equivalent from a college or university approved by the VA Secretary or have successfully completed an approved hearing aid specialist apprenticeship program, and (2) be licensed as a hearing aid specialist or its equivalent in a state. Requires the Secretary to: (1) submit an annual report on timely access to hearing health services and on contracting policies with respect to providing hearing health services in non-VA facilities, and (2) update and reissue the VHA handbook entitled "VHA Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Services" to reflect the requirements of this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 3516 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2013
Veterans and Armed Forces Health Promotion Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to jointly develop and implement: (1) a plan to expand materially and substantially the scope of research and education on, and delivery of holistic care that includes, the integration of appropriate complementary and alternative medicine interventions in the delivery of health care to veterans and members of the Armed Forces at military medical treatment facilities; and (2) a three-year pilot program to establish not fewer than five jointly-operated medical treatment and research facilities. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out: (1) a 3-year pilot program, through the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), to assess the feasibility and advisability of establishing not fewer than 10 complementary and alternative medicine centers within VA medical centers to promote the use and integration of complementary and alternative medicine services for mental health diagnoses and pain management; (2) a 3-year pilot program, through grants to nonprofit entities, to assess the feasibility and advisability of using wellness programs at VA facilities to complement the provision of mental health care to veterans and family members eligible for counseling; (3) a 3-year pilot program, through the National Center for Preventive Health, to assess the feasibility and advisability of promoting health in covered veterans at not less than 15 VA medical centers through support for fitness center membership or medical nutrition therapy; and (4) a 2-year pilot program under which the Secretary makes grants to nonprofit veterans services organizations (VSOs) to upgrade VSO community facilities into health and wellness centers in at least 10 different geographic locations.
Bill· HRH.R. 3507 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2013
21st Century Care for Military and Veterans Act - Permits the use of a telecommunications system to provide an item or service to current and former members of the uniformed services and their dependents under the TRICARE plan of health care benefits administered by the Department of Defense (DOD) and to veterans receiving health care benefits under plans administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Bill· HRH.R. 3506 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2013
Honor Our Fallen Heroes With Dignity Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of the Army to permit visitors to leave on any gravesite or government-furnished marker located in section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery any item that: (1) does not present a safety or health concern, (2) is not permanently affixed to such marker, and (3) does not interfere with the normal operations and maintenance procedures of the Cemetery. Requires the History Office of Arlington National Cemetery: (1) to collect, catalog, and store any other items left on a gravesite, headstone, or marker in section 60; and (2) at the end of each calendar month, to collect, catalog, and store all items left on gravesites, headstones, and government-furnished markers.
Bill· HRH.R. 3515 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2013
Increased Age Limit for Post-9/11 Education Assistance Dependents Act - Increases from 26 to 29 years old the age after which a child may not use transferred educational assistance for service in the Armed Forces commencing on or after September 11, 2001.
Bill· HRH.R. 3514 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2013
Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Enhancement Act - Expands the authority of members of the uniformed services to transfer their entitlement to educational assistance for service in the Armed Forces commencing on or after September 11, 2001, to allow former members to transfer such benefits to family members within five years after their discharge or release from military service.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 65 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2013
Calls for the recognition of all families that have lost loved ones in uniform. Urges the President to encourage military bases around the country to: (1) organize and host events to recognize and commemorate the sacrifices of members of the Armed Forces, and (2) encourage families within the local area that have lost loved ones in combat to attend.
Bill· SS. 1717 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Servicemember Education Reform and Vocational Enhancement Act of 2013 or the SERVE Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or a state approving agency (SAA) to approve, for purposes of veterans' educational assistance provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a course that leads to an associate or higher degree only when such course is an eligible program offered by an institution of higher education that has entered into and is complying with a program approved by the Secretary of Education. Provides conditions under which the VA Secretary or an SAA may approve a course that does not lead to an associate or higher degree or is not approved by the Secretary of Education. Requires educational institutions that enroll veterans to: (1) provide, upon the request of the VA Secretary, information about their educational programs, including accreditation, tuition, and graduation rates for disclosure to veterans; and (2) provide academic or career counseling to such veterans. Requires each SAA, as a condition of receiving VA reimbursement for program approval activities, to conduct education and outreach activities to assist veterans in making well-informed choices about their education and successful transition into an educational environment. Requires: (1) SAAs to conduct annual audits of educational institutions that have VA program participants, and (2) the VA Secretary to conduct mandatory compliance reviews of such institutions. Requires the VA Secretary, in cooperation with specified federal officials and state agencies, to commence a five-state pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of developing policy, processes, and best practices to: (1) ensure the availability of educational assistance providing on-job or vocational training for military personnel who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, and (2) encourage veterans to pursue such educational assistance. Requires the VA Secretary, under such pilot program, to conduct outreach to members of the Armed Forces and veterans on the availability of such educational assistance, the benefits of such assistance, and the process for obtaining such assistance. Requires reports by the VA Secretary and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) under the post 9/11 educational assistance program to: (1) be disaggregated by for-profit and not-for-profit educational institutions; (2) include all substantiated reports of misrepresentation, waste, fraud, abuse by educational institutions at which veterans are enrolled in an educational program administered by VA or DOD; and (3) provide a list of all previously approved educational institutions serving veterans that are no longer in compliance with VA or DOD requirements for educational assistance programs.
Bill· SS. 1715 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Civilian Property Realignment Act of 2013 or CPRA - Establishes the Civilian Property Realignment Commission to: (1) identify opportunities to reduce significantly the federal government's inventory and cost of federal real property assets and the number of high-value leases through relocation to less costly properties, (2) identify not fewer than 5 federal properties that have an anticipated sales price of not less that $500 million and that are not currently on the list of surplus or excess properties, (3) carry out an independent analysis of the inventory of federal real property assets, (4) transmit to the President its findings and recommendations for consolidating or otherwise reducing such inventory, and (5) establish and maintain a website for making relevant information about federal real property assets publicly available. Establishes as the goal of the Commission to identify a total savings of not less than $9 billion from the disposal of federal property. Terminates the Commission 10 years after the enactment of this Act. Excludes certain properties from the application of this Act, including military installations, wilderness study areas, Indian and native Eskimo property held in trust, property operated and maintained by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), postal properties, and other properties necessary for national security. Requires federal agencies to submit to the Administrator of General Services (GSA) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on an annual basis: (1) current data of all federal real property owned, leased, or controlled by such agencies; and (2) recommendations for the disposal of such properties to reduce inventory, for operational efficiencies, for opportunities to pursue enhanced use leasing in under-used buildings, and to reduce the number of high-value leases through relocation to less costly properties. Establishes a process for the review of the Commission's recommendations by the President and Congress. Requires each federal agency to implement the Commission's recommendations after the completion of such process. Exempts properties included in the recommendations for disposal or realignment under this Act from certain public benefit conveyance requirements, including the McKinney-Vento Act (requiring surplus property to be used to assist the homeless). Limits the authority of executive agencies to lease space for the purposes of a public building. Requires the Commission to identify and compile, on an annual basis, a list of assets located outside of the United States and its territories that are owned or managed by the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations of the Department of State and that may be sold to reduce the federal real property inventory or otherwise disposed of, transferred, or consolidated. Requires OMB and GSA to: (1) provide specified congressional committees, upon request, access to the Federal Real Property Profile established by Executive Order 13327, dated February 4, 2004; and (2) make such Profile available, upon request, to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Commission. Requires the GSA Administrator to include in the Federal Real Property Profile information relating to the age and condition of a federal real property asset, its size and location, and specified costs of operating such property. Requires each federal agency, not later than three years after the enactment of this Act, to sell, dispose, transfer, exchange, consolidate, co-locate, reconfigure, or redevelop any federal real property that is deemed excess property. Prohibits judicial review of certain actions taken by the Commission or the President under this Act. Requires the Administrator to consider the life-cycle cost (i.e., the sum of investment, capital, installation, energy, operating, maintenance, and replacement costs) of certain public buildings that are constructed or leased after the enactment of this Act.