Defence

Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2015

Department of State Operations Authorization and Embassy Security Act, Fiscal Year 2016 TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE AUTHORITIES AND ACTIVITIES This bill directs the Department of State (Department) to report to Congress regarding: Department costs incurred to provide American Spaces; the status of all ongoing investment treaty negotiations; conditions in Hong Kong of interest to the United States, and whether Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is sufficiently autonomous to justify different treatment for its citizens from the treatment accorded to other citizens of China; civil or political rights violations against ethnic, racial, or religious minorities in Burma (Myanmar); efforts to ensure the peaceful resolution of Venezuela's political situation; the sale of defense articles and defense services to Ukraine; the debt environment for developing countries and near-term risks to debt sustainability; country reports on corruption practices; cases of enforced disappearances in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador; Bahrain's implementation of the recommendations in the 2011 Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry; known or suspected penetrations or compromises of Department information systems or networks; efforts to promote equal opportunity for all American employees in direct hire and personal service contractors status, particularly Foreign Service employees; activities at the United Nations (U.N.) and its subagencies that can be construed to exhibit an anti-Semitic bias; evaluation and prioritization of current U.N. peacekeeping missions; U.S. citizen staffing at international organizations that includes an assessment of U.S. representation among professional and senior-level positions at the U.N. and its specialized agencies; enhancement of the Marine Corps Security Guard program; high risk, high threat overseas posts; counterintelligence threats to U.S. diplomatic facilities in Priority 1 Counterintelligence Threat Nations; and the status of post-earthquake recovery and development efforts in Haiti. The President shall designate an existing federal officer as the Interagency Hostage Recovery Coordinator to coordinate efforts to secure the release of U.S. persons held hostage outside the United States. The Department shall conduct a review of the United States-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Funds are made available to support efforts by American and European Jewish and other civil society organizations to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of religious, ethnic, or racial intolerance in Europe. The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1979 is amended to authorize the Department to provide grants or enter into cooperative agreements for science and technology fellowship programs. The Department is authorized to provide for U.S. participation in the Information Sharing Centre in Singapore. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to revise reporting requirements concerning the importation of rough diamonds into the United States not controlled through the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. It is the sense of Congress that: the alliance between the United States and Japan is a cornerstone of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world; and the United States and Japan oppose the use of coercion or force to change the status quo, including in the East and South China Seas. It is the sense of Congress that the United States should: expand defense cooperation with India, and welcome India's role in providing security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. It is the sense of Congress that: the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance has served as an anchor for security and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, in the Asia-Pacific region, and around the world; and the United States and the Republic of Korea share concerns that the nuclear, cyber, and ballistic missiles programs of North Korea and its repeated provocations threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. It is the sense of Congress that: U.S. policy toward Taiwan is based upon the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances given by President Ronald Reagan in 1982, provision of defensive weapons to Taiwan should continue, and enhanced trade relations with Taiwan should be pursued. The Department shall: develop a Middle East strategy in the event of a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran, and produce a comprehensive strategy relating to U.S. international cyberspace policy. The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to declare that, if an immigrant visa was issued on or after March 27, 2013, for a child who has been lawfully adopted, or who is coming to the United States to be adopted by a U.S. citizen, any statutory immigrant visa fees relating to renewal or replacement of such visa may be waived or refunded under specified circumstances. It is the sense of Congress that ensuring justice for U.S. victims of Iranian acts of terrorism who hold related legal judgments against Iran should be expeditiously addressed. The American Hostages in Iran Compensation Fund is established in the Treasury. Congress: supports the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of post-Soviet countries within their internationally recognized borders; and urges the consideration of additional sanctions if the Russian Federation continues to engage in subversive and destabilizing activities within such countries. It is the sense of Congress that a successful strategy must be implemented to counter the Russian Federation's propaganda war against the United States and our allies. The President is authorized to establish an Interagency Atrocities Prevention Board. The Department shall develop a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The Department shall conduct a quadrennial diplomacy and development review which shall include recommendations for long-term U.S. diplomacy and development policy. It is the sense of Congress that sanctions against North Korea should be strengthened. TITLE II--ORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE An existing Deputy Assistant Secretary within each regional bureau shall be tasked with the responsibility for economic matters and interests, including integration of foreign economic policy priorities. The Department shall conduct a review of the jurisdictional responsibility of the Bureau of African Affairs and that of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs relating to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended to require the Department to ensure the meaningful inclusion of women among the personnel responsible for, or deploying to, countries or regions considered to be at risk of undergoing, or emerging from violent conflict. The Department shall consult with the National Security Agency and other appropriate departments or agencies regarding the security of U.S. government and nongovernment information technology systems and networks owned, operated, or utilized by the Department, including sensitive or classified information systems. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended to direct the Department to convene an advisory committee to the interagency working group to prevent international parental child abduction. A Director of Research and Evaluation shall be appointed in the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. It is the sense of Congress that the Department should allocate specified funds for research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs. The Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 is amended to extend The United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. The Department shall: strengthen the institutional capacity of the Bureau of African Affairs to oversee programs and engage in strategic planning, and commission an independent assessment of Foreign Service Officer compensation. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended to repeal the certification requirement for Senior Foreign Service members. The Department shall: establish a process for employees to appeal any assignment restriction; and ensure that a Foreign Service member is not assigned to, or restricted from, a position in a particular geographic area, or domestically in a position working on issues relating to a particular geographic area, exclusively on the basis of the member's race, ethnicity, or religion. The Department is authorized to suspend a Foreign Service member without pay under specified circumstances. Entitles such person to specified protections. The Department shall: increase the number of fellows selected for the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program, the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program, and the Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Program; and conduct a review of the jurisdictional responsibilities of the Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 is amended to require the Department to brief Congress concerning countries that will be upgraded to a higher tier or downgraded to a lower tier. The Department shall develop a curriculum for Foreign Service officers that includes training on international religious freedom. TITLE III--INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Each time the U.N. General Assembly modifies the assessment levels for peacekeeping operations the Department shall submit a report to Congress describing: (1) the change of the peacekeeping assessment charged to each member state; and (2) how the economic and strategic interests of each of the U.N. Security Council permanent members is served by each peacekeeping mission currently in force. Prior to a vote on a resolution approving a new, or reauthorizing an existing, peacekeeping mission under the auspices of any multilateral organization in which the United States participates, the Department shall submit a report to Congress describing measures taken to prevent and hold accountable employees, contractors, or members of the mission forces from engaging in acts of trafficking in persons, exploitation of victims of trafficking, or sexual exploitation or abuse. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to include in the Department's human rights report to the Speaker of the House and to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for each country that contributes personnel to U.N. peacekeeping missions, a description of: allegations of such personnel engaging in acts of trafficking in persons, exploitation of victims of trafficking, or sexual exploitation and abuse while participating in such a peacekeeping mission; and repatriations of personnel resulting from such an allegation, and resulting actions taken by the country. U.S. funding shall not be provided for any peacekeeping mission without a periodic mandate renewal. TITLE IV--CONSULAR AUTHORITIES The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to eliminate the exception to the visa prohibition for certain child abductors or persons aiding abductors. Visa information sharing provisions with foreign government provisions are revised. TITLE V--EMBASSY SECURITY Funds made available in FY2016 for worldwide security protection shall be allocated for: (1) immediate threat mitigation support at high threat, high risk facilities; (2) immediate threat mitigation support at other facilities; and (3) high vulnerability locations. The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 is amended regarding local guard contracts for a Foreign Service building to authorize the Department to award contracts on the basis of best value (as determined by a cost-technical trade off analysis), especially for high threat, high risk posts. The Diplomatic Security Act is amended to provide that unsatisfactory leadership by a senior official regarding a security incident involving loss of life, serious injury, or significant property destruction at or related to a U.S. government mission abroad may be grounds for disciplinary action. Nothing in this Act or any other provision of law shall be construed to prevent the Department from taking personnel action against any Department employee or official who has breached his or her duty or has engaged in misconduct or unsatisfactorily performed such duties in a manner that has significantly contributed to the serious injury, loss of life, or significant destruction of property, or a serious breach of security. The State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 is amended to authorize the Department to provide physical security enhancements at overseas educational facilities established for the children of U.S. government employees. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on the Department's progress in implementing the recommendations of the Benghazi Accountability Review Board. TITLE VI--MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY Improving Department of State Oversight Act of 2015 Competitive status for appointment to a position in the competitive service for which an employee is qualified is granted to any employee of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGRI) who was not terminated for cause, and who completes at least 12 months of service at any time before the termination of the SIGRI on October 5, 2013. Each Department entity under the Foreign Service Act of 1980 shall report to the Inspector General (IG) who may investigate specified allegations of: (1) program waste, fraud, or abuse, or criminal or serious misconduct on the part of Department employees; and (2) serious, noncriminal misconduct on the part of any individual who is authorized to carry a weapon, make arrests, or conduct searches.

A bill to require a regional strategy to address the threat posed by Boko Haram.

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2015

This bill requires: the Department of State and the Department of Defense to jointly develop and submit to Congress a five-year strategy to help Nigeria, members of the Multinational Joint Task Force to Combat Boko Haram, and relevant partners to counter Boko Haram, and to assist Nigeria and its neighbors to address legitimate grievances of vulnerable populations in areas affected by Boko Haram; and the Director of National Intelligence to assess Nigeria's willingness and capability to implement such strategy.

To make technical amendments to update statutory references to provisions classified to chapters 44, 45, 46, and 47 of title 50, United States Code.

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2015

This bill makes technical amendments to statutory references to title 50 (War and National Defense) of the U.S. Code, especially with respect to: national security, miscellaneous intelligence community authorities, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency.

Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2015

Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 This bill authorizes appropriations for the Coast Guard for FY2016-FY2017. Specified senior officers of the Coast Guard shall be upgraded, and a plan shall be developed for biennial multirater assessments of Coast Guard officers. The Coast Guard may contract for the acquisition of Polar Icebreakers and associated equipment using incremental funding. The Department in which the Coast Guard is operating (Department in this Act, unless otherwise noted) shall: complete a materiel condition assessment with respect to the USCGC (U.S. Coast Guard Cutter) Polar Sea, and determine whether it is cost effective to reactivate the USCGC Polar Sea when compared with other options to provide icebreaking services as part of a strategy to maintain polar icebreaking services. The Coast Guard may contract on a sole source basis with a tax-exempt nonprofit organization that the Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association may establish in order to apply for and administer federal, state, or other educational research grants on behalf of the Coast Guard Academy. The bill repeals the prohibition against expending appropriated federal funds for the engineering, design, or construction of a National Coast Guard Museum. The Coast Guard shall consult with the Department of Defense anytime a report of allegations of misconduct are made against senior officials (flag officers and Senior Executive Service). Whistleblower protections for seamen reporting possible violations of a maritime safety or environmental protection law or regulation shall extend to those reporting to a vessel owner, a vessel operator, or the seaman's employer. The bill prescribes criminal penalties for destruction of evidence during maritime counter-drug operations and maritime bulk cash smuggling. Requirements and prohibitions for the carriage of liquid bulk dangerous cargoes shall apply to fishing or fish tender vessels of 500 gross tons or less if they carry flammable or combustible liquid cargoes in bulk. The Department and the Department of Transportation shall establish policies and practices to ensure that the authorities, including those for civil and criminal penalties, relating to maritime transportation of hazardous materials are enforced in the same manner and to the same extent. The Department may develop and propose a model for a national recreational vessel training curriculum and education standards for operators of recreational vessels equipped with propulsion machinery of any kind. Freedom of Information requirements for federal agencies shall not apply to a question from any examination for a merchant seamen license, certificate, or document, let alone the answer. The Department shall develop a sample merchant mariner exam and outline of merchant mariner exam topics on an annual basis. The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 is revised with regard to the application to Cape Flattery, Washington, of certain requirements for tank vessel response plans. The Department may treat as one of its own any assessment of the effectiveness of a foreign port's antiterrorism measures conducted by a foreign government or by an international organization if certain requirements are met. In establishing a model year for recreational vessels and associated equipment, the Department shall begin the model year on June 1 of one year and end it on July 31 of the following year, which shall also be the year designated. The Department shall amend regulations relating to weights of outboard motor and related equipment for various boat horsepower ratings to reflect Standard 30-Outboard Engine and Related Equipment Weights published by the American Boat and Yacht Council. The Department shall make a minimum of $59 million of direct loan obligations available each fiscal year for repairs or replacements of fishing vessels according to historic uses. The prohibition against federal direct loans or loan guarantees for the construction or rebuilding of fishing vessels exceeding specified dimensions shall not apply to vessels in specified fisheries. Certain fishing or fish tender vessels of between 50 and 190 feet in length, which are built after January 1, 2016, and which meet other specified criteria shall be exempted from American Bureau of Shipping certification requirements. The Federal Maritime Commission is reauthorized for FY2016-FY2017. Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act is amended to: revise a formula for the amount of unexpended or unobligated funds available for a project; increase percentages in the division of appropriations for coastal wetlands, boating safety, and boating infrastructure, among other things; and require a special set-aside to the Department in charge of the Coast Guard for recreational boating safety. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to extend through FY2023 the exception to the limit on transfers to the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund for payment of certain contracts. The bill repeals specified limitations of the use of funds for certain boating safety activities. The National Boating Safety Advisory Council is reauthorized through FY2023. The Department of the Interior shall convey the surface and subsurface estates of certain tracts on the "Point Spencer Land Retention and Conveyance Map," to the Bering Straits Native Corporation and the estates of another specified tract to Alaska. The Port Coordination Advisory Council for the Port of Point Spencer is established. The Coast Guard shall convey certain federal land in: Point Reyes Station to Marin County, California, for affordable housing or another public benefit, and Tok, Alaska, upon payment to the United States of the property's fair market value. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 is amended to revise the membership of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research. The Department may issue a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement for the F/V RONDYS. The Coast Guard shall report to Congress on current operations to perform the International Ice Patrol mission as well as alternatives for carrying out that mission, including satellite surveillance technology.

Border Jobs for Veterans Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2015

Border Jobs for Veterans Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): (1) in conjunction with the Department of Defense (DOD), to identify Military Occupational Specialty Codes, Air Force Specialty Codes, Naval Enlisted Classifications and Officer Designators, and Coast Guard Competencies (qualifications) that are transferable to the requirements and duties assigned to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers; and (2) to consider hiring qualified candidates with such qualifications who are eligible for veterans recruitment appointment. Directs DHS, in conjunction with DOD, to establish a program to actively recruit members of the Armed Forces who are separating from military service to serve as CBP Officers. Requires such program to: include CBP Officer opportunities in relevant job assistance efforts under the Transition Assistance Program; place CBP officials or other relevant DHS officials at recruiting events and jobs fairs involving separating members of the Armed Forces; provide opportunities for local CBP field offices to partner with military bases in the region; conduct outreach efforts to educate members of the Armed Forces with qualifications that are transferable to CBP Officer requirements; require DOD and DHS to work cooperatively to identify shared activities and opportunities for reciprocity related to steps in hiring CBP officers with the goal of minimizing the time required to hire qualified applicants; require DOD and DHS to work cooperatively to ensure the streamlined interagency transfer of relevant background investigations and security clearances; and include other elements to ensure that separating members of the Armed Forces are aware of opportunities to fill vacant CBP Officer positions.

Equal Justice for Our Military Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2015

Equal Justice for Our Military Act of 2015 Amends the federal judicial code to allow for review by writ of certiorari of certain cases denied relief or review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Declares that the time for application for such a writ shall be as prescribed by rules of the Supreme Court.

A bill to preserve the current amount of basic allowance for housing for certain married members of the uniformed services.

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2015

This bill prohibits any reduction in the amount of basic housing allowance, as of September 30, 2015, for a member of the uniformed services who is married to another member of the uniformed services, unless the member and the member's spouse: (1) undergo a permanent change of station requiring a change of residence, or (2) move into or commence living in on-base housing.

A bill to require a report on the location of C-130 Modular Airborne Firefighting System units.

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2015

This bill requires the Department of the Air Force to report to Congress on the locations of C-130 Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) units. The report shall include: a list of MAFFS units and their utilization rates, a future force allocation determination in order to achieve such units' most efficient use, and an assessment of the feasibility and advisability of modifying the MAFFS program to enhance firefighting capabilities.

Wireless Innovation Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2015

Wireless Innovation Act of 2015 Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to require the Secretary of Commerce to report to the President and Congress with recommendations to reallocate a span of at least 200 megahertz of spectrum, located below 5 gigahertz, from federal government use to: (1) commercial use on an exclusive, licensed basis; (2) unlicensed use to protect licensed services from harmful interference; and (3) shared use between federal government stations and nonfederal stations. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to begin auctioning specified amounts of such spectrum beginning not later than December 31, 2018, and to continue such auctions at 18-month intervals according to a staggered schedule. Authorizes the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to use a percentage of the proceeds from the first auction to pay federal entities to: (1) conduct feasibility analyses regarding the potential future reallocation of additional spectrum from federal use to exclusive nonfederal use or shared use; and (2) develop efficiency guidelines to increase the flexibility of federal spectrum-dependent systems through multiple-band tuning capabilities, the use of commercial systems, and public-private partnerships. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to establish a presumption under which an application to the FCC for the transfer of a construction permit or station license is deemed to be in the public interest, convenient, and necessary, unless the FCC acts to deny the application, if the application does not: (1) involve a broadcast, common carrier, aeronautical en route, or aeronautical fixed radio station license that is prohibited from being granted to or held by an alien or foreign corporation; (2) require a premerger notification and waiting period under the Clayton Act; and (3) concern a merger, acquisition, or takeover subject to review under the Defense Production Act of 1950. Requires applications qualifying for such presumption to be granted within 90 days after the FCC issues a public notice of the application. Directs federal agencies seeking a new or modified frequency assignment for a mobile or other radio service to submit to the Secretary and the OMB a report analyzing whether the federal agency could instead use commercial services, use an existing or already planned federal service, share with another federal agency, use unlicensed spectrum, or lease from commercial providers. Directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the OMB to incorporate spectrum efficiency guidelines into budget and procurement processes. Requires the NTIA to develop a framework for determining the annual economic opportunity cost of each specific federal spectrum band allocated for federal entities, with the value determined as if such spectrum were to be reallocated on a licensed basis to the highest commercial alternative use that currently does not have access to that spectrum. Requires federal entities assigned or allocated use of federal spectrum to: (1) report the opportunity cost of spectrum bands in budgets and annual financial statements; and (2) compare, every five years, the entity's spectrum opportunity cost to the projected costs of relocating, co-locating, leasing, or contracting out for spectrum activities. Revises federal easement and right-of-way procedures to allow an executive agency, a state, a person, a firm, or an organization to apply for the grant of a real property interest (including a lease, license, easement, or right-of-way) to, in, over, or on a building or other property owned by the federal government for the right to install, construct, modify, and maintain a communications facility installation. Requires the executive agency that owns the building or other property on behalf of the federal government to grant to the applicant, if technically feasible, a real property interest to perform such installation, construction, modification, and maintenance. Sets forth requirements concerning the fees and terms of years for such real property interests. Provides for the collection of: (1) a standard fee established by the General Services Administration (GSA), or (2) agency-specific fees established by executive agencies. Directs the GSA to consult with designated agencies regarding the master application forms and standard contracts that executive agencies are required to accept for the placement of such facilities, unless the GSA determines that the forms or contracts are not adequate for a specific building or property.

To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Sevierville, Tennessee, the Dannie A. Carr Veterans Outpatient Clinic.

United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015

This bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic located at 1124 Blanton Drive, Sevierville, Tennessee, as the "Dannie A. Carr Veterans Outpatient Clinic."

Border Jobs for Veterans Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015

Border Jobs for Veterans Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): (1) in conjunction with the Department of Defense (DOD), to identify Military Occupational Specialty Codes, Air Force Specialty Codes, Naval Enlisted Classifications and Officer Designators, and Coast Guard Competencies (qualifications) that are transferable to the requirements and duties assigned to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers; and (2) to consider hiring qualified candidates with such qualifications who are eligible for veterans recruitment appointment. Directs DHS, in conjunction with DOD, to establish a program to actively recruit members of the Armed Forces who are separating from military service to serve as CBP Officers. Requires such program to: include CBP Officer opportunities in relevant job assistance efforts under the Transition Assistance Program; place CBP officials or other relevant DHS officials at recruiting events and jobs fairs involving separating members of the Armed Forces; provide opportunities for local CBP field offices to partner with military bases in the region; conduct outreach efforts to educate members of the Armed Forces with qualifications that are transferable to CBP Officer requirements; require DOD and DHS to work cooperatively to identify shared activities and opportunities for reciprocity related to steps in hiring CBP officers with the goal of minimizing the time required to hire qualified applicants; require DOD and DHS to work cooperatively to ensure the streamlined interagency transfer of relevant background investigations and security clearances; and include other elements to ensure that separating members of the Armed Forces are aware of opportunities to fill vacant CBP Officer positions.

Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention, Education, and Enforcement Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015

Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention, Education, and Enforcement Act of 2015 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in cooperation with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to convene a Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force to develop and study best practices for pain management and prescription of pain medication. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend through FY2020 the controlled substance monitoring program. Government entities receiving nonidentifiable information from a controlled substance monitoring database for research purposes may make that information available to other entities for research purposes. A state receiving a grant for a controlled substance monitoring program must: (1) facilitate prescriber and dispenser use of the state's controlled substance monitoring system, and (2) educate prescribers and dispensers on the benefits of the system. This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to extend the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program through FY2020. HHS must advance education and awareness of the risk of abuse of prescription opioids (drugs with effects similar to opium). The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in coordination with HHS and the DEA, must establish a national drug awareness campaign that emphasizes the similarities between heroin and prescription opioids. The DEA, in coordination with HHS and ONDCP, may make grants to state, local, or tribal governments to create demonstration programs to allow first responders to prevent opioid overdose death by administering an opioid overdose reversal drug (e.g., naloxone).

Shelter Our Servicemembers Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015

Shelter Our Servicemembers Act Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to jointly establish a two-year pilot program of grants to nonprofit organizations to provide elderly homeless veterans with non-transitional housing. Allows recipients to use such grant to: (1) purchase real property to provide up to 200 homeless veterans with non-transitional housing, and (2) refurbish or renovate such property. Makes eligible for such housing veterans of at least 55 years of age who: (1) have been continuously homeless for a year or more or, during the last three years, had at least four separate periods of living on the streets, in an emergency shelter, or a combination thereof; and (2) have a condition that limits their ability to work or perform activities of daily living. Requires VA to provide case management for elderly veterans receiving such assistance.

Save Oak Flat Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015

Save Oak Flat Act This bill repeals the provisions under the Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 providing for a land exchange between the Department of Agriculture and Resolution Copper Mining, LLC. Under the provisions of that Act, 2,422 acres of Forest Service land located in Pinal County, Arizona, are to be exchanged for various parcels of land owned by Resolution Copper.

No Office Space for Executive Amnesty Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015

No Office Space for Executive Amnesty Act of 2015 This bill prohibits funds from being obligated or expended by the General Services Administration to lease any space for purposes of carrying out the policies set forth in: the memoranda from the Secretary of Homeland Security dated November 20, 2014, entitled "Southern Border and Approaches Campaign," "Policies for the Apprehension, Detention and Removal of Undocumented Immigrants," "Secure Communities," "Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children and with Respect to Certain Individuals Who Are the Parents of U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents," "Expansion of the Provisional Waiver Program," "Policies Supporting U.S. High-Skilled Businesses and Workers," "Families of U.S. Armed Forces Members and Enlistees," "Directive to Provide Consistency Regarding Advance Parole," and "Policies to Promote and Increase Access to U.S. Citizenship"; the memoranda issued by the President on November 21, 2014, entitled "Creating Welcoming Communities and Fully Integrating Immigrants and Refugees" and "Modernizing and Streamlining the U.S. Immigrant Visa System for the 21st Century"; and any similar memorandum issued after November 21, 2014.

First Amendment Defense Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015

First Amendment Defense Act Prohibits the federal government from taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. Defines "discriminatory action" as any federal government action to discriminate against a person with such beliefs or convictions, including a federal government action to: alter the federal tax treatment of, cause any tax, penalty, or payment to be assessed against, or deny, delay, or revoke certain tax exemptions of any such person; disallow a deduction of any charitable contribution made to or by such person; withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any federal grant, contract, subcontract, cooperative agreement, loan, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or similar position or status from or to such person; or withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any benefit under a federal benefit program. Requires the federal government to consider to be accredited, licensed, or certified for purposes of federal law any person who would be accredited, licensed, or certified for such purposes but for a determination that the person believes or acts in accordance with such a religious belief or moral conviction. Permits a person to assert an actual or threatened violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding and to obtain compensatory damages or other appropriate relief against the federal government. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action to enforce this Act against the Government Accountability Office or an establishment in the executive branch, other than the U.S. Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, that is not an executive department, military department, or government corporation. Defines "person" as any person regardless of religious affiliation, including corporations and other entities regardless of for-profit or nonprofit status.

First Amendment Defense Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015

First Amendment Defense Act Prohibits the federal government from taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. Defines "discriminatory action" as any federal government action to discriminate against a person with such beliefs or convictions, including a federal government action to: alter the federal tax treatment of, cause any tax, penalty, or payment to be assessed against, or deny, delay, or revoke certain tax exemptions of any such person; disallow a deduction of any charitable contribution made to or by such person; withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any federal grant, contract, subcontract, cooperative agreement, loan, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or similar position or status from or to such person; or withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any benefit under a federal benefit program. Requires the federal government to consider to be accredited, licensed, or certified for purposes of federal law any person who would be accredited, licensed, or certified for such purposes but for a determination that the person believes or acts in accordance with such a religious belief or moral conviction. Permits a person to assert an actual or threatened violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding and to obtain compensatory damages or other appropriate relief against the federal government. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action to enforce this Act against the Government Accountability Office or an establishment in the executive branch, other than the U.S. Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, that is not an executive department, military department, or government corporation. Defines "person" as any person regardless of religious affiliation, including corporations and other entities regardless of for-profit or nonprofit status.

Expressing the sense of Congress that a grateful Nation honors and salutes Sons and Daughters in Touch on its 25th anniversary that is being celebrated on Father's Day, 2015, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, the District of Columbia.

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2015

Honors Sons and Daughters in Touch on its 25th anniversary that is being celebrated at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. Expresses gratitude for the service and sacrifice of their fathers who were U.S. Armed Forces members and served in the Vietnam war.

Authority for the Use of Military Force Against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2015

Authority for the Use of Military Force Against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Act This bill authorizes the President to use the U.S. Armed Forces for three years against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), any closely related successor entity, or associated persons or forces. This bill shall also constitute the sole statutory authority for U.S. military action against ISIL, superseding any prior authorization for the use of military force against ISIL. The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 is repealed.

Joint Base Pay Parity Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2015

Requires that all civilian employees of military installations which are not located within the same pay locality and which are reorganized or associated as a single joint installation receive uniform locality pay at the percentage payable with respect to the locality then receiving the highest locality pay.

Constitutional Alternative to the War Powers Iraq and Syria Withdrawal Resolution

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2015

Constitutional Alternative to the War Powers Iraq and Syria Withdrawal Resolution Directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces deployed to Iraq or Syria on or after August 7, 2014, other than Armed Forces required to protect U.S. diplomatic facilities and personnel, from Iraq and Syria: (1) no later than the end of the period of 30 days beginning on the date of enactment of this joint resolution; or (2) if the President determines that it is not safe to remove the Armed Forces before that date, then no later than December 31, 2015, or such earlier date as the President determines that the Armed Forces can safely be removed.

Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2016

United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2015

Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2016 Makes FY2016 appropriations for the Department of State for: administration of foreign affairs and diplomatic and consular programs; the Capital Investment Fund; the Office of Inspector General; educational and cultural exchange programs; representation allowances; protection of foreign missions and officials; U.S. embassy security, construction, and maintenance; emergencies in the diplomatic and consular service; the repatriation loans program account; the American Institute in Taiwan; the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund; international organizations, peacekeeping, and commissions; the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico; salaries and expenses; plan preparation and construction of authorized projects; the International Joint Commission, the International Boundary Commission, United States and Canada, and the Border Environment Cooperation Commission; international fisheries commissions; international broadcasting operations and capital improvements; the Asia Foundation; the United States Institute for Peace; the Center for Middle Eastern-Western Dialogue Trust Fund; the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships, Incorporated; the Israeli Arab Scholarship Program; the National Endowment for Democracy; the Commission for Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad; the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom; the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; the Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China; and the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Makes FY2016 appropriations for: operating expenses of the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the capital investment fund, and the Office of Inspector General; expenses of the President in carrying out certain programs under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, global health and child survival; specified development assistance; international disaster assistance; transition initiatives; development credit authority; the Economic Support Fund; promotion of democracy; migration and refugee assistance; the Peace Corps; the Millennium Challenge Corporation; the Inter-American Foundation; the United States African Development Foundation; the Department of the Treasury for international affairs technical assistance activities; international narcotics control and law enforcement; nonproliferation, anti-terrorism, and demining; international peacekeeping operations; international military education and training; foreign military financing grants; the International Development Association; the Asian Development Fund; the African Development Fund; the Export-Import Bank of the United States, including the Office of Inspector General; the Overseas Private Investment Corporation; and the Trade and Development Agency. Sets forth certain limits and prohibitions on the use of appropriations for specified activities.

Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2015

Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act This bill directs the Secretary of Defense to design and produce an Atomic Veterans Service Medal to honor retired and former members of the Armed Forces who are radiation-exposed veterans. The Secretary may provide for issuance of the Medal to the next-of-kin of a deceased radiation-exposed veteran.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding Srebrenica.

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2015

Affirms that the policies of aggression and ethnic cleansing implemented by Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995 meet the terms of genocide. Urges the Atrocities Prevention Board, a U.S. interagency committee established by the Administration in 2012, to study the lessons of Srebrenica and issue guidance on how to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future. Encourages the United States to reaffirm its policy of supporting the independence and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, peace and stability in southeastern Europe, and the right of all people living in the region to return to their homes and enjoy the benefits of democratic institutions, as well as to know the fate of missing relatives and friends. Recognizes the achievement of the International Commission for Missing Persons in accounting for those missing in conflicts or natural disasters around the world. Welcomes the arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia of all persons indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, particularly those of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. Asserts that it is in the U.S. national interest that those individuals who are responsible for these crimes should continue to be held accountable for their actions. Honors the thousands of innocent people killed or executed at Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 1995, along with all individuals who were victimized during the conflict and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995, as well as the foreign nationals who risked and in some cases lost their lives during their defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2015

Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2015 Deems certain service performed before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts as active military service for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in determining eligibility under this Act, to take into account any relevant service documentation, including documentation other than the Missouri List (the list of all discharged and deceased veterans from the 20th century).

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the eligibility of veterans service organizations for community development block grant funding.

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2015

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) veterans service organizations provide invaluable services to veterans and local communities across the United States, and (2) Congress should seek changes to federal law to ensure that all such organizations are eligible for community development block grant funding for public facilities and improvements funding.

THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE VIEWS ON THE MILITARY COMPENSATION AND RETIREMENT MODERNIZATION COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MILITARY HEALTH CARE REFORM

United States · United States House of Representatives · 11 June 2015

Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015

Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015 Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the Filipino Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. Requires that the medal, following its award, be given to the Smithsonian Institution where it will be available for research and for display at other appropriate locations associated with such veterans.

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit any person from performing or attempting to perform an abortion except in conformity with this Act's requirements. Requires the physician to first determine the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child. Prohibits an abortion from being performed if the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child is 20 weeks or greater, except: (1) where necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman; (2) where the pregnancy is the result of rape against an adult woman and, at least 48 hours prior to the abortion, such woman has obtained counseling or medical treatment for the rape; or (3) where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest against a minor and the rape or incest has been reported prior to the abortion to a law enforcement agency or a government agency. Requires the physician, prior to performing such an abortion, to place appropriate supporting documentation in the patient's medical file. Permits a physician to terminate a pregnancy under such an exception only in the manner that provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive. Requires a physician performing an abortion under an exception provided by this Act, if the pain-capable unborn child has the potential to survive outside the womb, to ensure that a second physician trained in neonatal resuscitation is present and prepared to provide care to the child. Makes such requirements and the requirement to obtain an informed consent form inapplicable if compliance would pose a greater risk of the death or the substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman. Requires, when a physician performs or attempts an abortion in accordance with this Act and the child is born alive, that: any health care practitioner present at the time humanely exercise the same professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as would be exercised for a child born alive at the same gestational age in the course of a natural birth; the child be immediately transported and admitted to a hospital; and a health care practitioner or any employee of a hospital, a physician's office, or an abortion clinic who has knowledge of a failure to comply with these requirements immediately report the failure to an appropriate state or federal law enforcement agency. Requires the physician who intends to perform an abortion under one of this Act's exceptions to first obtain a signed informed consent authorization form, which shall consist of: a statement by the physician indicating the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child; a statement that federal law allows an abortion after 20 weeks fetal age only if the mother's life is endangered when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest against a minor; a statement that the abortion must be performed by the method most likely to allow the child to be born alive unless this would cause significant risk to the mother; a statement that in any case in which an abortion procedure results in a child born alive, federal law requires that child to be given every form of medical assistance that is provided to children spontaneously born prematurely; a statement that these requirements are binding upon the physician and all other medical personnel who are subject to criminal and civil penalties and that a woman on whom an abortion has been performed may take civil action if these requirements are not followed; and affirmation that each signer has filled out the informed consent form and understands the information contained in the form. Requires the form to be: (1) signed in person by the woman seeking the abortion, the physician performing the abortion, and a witness; and (2) retained in the patient's medical file for six years from the later of the date of its creation or the date when it last was in effect. Makes this Act's requirements for the exception, where the pregnancy is the result of rape against an adult woman, that the woman has obtained counseling or medical treatment for the rape at least 48 hours prior to the abortion inapplicable if the rape has been reported prior to the abortion to a law enforcement agency or Department of Defense victim assistance personnel. Requires a physician who performs an abortion under an exception provided by this Act to comply with: (1) state laws regarding reporting requirements in cases of rape or incest as the state's Attorney General may designate, and (2) any applicable state laws requiring parental involvement in a minor's decision to have an abortion. Bars prosecution of a woman upon whom an abortion is performed in violation of this Act for violating or conspiring to violate this Act. Authorizes: (1) a woman upon whom an abortion has been performed in violation of this Act to obtain specified appropriate relief in a civil action, and (2) a parent of a minor upon whom an abortion has been performed under an exception and that was performed in violation of this Act to obtain such relief unless the pregnancy resulted from the plaintiff's criminal conduct. Requires any physician who performs an abortion under this Act's exceptions to annually submit a summary of all such abortions to the National Center for Health Statistics, which shall issue a public report annually providing statistics by state for the previous year. Defines "abortion" to mean the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance or device: (1) to intentionally kill an unborn child of a woman known to be pregnant; or (2) to intentionally terminate a pregnancy, with an intention other than to produce a live birth and preserve the life and health of the child after viability or to remove a dead unborn child.

To amend title 10, United States Code, to require that military working dogs be retired in the United States, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015

This bill requires that a military working dog be retired in the United States, except when a U.S. citizen living abroad adopts the dog at the time of retirement. Amounts available to the military department concerned shall be available for such dog's transport to the United States for retirement.

Youth Justice Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015

Youth Justice Act of 2015 Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA) to: increase funding for such Act in each of FY2016-FY2020 and authorize appropriations at the FY2020 level for each succeeding fiscal year; include as one of the purposes of such Act the support of a trauma-informed continuum of programs (including delinquency prevention, intervention, mental health, behavioral health, substance abuse treatment, and aftercare) to address the needs of at-risk youth and youth who come into contact with the justice system; require the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (Office) to develop a long-term plan to improve the juvenile justice system, taking into account scientific knowledge regarding adolescent development and behavior; include the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Agriculture on the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; expand the annual reporting requirement of the Office to include information on the use of restraints and isolation upon juveniles held in custody; require states to implement plans to ensure fairness and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the detention of juveniles; enhance requirements for separating juveniles from sight or sound contact with adult lock-ups; terminate, three years after the enactment of this Act, the authority of a court to issue an order detaining juveniles in adult lockups who have not been charged with adult criminal offenses (status offenders); require the Office to report annually on policies and procedures to eliminate dangerous practices and unreasonable use of restraints in the detention of juveniles; expand requirements for state plans for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention to include community-based alternatives to the detention of juveniles in correctional facilities; provide technical assistance to states and local governments for achieving compliance with the requirements of this Act; and authorize the Office to make incentive grants to states and local governments to increase the use of evidence-based or promising prevention and intervention programs for juveniles who enter the criminal justice system and for the recruitment and training of professional personnel. Amends the Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs Act of 2002 to include mentoring programs in delinquency prevention grant programs. Requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct: (1) a comprehensive evaluation of the performance of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and (2) a comprehensive audit and evaluation of selected grant recipients, including a review of internal controls to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. Requires audits of all JJDPA grants awarded by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Prohibits: (1) the award of a JJDPA grant to a tax-exempt nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding the tax on unrelated business income; (2) the hosting or supporting of DOJ conferences that use more than $20,000 of DOJ funds without prior written authorization; and (3) lobbying of representatives of DOJ or of a federal, state, local, or tribal government regarding the award of grant funding. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require states, as a condition of receiving juvenile accountability block grants, to provide assurances of compliance with the core requirement of JJDPA applicable to the detention and confinement of juveniles.

A bill to extend the authorization to carry out the replacement of the existing medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Denver, Colorado, to authorize transfers of amounts to carry out the replacement of such medical center, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015

Amends the Construction Authorization and Choice Improvement Act to remove the FY2015 limitation on, and increase the amount authorized for, the replacement of the existing Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver, Colorado. Authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to transfer specified amounts of the unobligated balances available to the VA for FY2015 from the following appropriations accounts to the Construction, Major Projects account to carry out the major medical facility construction project in Denver: Medical Services, to be derived from amounts available for the Human Capital Investment Plan; Medical Support and Compliance, to be derived from amounts available for such Plan; Medical Facilities, to be derived from amounts available for green energy projects of the VA and human capital investment plans; National Cemetery Administration, to be derived from amounts available for such Plan; General Administration, to be derived from amounts available for the Office of the Secretary; General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration, to be derived from amounts available for such Plan; Information Technology Systems, to be derived from amounts available for such Plan; and Construction, Minor Projects, to be derived from amounts available for minor construction projects at the staff offices of the VA. Authorizes the VA to transfer specified amounts of the unobligated balances available in the VA's revolving supply fund and in the VA's Franchise Fund to the Construction, Major Projects account to carry out the Denver project. Requires funds transferred under this Act to remain available until September 30, 2016.

A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for a review of the characterization or terms of discharge from the Armed Forces of individuals with mental health disorders alleged to affect terms of discharge.

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015

This bill addresses medical evidence reviews in the case of: (1) a former member of the Armed Forces who was deployed in a contingency operation and subsequently diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury as a consequence of such deployment, or (2) a former member whose application for relief from the terms of his or her military discharge is based in whole or in part on matters relating to post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury related to combat or military sexual trauma. Any board of review shall: review medical evidence of the Department of Veterans Affairs or a civilian health care provider presented by the former member, and review the case with a rebuttable presumption in favor of the former member that post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury materially contributed to the circumstances resulting in the discharge of a lesser characterization.

Military Consumer Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015

Military Consumer Protection Act This bill amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act to extend Consumer Financial Protection Bureau oversight and protection to provisions under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act concerning: future financial transactions, excluding insurance; default judgments, excluding child custody proceedings; interest rates on pre-service debts; evictions; purchase or lease installment contracts; mortgages and trusts; motor vehicle leases; telephone service contracts; and waiver of rights pursuant to a written agreement, excluding bailments.

Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2016

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015

Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides FY2016 appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) for military activities. Excludes military construction, military family housing, civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, and nuclear warheads, which are all considered in other appropriations bills. Provides appropriations for Military Personnel. Provides appropriations for Operation and Maintenance, including: the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; Environmental Restoration; Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid; the Cooperative Threat Reduction Account; and the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund. Provides appropriations for Procurement, including for Aircraft, Missiles, Weapons, Tracked Combat Vehicles, Ammunition, Shipbuilding and Conversion, Space, Other Procurement, and Defense Production Act Purchases. Provides appropriations for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, including for Operational Test and Evaluation. Provides appropriations for Revolving and Management Funds, including Defense Working Capital Funds and the National Defense Sealift Fund. Provides appropriations for Other Department of Defense Programs, including the Defense Health Program, Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction, Drug-Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, and the Office of the Inspector General. Provides appropriations for Related Agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System Fund and the Intelligence Community Management Account. Provides additional appropriations to specified DOD accounts for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism. Rescinds specified unobligated balances from prior appropriations to DOD. Sets forth permissible, restricted, and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.

Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015

Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act of 2015 Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend the 6% interest rate limitation on debt entered into during a servicemember's military service to any debt entered into to consolidate or refinance one or more student loans incurred before such service.

Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015

Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015 Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the Filipino Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. Requires that the medal, following its award, be given to the Smithsonian Institution where it will be available for research and for display at other appropriate locations associated with such veterans.

DEFENSE SUPPORT OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES: A VITAL RESOURCE IN THE NATION'S HOMELAND SECURITY MISSIONS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 10 June 2015

Program Management Improvement Accountability Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015

Program Management Improvement Accountability Act Establishes as additional functions of the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements to: adopt and oversee government-wide standards, policies, and guidelines for program and project management for executive agencies; chair the Program Management Policy Council (established by this Act); issue regulations and establish standards and policies for executive agencies in accordance with nationally accredited standards for program and project management planning and delivery issues; engage with the private sector; conduct portfolio reviews to address programs identified as high risk by the Government Accountability Office; conduct portfolio reviews of agency programs at least annually; and establish a five-year strategic plan for program and project management. Requires the head of each federal agency that is required to have a Chief Financial Officer to designate a Program Management Improvement Officer to implement agency program management policies and develop a written strategy for enhancing the role of program managers within the agency (with an exception applicable to the Department of Defense [DOD]). Exempts DOD from such provisions to the extent that they are substantially similar to specified provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016. Establishes the Program Management Policy Council within OMB to act as the principal interagency forum for improving agency practices related to program and project management. Requires the Office of Personnel Management to issue regulations that: (1) identify key skills and competencies needed for an agency program and project manager, (2) establish a new job series for program and project management within an agency, and (3) establish a new career path for program and project managers.

Recognizing the centennial of the wreck of the USS Memphis and encouraging the commemoration of such wreck with appropriate events and activities.

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015

Recognizes the centennial of the wreck of the USS Memphis and the memory of the 44 sailors who lost their lives, including three Medal of Honor recipients. Encourages the Department of State, through its Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to collaborate with appropriate entities of the Dominican Republic to commemorate this event. Encourages the Tennessee State Museum, the Naval History and Heritage Command, Naval Support Activity Mid-South, and the U.S. Naval Institute to collaborate in appropriate commemoration and public awareness events in the United States as well as in the Dominican Republic.

To authorize a land exchange involving Fort Hood, Texas, and the City of Copperas Cove, Texas, to support the city's efforts to improve arterial transportation routes in the vicinity of Fort Hood and to promote economic development.

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015

Authorizes the Department of the Army to convey all right, title, and interest of the United States in certain real property to the city of Copperas Cove, Texas, in order for the city to improve arterial transportation routes in the vicinity of Fort Hood and to promote economic development in the area. Requires the city, in consideration for such conveyance, to convey all its right, title, and interest in real properties of equal fair market value that are acceptable to the Department.

21st Century Care for Military and Veterans Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015

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 and to veterans receiving health care benefits under plans administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015

Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act Amends the federal criminal code to modify the definition of "armor piercing ammunition" for purposes of federal firearms provisions to: (1) include a projectile that is designed and intended by the manufacturer or importer for use in a handgun (currently, a projectile that may be used in a handgun); (2) repeal the exclusion of a projectile that the Attorney General finds is primarily intended for sporting purposes; and (3) exclude a projectile that is primarily intended by the manufacturer or importer to be used in a rifle or shotgun and a handgun projectile that is designed and intended by the manufacturer or importer to be used for hunting, recreational, or competitive shooting. Repeals a prohibition on assembling from imported parts a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun that is identical to one prohibited from importation as not being suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes. Repeals the condition that in order for a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to be permitted to ship to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty outside the United States or to clubs whose entire membership is composed of such members, and for such members or clubs to be permitted to receive, a firearm or ammunition intended for the lawful personal use of such members or club, the firearm or ammunition must be determined by the Attorney General to be generally recognized as particularly suitable for sporting purposes. Includes among the categories of firearms or ammunition that may be authorized for importation into the United States by the Attorney General, within 30 days after receiving an application therefor: (1) ammunition that is not armor piercing ammunition; (2) a firearm or ammunition that is being brought in for the use of a federal, state, or local government agency; and (3) a firearm or ammunition that is being imported for the purpose of exportation. Amends the National Firearms Act to modify the definition of "destructive device" to exclude: (1) a shotgun or shotgun shell which the Department of the Treasury finds is generally recognized as particularly suitable for lawful (currently, sporting) purposes; and (2) an antique or a rifle which the owner intends to use for (currently, solely for) sporting purposes. Authorizes the temporary interstate transfer of a firearm for lawful (currently, sporting) purposes.

Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015

Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend the 6% interest rate limitation on debt entered into during a servicemember's military service to any debt entered into to consolidate or refinance one or more student loans incurred before such service.

Expressing the sense of Congress that all trade agreements the United States enters into, should provide reasonable access and collaboration of each nation involved in such an agreement, for the purpose of search and recovery activities relating to members of the United States Armed Forces missing in action from prior wars or military conflicts.

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015

Expresses the sense of Congress that all trade agreements the United States enters into with a foreign country should provide reasonable collaboration with that country for the purpose of search and recovery activities for Armed Forces members missing in action from prior wars or military conflicts.

Manufacturing Skills Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015

Manufacturing Skills Act of 2015 This bill requires the Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, Department of Education, Department of Defense and the Director of the National Science Foundation to jointly establish a Manufacturing Skills Partnership to administer and carry out a program to award competitive, three-year grants to enable up to five states and five metropolitan areas to carry out proposals to promote reforms in workforce education and skill training for manufacturing. The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall: acting through the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office, conduct an audit of all federal education and skills training programs related to manufacturing to ensure that states and metropolitan areas are able to align federal resources with the labor demands of their primary manufacturing industries; and work with states and metropolitan areas to determine how federal funds can be more tailored to meet their different needs.

To designate the arboretum at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, as the "Phyllis E. Galanti Arboretum".

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2015

This bill designates the arboretum at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, as the Phyllis E. Galanti Arboretum.

Veterans' Survivors Claims Processing Automation Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2015

Veterans' Survivors Claims Processing Automation Act of 2015 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay burial and funeral expenses, accrued benefits, dependency and indemnity compensation, and non-service connected disability or death pension amounts to a survivor of a veteran who has not filed a formal claim if the VA determines that the record contains sufficient evidence to establish the survivor's entitlement to such benefits.

Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2015

Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act of 2015 Amends the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 to revise 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 Department of Defense or the Central Intelligence Agency as necessary for military or intelligence applications or that is manufactured and sold exclusively to U.S. military or intelligence agencies.)

Veterans National Remembrance Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2015

Veterans National Remembrance Act Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in selecting a location for the establishment of a new national cemetery, to: (1) give priority to a state that does not have a national cemetery and that has the largest population of veterans among states without such a cemetery, and (2) ensure that such location is within 10 miles of a significant amount of the population to be served by such cemetery during the 25 years following its establishment. Permits the Secretary, after establishing two national cemeteries, to waive the requirement of giving priority to a state that does not have a national cemetery if such waiver will allow the Secretary to establish a cemetery that will serve a larger population of veterans.