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Bill· SS. 3407 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Military Injury Surgical Systems Integrated Operationally Nationwide to Achieve ZERO Preventable Deaths Act or the MISSION ZERO Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to award grants to certain trauma centers to enable military trauma care providers and trauma teams to provide trauma care and related acute care at those trauma centers. Funds may be used to train and incorporate military trauma care providers into the trauma center, including expenditures for malpractice insurance, office space, information technology, specialty education and supervision, trauma programs, and state license fees. Grantees must allow the military trauma care providers to be deployed for military operations, training, or response to a mass casualty incident.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 587 (114th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
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.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 585 (114th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Designates October 26, 2016, as Day of the Deployed. Honors the deployed members of the Armed Forces and their families.
Bill· HRH.R. 6192 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Responsible Law Enforcement Acquisition Act of 2016 This bill changes the program (known as the 1033 program) under which the Department of Defense (DOD) may transfer surplus military equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies at no cost to a program under which such property is transferred by auction and the proceeds are deposited in the Treasury. The bill requires that the recipient be a state, local, or tribal law enforcement agency that is the high bidder at an auction that is open only to such agencies and is conducted by DOD or a DOD-contracted entity. The program preference for property transfers for use in counter drug, counterterrorism, or border security activities is eliminated. DOD is prohibited from transferring personal property to a recipient agency without charge. The bill prohibits an executive agency from using available funds or fees to carry out or enforce any executive order, rule, regulation, or any other executive branch policy issued on or after January 16, 2015, that has the effect of establishing an interagency working group regarding: (1) the DOD transfer of personal property to state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies; or (2) the use of such property.
Bill· HRH.R. 6187 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Veterans-Specific Education for Tomorrow's Medical Doctors Act or the VET MD Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a three-year pilot program at at least five VA medical centers to provide undergraduate students a clinical observation experience. The VA shall ensure that such program: increases the awareness, knowledge, and empathy of future medical professionals toward the medical conditions common to veterans; increases the diversity of the recruitment pool of future VA physicians; provides a diverse clinical observation experience commensurate with the standard expectations for medical school applications; and expands clinical observation opportunities for all students by encouraging students of all backgrounds to consider a career in medicine. The VA shall select undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens enrolled in an accredited science or medical program of study to participate in the program, with priority to students who resided in a health professional shortage area and who are the first in their immediate family to attend an undergraduate institution.
Bill· SS. 3403 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Serving our Rural Veterans Act of 2016 This bill authorizes payment by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the costs associated with service by Veterans Health Administration medical residents and interns at facilities operated by Indian tribes, tribal organizations, or the Indian Health Service (covered facilities). The bill requires the VA to carry out a pilot program to establish graduate medical education residency training programs at such facilities that have an existing reimbursement agreement with the VA under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and that are located in rural or remote areas, including at one facility in each of Alaska and Montana. The VA shall reimburse each covered facility participating in the program for costs of: curriculum development; recruitment, training, and retention of residents and faculty; accreditation of programs of education; faculty salaries; and certain other expenses relating to providing medical education under the program. Each medical resident who participates in the program must agree to two years of obligated service at a covered facility or a VA facility for each year in the program. A program participant who fails to satisfy the period of obligated service shall be liable to the United States for prorated portion of the amount paid for program participation. A medical resident who participates in the program shall be eligible for participation in the Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.
Bill· SS. 3401 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Improving Veterans Care in the Community Act of 2016 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should remain the primary means by which eligible veterans access health care, and (2) the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) needs a simple tool by which it can send veterans into the community to receive health care when appropriate. The bill establishes the Care in the Community Program to furnish specified hospital care and medical services to eligible veterans through certain individuals and entities, including through the use of contracts or agreements. The VA shall: (1) administer the program through its Non-VA Care Coordination Program, and (2) establish an interdisciplinary panel to assist in developing a new clinical appeals process for resolving VA health care disputes. The Government Accountability Office shall report on: (1) clinical operations of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), (2) the VA travel benefits program, (3) management of the VA's Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs, and (4) payment by the VA for health care furnished to veterans through non-VA health care providers. The bill repeals specified authorities for emergency treatment reimbursement and contracts for care in non-VA facilities. The bill establishes in the VHA a Payment and Access Commission, which shall: (1) review and make recommendations to Congress regarding VHA policies and regulations affecting veterans health care access, including topics affected by the Care in the Community Program; and (2) create an early-warning system to identify provider shortage areas.
Bill· SS. 3400 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the President from using the Armed Forces to conduct a first-use nuclear strike unless such strike is conducted pursuant to a congressional declaration of war expressly authorizing such strike. "First-use nuclear strike" means a nuclear weapons attack against an enemy that is conducted without the President determining that the enemy has first launched a nuclear strike against the United States or a U.S. ally.
Bill· SS. 3396 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
This bill requires the Department of the Air Force, in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to report on perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonates contamination at Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, Plattsburgh, Hoosick Falls, and Petersburgh, New York, and any other appropriate sites. The report shall include: an accelerated time line and status on the inspection and cleanup at Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, Plattsburgh, Hoosick Falls, and Petersburgh; an update on Air Force efforts to notify everyone potentially impacted by the contamination; an assessment of the Air Force's role, if any, in the new contaminations; a summary of Air Force support for the EPA regarding the latest contaminations; and a proposal requiring financial compensation for cleanup, water accessibility interim programs, and water source filtration initiatives in the event the Air Force is responsible for the contamination.
Bill· HRH.R. 6179 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the President from using the Armed Forces to conduct a first-use nuclear strike unless such strike is conducted pursuant to a congressional declaration of war expressly authorizing such strike. "First-use nuclear strike" means a nuclear weapons attack against an enemy that is conducted without the President determining that the enemy has first launched a nuclear strike against the United States or a U.S. ally.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 579 (114th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2016
Recognizes 40 years since the U.S. Coast Guard Academy became the first military academy to enroll female cadets. Recognizes the contribution women have made as members of the Coast Guard. Commends the Coast Guard for breaking barriers and creating equal opportunities for women in the Armed Forces.
Bill· SS. 3386 (114th)open
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Silver Star Service Banner Day Act This bill designates May 1 as Silver Star Service Banner Day.
Bill· HRH.R. 6153 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
This bill authorizes the military department concerned, in the case of a military manufacturing arsenal, depot, or plant (a government-owned, government-operated defense plant of the Department of the Army that manufactures weapons, weapon components, or both), to authorize leases of and contracts for non-excess military property for a term of up to 25 years if it determines that such a lease or contract will promote the national defense or be in the public interest for the purpose of: helping to maintain the viability of such arsenal, depot, or plant and any military installations on which it is located; eliminating, or at least reducing, the cost of government ownership of the arsenal, depot, or plant; and leveraging private investment at the arsenal, depot, or plant through long-term facility use contracts, property management contracts, leases, or other agreements that support and advance the preceding purposes. The department concerned may delegate such authority to the commander of the major subordinate command of the Army responsible for the arsenal, depot, plant, or installation. The commander may approve such a lease or contract on a case-by-case or class basis. Any lease or contract approved utilizing such authority is subject to a 90-day hold period so that the Army real property manager may review it. If such manager disapproves of it, the agreement shall be null and void upon transmittal to the delegating authority of a written disapproval, including a justification, within the hold period. If no such disapproval is transmitted within such period, the agreement shall be deemed approved. If, by 60 days after receiving a disapproval, the delegating authority submits a new contract or lease that addresses the manager's concerns, it shall be deemed approved unless the manager transmits a disapproval within 30 days of submission. The authority under this bill shall terminate at the close of September 30, 2019.
Bill· HRH.R. 6132 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
National Trauma Care System Act This bill establishes the Task Force on Eliminating Preventable Deaths or Disabilities due to Traumatic Injuries, which shall: (1) develop a plan to establish a national trauma care system to facilitate the U.S. ability to eliminate preventable deaths related to injuries, eliminate trauma-related disabilities, and respond to mass trauma incidents; and (2) establish specific goals and milestones, and federal responsibilities, to carry out the plan. The task force shall ensure that each budget of the President submitted to Congress requests sufficient funding to develop and support the system, and that the system: includes mechanisms for accountability and a data-driven research agenda, ensures military and civilian trauma systems collect and share common data, is developed and carried out in a manner that reduces regulatory and legal barriers to the full integration of the trauma continuum of care, and is capable of responding domestically to any mass casualty incident. The task force shall develop and implement a national trauma research action plan. The Department of Health and Human Services shall: develop and publish standards for trauma care in pre-hospital and hospital settings; identify, evaluate, and implement policies to ensure coordination between pre-hospital and hospital trauma care; work to facilitate the collection and sharing of data among federal and non-governmental trauma systems; revise and clarify existing regulations to minimize barriers to the use and disclosure of protected health information with respect to trauma care; and ensure the civilian trauma systems participate in a structured trauma quality improvement process. The Department of Defense (DOD) shall: submit and implement a plan to establish a Joint Trauma System within the Defense Health Agency that promotes improved trauma care, seek to contract with a non-governmental entity to conduct a system-wide review of the military trauma system, establish a Joint Trauma Education and Training Directorate to ensure that the military trauma care providers maintain readiness and are able to be rapidly deployed for future armed conflicts, partner with civilian trauma centers, determine the number of military trauma care providers that must be maintained within DOD to meet the requirements of the combatant commands, and report on the activities of the Secretarial Designee Program.
Bill· HRH.R. 6151 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Keep Student Veterans in Their Homes Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue to pay educational assistance and subsistence allowances to eligible veterans and eligible persons enrolled in specified courses solely for a monthly housing stipend of up to four months following a permanent school closure. A housing or educational assistance payment shall not be counted against the aggregate period for which such assistance may be provided or charged against the individual's entitlement to educational assistance.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 161 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Recognizes that the intent of the Agent Orange Act of 1991 included the presumption that veterans who served in the Armed Forces in the bays, harbors, and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, were exposed to Agent Orange. Expresses the intent that such veterans who served in those areas and other areas exposed to Agent Orange who have been diagnosed with connected medical conditions should be equally recognized for such exposure through equitable benefits and coverage. Calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs to acknowledge such intent, rescind specified parts of the VA Adjudication Procedure Manual M21-1 pertaining to developing claims based on herbicide exposure in Vietnam, and reissue guidance extending presumptive coverage for Agent Orange exposure to such veterans.
Resolution· SCONRESS.Con.Res. 51 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Recognizes that the intent of the Agent Orange Act of 1991 included the presumption that veterans who served in the Armed Forces in the bays, harbors, and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, were exposed to Agent Orange. Expresses the intent that such veterans who served in those areas and other areas exposed to Agent Orange who have been diagnosed with connected medical conditions should be equally recognized for such exposure through equitable benefits and coverage. Calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs to acknowledge such intent, rescind specified parts of the VA Adjudication Procedure Manual M21-1 pertaining to developing claims based on herbicide exposure in Vietnam, and reissue guidance extending presumptive coverage for Agent Orange exposure to such veterans.
Bill· HRH.R. 6124 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Housing our Military Servicemembers Act of 2016 or the HOMeS Act of 2016 This bill amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to direct the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide incentives to geographic areas under the Continuum of Care program for using funds for activities proven to be effective at reducing homelessness for former servicemembers of the Armed Forces.
Bill· HRH.R. 6114 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Charles Duncan Buried with Honor Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), if it is unable to identify a deceased veteran's next of kin and if it determines that sufficient resources for the furnishing of a casket or urn for the burial of such veteran are not otherwise available, to furnish a casket or urn for the burial of such veteran in a national cemetery (current law) or in a veterans cemetery of a state or tribal organization for which the VA has provided a grant for the establishment, expansion, and improvement of veterans' cemeteries.
Bill· HRH.R. 6096 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Arla Harrell Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reconsider and make a new determination regarding each claim for disability compensation in connection with exposure to mustard gas or lewisite during active military, naval, or air service during World War II that was denied before this bill's enactment. The VA or the Department of Defense (DOD): (1) shall presume that a veteran experienced full-body exposure to mustard gas or lewisite unless proven otherwise; and (2) may not use information contained in the DOD and VA Chemical Biological Warfare Database or any list of known testing sites for mustard gas or lewisite maintained by the VA or DOD as the sole reason for determining that the veteran did not experience such exposure. The VA shall report to Congress every 90 days on reconsidered claims that were denied. The VA and DOD shall jointly establish a policy for processing future claims in connection with such exposure. The bill requires DOD, for purposes of determining whether a site should be added to the list of DOD sites where mustard gas or lewisite testing occurred, to: (1) investigate and assess sites where the Army Corps of Engineers has uncovered evidence of mustard gas or lewisite testing or where more than two veterans submitted claims in connection with exposure that were denied; and (2) report on experiments conducted by DOD during World War II to assess the effects of mustard gas and lewisite. The VA shall: (1) investigate and assess VA actions to reach out to individuals who had been exposed in such experiments, the disability compensation claims that were filed, and the percentage of such claims that were denied; and (2) submit a comprehensive list of each location where such an experiment was conducted.
Bill· HRH.R. 6108 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Never Again Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), upon the request of a veteran who is enrolled in the VA health care system and entitled to in-patient psychiatric care, to furnish such veteran with in-patient psychiatric care at: (1) the VA facility that is closest to where the veteran resides and that has the capacity and capability to provide such care, or (2) at a non-VA facility if the VA facility lacks such capacity or capability.
Bill· HRH.R. 6107 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to enter into agreements with public or private entities to fund, through the award of a grant or the use of a contract, a portion of the pro bono legal services such entities provide to homeless veterans or veterans at risk of homelessness related to housing, family law, income support, and criminal defense.
Bill· SS. 3379 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Surface Transportation and Maritime Security Act This bill requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to assess, and implement a risk-based strategy to address, threats posed to surface transportation and maritime systems. The TSA shall establish the Surface Transportation and Maritime Security Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for improvements to surface transportation and maritime security. In addition, the bill: allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expand the TSA's explosives-detection canine-team program; requires the Government Accountability Office to study specified matters related to surface transportation; expands the permissible uses of railroad security improvement grants; requires the TSA to issue a decision on the use of a passenger vetting system by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); requires the TSA to establish processes to improve background checks and terrorism vetting; requires DHS to commission an assessment of its transportation security card program and, if applicable, develop a corrective action plan; with respect to transportation security card applications, establishes priority for members of the Armed Forces; requires DHS to evaluate cargo-container scanning technologies; and revises other provisions related to transportation security.
Bill· SS. 3377 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Enhancing Military and Police Operations through Women's Engagement and Recruitment Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of State, in coordination with the Department of Defense (DOD), to seek to increase the participation of women receiving training under the International Military Education and Training program at U.S. military schools and training institutions, with the goal of doubling female participation globally by September 30, 2019. The State Department shall seek to increase the participation of women receiving training under its Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) programs, with the goal of doubling the total women receiving such training by September 30, 2019, and make explicit in its mandate for ATA programs its priority to increase women's participation. State shall work with partner countries receiving peacekeeping training assistance to: (1) prioritize the integration, training, and deployment of qualified female peacekeepers in peace operations; (2) prioritize the employment, development, and integration of female peacekeeping trainers; and (3) double the number of qualified women deployed to peace operations within five years. State also shall: promote an increase in the recruitment, retention, and leadership roles of female personnel assigned to United Nations peacekeeping missions; establish female participation requirements for its police training programs and work with partner countries to ensure that women account for at least 10% of nominees for U.S.-funded police training programs; make explicit its priority to increase women's participation in the design and implementation of all police training programs; develop a plan for the monitoring and independent evaluation of programs, projects, and activities carried out under this bill; and designate officials to brief Congress regarding actions taken under this Act.
Bill· SS. 3369 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Empowering Law Enforcement to Keep America Safe Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal criminal code to expand the categories of subscriber transactional records that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may request from wire or electronic communication service providers about a person or entity for an authorized investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities. Under current law, the FBI may request a person's or an entity's name, address, length of service, and telephone toll billing records. The bill allows the FBI to also request: email addresses, telephone numbers, instrument numbers, or other account identifying information; means and sources of payment (including card or bank account information); account numbers, login history, service start dates, or types of services; IP addresses or network addresses; or communication addressing, routing, or transmission information (excluding cell tower information), session times, or durations for an electronic communication. The bill prohibits the FBI from requesting the contents of an electronic communication. The bill also amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to make permanent the government's authority to track a non-U.S. person who engages in international terrorism or preparatory activities (commonly referred to as a "lone wolf") under the same evidentiary standards that apply to an agent of a foreign power under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. (Currently, this provision is scheduled to expire on December 15, 2019.)
Bill· SS. 3367 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out major medical facility leases in specified amounts for: outpatient clinics in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Daytona Beach, Gainesville, and Ocala, Florida; Hampton Roads, Virginia; Missoula, Montana; Northern Colorado, Colorado; Oxnard and Santa Rosa, California; Pike County, Georgia; Portland, Maine; and Raleigh, North Carolina; an outpatient mental health clinic and an outpatient specialty clinic in Birmingham, Alabama; research space in Boston, Massachusetts; Charleston, South Carolina; and Mission Bay, California; Chief Business Office Purchased Care office space in Denver, Colorado; and replacement outpatient clinics in Corpus Christi, Texas; Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida; Pontiac, Michigan; Rochester, New York (phase II); and Terre Haute, Indiana.
Bill· HRH.R. 6091 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Immigrant Veterans Eligibility Tracking System (I-VETS) Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: identify aliens, when they apply for an immigration benefit or are placed in an immigration enforcement proceeding, who are serving, or have served, as a member of a regular or reserve component of the Armed Forces on active duty or as a member of a reserve component in an active status; and annotate all DHS immigration and naturalization records relating to an identified alien to reflect such identification and afford an opportunity to track the outcomes for such aliens.
Bill· HRH.R. 6093 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Naturalization at Training Sites Act of 2016 or the NATS Act This bill directs the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard, to establish a naturalization office with trained personnel at each initial military training site of the Armed Forces. The military department concerned shall: (1) identify members of the Armed Forces who are not U.S. citizens and inform them of the availability of naturalization services at such offices; and (2) pending establishment of a naturalization office at all initial military training sites, assign new non-citizen members of the Armed Forces to an initial military training site that has such an office.
Bill· HRH.R. 6078 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
VA Accountability for Location of Records Act or the VALOR Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish, within 14 days after receiving a request, any record in its custody pertaining to a claim, or relating to the military service or medical records of a veteran, that the VA is otherwise authorized to furnish to the requester. If the VA is unable to furnish a record by such time, it shall inform the requester within 10 days after receiving the request of the reason for the delay and the estimated date on which the record will be furnished.
Bill· SS. 3364 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016 or the CHIP IN for Vets Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a pilot program under which it may accept up to five donations from specified non-federal entities of: (1) real property that includes a constructed facility or that is to be used as the site of a facility constructed by the entity, and (2) a facility to be constructed by the entity on real property of the VA. The VA may accept such a donation only if the property is: (1) a property for which funds have been appropriated for a VA facility project, or (2) identified both as meeting a VA need as part of its long-range capital planning process and as the location for a VA facility project that is included on the Strategic Capital Investment Planning process priority list in the most recent budget submitted by the President. Also, the entity must agree to: independently donate the real property, improvements, goods, or services for the VA facility project in an amount acceptable to the VA and at no additional cost to the federal government; conduct all necessary environmental and historic preservation due diligence; comply with all local zoning requirements (except for federally required studies and consultations); obtain all permits required in connection with the construction of the facility; use construction standards required of the VA when designing and building the facility; and provide the real property, improvements, goods, or services in a manner sufficient to complete the construction of the facility, at no additional cost to the federal government. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress, at least biennially, on the donation arrangements entered into under the pilot program. The VA's authority to accept donations under the program shall terminate five years after the date of this bill's enactment.
Bill· SS. 3363 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for the Defense of Israel, 2016 This bill provides FY2016 emergency supplemental appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) and for the Foreign Military Financing Program to assist Israel in addressing security threats from Iran. The bill provides funding to DOD for Procurement and Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation to provide to the government of Israel for the procurement of missile defense systems to address security threats from Iran, subject to previously established transfer procedures and in accordance with U.S-Israeli production agreements. The bill also provides funding to the President for the Foreign Military Financing Program for assistance for Israel to address security threats from Iran. The funds provided by this bill are designated as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules. The funds are only available if the President subsequently designates the amounts as emergency spending and transmits the designations to Congress. The bill amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to reauthorize sanctions against Iran until December 31, 2031. (Under current law, the sanctions expire on December 31, 2016.)
Bill· HRH.R. 6089 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
Financial Independence for Disabled Veterans Act of 2016 This bill requires the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board to prescribe regulations to permit continued participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) by a member of the uniformed services after such member's discharge or release from service if such individual is entitled to veterans disability compensation. For purposes of provisions regarding TSP contributions, such individual's monthly veterans disability compensation shall be deemed to be his or her basic pay for a monthly pay period, but such individual's contribution shall not require or authorize a matching government contribution.
Bill· HRH.R. 6071 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
This bill provides continuing FY2017 appropriations to most federal agencies until the earlier of December 9, 2016, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations legislation. It prevents a government shutdown that would otherwise occur when FY2017 begins on October 1, 2016, because the FY2017 appropriations bills that fund the federal government have not been enacted. The bill specifies the rates of operations for security and nonsecurity programs for the duration of the continuing appropriations. The bill enacts, by reference, the provisions of the conference report for H.R. 2577 (Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 and Zika Response and Preparedness Act). American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 or the American SAFE Act of 2015 The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence must take specified actions to ensure that certain aliens from Iraq or Syria receive thorough background investigations and are certified not to be a security threat prior to being admitted to the United States as refugees. Protecting Internet Freedom Act The Department of Commerce may not allow the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's responsibility for Internet domain name system functions to cease unless a federal statute enacted after enactment of this bill expressly grants Commerce the authority. Commerce must certify to Congress that the United States: (1) secured sole ownership of the .gov and .mil top-level domains, and (2) entered into a contract with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers that provides the U.S. government with exclusive control and use of those domains in perpetuity.
Bill· HJRESH.J.Res. 98 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
This joint resolution prohibits the issuance of a letter of offer with respect to proposed sales to the government of Saudi Arabia of 153 M1A1/A2 Abrams Tank structures and specified other defense equipment and ammunition.
Bill· SS. 3351 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2016
Keep Terrorists Off the Battlefield Act This bill prohibits U.S. agency funds from being used to transfer an individual detained at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: (1) from Department of Defense (DOD) custody or control to the custody or control of another U.S. agency, (2) to the custody or control of any Western Hemisphere country or entity within such country, or (3) to any country or entity that does not have laws prohibiting acts of terrorism or material support for such acts. "Individual detained at Guantanamo Bay" means any individual located at Guantanamo naval station as of October 1, 2009, who is: (1) not a U.S. national or a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, and (2) in DOD custody or control or otherwise under detention at Guantanamo. No U.S. agency funds may be used to fund activities, envoys, or offices to carry out activities to close Guantanamo naval station. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that any individual who was detained at Guantanamo and is suspected of or confirmed by U.S. intelligence as having re-engaged in terrorist activity after being released should be arrested and returned to detention at Guantanamo.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 571 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2016
Recognizes the dedicated service and ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the United States 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.
Bill· SS. 3336 (114th)open
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
This bill authorizes the military department concerned, in the case of a military manufacturing arsenal (a government-owned, government-operated defense plant of the Department of Defense that manufactures weapons, weapon components, or both), to authorize leases of and contracts for non-excess military property for a term of up to 25 years if it determines that such a lease or contract will promote the national defense or be in the public interest for the purpose of: helping to maintain the viability of such arsenal and any military installations on which it is located; eliminating, or at least reducing, the cost of government ownership of the arsenal; and leveraging private investment at the arsenal through long-term facility use contracts, property management contracts, leases, or other agreements that support and advance the preceding purposes. The department concerned may delegate such authority to the commander of the major subordinate command of the Army responsible for the arsenal or installation. The commander may approve such a lease or contract on a case-by-case or class basis. Any lease or contract approved utilizing such authority is subject to a 90-day hold period so that the Army real property manager may review it. If such manager disapproves of it, the agreement shall be null and void upon transmittal to the delegating authority of a written disapproval, including a justification, within the hold period. If no such disapproval is transmitted within such period, the agreement shall be deemed approved. If, by 60 days after receiving a disapproval, the delegating authority submits a new contract or lease that addresses the manager's concerns, it shall be deemed approved unless the manager transmits a disapproval within 30 days of submission. The authority under this bill shall terminate at the close of September 30, 2019.
Bill· HRH.R. 6062 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Supporting, Employing, and Recognizing Veterans in Communities Everywhere Act or the SERVICE Act TITLE I--ACCOUNTABILITY This bill establishes in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection and expands VA whistleblower protections. The VA may remove and suspend (without pay) employees based on performance or misconduct that threatens the health and safety of veterans. The VA: (1) shall reduce the federal annuity of an individual removed from the VA Senior Executive Service (SES) who is convicted of a felony that influenced his or her performance; (2) may reduce the federal annuity of an individual who was convicted of such a felony and was subject to removal or transfer from the SES but who left the VA before final action was taken; and (3) may recoup awards, bonus, or relocation expenses paid to a VA employee who has committed an act of fraud, waste, or malfeasance. TITLE II--HEALTH CARE The VA may enter into contracts or agreements with eligible providers to furnish hospital care and medical services to electing, eligible veterans, which include veterans who are unable to schedule an appointment with a VA health care provider within a specified time frame or who do not reside within 40 miles of a VA medical facility. Such provisions may be referred to as the Veterans Choice Program. VA emergency treatment reimbursement in non-VA facilities shall include reimbursement for urgent care. The bill: (1) expands and makes permanent the VA childcare program for beneficiaries,and (2) provides for adoption assistance for certain disabled veterans. The caregiver support program is terminated on October 1, 2020. The bill: (1) authorizes the transfer of entitlement to Post 9/11 education assistance to family members by veterans who are retired for a physical disability or who are seriously injured veterans in need of family caregiver services, without regard to length-of-service requirements; (2) expands the family caregiver program; (3) establishes the Office of Health Care Quality in the Veterans Health Administration; and (4) revises physician recruitment and retention provisions. The VA shall: (1) report annually, through 2020, on disability claims based on a mental health condition alleged to have been incurred or aggravated by military sexual trauma; (2) establish a pilot program for veterans with chronic pain issues, including those veterans who are dependent on opioids; and (3) establish a center of excellence for the treatment of burn pit and other environmental exposures. TITLE III--EDUCATION The bill increases oversight of schools eligible to receive veterans benefits and increases counseling and access to information for student veterans. The VA shall establish: (1) an interagency working group to share information on education programs that employ deceptive or misleading practices, and (2) the Grow Our Own Directive (G.O.O.D.) pilot program to provide educational assistance to certain former members of the Armed Forces for education and training as VA physician assistants. If, as a result of a permanent school closure, a veteran is forced to discontinue a course, did not receive credit, or lost training time toward completion of the education program, VA educational assistance payments shall not be: (1) charged against the individual's entitlement to educational assistance, or (2) counted against the aggregate assistance period. Certain reserves active duty time shall be considered for purposes of Post-9/11 educational assistance eligibility. TITLE IV--DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND PENSION The bill amends the disability benefits appeals process. The definition of "spouse" is amended for purposes of veterans' benefits to require the VA to recognize a marriage based on the law of the state where the marriage occurred. A marriage that occurs outside a state shall be recognized if such marriage is lawful in the place where it occurs and could have been entered into under the laws of any state. The bill allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability. The bill extends for two years: (1) the VA presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicides, including Agent Orange, with respect to specified veterans who served in Vietnam; and (2) VA authority to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate evidence regarding associations between diseases and exposure to dioxin and other chemical compounds in herbicides, including herbicides used in military operations in the Vietnam and each disease suspected to be associated with such exposure. TITLE V--HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS VA homeless veterans reintegration programs are extended. The VA shall begin a three-year pilot program to assess the feasibility of awarding grants to eligible entities to purchase and renovate abandoned homes for homeless veterans. The bill establishes the Veterans Homelessness Grant Fund. TITLE VI--EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING The Department of Defense (DOD) may carry out a pilot program to enhance DOD efforts to provide job placement assistance and related employment services directly to members of the National Guard and Reserves and veterans of the Armed Forces. The VA may, in awarding a contract or task order for the procurement of goods or services, give preference to offerors based on the percentage of their full-time employees who are veterans. The Department of of Labor shall carry out a five-year pilot program to award grants to manufacturing employers and labor-management organizations that provide eligible veterans with training, apprenticeships, and certification. TITLE VII--CONSTRUCTION AND LEASES No funds may be appropriated for any major medical facility lease unless the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives adopt resolutions approving the lease. The VA shall: (1) enter into partnership agreements with appropriate non-federal entities for major construction projects, and (2) carry out a pilot program to accept the donation of medical facilities and related property. The VA may carry out: (1) certain leases at the Department of Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Campus in Los Angeles, California; and (2) a major medical facility lease for an outpatient clinic in Oxnard, California. TITLE VIII--OTHER MATTERS The Department of Homeland Security shall: (1) establish a program to permit eligible deported noncitizen veterans to enter the United States as, and to permit eligible noncitizen veterans in the United States to adjust their status to that of, a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence; and (2) cancel the removal of eligible noncitizen veterans and allow them to similarly adjust their status. Each military department shall ensure that its oral historians review the circumstances surrounding members of the Armed Forces who were discharged between World War II and September 2011 because of their sexual orientation. Certain service performed before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts is deemed to be active military service for VA benefits purposes.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 871 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Calls upon: (1) the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, other elements of the Department of Defense and the federal government, and all foreign countries to intensify efforts to investigate, recover, identify and account for all missing and unaccounted for U.S. personnel; and (2) all foreign countries with information on missing U.S. personnel, or with missing U.S. personnel within their territories, to cooperate with the U.S. government to provide the fullest possible accounting for all such personnel.
Bill· HRH.R. 6046 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Homeless Veterans Legal Services Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to enter into partnerships with public or private entities to fund a portion of the legal services such entities provide to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness related to housing, family law, income support, and criminal defense.
Bill· HRH.R. 6038 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
National Veterans Memorial and Museum Act This bill designates the Veterans Memorial and Museum currently being constructed in Columbus, Ohio, as the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.
Bill· SS. 3342 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
National Veterans Memorial and Museum Act This bill designates the Veterans Memorial and Museum currently being constructed in Columbus, Ohio, as the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.
Bill· SS. 3340 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Respectful Interment for Passing Veterans Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into a contract with at least one funeral home near each VA medical center for the expeditious provision of burial and funeral services for deceased veterans: who at the time of death were in receipt of compensation or a pension, or with respect to whom the VA determines that there is no next of kin or other person claiming the body and there are insufficient resources to cover burial and funeral expenses. The VA must: establish a policy on the provision of respectful and timely burial of such veterans, ensure that such policy is based on best practices used in the private sector, and balance the interests of the deceased in identifying the deceased's next of kin and in having a timely burial. The VA shall follow state and local government practices with respect to the treatment of unclaimed remains of deceased veterans until it establishes such policy. The VA shall report annually regarding the remains of covered veterans who died in the most recently completed calendar year.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 564 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Condemns the North Korean regime for continuing its dangerous provocations. Calls on: (1) such regime to unconditionally abandon its nuclear weapons and missile programs, and (2) China to exercise its leverage to halt such programs. Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to defending allies in the region, including through deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery to South Korea and through joint U.S.-Japan efforts to develop the next generation of missile defense interceptors. Reinforces longstanding U.S. commitments to provide extended deterrence to South Korea and Japan. Expresses support for ongoing efforts to strengthen the U.S.-South Korea alliance, to defend the alliance against provocations by North Korea, and to protect U.S. Armed Forces stationed on the Korean Peninsula. Calls on all Security Council members to pass new measures under Article 41 of the United Nations Charter, including: stricter measures to eliminate exceptions in current Security Council resolution sanctions; further restrictions on imports and exports of such sectoral commodities as coal, iron, and precious metals and the prohibition on fuel oil exports to North Korea; elimination of access to international financial markets and banking for entities involved in North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs; restrictions on the use of North Korean subcontractors in global supply chains; restrictions on the supply of aviation fuel and a ban on civilian aviation; a ban on bulk cash transfers to and from North Korea; prevention of the use of North Korean labor in third-country projects and agreements; and a downgrading of North Korean diplomatic representation.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 563 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Calls upon: (1) the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, other elements of the Department of Defense and the federal government, and all foreign countries to intensify efforts to investigate, recover, identify and account for all missing and unaccounted for U.S. personnel; and (2) all foreign countries with information on missing U.S. personnel, or with missing U.S. personnel within their territories, to cooperate with the U.S. government to provide the fullest possible accounting for all such personnel.
Bill· HRH.R. 6047 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Taiwan Travel Act This bill states that it should be U.S. policy to permit: (1) high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the United States under respectful conditions and to meet with U.S. officials, including officials from the Department of State and the Department of Defense; and (2) the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, and any other instrumentality established by Taiwan, to conduct official business in the United States.
Bill· HRH.R. 6034 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2016
Classified Information Protection Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal criminal code to specify that the government need not prove intent to harm the United States when prosecuting a: (1) person entrusted with national defense information who permits the loss or removal of such information through gross negligence; or (2) government employee, contractor, or consultant who commits unauthorized removal and retention of classified material.
Bill· HRH.R. 6024 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2016
Federal Law Enforcement and Public Protection Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to direct each civilian or military federal law enforcement agency to prescribe requirements for the safe storage and locking of service firearms when they are not in use. It specifies minimum standards for safe storage and locking, directs agencies to report lost or stolen firearms, and requires agencies to provide training and written materials to law enforcement officers.
Bill· SS. 3330 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2016
Accountability to Safeguard Veterans from Violent Crimes Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the covered service of an individual who is removed (or who retires before being removed) from a specified medical professional position in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and who is convicted of committing a crime of violence against a veteran while employed in such position from being taken into account for purposes of calculating a federal retirement annuity for such individual. "Covered service" means the period of service beginning on the date the VA determines such individual engaged in activity that gave rise to the removal action and ending on the date such individual is removed from or leaves VA employment. An individual whose annuity is reduced pursuant to this bill shall be entitled to be paid so much of such individual's lump-sum credit as is attributable to such period of covered service.
Bill· SS. 3328 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2016
Department of Veterans Affairs Appeals Modernization Act of 2016 This bill amends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits appeals process to permit a claimant to request: a review of the agency of original jurisdiction's decision by a higher-level adjudicator within the agency based on the original evidence; or a Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA) review under which no BVA hearing is requested and no additional evidence may be submitted or under which a BVA hearing is requested and the appellant requests an opportunity to submit additional evidence at, and within 90 days of, the hearing (for which the BVA shall maintain two separate dockets). (The term "agency of original jurisdiction" means the activity which entered the original determination with regard to a claim for veterans benefits.) The bill prescribes additional information that must be included in the notice of a denied benefit. A finding favorable to a claimant is binding on all subsequent VA adjudicators unless clear and convincing evidence is shown to the contrary. If a claim is denied the claimant may, within one year after the agency of original jurisdiction issues a decision with respect to such claim: (1) file a request for higher-level review, (2) file a supplemental claim, or (3) file a notice of disagreement. The BVA may remand a claim to the agency to obtain a corrective advisory medical opinion. The VA shall provide for expedited treatment by the agency of original jurisdiction of any claim that is remanded by the BVA. The bill revises effective dates of awards provisions. The bill repeals a provision authorizing the BVA to secure an independent medical expert's opinion when warranted by the medical complexity or controversy involved in an appeal case. The VA's duty to assist a claimant shall not apply: (1) once the claimant is provided notice of the agency's initial decision, and (2) to higher-level agency or BVA review. The VA is not required to send notice for a supplemental claim or to readjudicate a claim that has been disallowed except when new and relevant evidence is presented or secured (currently such provision applies to reopening such claim). A claimants's notice of disagreement must set out specific allegations of error of fact or law. The BVA is authorized to dismiss an appeal that fails to do so.