Defence

War Powers Against Non-State Actors Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2014

War Powers Against Non-State Actors Act of 2014 - Amends the War Powers Resolution to declare that the authority to use U.S. Armed Forces against non-state actors would terminate 60 days after submission of a specified presidential report explaining that use, unless: (1) the President's actions are based on a law providing for the use of military force against a non-state actor; or (2) the President notifies Congress that continued use of military force is necessary because the non-state actor poses a continuing and imminent threat to the United States or U.S. persons, and Congress does not enact a joint resolution of disapproval under expedited procedures.

Authorization for the Use of Military Force against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2014

Authorization for the Use of Military Force against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - Authorizes the President to use the U.S. Armed Forces against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or associated persons or forces. Declares that this resolution is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization pursuant to section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution. States that the authority granted by this resolution does not authorize use of the U.S. Armed Forces for ground combat operations except as necessary: for the protection or rescue of U.S. Armed Forces members or U.S. citizens from imminent danger posed by ISIL; or to conduct missions not intended to result in ground combat operations by U.S. forces, such as intelligence collection and sharing, enabling kinetic strikes, operational planning, or other forms of advice and assistance to forces fighting ISIL in Iraq or Syria. Terminates such military use authorization in three years.

Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2014

Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to alter the reporting requirements under the pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing assistance to eligible veterans with traumatic brain injury to enhance their rehabilitation, quality of life, and community integration. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit reports to the congressional veterans committees on the pilot program for each quarter occurring between January 1, 2015, and September 30, 2017. Requires each quarterly report to include for the preceding quarter: the number of individuals who participated in the pilot program, the number of individuals who successfully completed the program, the degree to which pilot program participants and their family members were satisfied with the program, and the interim findings and conclusions of the Secretary regarding the success of the program and recommendations for improving it. Requires the Secretary to include in the report the Secretary submits to the congressional veterans committees after the completion of the pilot program: an evaluation of the pilot program in light of the VA's independent living programs, including an assessment of whether  the pilot program should be incorporated into such independent living programs; and recommendations for improving the pilot program. Replaces references to "assisted living" with the term "community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative care," including rehabilitation services within the meaning of such care. Requires this Act and its amendments to be carried out using funds already available for such purposes.

North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2014

North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2014 - Authorizes the President to investigate credible information of sanctionable activities involving North Korea and to designate and apply sanctions with respect to any person (including business entities, nongovernmental organizations, and governmental entities operating as business enterprises) the President determines knowingly: contributes, through the export to or import from North Korea of any controlled goods, services, or technology, to the use, development, production, stockpiling, or acquisition of nuclear, radiological, chemical, or biological weapons, or any device or system designed to deliver such weapons; provided training, advice, or other services or assistance, or engaged in significant financial transactions, relating to the manufacture, maintenance, or use of any such weapon or system to be imported, exported, or reexported to, into, or from North Korea; imported, exported, or reexported luxury goods to or into North Korea; engaged in money laundering, the counterfeiting of goods or currency, bulk cash smuggling, or narcotics trafficking that supports the government of North Korea or any of its senior officials; engaging in or being responsbile censorship by North Korea; committing or being responsbile for serious human rights abuses by North Korea; or attempted to engage in any of these activities. Specifies addtional financial activities for which the President may designate a person. Directs the President to exercise all powers granted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in property and interests in property of a designated person if that property and those property interests are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a U.S. person. Subjects such property to civil and criminal forfeiture. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) determine whether reasonable grounds exist for concluding that North Korea is a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern, and if so (2) impose one or more of certain special measures. Requires a validated license for exports to North Korea under the Export Administration Act of 1979. Prohibits approval of defense articles for North Korea. Directs the President to withhold assistance to the governments of countries providing lethal military equipment to North Korea. Bars U.S. government contracts with designated persons. Directs the President to identify annually to the appropriate congressional committees any foreign ports and airports whose inspections of ships, aircraft, and conveyances originating in North Korea, carrying North Korean property, or operated by the government of North Korea are not sufficient effectively to prevent the facilitation of any of the activities sanctionable under this Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to require enhanced inspections of any cargo landed in the United States or entering the stream of interstate commerce that has been transported through any of such ports or airports. Authorizes the seizure or forfeiture of vessels or aircraft used to facilitate sanctionable activities. Authorizes the Secretary of State to deny a visa, and the DHS Secretary to deny entry into the Unite States, to any alien who is a designated person or a corporate officer or principal shareholder with a controlling interest in one. Exempts certain activities from sanctions and authorizes the President to waive them, for up to one year, for national security, law enforcement, or humanitarian reasons. Amends the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 to require the President to report to the appropriate congressional committees: (1) a detailed plan for making unrestricted, unmonitored, and inexpensive electronic mass communications available to the people of North Korea; and (2) a description of the population, geographical coordinates, primary industries and products, and responsible persons and agencies in each political prison camp in North Korea. Requires the Secretary of State to brief the appropriate congressional committees on serious human rights abuses or serious censorship undertaken by the North Korean government in the most recent year. Prescribes circumstances in which sanctions or measures under this Act may be suspended for up to one year or terminated altogether. Establishes the North Korea Enforcement and Humanitarian Fund in which assets subject to criminal, civil, or administrative forfeiture or penalties are to be deposited for the enforcement of this Act and to carry out humanitarian activities under the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004.

Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014

Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2014 - Amends the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 to extend through calendar year 2015 the one-year period after a service member's military service during which: (1) a court may stay proceedings to enforce an obligation on real or personal property owned by the service member before such military service; and (2) any sale, foreclosure, or seizure of such property shall be invalid without a court order or waiver agreement signed by the service member. Revives, effective January 1, 2016 (currently, January 1, 2015), the old nine-month period in place of the one-year period granted by such Act.

A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use existing authorities to furnish health care at non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities to veterans who live more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest medical facility of the Department that furnishes the care sought by the veteran.

United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use the Secretary's existing authority to furnish health care to veterans at non-VA facilities to provide health care at non-VA facilities to veterans who reside more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA medical facility providing the care they seek.

CAM Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014

Camera Authorization and Maintenance Act of 2014 or the CAM Act of 2014 - Prohibits a state or local government that does not require its law enforcement officers to use body-worn cameras from receiving any grant from the Attorney General in the following fiscal year, subject to a financial hardship waiver. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to make grants to states, local governments, and Indian tribes for the acquisition, operation, and maintenance of body-worn cameras for law enforcement officers. Sets forth requirements for the wearing and use of such body cameras and for recordings made. Requires funds to be awarded to each qualifying local government with fewer than 100,000 residents, with any remaining funds awarded to other qualifying applicants on a pro rata basis. Establishes in the Department of Justice (DOJ) a task force to: provide recommendations on community policing; develop proper body-worn camera training protocol; study the impact that citizen review boards could have on investigating cases of alleged police misconduct; and conduct a survey, one year after implementation of the body camera requirement policy, to determine best practices and policy effectiveness. Directs the Comptroller General to submit a report on the Department of Defense Excess Personal Property Program that includes information on which jurisdictions equipment is sent to, the value of equipment sent to each jurisdiction, the level of training provided, and how the equipment is used.

Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014

Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 - Directs the President to impose three or more specified sanctions against: Rosoboronexport; an entity owned by the government of the Russian Federation or controlled by its nationals that transfers or manufactures or sells defense articles transferred to, Syria or into the territory of a specified country without its government's consent; or a person that knowingly sponsors or provides financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, such an entity. Authorizes the President to impose three or more specified sanctions against a person that makes a significant investment in a special Russian crude oil project. Authorizes the President to impose additional licensing requirements or other restrictions on the export of items for Russia's energy sector. Directs the President to impose specified sanctions on Gazprom if it is withholding significant natural gas supplies from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, or further withholds significant natural gas supplies from countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, or Moldova. Sets forth sanctions against a foreign person, including executive officers of an entity, relating to: Export-Import Bank of the United States assistance, executive agency procurement, arms and dual-use item exports, U.S. property transactions, banking transactions, investing in or purchasing equity or debt instruments, and U.S. entry prohibition or visa revocation. Authorizes the President to impose a prohibition on the opening, and a prohibition or the imposition of strict conditions on the maintaining, in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly engages in significant transactions involving sanctioned persons. Authorizes the President to provide Ukraine with defense articles, services, and training. Directs the Secretary of State (Secretary) to submit a plan to Congress to meet the need for protection of and assistance for internally displaced persons in Ukraine. Directs the President to use U.S. influence at United Nations (U.N.) voluntary agencies to support assistance for internally displaced persons in Ukraine. Urges the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to assist Ukrainian defense sector entities reorient exports from Russian Federation customers to alternative markets in the Ukrainian defense sector that have already significantly reduced exports to and cooperation with Russian defense sector entities. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to work with Ukrainian officials to develop an emergency energy assistance plan to help Ukraine address the potentially severe heating fuel and electricity shortages facing Ukraine in 2014 and 2015. Directs the Secretary to work with Ukrainian officials to increase energy security by helping Ukraine reduce its dependence on natural gas imported from the Russian Federation. Authorizes FY2016-FY2018 appropriations for such activities. Directs: the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to prioritize support for investments to increase energy efficiency, develop domestic oil and natural gas reserves, and develop renewable energy sources in Ukraine; and the President to use U.S. influence to encourage the World Bank Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and other international financial institutions to invest in and stimulate private investment in such projects. Directs the Secretary and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to: (1) strengthen democratic civil society in Ukraine, (2) support independent media outlets, and (3) counter government corruption and improve accountability. Directs the Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors to submit to Congress a plan for increasing and maintaining the quantity of Russian-language broadcasting into the countries of the former Soviet Union in order to counter Russian Federation propaganda. Directs the Secretary to: (1) improve and strengthen democratic institutions and political and civil society organizations in the Russian Federation, and (2) expand uncensored Internet and independent media access. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) hold the Russian Federation accountable for being in violation of its obligations under the The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty; and (2) demand that the Russian Federation eliminate the military systems that constitute such violation. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed as an authorization for the use of military force.

To require a report on procurement supply chain vulnerabilities within the Department of Defense.

United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014

Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress regarding how sole source suppliers of components to the DOD procurement supply chain create vulnerabilities to military attack, terrorism, natural disaster, industrial shock, financial crisis, or geopolitical crisis, such as an embargo of key raw materials or industrial inputs. Requires the report to include: (1) a list of the supply chain components for which there is a supplier that controls over 50% of the global market; (2) a list of parts of the supply chain where there is inadequate information to ascertain whether there is a single source supplier of components; and (3) the Secretary's recommendations on which single source suppliers create vulnerabilities and on how to reduce those vulnerabilities.

A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for reconciliation in Indonesia and disclosure by the United States Government of events surrounding the mass killings during 1965-66.

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2014

Condemns the mass murder in Indonesia in 1965-1966. Expresses concern about the lack of accountability enjoyed by those who carried out crimes during this period. Urges political leaders in Indonesia to consider a truth, justice, and reconciliation commission to address alleged crimes against humanity and other human rights violations related to such mass killing. Calls on the Department of State, the Department of Defense (DOD), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and others involved in developing and implementing policy towards Indonesia during such period to establish an interagency working group to: (1) locate and make available to the public all classified records and documents related to such mass killings, and (2) report to Congress.

Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2014

Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2014 - Amends the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) to locate the Office on International Religious Freedom in the Office of the Secretary of State. Directs the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to seek to coordinate religious freedom policies and religious engagement strategies across all U.S. programs, projects, and activities. Specifies additional foreign government actions violating religious freedom for the Ambassador's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, including a Special Watch List of countries or violent nonstate actors that have engaged in or tolerated such violations but do not yet meet the criteria for designation as countries of particular concern for religious freedom. Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary to develop a curriculum for, and the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center to begin, mandatory training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers. Amends the IRFA to require the Commission on International Religious Freedom to compile and make publicly available regularly updated lists of persons imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of faith by: (1) a foreign government recommended for designation as a country of particular concern for religions freedom, or (2) a violent nonstate actor. Makes it a primary responsibility of the Commission to make annual recommendations on such countries and violent nonstate actors as well as specific policy responses or actions that may be taken regarding them. Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to establish within the National Security Council a permanent Interagency Policy Committee on Religious Freedom and Engagement headed by a presidentially appointed Senior Director for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom Promotion, who shall develop and coordinate religious freedom policies and religion engagement strategies throughout the executive branch. Amends the IRFA to revise requirements, including reporting requirements, for presidential actions with respect to country and violent nonstate actor designations, in particular those countries on the Special Watch List. Declares the sense of Congress that: ongoing and persistent waivers for designated countries, especially those engaging in particularly severe violations of religious freedom, do not fulfill IRFA purposes; the President, the Secretary of State, and other executive branch officials, in consultation with Congress, should seek to find ways to address existing violations, on a country-by-country basis, through specified actions; and the country of particular concern for religious freedom designation should apply also to violent nonstate actors. Repeals the automatic termination of a presidential designation after two years. Makes funds available for FY2016-FY2021 for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund. Establishes in the State Department the Religious Freedom Defense Fund, to be administered by the Ambassador at Large. Authorizes the President to exercise specified authority to sanction persons responsible for committing particularly severe violations of international religious freedom. Declares the sense of Congress about: (1) adoption of codes of conduct by U.S. institutions of higher education outside the United States, and (2) national security strategy to promote religious freedom through U.S. foreign policy. Directs the Comptroller General to report to the appropriate congressional committees on whether Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam meet the criteria for designation as countries of particular concern for religious freedom.

PROPER Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2014

Proudly Restoring Officers of Prior Enlistment Retirement Act or the PROPER Act - Reduces to four the number of years that previously enlisted commissioned officers who have performed a certain minimum number of years of military service to become eligible for retirement must have actively served in the rank of commissioned officer in order to retire in the officer rank instead of in their previous enlisted rank. (Currently, a requirement for 10 years of active service as a commissioned officer has been reduced temporarily to 8 years.) Makes the reduction to four years applicable during the period from January 1, 2014, to September 30, 2016.

Directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of the bill H.R. 3979.

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2014

Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 3979 (Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015) to change specified categories of the United States Munitions list referred to in the definition of "personnel protection and personnel survivability equipment."

Military Justice Improvement Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2014

Military Justice Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to direct the Secretaries of Defense (DOD) and Homeland Security (DHS) to require the Secretaries of the military departments to modify the process for determining whether to try by court-martial a member accused of: (1) certain UCMJ offenses for which the maximum punishment includes confinement for more than one year; (2) a conspiracy, solicitation, or attempt to commit such offenses; or (3) retaliation or obstruction of justice offenses regardless of the maximum authorized punishment. Requires courts-martial determinations for such offenses to be made by a commissioned officer available for detail as trial counsel who is outside the chain of command of the member subject to the charges. (Currently, courts-martial decisions are made by commanding officers of accused members.) Excludes from the revised procedures that require counsel outside the chain of command to make such courts-martial determinations certain UCMJ offenses relating specifically to military service, including absence without leave, insubordination, and aiding the enemy. Prohibits an outside counsel's determination not to proceed to trial by general or special court-martial from altering the authority of commanding officers to: (1) refer noncapital offenses to summary courts-martial with limits on the punishments that may be imposed; or (2) impose non-judicial admonitions, reprimands, or disciplinary punishment for minor offenses. Requires military chiefs of staff to establish offices to convene general and special courts-martial. Prohibits officers in the chain of command of an accused or a victim from detailing members to serve on a resulting trial by court-martial. Codifies as an offense under the UCMJ a person's retaliation against a person subject to his or her orders for reporting a criminal offense. Establishes an offense for obstruction of justice.  

To amend section 701 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to clarify the period of eligibility during which certain spouses are entitled to assistance under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship.

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2014

Amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to deem any member of the Armed Forces who died between September 11, 2001, and December 31, 2005, to have died on January 1, 2006, for purposes of the eligibility of such member's surviving spouse for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry scholarship. (Surviving spouses of service members who die in the line of duty after September 11, 2001, are eligible for such assistance until the earlier of the date they remarry or the date that is 15 years after their military spouse's death.)

Generic Drug Pricing Fairness Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2014

Generic Drug Pricing Fairness Act - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require each contract entered into with a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor with respect to a PDP the sponsor offers to prohibit the PDP from entering into a contract with any pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) to manage the prescription drug coverage provided under such plan, or to control the costs of the prescription drug coverage under it, unless the PBM adheres to specified criteria when handling personally identifiable utilization and claims data or other sensitive patient data. Revises requirements for contracts with PDP sponsors to require that the PDP sponsor disclose to applicable pharmacies the sources used for making any update of the prescription drug pricing standard, and if the source for such a standard is not publicly available, disclose to such pharmacies all individual drug prices to be so updated in advance of their use for the reimbursement of claims. Requires the PDP sponsor, as well, to establish a process to appeal, investigate, and resolve disputes regarding individual drug prices that are less than the pharmacy acquisition price for a drug. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD), with respect to the TRICARE retail pharmacy program, to ensure that a contract entered into with a TRICARE managed care support contractor includes requirements to ensure the provision of information regarding the pricing standard for prescription drugs. Establishes criteria to which a carrier and a PBM must adhere under a contract or an approved plan under which the carrier has an agreement with the PBM to manage prescription drug coverage or to control the costs of such coverage. Prohibits a PBM under such criteria from: (1) transmitting to a pharmacy owned by the PBM any personally identifiable utilization or claims data relating to an enrolled individual who has not voluntarily elected in writing or via secure electronic means to fill that particular prescription at such a pharmacy; or (2) requiring any enrolled individual to use a retail pharmacy, mail order pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, or other pharmacy entity in which the PBM has an ownership interest, or that has an ownership interest in the PBM, or give an incentive to encourage an enrollee to use the pharmacy if the incentive applies only to those pharmacies. Requires any contract or approved plan providing for a reimbursement standard with respect to a PDP to require the carrier to: (1) update the standard at least once every seven days to reflect the market price of a drug accurately; (2) disclose to pharmacies the sources used for making any such update; (3) make advance disclosure to those pharmacies of all individual drug prices to be updated if the source for a standard is not publicly available; and (4) establish a process to appeal, investigate, and resolve disputes regarding individual drug prices less than the pharmacy acquisition price.

American Anti-Torture Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2014

American Anti-Torture Act of 2014 - Amends the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 to prohibit any person in the custody or control of the United States (under current law, persons under the custody or control of the Department of Defense [DOD] or under detention in a DOD facility) from being subject to any treatment or technique of interrogation not authorized by and listed in the U.S. Army Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations. Makes such prohibition inapplicable with respect to any person in the custody or control of the United States (under current law, DOD) pursuant to a U.S. criminal or immigration law.

Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2014

Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act of 2014 - Provides for a tax exclusion of compensation paid to a member of the Armed Forces serving in Operation United Assistance in the Ebola virus disease outbreak area (i.e. Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and any other region designated as experiencing a widespread Ebola virus disease outbreak). Requires that such service member undergo a program of not less than 21 days of controlled monitoring upon return from the outbreak area.

Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Louis Zamperini and expressing condolences on his passing.

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2014

Honors the life and accomplishments of Louis Zamperini.

Perpetual POW/MIA Stamp Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2014

Perpetual POW/MIA Stamp Act of 2014 - Directs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to issue a forever stamp that: (1) honors the sacrifices of the members of the Armed Forces who have been prisoners of war, missing in action, or unaccounted for; and (2) depicts the National League of Families POW/MIA flag.

A bill to extend eligibility for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home and domiciliary care for certain veterans who served in a theater of combat operations.

United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2014

Extends from 5 to 10 years after discharge or release from active duty after January 28, 2003, a combat veteran's eligibility for veterans' hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for illnesses that have not been medically proven to be attributable to such veteran's service.

A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate at least one city in the United States each year as an American World War II City, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2014

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to designate at least one city in the United States each year as an "American World War II City" based on: (1) contributions to the war effort during World War II; and (2) efforts to preserve the history of such contributions, including preservation organizations or museums, restoration of World War II facilities, and recognition of World War II veterans. Designates Wilmington, North Carolina, as the first such city.

Stability for Service Members Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2014

Stability for Service Members Act - Amends the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 to extend through calendar year 2015 the one-year period after a service member's military service during which: (1) a court may stay proceedings to enforce an obligation on real or personal property owned by the service member before such military service; and (2) any sale, foreclosure, or seizure of such property shall be invalid without a court order or waiver agreement signed by the service member. (Currently, the extended one-year period is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2014, and return to a nine-month period under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.) Revives, effective January 1, 2016 (currently, January 1, 2015), the old nine-month period in place of the one-year period granted by such Act.

REDUCE Government Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2014

Realign and Eliminate Duplicative Unnecessary Costly Excess in Government Act of 2014 or the REDUCE Government Act - Establishes the Federal Realignment and Closure Commission, which shall: (1) establish a systematic method for assessing the effectiveness and accountability of agency programs, excluding Department of Defense (DOD) programs; (2) divide the programs into three approximately equal budgetary groupings; (3) assess the effectiveness and accountability of all programs within a grouping in each of 2015, 2017, and 2019; and (4) by June 30 of each such year, submit a plan with recommendations of the agencies and programs that should be realigned or eliminated within the grouping assessed. Requires the Commission to recommend: (1) the realignment of agencies or programs that are performing the same essential function that can be consolidated or streamlined into a single agency or program; and (2) the elimination of agencies or programs that have completed their intended purpose, have become irrelevant, or have failed to meet their objectives.  Authorizes the Commission to recommend the realignment or elimination of any agency or program that has wasted federal funds by: (1) spending funds on items outside its authorized mission, (2) mismanaging resources and personnel, or (3) using such funds for personal benefit or the benefit of a special interest group. Requires the President: (1) by August 15 of each such year, to transmit a report containing the President's approval or disapproval of the Commission's plan and recommendations; (2) to transmit a copy of an approved plan and recommendations to Congress; and (3) to eliminate or realign  agencies and programs pursuant to such recommendations unless Congress enacts a resolution disapproving them. Requires funds saved by implementation of such plan to be used for deficit reduction.

Providing for a correction in the enrollment of the bill H.R. 3979.

United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2014

Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives, in the enrollment of H.R. 3979, to revise the official title of such bill to read: "An Act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2015 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes".

Declaration of War against the Organization known as the Islamic State

United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2014

Declaration of War against the Organization known as the Islamic State - Declares, pursuant to article I, section 8, clause 11 of the Constitution, that a state of war exists between the United States and the organization referring to itself as the Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) (ISIL/ISIS). Authorizes and directs the President to use the U.S. Armed Forces to protect U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria from ISIL/ISIS. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed as declaring war or authorizing force against any organization: (1) other than ISIL/ISIS, or (2) based on affiliation with ISIL/ISIS. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed as authorizing the use of ground combat forces except for: protection or rescue of U.S. Armed Forces members or U.S. citizens from imminent danger posed by ISIL/ISIS, limited operations against high value targets, or advisory and intelligence gathering operations. States that: (1) this Act is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution, and (2) nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution. Repeals the authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. States that The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) does not authorize the use of military force against ISIL/ISIS, and shall not be construed as providing such authority. Sunsets one year after the date of enactment of this joint resolution: (1) The Authorization for the Use of Military Force, and (2) the declaration and authorization in this joint resolution.

A resolution designating December 13, 2014, as "Wreaths Across America Day".

United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2014

Designates December 13, 2014, as Wreaths Across America Day. Honors the Wreaths Across America project, the Patriot Guard Riders, the trucking industry, and all of the volunteers and donors involved in the tradition of placing remembrance wreaths at national cemeteries and veterans' memorials. Recognizes the service and sacrifices made by veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and their families.

To designate the Junction City Community-Based Outpatient Clinic located at 715 Southwind Drive, Junction City, Kansas, as the Lieutenant General Richard J. Seitz Community-Based Outpatient Clinic.

United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2014

Designates the Junction City Community-Based Outpatient Clinic located at 715 Southwind Drive, Junction City, Kansas, as the "Lieutenant General Richard J. Seitz Community-Based Outpatient Clinic."

GI Bill STEM Extension Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2014

GI Bill STEM Extension Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay up to nine months of additional Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to a veteran who has used all of the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to which he or she was entitled and who: (1) is enrolled in a postsecondary education program that requires more than the standard 128 semester (or 192 quarter) credit hours for completion in a specified science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field; or (2) has earned a postsecondary degree in one of those fields and is enrolled in a teaching certification program.

[H.A.S.C. No. 113-130] NATIONAL DEFENSE PANEL ASSESSMENT OF THE 2014 QUADRENNIAL DEFENSE REVIEW

United States · United States House of Representatives · 2 December 2014

Military Justice Improvement Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2014

Military Justice Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to direct the Secretaries of Defense (DOD) and Homeland Security (DHS) to require the Secretaries of the military departments to modify the process for determining whether to try by court-martial a member accused of: (1) certain UCMJ offenses for which the maximum punishment includes confinement for more than one year; or (2) a conspiracy, solicitation, or attempt to commit such offenses. Requires courts-martial determinations for such offenses to be made by a commissioned officer available for detail as trial counsel who is outside the chain of command of the member subject to the charges. (Currently, courts-martial decisions are made by commanding officers of accused members.) Excludes from the revised procedures that require counsel outside the chain of command to make such courts-martial determinations certain UCMJ offenses relating specifically to military service, including absence without leave, insubordination, and aiding the enemy. Prohibits an outside counsel's determination not to proceed to trial by general or special court-martial from altering the authority of commanding officers to: (1) refer noncapital offenses to summary courts-martial with limits on the punishments that may be imposed; or (2) impose non-judicial admonitions, reprimands, or disciplinary punishment for minor offenses. Requires military chiefs of staff to establish offices to convene general and special courts-martial. Prohibits officers in the chain of command of an accused or a victim from detailing members to serve on a resulting trial by court-martial.

General of the Army Omar Bradley Property Transfer Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2014

General of the Army Omar Bradley Property Transfer Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Omar Bradley Foundation, Pennsylvania, to transfer, without consideration, to the child of General of the Army Omar Nelson Bradley and his first wife, Mary Elizabeth Quayle Bradley, such items of the Omar Bradley estate under the control of the Foundation as the Secretary of the Army determines to be without historic value to the Army, provided a claim for such a transfer is submitted within 180 days after enactment of this Act.

Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2014

Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 - Directs the President to impose three or more specified sanctions against: Rosoboronexport; an entity owned by the government of the Russian Federation or controlled by its nationals that transfers or manufactures or sells defense articles transferred to, Syria or into the territory of a specified country without its government's consent; or a person that knowingly sponsors or provides financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, such an entity. Directs the President to impose three or more specified sanctions against a person that makes a significant investment in a special Russian crude oil project. Authorizes the President to impose additional licensing requirements or other restrictions on the export of items for Russia's energy sector. Directs the President to impose specified sanctions on Gazprom if it is withholding significant natural gas supplies from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, or further withholds significant natural gas supplies from countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, or Moldova. Sets forth sanctions against a foreign person, including executive officers of an entity, relating to: Export-Import Bank of the United States assistance, executive agency procurement, arms and dual-use item exports, U.S. property transactions, banking transactions, investing in or purchasing equity or debt instruments, and U.S. entry prohibition or visa revocation. Excludes import sanctions from the authority to block and prohibit U.S. property transactions. Authorizes the President to impose a prohibition on the opening, and a prohibition or the imposition of strict conditions on the maintaining, in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly engages in significant transactions involving sanctioned persons. Authorizes the President to provide Ukraine with defense articles, services, and training. Directs the Secretary of State (Secretary) to submit a plan to Congress to meet the need for protection of and assistance for internally displaced persons in Ukraine. Directs the President to use U.S. influence at United Nations (U.N.) voluntary agencies to support assistance for internally displaced persons in Ukraine. Urges the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to assist Ukrainian defense sector entities reorient exports from Russian Federation customers to alternative markets in the Ukrainian defense sector that have already significantly reduced exports to and cooperation with Russian defense sector entities. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to work with Ukrainian officials to develop an emergency energy assistance plan to help Ukraine address the potentially severe heating fuel and electricity shortages facing Ukraine in 2014 and 2015. Directs the Secretary to work with Ukrainian officials to increase energy security by helping Ukraine reduce its dependence on natural gas imported from the Russian Federation. Directs: the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to prioritize support for investments to increase energy efficiency, develop domestic oil and natural gas reserves, and develop renewable energy sources in Ukraine; and the President to use U.S. influence to encourage the World Bank Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and other international financial institutions to invest in and stimulate private investment in such projects. Directs the Secretary and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to: (1) strengthen democratic civil society in Ukraine, (2) support independent media outlets, and (3) counter government corruption and improve accountability. Directs the Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors to submit to Congress a plan for increasing and maintaining the quantity of Russian-language broadcasting into the countries of the former Soviet Union in order to counter Russian Federation propaganda. Directs the Secretary to: (1) improve and strengthen democratic institutions and political and civil society organizations in the Russian Federation, and (2) expand uncensored Internet and independent media access. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) hold the Russian Federation accountable for being in violation of its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and (2) demand that the Russian Federation eliminate the military systems that constitute such violation. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed as an authorization for the use of military force.

A resolution recognizing the contributions of the Montagnard indigenous tribespeople of the Central Highlands of Vietnam to the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War, and condemning the ongoing violation of human rights by the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2014

Recognizes the contributions of the Montagnards who fought loyally and bravely with U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War, and who continue to suffer persecution in Vietnam as a result of this relationship. Condemns actions taken by the government of Vietnam to suppress basic human rights and civil liberties for all its citizens. Urges the President and Congress to develop policies that: (1) support Montagnards and other marginalized ethnic minority and indigenous populations such as the Khmer Krom and the Hmong in Vietnam, and (2) reflect U.S. interests and commitment to upholding human rights and democracy abroad.

Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2014

Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 - Title I: Certain Expiring Provisions - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend certain expiring tax provisions relating to individuals, businesses, and the energy sector. Subtitle A: Individual Tax Extenders - Extends through 2014: the tax deduction of expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers; the tax exclusion of imputed income from the discharge of indebtedness for a principal residence; the equalization of the tax exclusion for employer-provided commuter transit and parking benefits; the tax deduction of mortgage insurance premiums; the tax deduction of state and local general sales taxes in lieu of state and local income taxes; the tax deduction of contributions of real property interests for conservation purposes; the tax deduction of qualified tuition and related expenses; and the tax exemption of distributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable purposes. Subtitle B: Business Tax Extenders - Extends through 2014: the tax credit for increasing research activities; the low-income housing tax credit rate for newly constructed non-federally subsidized buildings; the Indian employment tax credit; the new markets tax credit; the tax credit for qualified railroad track maintenance expenditures; the tax credit for mine rescue team training expenses; the tax credit for differential wage payments to employees who are active duty members of the Uniformed Services; the work opportunity tax credit; authority for issuance of qualified zone academy bonds; the classification of race horses as three-year property for depreciation purposes; accelerated depreciation of qualified leasehold improvement, restaurant, and retail improvement property, of motorsports entertainment complexes, and of business property on Indian reservations; accelerated depreciation of certain business property (bonus depreciation); the special rule allowing a tax deduction for charitable contributions of food inventory by taxpayers other than C corporations; the increased expensing allowance for business assets, computer software, and qualified real property (i.e., leasehold improvement, restaurant, and retail improvement property); the election to expense advanced mine safety equipment expenditures; the expensing allowance for film and television production costs and costs of live theatrical productions; the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities in Puerto Rico; tax rules relating to payments between related foreign corporations and dividends of regulated investment companies; the treatment of regulated investment companies as qualified investment entities for purposes of the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA); the subpart F income exemption for income derived in the active conduct of a banking, financing, or insurance business; the tax rule exempting dividends, interest, rents, and royalties received or accrued from certain controlled foreign corporations by a related entity from treatment as foreign holding company income; the 100% exclusion from gross income of gain from the sale of small business stock; the basis adjustment rule for stock of an S corporation making charitable contributions of property; the reduction of the recognition period for the built-in gains of S corporations; tax incentives for investment in empowerment zones; the increased level of distilled spirit excise tax payments into the treasuries of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; and the tax credit for American Samoa economic development expenditures. Amends the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008 to extend through 2014 the exemption of the basic military housing allowance from the income test for programs financed by tax-exempt housing bonds. Subtitle C: Energy Tax Extenders - Extends through 2014: the tax credit for residential energy efficiency improvements; the tax credit for second generation biofuel production; the income and excise tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel mixtures; the tax credit for producing electricity using Indian coal facilities placed in service before 2009; the tax credit for producing electricity using wind, biomass, geothermal, landfill gas, trash, hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy facilities; the tax credit for energy efficient new homes; the special depreciation allowance for second generation biofuel plant property; the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings; tax deferral rules for sales or dispositions of qualified electric utilities; and the excise tax credit for alternative fuels and fuels involving liquefied hydrogen. Subtitle D: Extenders Relating to Multiemployer Defined Benefit Pension Plans - Extends through 2015 the automatic extensions of amortization periods for multiemployer defined benefit pension plans and for multiemployer funding rules under the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Title II: Technical Corrections - Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2014 - Makes technical and clerical amendments to: the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012; the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012; the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012; the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010; the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010; the Creating Small Business Jobs Act of 2010; the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act; the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009; the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008; the Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008; the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008; the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008; the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008; the Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2007; the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006; the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005: A Legacy for Users; the Energy Tax Incentives Act of 2005; and the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. Eliminates provisions in the Internal Revenue Code that are not used in computing current tax liabilities (referred to as deadwood provisions). Title III: Joint Committee on Taxation - Provides that any refund or credit in excess of $5 million due to a C corporation taxpayer may not be made until the Secretary of the Treasury submits a report to the Joint Committee on Taxation providing information on such refund or credit. Title IV: Budgetary Effects - Prohibits the entry of the budgetary effects of this Act on certain PAYGO scorecards.

Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2014

Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 - Authorizes FY2015 appropriations for the Coast Guard and the Federal Maritime Commission. Authorizes end-of-year strength for active duty personnel and military training student loads. Amends policies related to Coast Guard personnel and their families, including education, housing, childcare, retirement, and orders to return to active duty for emergencies. Establishes reporting requirements, including requiring the Coast Guard to submit to Congress at specified times integrated major acquisition mission need statements and authorization requests for personnel and appropriations. Authorizes the Coast Guard to lease submerged lands and tidelands for periods longer than five years. Requires Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide prompt notice of marine casualties to state and tribal governments. Revises provisions concerning the National Response System and area contingency plans for the discharge of oil and hazardous substances, arctic marine transportation, ice breaking in the polar regions, vessel inspections, and distant water tuna fleet. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) procuring, decommissioning, and extending the life of certain cutters (vessels that are 65 feet or greater); (2) establishing a process for vessel traffic information services to use automatic identification systems to transmit safety information, and (3) prohibiting DHS from dismantling or disposing of infrastructure that supported the former LORAN system (long range radio aid to navigation system). Reauthorizes through FY2017 appropriations to MARAD for a program that provides assistance for small shipyards and maritime communities. Directs federal agencies that operate vessels to report drug test violations by employment applicants to the Coast Guard. Reauthorizes the Fishing Safety Grant Program through FY2017. Establishes the Abandoned Seafarers Fund. Requires DHS to issue an analysis of safety and environmental management system requirements for vessels engaged in Outer Continental Shelf activities prior to issuing the requirements. Extends for a year an exemption from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit requirements for certain discharges from vessels that are less than 79 feet in length or a fishing vessel. Requires the Department of Transportation to provide a national maritime strategy to Congress.

Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act of 2014 - Provides for a tax exclusion of compensation paid to a member of the Armed Forces serving in Operation United Assistance in the Ebola virus disease outbreak area (i.e. Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and any other region designated as experiencing a widespread Ebola virus disease outbreak). Requires that such service member undergo a program of not less than 21 days of controlled monitoring upon return from the outbreak area.

Guard and Military Reservist Pay Security Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Guard and Military Reservist Pay Security Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for differential wage payments to active duty members of the Uniformed Services, to: (1) make such credit permanent; (2) increase the rate of such credit to 100%; (3) require an annual adjustment for inflation to credit amounts after 2015; and (4) make such credit available to all employers, not just small business employers.

Higher Education Affordability Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Higher Education Affordability Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize HEA programs. Title I: General Provisions - Requires proprietary institutions of higher education, for student aid eligibility purposes, to derive at least 15% of their revenue from sources other than federal funds. Prohibits institutions of higher education (IHEs) that are affiliated with a consumer financial product or service from receiving HEA funds unless they take specified steps to avoid conflicts of interest. Prohibits IHEs or other postsecondary educational institutions from using revenues derived from federal educational assistance funds for recruiting or marketing activities. Requires the establishment of new college cost and assistance information resources for students, parents, and the public and the enhancement of existing resources. Prohibits a state from charging certain active duty military personnel and homeless and foster care youth tuition for attending a public institution of higher education at a rate that is greater than the rate charged for state residents. Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a complaint tracking system to collect, monitor, and respond to complaints or inquiries regarding the educational practices and services, and recruiting and marketing practices, of all postsecondary educational institutions. Establishes the Proprietary Education Oversight Coordination Committee to oversee proprietary IHEs and publish an annual Warning List for Parents and Students regarding certain issues facing such schools. Title II: Improving Educator Preparation - Revises title II of the HEA to establish a new part A program awarding grants to partnerships of high-need local educational agencies (LEAs), high-need schools, IHEs, and high-need early childhood education programs to design and implement effective educator residency programs that prepare educators for success in high-need schools. Establishes a new part B program awarding grants to states to reform and improve educator preparation programs. Establishes a new part C requiring educator preparation programs to set annual quantifiable goals for increasing the number of prospective educators trained in educator shortage areas designated by the Secretary or the applicable state. Requires states to identify and assist low-performing educator preparation programs. Cuts off federal funding for those programs that lose state support or funding due to low performance. Preserves the Honorable Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program and the Teach to Reach grant program in a new part D. Title III: Institutional Aid - Revises and reauthorizes the Institutional Aid programs, under title III of the HEA, that provide grants to IHEs serving high percentages of minority and low-income students. Alters the authorized uses of the grant funds. Requires the Secretary and states to cover the costs that certain IHEs that are required to provide a tuition-free education to Indian students incur in providing such an education to out-of-state Indian students. Raises the principal limit on outstanding federally-insured bonds used to finance historically Black colleges and universities. Title IV: Student Assistance - Revises and reauthorizes Student Assistance programs under title IV of the HEA. Establishes a year-round Federal Pell Grant program to allow eligible students to accelerate the time needed to earn a degree. Establishes demonstration programs to: encourage IHEs to improve their performance in enrolling and graduating a significant number of low- and moderate-income students on time; explore the effectiveness of providing secondary school students with early notification of their postsecondary financial aid options and the cost of postsecondary education; explore the effectiveness of providing adult students with information regarding their postsecondary financial aid options and the cost of postsecondary education; and explore ways of delivering competency-based postsecondary education programs that assess student competencies rather than credit hours to potentially reduce the costs students incur, and the time they need, to attain a postsecondary degree. Establishes an American Dream grants program allotting grants to states to offer Dreamer students in-state tuition and expand their access to in-state financial aid. Provides loan forgiveness under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (DL) programs for certain Indian teachers employed by Indian schools or LEAs that serve a high percentage of Indian students. Reduces, from 75% to 50%, the federal share of Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity grants and the federal share of the compensation provided to students employed in Federal Work-Study programs. Raises the required IHE contribution of funds for Federal Perkins Loans from one-third to one-half of the federal contributions. Increases the income protection allowances used in determining dependent and independent students' need for title IV assistance. Directs the Secretary to develop standard formats for: (1) notifying any borrower who is delinquent, or at risk of becoming delinquent, on an FFEL or DL of repayment options; (2) IHE financial aid award letters to students and parents. Requires the Secretary to publicize fiscal year FFEL and DL repayment and default rates for each IHE participating in a title IV program. Establishes a One-Time FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) pilot program to: (1) streamline the process by which students apply for federal financial assistance, and (2) reduce the need for students to apply for such assistance each year. Allows students who have not graduated from secondary school to receive title IV assistance if they: (1) are enrolled in an eligible career pathway program, and (2) are determined or demonstrate the ability to benefit from the education or training being offered. Requires IHEs to provide students with: (1) information regarding their policy on harassment, and (2) additional and more frequent and personalized information regarding student assistance. Bans IHEs participating in title IV programs from: (1) providing incentive compensation to persons or entities based on their success in recruiting, enrolling, or educating students or placing them in employment; or (2) including a predispute arbitration agreement in any contract with a student. Authorizes the Secretary to impose civil penalties and sanctions on IHEs that engage in substantial misrepresentations or other serious violations of title IV requirements. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures to automatically enroll delinquent FFEL or DL borrowers who have a partial financial hardship into an income-based repayment plan. Requires each IHE that enrolls a student who receives title IV assistance to establish a system to disburse credit balances through electronic payments to a deposit account or a general use prepaid card with the protections afforded under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Requires IHEs to provide, and the Secretary to collect, specified student unit record data. Prohibits accreditors from requiring IHEs to enter into predispute arbitration agreements with their students. Requires them to publicly disclose their finalized accreditation documents relating to academic and institutional quality. Directs the Secretary to conduct program reviews of IHEs that pose a significant risk of failing to comply with title IV requirements. Establishes a State-Federal College Affordability Partnership program to award block grants to states to incentivize their investment in public higher education. Title V: Developing Institutions - Revises and reauthorizes the Developing Institutions grant program for Hispanic-serving IHEs under title V of the HEA. Alters the authorized uses of grant funds. Title VI: International Education Programs - Reauthorizes the International Education programs under title VI of the HEA. Title VII: Graduate and Postsecondary Improvement Programs - Reauthorizes the Graduate and Postsecondary Improvement programs under title VII of the HEA. Establishes: a First In The World Competitive Grant program to help IHEs implement innovative strategies designed to increase postsecondary education access, affordability, and completion; Dual Enrollment and Early College High School programs; a Minority-Serving Institutions Innovation Fund to assist minority-serving institutions in developing, implementing, and replicating innovations that enable economically and educationally disadvantaged students to enroll in, persist through, and graduate from their schools; and a program providing competitive grants to states to establish or implement a comprehensive state plan to increase students' access to, and completion of, postsecondary education. Title VIII: Additional Programs - Strikes the following parts of title VIII of the HEA: E (American History for Freedom), H (Improving College Enrollment by Secondary Schools), I (Early Childhood Education Professional Development and Career Task Force), K (Pilot Programs to Increase College Persistence and Success), M (Low Tuition), N (Cooperative Education), O (College Partnership Grants), R (Campus-Based Digital Theft Prevention), U (University Sustainability Programs), V (Modeling and Simulation Programs), X (School of Veterinary Medicine Competitive Grant Program), and Y (Early Federal Pell Grant Commitment Demonstration Program). Replaces the program under part C (Business Workforce Partnerships for Job Skills Training in High-Growth Occupations or Industries) with a Community College and Industry Partnerships program for the development, improvement, or provision of educational or career training programs. Reauthorizes the remaining title VIII programs. Establishes the Tyler Clementi Program to award competitive grants to IHEs to address and prevent student harassment. Title IX: Higher Education Opportunities and Supports for Students with Disabilities - Provides for the establishment and support of: (1) a National Technical Assistance Center for College Students With Disabilities and Their Families, (2) a National Technical Assistance Center for Disability Support Services at Institutions of Higher Education, (3) a National Data Center on Higher Education and Disability. Establishes a competitive grant program to enable IHEs to create or expand high quality, inclusive, higher education programs for students with intellectual disabilities. Requires the establishment of a coordinating center for such programs that provides them with information, technical assistance, and evaluations. Establishes a competitive grant program to enable IHEs to create or expand high quality, inclusive, model comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs for students who are deaf-blind. Requires the establishment of a coordinating center for such programs that provides them with information, technical assistance, and evaluations. Directs the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board to establish, regularly review, and amend guidelines regarding the accessibility of all instructional materials for students who are attending IHEs that receive title IV funding. Establishes a competitive grant program to support model demonstration programs to improve the access of postsecondary students with print disabilities to quality postsecondary instructional materials in specialized formats. Requires certain producers of instructional materials for the postsecondary education market to include closed captions or subtitles in materials that incorporate synchronized audio and visual formats. Directs the Secretary to establish the Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education to conduct a comprehensive study aimed at improving the opportunities for postsecondary students with psychiatric disabilities to receive services and supports that optimize their rates of retention and graduation. Title X: Amendments to Other Laws - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to: require a lender, before issuing a private education loan for a student attending an IHE, to obtain specified certifications from the IHE; impose specified reporting requirements on issuers of private education loans; bar borrowers from making a pre-dispute waiver of their rights or remedies relating to a private education loan; require a private education lender to discharge the liability of borrowers in the event of their death or disability; subject postsecondary education lenders, loan holders, and loan servicers to civil liability; impose specified reporting requirements on financial institutions regarding any agreement they have with an IHE or its affiliates to offer consumer financial products or services to students; prohibit a financial institution that offers a consumer financial product or service that is affiliated with an IHE from entering into a revenue-sharing arrangement with the IHE; and impose specified consumer protection and disclosure requirements on student loan servicers. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the disclosure of tax return information to the Department of Education on student borrowers who are more than 150 days delinquent on an FFEL or DL. Revises federal bankruptcy law to limit the hardship exception to the exemption of educational debts from discharge in bankruptcy to: (1) an educational benefit overpayment or loan made, insured, or guaranteed by a governmental unit or made under any program funded in whole or in part by a governmental unit; or (2) an obligation to repay funds received from a governmental unit as an educational benefit, scholarship, or stipend. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to set a 6% limitation on the interest rate that can be charged a servicemember during the servicemember's military service and one year thereafter on the student loans incurred by the servicemember prior to his or her military service, including student loans incurred prior to such service but consolidated or refinanced during that service. Amends the United States Institute of Peace Act to reauthorize funding for the United States Institute of Peace. Title XI: Reports, Studies, and Miscellaneous Provisions - Prohibits IHEs from participating in a federal financial assistance program unless they meet certain consumer protection requirements with respect to any of their students who are in a program of postsecondary education or training that is designed to prepare them for entry into a recognized occupation or profession that has pre-conditions for entry. Requires: a longitudinal study of the effectiveness of student loan counseling, a study on public service loan forgiveness, a longitudinal study of the causes of student loan default, and a study on the impact of federal financial aid changes on graduate students. Directs the Secretaries of Education, Defense (DOD), and Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish and maintain a working group to assess and improve the resources available to federal personnel to assist members of the Armed Forces and their spouses in using DOD tuition assistance programs. Directs the Secretary to establish an Institutional Risk-Sharing Commission to study and make recommendations for the implementation of a new risk-sharing system for IHEs that participate in the DL program through which IHEs would be held financially accountable for poor student outcomes. Requires the the Comptroller General (GAO) to report to Congress on the educational attainment of homeless and foster care youth. American Dream Accounts Act - Directs the Secretary to establish a competitive grant program enabling specified eligible entities to establish American Dream Accounts for a group of low-income students. Defines an "American Dream Account" as a personal online account for low-income students that monitors their readiness for higher education and includes a college savings account.

Keeping America Safe from Ebola Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Keeping America Safe from Ebola Act of 2014 - Defines "covered alien" as an alien: (1) who is a national or a resident of a country designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as one with widespread transmission of the Ebola virus; and (2) whose last habitual residence, or last habitual residence before residence in the United States if the alien is seeking to reenter the United States, was a designated country. States that a covered alien is ineligible to: (1) receive a U.S. visa or otherwise be admitted to the United States; or (2) enter the United States if the alien was lawfully present in the United States, departed the United States and visited a designated country, and is seeking to reenter the United States. Requires the Secretary of State to revoke the visa of each covered alien. Exempts from such coverage and requirements: (1) certain aid workers, and (2) persons authorized by the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to travel to the United States for training. Directs the President to report to Congress every 30 days regarding the spread of Ebola.

Veterans Dignified Burial Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Veterans Dignified Burial Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA): (1) upon confirming the veteran status of a deceased veteran in the custody of a local medical examiner, funeral director, county service group, or other similar entity, to request from such entity the specific date of the scheduled interment of such veteran; and (2) during each 30-day period following such request, to repeat the request until such entity confirms that such veteran has been interred. Requires the Secretary, by January 31 of each year, to submit to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees a report on deceased veterans who were interred after the 30-day period following the date on which the Secretary made such request. Requires the report to include: (1) the number of deceased veterans who were not interred in such 30-day period during the prior year, (2) the number of such deceased veterans who are not interred as of the date of the report, and (3) the entity with custody of each such deceased veteran.

Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use the Secretary's authority to employ certain personnel without regard to civil service or classification laws, rules, or regulations to employ physicians on a without compensation basis in any practice area or specialty for which: (1) the average waiting time for veterans seeking an appointment with a physician exceeds the VA's waiting time goals, or (2) the VA facility where the physician will be employed has demonstrated staffing shortages. Requires each VA medical facility to have a volunteer coordinator who: (1) seeks to establish relationships with medical associations serving the area, (2) recruits physicians for uncompensated employment at the facility, and (3) serves as the initial point of contact for physicians seeking uncompensated employment at the facility. Conditions an uncompensated physician's receipt of a credential or privilege to practice medicine in a VA facility on the physician's commitment to serve at least 40 hours in the facility during the ensuing 12-month period. Requires the Secretary to decide whether to grant an uncompensated physician's request for a credential or privilege to practice medicine in the VA facility within 60 days. Requires the director of a VA medical facility to approve, and accept the uncompensated services of, any physician who has made the requisite service commitment and receives a credential or privilege to practice medicine in such facility.

Defense of Legal Workers Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Defense of Legal Workers Act of 2014 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) exclude from the definition of "unauthorized alien," with respect to the unlawful employment of aliens, any alien otherwise admitted to and lawfully present in the United States; and (2) consider an alien without lawful status to be an unauthorized alien whose employment is unlawful.

Keeping America Safe from Ebola Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Keeping America Safe from Ebola Act of 2014 - Defines "covered alien" as an alien: (1) who is a national or a resident of a country designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as one with widespread transmission of the Ebola virus; and (2) whose last habitual residence, or last habitual residence before residence in the United States if the alien is seeking to reenter the United States, was a designated country. States that a covered alien is ineligible to: (1) receive a U.S. visa or otherwise be admitted to the United States; or (2) enter the United States if the alien was lawfully present in the United States, departed the United States and visited a designated country, and is seeking to reenter the United States. Requires the Secretary of State to revoke the visa of each covered alien. Exempts from such coverage and requirements: (1) certain aid workers, and (2) persons authorized by the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to travel to the United States for training. Directs the President to report to Congress every 30 days regarding the spread of Ebola.

To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Billings, Montana, as the "Bear Root Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic".

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic located at 1766 Majestic Lane in Billings, Montana, as the "Bear Root Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic."

Veterans Equal Access Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Veterans Equal Access Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to authorize VA health care providers to: (1) provide veterans with recommendations and opinions regarding participation in their state's marijuana programs, and (2) complete forms reflecting such recommendations and opinions.

Funeral Honors for World War II Veterans Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Funeral Honors for World War II Veterans Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to include seven person firing parties in the funeral honors details for World War II veterans.

To authorize the direct provision of defense articles, defense services, and related training to the Kurdistan Regional Government, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014

Expresses the sense of Congress that: defeating the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is critical to maintaining a unified Iraq in which all faiths and ethnicities are afforded equal protection and full integration into the government and society; the people of Kurdistan face a deadly threat from ISIL which the Iraqi Security Forces, of which the Peshmerga are a component, are currently unable to match in armaments; any outstanding issues between the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional government (KRG) should be resolved expeditiously to allow for a resumption of normal relations; and ISIL's continued growth presents an imminent threat to Iraqi Kurdistan, the rest of Iraq and the Middle East, and international security. Authorizes the President to: (1) provide defense articles, defense services, and related training directly to the KRG to support international coalition efforts against ISIL or any successor group; and (2) issue licenses authorizing U.S. exporters to export defense articles, defense services, and related training directly to the KRG. Prohibits the provision of any defense article, service, or related training to the KRG under this Act unless the KRG agrees that it will not: provide any such defense article, service, or training to anyone who is not a KRG officer, employee, or agent; or use or permit the use of any such defense article, service, or training for purposes other than those for which it was provided, unless the President's consent has been obtained.

UNITED STATES-JORDAN DEFENSE COOPERATION ACT OF 2014

United States · United States House of Representatives · 19 November 2014

Recognizing Officers and Enlisted Men of the Korean Constabulary Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2014

Recognizing Officers and Enlisted Men of the Korean Constabulary Act of 2014 - Commends the veterans of the Korean Constabulary and thanks them for their support during the difficult times leading to the establishment of South Korea. (The Korean Constabulary undertook internal security tasks on behalf of the U.S. military government in Korea and the South Korean people from November 1945 to January 1949.) Requires the Secretary of State to urge the South Korean government to: (1) reexamine Article 16-9 of South Korea's Military Pension Act, and (2) expeditiously locate the records and remains of 7,235 combat dead of the Korean Constabulary. (Article 16-9 of South Korea's Military Pension Act denies veterans of the Korean Constabulary coverage for their service prior to the establishment of South Korea.) Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to submit a report that: (1) describes potential awards and recognition for officers and enlisted men of the Korean Constabulary, and (2) examines the possibility of establishing new awards and recognition for those individuals if no awards or recognition currently apply. Includes among persons who are eligible for interment in national cemeteries any veteran of the Korean Constabulary who, at the time of death, resided in the United States and was a citizen of, or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in, the United States.