Education

Universal Prekindergarten and Early Childhood Education Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2013

Universal Prekindergarten and Early Childhood Education Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to states to establish full-day prekindergarten programs at public schools. Requires those programs to: (1) permit parents, regardless of income, to enroll their four-year old children at a school in which their children may be enrolled for kindergarten; (2) run for the length of the regular school year; and (3) be taught by teachers who possess qualifications similar to the qualifications of other teachers at the applicable school. Prohibits the federal share of a prekindergarten program grant from exceeding 80% of the prekindergarten program's costs.

Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2013

Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes Act of 2013 - Amends federal patent law, with respect to the remedies available in actions involving validity or infringement of a patent, to allow a party asserting invalidity or noninfringement to move for a judgment that the adverse party is not: (1) the inventor, a joint inventor, or in the case of a patent filed by, and awarded to, an assignee of the original inventor or joint inventor, the original assignee of the patent; (2) able to provide documentation of substantial investment made in the exploitation of the patent through production or sale of an item covered by the patent; or (3) an institution of higher education or a technology transfer organization. Directs courts making such a judgment to award the recovery of full costs to any prevailing party asserting invalidity or noninfringement, including reasonable attorney's fees, other than the United States, unless exceptional circumstances make an award unjust.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require the social security number of the student and the employer identification number of the educational institution for purposes of education tax credits.

United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2013

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require: (1) individuals who claim a tax credit for qualified tuition and related expenses under the Hope Scholarship tax credit or the Lifetime Learning tax credit to include their social security numbers on their tax returns, and (2) the educational institutions of such individuals to provide their employer identification numbers.

American Family Economic Protection Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2013

American Family Economic Protection Act of 2013 - Title I: Budget Provisions - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to revise discretionary spending limits (spending caps) for security and nonsecurity categories in new budget authority for FY2013. Establishes discretionary spending limits for revised security and nonsecurity categories for FY2014-FY2021. Defines "revised security category" as discretionary appropriations in budget function 050 (defense function). Repeals certain sequestration requirements for enforcement of a specified budget goal. Decreases the mandatory total amount of deficit reduction calculated for FY2013 by $109.333 billion and for FY2014 by $25.500 billion. Amends the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) to postpone until January 2, 2014, for FY2014 the sequestration required starting March 1, 2012, for FY2013 under the Budget Control Act of 2011 if certain circumstances prevail. Repeals the ATRA treatment of sequester. Makes conforming amendments to the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act. Title II: Agricultural Programs - Amends the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 to provide that payment acres for direct and counter-cyclical assistance shall be 0% of the base acres for crop year 2013 covered commodities and peanuts. Extends the existing conservation stewardship program acreage enrollment requirement for FY2013. Makes Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds available for FY2013 for: (1) the voluntary public access and habitat incentive program, and (2) the desert terminal lakes program. Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to increase FY2013 amounts available for supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program) employment and training. Makes CCC funds available for FY2013 for: (1) the organic agriculture research and extension initiative; (2) the specialty crop research initiative; (3) the beginning farmer and rancher development program; (4) the biobased markets program; (5) biorefinery assistance; (6) the bioenergy program for advanced biofuels; (7) the biodiesel fuel education program; (8) the Rural Energy for America Program; (9) biomass research and development; (10) the biomass crop assistance program; (11) the farmers' market promotion program; (12) the national clean plant network; (13) the national organic certification cost-share program, (14) organic production and market data initiatives; (15) outreach and assistance for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; (16) the rural microentrepreneur assistance program; (17) livestock indemnity payments; (18) the livestock forage disaster program; (19) emergency assistance for livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish; and (20) the tree assistance program. Authorizes FY2013 appropriations for: (1) the rural microentrepreneur assistance program, and (2) value-added agricultural product market development grants. Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to reduce supplemental agricultural disaster assistance payment amounts. Amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to authorize the Secretary to provide coverages based on individual yields (other than for value-loss crops) under the noninsured crop disaster assistance program equivalent to: (1) catastrophic risk protection, or (2) specified additional coverage. Makes ferns and tropical fish ineligible for program participation. Increases program service fees. Makes additional program coverage available at 50% to 65% of established yield and 100% of average market price. Reduces the premium for additional coverage by 50% for limited resource, beginning, and socially disadvantaged farmers. Makes assistance available as soon as possible to producers with 2012 fruit crop losses in counties declared a disaster due to freeze or frost. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to exempt from sequestration: (1) programs and activities of CCC and the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, (2) agricultural programs and activities carried out under the Act of August 24, 1935, and (3) all other Department of Agriculture (USDA) direct spending accounts. Title III: Revenue Provisions - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require an individual taxpayer whose adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million to pay a minimum income tax rate of 30% of the excess of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income over the taxpayer's modified charitable contribution deduction for the taxable year (tentative fair share tax). Establishes the amount of such tax as the excess (if any) of the tentative fair share tax over the excess of: (1) the sum of the taxpayer's regular tax liability, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) amount, and the payroll tax for the taxable year; over (2) certain tax credits. Requires an inflation adjustment to the $1 million income threshold for taxable years beginning after 2013. Denies a tax deduction for specified outsourcing expenses. Defines "specified outsourcing expense" to mean business-related expenses and fees incurred in connection with the elimination of any business unit of the taxpayer located within the United States and the establishment of such business unit outside the United States. Expands the definition of "crude oil" for purposes of the excise tax on crude oil and petroleum products to include crude oil condensates, natural gasoline, any bitumen or bituminous mixture, and any oil derived from a bitumen or bituminous mixture. Modifies the definition of "domestic crude oil" to mean any crude oil produced in the United States (currently, any crude oil produced from a well located in the United States).

Rural Educator and American Community Housing Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2013

Rural Educator and American Community Housing Act of 2013 - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide grants, loan guarantees, or other financial mechanisms to eligible educators, medical providers, and public safety officers to carry out a qualified project in a qualified community. Defines a "qualified project" as: (1) the construction, modernization, renovation, or repair of qualified housing for such eligible individuals; (2) the payment of interest on bonds or other financing instruments (except refinancing instruments) issued for such activities; or (3) the repayment of a loan used for such construction and so forth, or to purchase or lease real property for qualified housing purposes. Defines a "qualified community" as any open country, or any place, town, village, or city that is not part of or associated with an urban area and that has a population between 2,500 to 10,000, and is not accessible by a motor vehicle. Authorizes the State Director of Rural Development for a state to evaluate for the Secretary any application for a qualified project in the state. Requires the Secretary to take the evaluation into consideration in determining whether to provide such assistance. Requires the Secretary to give priority to: (1) a state education agency (SEA) or local educational agency (LEA), (2) a state or local housing authority, (3) an Indian tribe or tribal organization, (4) a tribally designated housing entity, (5) a local government, or (6) a consortium of any such entities.

A bill to deem the submission of certain claims to an Indian Health Service contracting officer as timely.

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2013

Deems a claim submitted to an Indian Health Service contracting officer pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act on or before October 31, 2005, involving a claim that accrued after October 1, 1995, and on or before September 30, 1999, to have been timely submitted.

Abstinence Education Reallocation Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2013

Abstinence Education Reallocation Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to award grants for qualified sexual risk avoidance education to youth and their parents. Requires such education to meet certain criteria, including: (1) being age-appropriate, medically accurate, and evidence-based; (2) teaching the skills and benefits of sexual abstinence as the optimal sexual health behavior for youth; and (3) teaching the benefits of refraining from nonmarital sexual activity, the advantage of reserving sexual activity for marriage, and the foundational components of a healthy relationship. Gives priority to programs that serve youth ages 12 to 19 and that will promote the protective benefits of parent-child communication regarding healthy sexual decisionmaking.

Fiscal Sustainability Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2013

Fiscal Sustainability Act of 2013 - Amends title XI of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize a five-year renewable comprehensive Medicaid waiver to allow a state to elect to provide medical assistance under SSA title XIX (Medicaid), directly or by contract, to eligible individuals pursuant to the comprehensive waiver in lieu of providing such assistance under an approved state plan or an approved waiver. Allows a state to elect also to treat under the same comprehensive Medicaid waiver individuals eligible for child health assistance under SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP). Makes a state conducting a comprehensive Medicaid waiver eligible for a shared savings bonus of 25% of the waiver savings. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a template for determining the aggregate spending cap for each state for each period for which the state conducts a comprehensive Medicaid waiver. Amends SSA title XIX to phase-in elimination of allowable provider taxes under the Medicaid program. Medicare Total Health Act of 2013 - Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to establish the Medicare Total Health Program. Sunsets Medicare Advantage (Medicare+Choice) plans under SSA title XVIII part C on January 1, 2017. Includes in a qualified Total Health benefits package: (1) standard health benefits coverage (as under the original Medicare fee-for-service program option) with access to negotiated process, and (2) alternative Total Health benefits coverage with at least actuarially equivalent benefits and access to negotiated prices. Allows a qualified Total Health benefits package to include supplemental health benefits coverage consisting of either or both of certain reductions in cost-sharing or additional benefits not covered under the original Medicare fee-for-service program option, which might be prescription drug coverage under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefits Program). Directs the Secretary to establish larger-than-county Total Health regions as service areas according to a specified procedure. Prescribes requirements for Total Health sponsors, premiums, directs subsidies and cost-sharing, special rules for employer-sponsored programs, and coordination with state Medicaid programs. Replaces the Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for the Aged and Disabled) premium with a Medicare total health program plan premium. Establishes thresholds and caps for out-of-pocket expenses. Establishes a unified Medicare deductible of $550 for 2015 (adjusted for any subsequent year by the percentage change in the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the 12-month period ending with June of such preceding year). Establishes a uniform Medicare coinsurance rate of 20%. Directs the Secretary to request the National Association of Insurance Commissions to review and revise the standards for benefit packages, updating them to include requirements for specified cost-sharing. Prohibits issuance of Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policies to an individual after December 31, 2006, unless the individual was covered under a Medigap policy as of such date. Amends the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go-Act of 2010 to eliminate the exemption of Medicare payments to physicians from estimates of budgetary effects. Reduces from $80,000 to $50,000 the threshold amount for 2013 and subsequent years for determining the monthly amount of the premium subsidy (for high-income beneficiaries) applicable to Medicare part B and part D premiums. Extends temporary adjustments to income thresholds. Increases the Medicare eligibility age (currently age 65) to: (1) 65 and 2 months for an individual who attains age 65 bet wen 2013 and 2025, and (3) 67 for an individual who attains age 65 after 2024. Limits Medicare payments for direct graduate medical education (GME). Reduces the Medicare indirect GME payments. Accelerates: (1) application of productivity adjustment to Medicare home health prospective payment amounts, and (2) rebasing of Medicare home health prospective payments. Increases the percentage reduction of bad debt as an allowable cost in hospital, skilled nursing facility, and other provider services attributable to the deductibles and coinsurance amounts from FY2014 through FY 2018 (when bad debt will be eliminated as an allowable cost). Amends SSA title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) to make adjustments to: (1) bend points in determining the primary insurance amount; and (2) calculation of benefit computation years. Establishes a minimum monthly Social Security insurance benefit. Increases monthly Social Security insurance benefit after 20 years of initial eligibility. Revises requirements for normal and early retirement age. Entitles disabled beneficiaries who attain early retirement age to only the larger or, if the individual so elects, only the smaller of disability or old age benefits. Directs the Commissioner of Social Security to establish: (1) an option for a fully insured individual to elect to receive a reduced monthly benefit after such individual attains age 62, and (2) a public information campaign to provide information and education regarding the implications on personal financial security of early and other retirement decisions and the need for greater retirement savings. Revises requirements for the coverage of state and local government employees. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the formula for determining the cost-of-living adjustment for any calendar year. Modifies the cost-of-living indexation of Social Security benefits.

Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2013

Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a geography education grant program under title II (Teacher Quality Enhancement). Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to a national nonprofit educational organization or consortium, with 75% to be used for matching subgrants to institutions of higher education associated with state geographic alliances, nonprofit educational organizations, or state or local educational agencies. Requires program participants to use their grants and subgrants to enhance the geographic literacy of students in kindergarten through grade 12 by supporting specified activities, including: (1) educational research; (2) teacher training; (3) the development of effective teaching tools and learning materials; (4) the application of rigorous academic standards and assessment techniques; (5) comparative studies of world cultures, economies, and environments; and (6) the exchange of information regarding the state of geographic literacy and strategies for its improvement.

Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2013

Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities with respect to functional gastrointestinal and motility disorders (FGIMDs), including by: (1) expanding basic and clinical research into FGIMDs by implementing the research recommendations of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases, (2) providing support for the establishment of centers of excellence on FGIMDs, (3) directing the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to provide the necessary funding for the continued expansion and advancement of the FGIMDs research portfolio through intramural and extramural research, and (4) directing such Institute and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to expand research into FGIMDs that impact children. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to engage in public awareness and education activities to increase understanding and recognition of FGIMDs.

An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2013

Authorizes expenditures by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for the 113th Congress.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2013

Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act or SKILLS Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) to revise requirements and reauthorize appropriations for: (1) WIA title I, workforce investment systems for job training and employment services; and (2) WIA title II, adult education and family literacy education programs. Revises requirements to: (1) eliminate representatives of labor organizations from state workforce investment boards, and (2) specify that representatives of business on a board represent large and small businesses with immediate and long-term employment opportunities in in-demand industries and other occupations important to the state economy. Requires a state board to assist the state governor by developing: (1) policies and programs that support a comprehensive statewide workforce development system, and (2) a statewide workforce and labor market information system. Revises requirements for: (1) a state workforce development plan; (2) local workforce investment areas, boards, and plans; (3) one-stop delivery systems; and (4) the allotment of federal funds among states for employment and training activities. Eliminates specific funding for adult and dislocated worker employment and training. Specifies state use of federal funds to set up a Workforce Investment Fund. Revises requirements for: (1) within state allocations of funds; and (2) the use of funds for state and local employment and training activities, including statewide rapid response, individuals with barriers to employment grants, and adults with barriers to employment grants. Converts the national emergency grants program into a national dislocated worker grants program. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to award national dislocated worker grants to spouses of active duty members of the Armed Forces or full-time duty members of the National Guard (or members who recently separated from such duties) and are in need of employment and training assistance to obtain or retain employment. Requires the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor to be the principal agency to administer WIA title I workforce investment systems for job training and employment services and title III (Job Corps). Revises requirements for the state unified plan for adult education and literacy programs. Amends the Wagner-Peyser Act to eliminate the U.S. Employment Service. Replaces the nationwide employment statistics system, which the Secretary is required to oversee, with a nationwide workforce and labor market information system. Repeals the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970 and specified other laws. Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require employment and training services to eligible members of households participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program be provided through the statewide workforce development system, including the One-Stop delivery system. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) with respect to employment and training services for refugees, and the Second Chance Act of 2007 and well as the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 with respect to such services through the statewide workforce investment system for federal, state, and local prisoner reentry programs. Amends INA also to require that 15% of importing employer fees deposited into the H-1B Nonimmigrant Petitioner Account be transferred to the Department of Education for gifted and talented grant programs (instead of 50% to job training programs). Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA73) to: (1) redesignate the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration the Director, and (2) require an eligible state to use a certain percentage of the federal share of the cost of vocational rehabilitation services to award grants to create practical job and career readiness and training programs and provide job placements and career advancement. Repeals the authority of the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration in the Department of Education to make grants and contracts for: (1) vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities who are migrant or seasonal farmworkers; (2) recreational programs for such individuals; and (3) in-service training of vocational rehabilitation personnel. Repeals title VI (Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities) of the RA73. Revises requirements and reauthorizes appropriations for vocational rehabilitation services under the RA73.

Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2013

Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education (IHEs) to include in their annual security report policies encouraging the accurate and prompt reporting of all crimes to campus police and appropriate law enforcement agencies when crime victims elect to, or are unable to, report the crimes. Requires that report to include: (1) data on the occurrence of certain violent crimes that are motivated by the victim's nationality; and (2) statistics concerning the occurrence of domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking incidents reported to campus security authorities or local police. Requires schools to protect victim confidentiality when reporting criminal threats to the campus community. Directs IHEs to include in their annual security report a statement of policy regarding their programs to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and the procedures they follow when such an offense is reported. Requires an IHE's policy regarding those offenses to include: education that promotes awareness of the offenses; possible sanctions or protective measures imposed following disciplinary action; procedures victims should follow after such an offense occurs; institutional disciplinary procedures; information about how the IHE will protect victim confidentiality; the written notification of students and employees concerning on-campus and community services available for victims; and the written notification of victims regarding their options for, and assistance in, changing academic, living, transportation, and working situations, regardless of whether or not they choose to report the crime. Requires students and employees who report having been the victim of such an offense to their IHE, whether it occurred on or off campus, to receive a written notification of their rights and options under the IHE's policy. Directs the Secretary of Education to seek the counsel of the Attorney General and Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the development, and dissemination to IHEs, of best practices for preventing and responding to incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

RISE Out of Poverty Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2013

Rewriting to Improve and Secure an Exit Out of Poverty Act or RISE Out of Poverty Act - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require state TANF plans to address whether and how states will give priority to providing assistance in areas with the greatest need. Extends the TANF program. Establishes matching grants to the states for subsidized employment. Sets a flat minimum participation rate of 50% with respect to all families residing in a state that include a work-eligible individual. Revises participation requirements. Gives TANF recipients the option to have trained personnel assess certain barriers to employment. Revises the contents of individual responsibility plans. Authorizes a state to develop a modified employability plan for a TANF recipient with, or caring for a family member with, a disability. Prohibits a state from imposing a lifetime sanction or full-family sanction on assistance to any individual or family on the basis of a family member's failure to comply with a program requirement. Prohibits sanctioning individuals for failure to engage in work if the failure results from the inability to secure child care or after-school arrangements for a child under age 13. Prohibits imposing a limit of less than 60 months on duration of TANF assistance. Makes the durational limit inapplicable during a recession. Requires that states establish personnel standards through a merit-based system in the administration of TANF programs. Bans state use of federal TANF funds to replace state or local spending for non-qualified state expenditures. Requires TANF assistance to meet basic family economic needs. Makes reducing child poverty a purpose of the TANF program. Requires that states adopt standards and procedures to address domestic and sexual violence suffered by TANF recipients. Requires a state to guarantee child care services to TANF recipients employed or participating in a work activity. Eliminates the ban on providing assistance to families not assigning certain support rights to the state. Gives states the option to extend TANF eligibility to children through age 21. Prohibits considering financial aid tied to education of a child in determining eligibility for or the amount of TANF. Eliminates bars to TANF assistance for persons convicted of drug felonies, unwed teen parents not in school, and teens not in an adult-supervised living arrangement.

Field EMS Quality, Innovation, and Cost Effectiveness Improvements Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2013

Field EMS Quality, Innovation, and Cost Effectiveness Improvements Act of 2013 - Designates the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the primary federal agency for emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma care. Establishes the Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma within HHS. Gives the Office responsibilities related to emergency medical services and authorizes the Secretary of HHS to delegate additional responsibilities related to EMS. Requires the Director of the Office to: (1) implement a national EMS strategy; (2) establish the EQUIP grant program to promote excellence, quality, universal access, innovation, and preparedness in field EMS; and (3) establish the SPIA grant program to improve EMS system performance, integration, and accountability, to ensure preparedness, to enhance oversight and data collection, and to promote standardization of certifications. Defines "field EMS" to mean emergency medical services provided to patients (including transport by ground, air, or otherwise) prior to or outside a medical facility or other clinical setting. Requires the Director to improve medical oversight of field EMS, including by: (1) promoting the development and adoption of national guidelines for medical oversight, and (2) convening a Field EMS Medical Oversight Advisory Committee. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study issues related to emergency medical care in field EMS. Authorizes the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to maintain, improve, and expand the National EMS Information System. Sets forth reporting requirements relating to data collection and electronic health records. Declares that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) shall not be construed to prohibit certain exchanges of information between field EMS practitioners, hospital personnel, state EMS offices, and the National EMS Database. Requires the Secretary to establish guidelines for the exchange of information between field EMS practitioners and hospital personnel. Authorizes the Director of the Office to make grants for the development, availability, and dissemination of field EMS education programs and courses that improve the quality and capability of field EMS personnel. Requires the Director to conduct or support demonstrations projects relating to alternative dispositions of field EMS patients. Amends title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, and Administrative Simplification) of the Social Security Act to include field EMS as a model for testing by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to conduct research and evaluation relating to field EMS through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Requires the Director of AHRQ to establish a Field EMS Evidence-Based Practice Center. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish the Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund, and (2) allow taxpayers to designate a portion of any income tax overpayment and make additional contributions to finance such Fund.

Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2013

Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2013 - Establishes a Department of Peacebuilding, which shall be headed by a Secretary of Peacebuilding (Secretary). Sets forth the mission of the Department, including: (1) cultivation of peace as a national policy objective; and (2) development of policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful conflict resolution, and structured conflict mediation. Establishes in the Department: (1) the Office of Peace Education and Training, (2) the Office of Domestic Peace Activities, (3) the Office of International Peace Activities, (4) the Office of Technology for Peace, (5) the Office of Arms Control and Disarmament, (6) the Office of Peacebuilding Information and Research, (7) the Office of Human Rights and Economic Rights, and (8) the Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace. Establishes a Federal Interagency Committee on Peace. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of State to consult with the Secretary concerning nonviolent means of conflict resolution when a conflict between the United States and any other government or entity is imminent or occurring. Directs the Secretary to encourage citizens to celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace on a Peace Day.

Supporting the goals and ideals of International Water Safety Day.

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2013

Expresses support for the goals and ideals of International Water Safety Day. Acknowledges: (1) that water safety education should be included in primary and secondary school education, (2) the importance of water safety education, and (3) that every person should learn to swim.

Academic Competition Resolution of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2013

Academic Competition Resolution of 2013 - Establishes an annual academic competition in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to be held among students in each congressional district.

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week.

United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2013

Supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week to increase understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers. Recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.

Workforce Investment Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2013

Workforce Investment Act of 2013 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) to revise requirements and reauthorize appropriations for: (1) WIA title I, workforce investment systems for job training and employment services; and (2) WIA title II, adult education and family literacy education programs. Revises member composition of state and local workforce investment boards to require at least 20% of the board be composed of representatives of the workforce within the state. Revises requirements for a five-year state worker investment plan. Revises requirements for the state unified plan for adult education and literacy programs. Revises requirements for: (1) local workforce investment areas, boards, and plans; (2) one-stop delivery systems; and (3) the allotment of federal funds among states for statewide youth (including disadvantaged youth) activities and statewide workforce investment activities, Native American workforce investment programs, and adult and dislocated worker employment and training activities. Defines "core programs" to mean: (1) youth workforce investment activities and adult and dislocated worker employment and training activities, (2) adult education and literacy activities, (3) employment services, and (4) vocational rehabilitation services. Establishes unified state and local performance accountability measures for the core programs. Directs the Secretary of Labor to allocate federal funds for the costs of infrastructure associated with one-stop centers for job training and employment services. Revises requirements and reauthorizes appropriations for the Job Corps program. Prescribes a special rule to make Armed Force veterans eligible for the Job Corps if certain requirements are met. Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education to establish jointly a demonstration College Corps project to provide certain at-risk youth intensive education and skills training to prepare them for college and for high-skilled employment. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish annually performance indicators for Job Corps centers and for recruitment and career transition service providers serving the Job Corps program. Revises requirements for the Native American, migrant and seasonal farm worker, and veterans' workforce investment programs. Requires the establishment of performance accountability measures for such programs. Repeals the youth opportunity grant program. Replaces demonstration, pilot, multiservice, research, and multistate work investment projects with innovation work investment projects. Subjects such projects to certain performance accountability measures. Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education to provide for the competitive award of: (1) transition grants to states to assist them in making the transition to meeting the requirements of this Act; (2) workforce innovation and best practices grants to state partnerships or regional entities for workforce investment projects to target services to low-income individuals, low-skill individuals, long-term unemployed, and other populations with barriers to employment; and (3) youth innovation and best practices grants to states or local boards and other specified entities for innovative strategies and activities to improve education and employment outcomes for eligible youth. Converts the national emergency grants program into a national dislocated worker grants program. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to award national dislocated worker grants to provide disaster relief employment in a disaster area of a state. Revises and reauthorizes appropriations for the YouthBuild program. Reauthorizes appropriations for the Native American, migrant and seasonal farm worker, and veterans' workforce investment programs. Establishes an Office of Disability Employment Policy within the Department of Labor. Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to: (1) institutions of higher education for educational or career training programs for workers; (2) state or local organizations in partnership with community colleges and other training providers for pay-for-performance projects and pay-for-success job training projects; (3) state or local governments to provide job training or recruiting activities necessary to provide skilled workers for businesses that are considering relocating back to the United States; and (4) institutions of higher education in partnership with local or regional economic development entities to provide training in starting a small business and entrepreneurship. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of federally-funded job training programs to provide job training services to eligible individuals, particularly individuals with barriers to employment. Directs the Secretary of Labor to award grants to states for integrated English literacy and civics education. Amends the Wagner-Peyser Act to authorize use of a state's allotment of public employment services funds to provide unemployment insurance claimants and other unemployed individuals with referrals to, and application assistance for, training and education resources and programs, including student assistance under Federal Pell Grants of the Higher Education Act of 1965, educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance, state student higher education assistance, and training and education programs under WIA titles I and II, and title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a pilot program of competitive grants to state employment agencies to carry out pilot projects that enhance the professional development and the provision of public employment services by agency staff. Replaces the nationwide employment statistics system, which the Secretary of Labor is required to oversee, with a nationwide labor market information system. Establishes the Workforce Information Advisory Council. Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to transfer the Rehabilitation Services Administration from the Office of the Secretary of Education and reestablish it in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. Revises requirements for: (1) state plans for vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities, (2) eligibility for vocational rehabilitation assistance and individualized plans for employment for disabled individuals, (3) monitoring and review of vocational rehabilitation programs, and (4) state allotments for such programs. Requires: (1) states to make certain funds available to designated state units for pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities who are transitioning to employment from education or training, and (2) each local office of a state unit to designate at least one Local Pre-Employment Transition Coordinator for students with disabilities. Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education to each designate a National Pre-Employment Transition Coordinator for Students with Disabilities. Revises American Indian vocational rehabilitation services grant program eligibility requirements to permit grants to be renewed for an additional 5-years, provided certain conditions are met. Revises requirements and reauthorizes appropriations for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Reauthorizes appropriations for: (1) vocational rehabilitation services grants to individuals with disabilities who are migrant or seasonal farmworkers, (2) recreational programs for individuals with disabilities, (3) the National Council on Disability, (4) the Access Board, and (5) employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Authorizes appropriations to assist states in developing collaborative programs to provide supported employment services for individuals (including youth) with the most significant disabilities to enable them to achieve supported employment in competitive integrated employment. Establishes within the Department of Education an Independent Living Administration (ILA), independent of the Rehabilitation Services Administration. Revises requirements for a state plan for state independent living services for individuals with significant disabilities, including through establishment of additional centers for independent living or focused outreach to serve underserved populations. Directs the ILA Director (currently, the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration) to make allotments to states for independent living services to individuals with significant disabilities. Revises the composition and functions of State Independent Living Councils. Revises requirements and reauthorizes appropriations for: (1) the centers for independent living grant program, and (2) independent living services for older individuals who are blind grant program. Directs the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Labor and in coordination with the Commissioners of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, of Social Security, and of the Internal Revenue Service, as well as the heads of other relevant federal agencies, to carry out campaigns to educate employers and the general public on the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities.

Continuum of Learning Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2013

Continuum of Learning Act of 2013 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to coordinate school improvement and professional development activities with early childhood development and education programs. Amends the school improvement program under part A of title I of the ESEA to require states to create or revise early learning guidelines for preschool age children and early learning standards for children in kindergarten through grade three. Requires the guidelines and standards to be developmentally appropriate and cover all domains of child development and learning. Requires states to encourage local educational agencies (LEAs) and elementary schools to use school improvement funds to offer early childhood education programs in schools and other settings from birth to the age of mandatory school entry. Requires LEAs to: (1) assist their elementary schools in conducting a ready school needs review, at least once every three years, that is used to create a school environment that supports children's transition to school and achievement of state and grade level expectations; (2) ensure, to the extent feasible, starting with the 2015-2016 school year, that teachers placed in the early elementary school grades have a specialized early childhood education teaching license, credential, or endorsement; and (3) work with early childhood education programs to establish a continuity of curricular objectives and developmental expectations that support children's transition to school. Limits the use of child assessments for children from birth through grade two. Amends part A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund) of title II of the ESEA to require states to incorporate knowledge regarding early childhood development and learning into teacher and principal certification or licensing requirements. Requires professional development activities to include: (1) training in early child development and learning, and (2) joint training for elementary school staff and early childhood education program staff.

Access to Insurance for All Americans Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2013

Access to Insurance for All Americans Act - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of the enactment of such Act and provisions. Restores provisions of law amended by such Act and provisions. Directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to administer a health insurance program for non-federal employees and to apply to such program the provisions governing the federal employee health insurance program to the greatest extent practicable. Requires OPM, for each calendar year, to enter into a contract with one or more carriers to make health benefits plans available to eligible individuals. Allows any individual to enroll in such a plan unless the individual: (1) is enrolled or eligible to enroll for coverage under a public health insurance program (including Medicaid or Medicare) or under the federal employee health insurance program, or (2) is a member of the uniformed services. Allows rates and premiums for such a plan to differ among geographic regions. Makes such premiums tax deductible. Provides that no government contribution shall be made for any individual enrolled in such a plan. Directs OPM to ensure that covered individuals are in a risk pool separate from that maintained for federal employees. Requires the Director of OPM to submit a comprehensive plan to Congress that provides for the orderly implementation of the amendments made by this Act, including a schedule of actions to be taken to provide for that implementation.

STELLAR Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2013

Securing Teacher Effectiveness, Leadership, Learning, And Results Act of 2013 or STELLAR Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require each state receiving school improvement funds to: (1) define teacher and principal effectiveness and establish performance ratings; (2) demonstrate that it has developed, in collaboration with teachers and principals, a model teacher and principal evaluation program; (3) demonstrate that each of its local educational agencies (LEAs) has adopted a teacher and principal evaluation program; (4) demonstrate that each LEA is collaborating with teachers and principals in developing and making annual improvements to such program; (5) review, report on, and assist LEAs in improving such evaluation programs; and (6) establish procedures to ensure that ineffective teachers and principals facing unemployment are treated fairly. Requires teacher evaluations to: (1) emphasize student academic growth, (2) include observations of the teacher's classroom performance, (3) rate teachers using at least four performance categories, and (4) provide results that are comparable for all teachers in grade levels and subject areas across the state and within the teacher's LEA. Requires principal evaluations to: (1) emphasize student academic growth; (2) factor in their school's graduation rates; (3) assess the principal's success in recruiting, developing, evaluating, and retaining effective teachers; (4) assess the principal's leadership abilities through observations and other relevant data; (5) rate principals using at least four performance categories; and (6) provide results that are comparable across all principals within the LEA. Requires states to take steps to ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by teachers rated as less than effective. Requires states and LEAs to report the number and percentage of teachers and principals in each performance rating at: (1) the state, LEA, and school level; and (2) their LEAs and schools that have the highest and lowest poverty rates or the highest and lowest percentages of minority students. Requires states to report student attendance rates, disaggregated by each school and each teacher and principal at each school within specified jurisdictions. Directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) recognize each LEA that has innovative, high-quality, and effective teacher or principal evaluation programs that lead to professional development and improved student performance; and (2) establish a clearinghouse to share the best practices of such programs with educators.

Health Care Choice Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2013

Health Care Choice Act of 2013 - Repeals the health insurance and health coverage expansion requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and related requirements of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Restores provisions of law amended or repealed by such provisions. Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide that the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) shall apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with the conditions of this Act. Exempts issuers from any secondary state's laws that would prohibit or regulate the operation of the issuer in such state, subject to certain restrictions imposed by such state. Specifies the notice that an issuer must provide in any insurance coverage offered in a secondary state and at renewal of the policy. Requires each issuer issuing individual health insurance coverage in both primary and secondary states to submit to the insurance commissioners of such states: (1) a copy of the plan of operation or feasibility study, (2) written notice of any change in its designation of its primary state and of its compliance with all the laws of the primary state, and (3) a quarterly financial statement. Prohibits an issuer from offering, selling, or issuing individual health insurance coverage in a secondary state if the state insurance commissioner does not use a risk-based capital formula for the determination of capital and surplus requirements for all issuers. Gives sole jurisdiction to the primary state to enforce the primary state's covered laws in the primary state and any secondary state. Requires the Comptroller General to study the effect of this Act on specified health insurance issues.

Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2013

Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2013 - Directs specified federal agencies participating in the National High-Performance Computing Program to: (1) transmit to Congress a cybersecurity strategic research and development plan and triennial updates, and (2) develop and annually update an implementation roadmap for such plan. Provides for the award of computer and network security research grants by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the research areas of social and behavioral factors, including human-computer interactions, identity management, as well as the detection, investigation, and prosecution of cyber-crimes involving organized crime and crimes against children. Requires applications for the establishment of Computer and Network Security Research Centers to include a description of how such Centers will partner with government laboratories, for-profit entities, other institutions of higher education, or nonprofit research institutions. Repeals the Cyber Security Faculty Development Traineeship Program. Requires the NSF Director to continue carrying out a Scholarship for Service program under the Cyber Security Research and Development Act. Directs the President to transmit a report to Congress addressing the cybersecurity workforce needs of the federal government. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to convene a cybersecurity university-industry task force to explore mechanisms for carrying out collaborative R&D activities. Terminates the task force upon transmittal of a report to Congress. Revises provisions under the Cyber Security Research and Development Act concerning the development and dissemination by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of security risk checklists associated with computer systems that are, or are likely to become, widely used within the federal government. Requires the NIST to: (1) establish priorities for the development, and revision as necessary, of security automation standards, associated reference materials (including protocols), and checklists associated with such systems in order to enable standardized and interoperable technologies, architectures, and frameworks to continuously monitor information security within the federal government; (2) conduct intramural security research activities under its computing standards program; (3) ensure the coordination of federal agencies engaged in the development of international technical standards related to information system security; and (4) continue to encourage implementation of a comprehensive strategy for the use and adoption of cloud computing services, to coordinate a cybersecurity awareness and education program, and to develop technical standards, metrology, testbeds, and conformance criteria with regard to identity management research and development.

Methamphetamine Education, Treatment, and Hope Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2013

Methamphetamine Education, Treatment, and Hope Act of 2010 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment to collaborate with professionals in the addiction field and primary health care providers to raise awareness about how to: (1) recognize the signs of a substance abuse disorder; and (2) apply evidence-based practices for screening and treating individuals with, or at-risk for developing, an addiction. Revises requirements governing a grant program for substance abuse residential treatment for pregnant and parenting women (currently, for postpartum women), to include treatment for addiction to methamphetamine, outpatient treatment services, and referrals for dental services. Requires the Director to give grant priority to a program serving an area that: (1) is a rural area, an area with a shortage of mental health professionals, or an area with a shortage of family-based substance abuse treatment options; and (2) has high rates of addiction to methamphetamine or other drugs. Revises requirements for biennial reports to Congress to require such reports to include: (1) data on the number of pregnant and parenting women in need of, but not receiving, treatment for substance abuse; and (2) data on recovery and relapse rates of women receiving treatment for substance abuse under the grant program. Requires the Director to expand, intensify, and coordinate efforts to provide pregnant and parenting women treatment for addiction to methamphetamine or other drugs. Requires the Director of the Office for Substance Abuse Prevention to: (1) maintain a clearinghouse that provides information and educational materials to employers and employees about comprehensive drug-free workplace programs and substance abuse prevention and treatment resources; and (2) support the involvement of youth in the development and implementation of prevention strategies focused on youth.

Protect America's Schools Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2013

Protect America's Schools Act of 2013 - Makes supplemental appropriations for the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs, for Community Oriented Policing Services, for school resource officers for FY2012. Rescinds an equal amount of unobligated balances available for the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), for operations, research, and facilities.

Congratulating Emporia State University for 150 years of outstanding service to the State of Kansas, the United States, and the world.

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2013

Congratulates Emporia State University, in Emporia, Kansas, for 150 years of outstanding service to Kansas, the United States, and the world.

Supporting the goals and ideals of the Secondary School Student Athletes' Bill of Rights.

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2013

Expresses support for: (1) the principles and values set forth in the Secondary School Student Athletes' Bill of Rights; and (2) secondary schools that have successfully implemented programs, policies, and practices to emphasize and encourage student athlete safety and well-being. Recognizes the importance of proper safety measures, timely medical assessments, and appropriate environmental conditions, and the role that teachers, parents, coaches, and athletic health care team members play, in ensuring the well-being of secondary school student athletes. Encourages secondary schools to continue to take all available and reasonable efforts to ensure student athlete safety.

RAISING THE BAR: HOW EDUCATION INNOVATION CAN IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

United States · United States House of Representatives · 14 February 2013

Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out programs that provide adolescents with comprehensive sex education to: (1) replicate evidence-based sex education programs, (2) substantially incorporate elements of evidence-based sex education programs, or (3) create a demonstration project based on generally accepted characteristics of effective sex education programs. Sets forth provisions regarding evaluation of such programs. Requires the Secretary to establish a common set of performance measures to assess the implementation and impact of grant programs funded under this Act. Requires the Secretary to award competitive grants to: (1) institutions of higher education to enable such institutions to provide young people with comprehensive sex education with an emphasis on reducing HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy; and (2) eligible entities to train targeted faculty and staff in order to increase effective teaching of comprehensive sex education for elementary and secondary school students. Prohibits programs funded under this Act from discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. Prohibits federal funds provided under this Act from being used for health education programs that: (1) deliberately withhold life-saving information about HIV; (2) are medically inaccurate or have been scientifically shown to be ineffective; (3) promote gender stereotypes; (4) are insensitive and unresponsive to the needs of sexually active youth or lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender youth; or (5) are inconsistent with the ethical imperatives of medicine and public health. Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal a prohibition against the use of appropriations for AIDS prevention programs to provide education or information designed to promote or encourage, directly, homosexual or heterosexual activity or intravenous substance abuse. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to repeal a prohibition against the use of authorized funds to operate a program of contraceptive distribution in schools.

Teaching Geography Is Fundamental Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a geography education grant program under title II (Teacher Quality Enhancement). Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to a national nonprofit education organization or consortium, with 75% to be used for matching subgrants to institutions of higher education associated with state geographic alliances, nonprofit educational organizations, or state or local educational agencies. Requires program participants to use their grants and subgrants to enhance the geographic literacy of students in kindergarten through grade 12 by supporting specified activities, including: (1) educational research; (2) teacher training; (3) the development of effective teaching tools and learning materials; (4) the application of rigorous academic standards and assessment techniques; (5) comparative studies of world cultures, economies, and environments; and (6) the exchange of information regarding the state of geographic literacy and strategies for its improvement.

STEM Master Teacher Corps Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

STEM Master Teacher Corps Act of 2013 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to consortia of local educational agencies (LEAs) or states, acting in partnership with institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations to establish a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Master Teacher Corps program. Requires grantees to: (1) select exemplary elementary and secondary school STEM teachers for membership in the STEM Master Teacher Corps; (2) provide those teachers with compensation that supplements their base salaries, with higher compensation going to those teaching at high-need public schools; (3) provide, and track the effectiveness of, research-based training for Corps members; (4) provide discretionary resources for Corps members at high-need schools to use; (5) help coordinate instructional leadership and mentoring roles for Corps members; and (6) facilitate efforts by Corps members to inform STEM education policy at the national, state, and local levels. Gives grant priority to applicants that intend to include: (1) large numbers of teachers in the STEM Master Teacher Corps; and (2) rural schools, particularly high-need rural schools, in the area they serve. Requires grantees to ensure that at least 75% of their STEM Master Teacher Corps are teachers at high-need schools. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, to: (1) evaluate the STEM Master Teacher Corps program; (2) identify optimal strategies for designing and advancing such program; and (3) identify best practices for developing, supporting, and retaining STEM teachers based on lessons learned from the program.

Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to award grants to states and nonprofit entities for consumer education about opioid abuse, including methadone abuse. Amends the Controlled Substances Act to: (1) set forth training requirements for practitioners registered to prescribe or dispense methadone or other opioids, and (2) require each registered opioid treatment clinic to make acceptable arrangements for each patient who is restricted from having a take-home dose of a controlled substance related to treatment to receive a dose of that substance under appropriate supervision when the clinic is closed. Prohibits any individual or entity (except hospitals that provide direct patient supervision) from prescribing or dispensing a 40-mg diskette of methadone unless such prescription or dispensation is consistent with the current Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) methadone policy, until the date the Controlled Substances Clinical Standards Commission: (1) publishes dosing guidelines for methadone, and (2) finds that such 40-mg diskettes are safe and clinically appropriate. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish such Commission to develop and publish guidelines related to methadone use, including safe dosing guidelines for all forms of methadone and benchmark guidelines for the reduction of methadone abuse. Requires states receiving controlled substances monitoring program grants to: (1) provide information, upon request, to drug enforcement officials relating to an individual who is the subject of an active drug-related investigation; and (2) require opioid-related deaths to be reported to the Administrator. Directs the Administrator to develop a Model Opioid Treatment Program Mortality Report. Requires the Administrator to establish and implement, through the National Center for Health Statistics, a National Opioid Death Registry to track opioid-related deaths. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to require the development and application of specific prescription drug abuse prevention and treatment quality measures for each relevant health care provider setting.

After School for America's Children Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

After School for America's Children Act - Amends the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program under part B of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). (21st Century Community Learning Centers provide students with before and after school programs to improve their academic performance.) Requires the Centers to provide: (1) students with activities that are targeted to their academic needs and aligned with the instruction they receive during the school day, and (2) students' families with opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children's education. Includes Indian tribes or organizations among the local public or private entities that are eligible for grants from states to establish the Centers. Requires states to use at least 93% (currently 95%) of their allotment from the Secretary of Education to provide grants to those entities. Allows states to use up to 5% (currently, 3%) of their allotment for certain state activities. Requires states to: (1) award grants to local entities that serve students who primarily attend schools that are eligible for schoolwide programs under part A of title I of the ESEA, and (2) favor applicants that propose to serve students that have not achieved proficiency in accordance with state academic achievement standards. Requires states to use a rigorous peer review process in reviewing grant applications. Allows states to renew a grant under part B based on the grantee's performance during the original grant period. Prohibits the Secretary or states from giving funding priority to applicants that propose to use the funds to extend the regular school day. Includes among the activities grants may fund: (1) core academic subject education activities, including those that allow students to recover or attain credits; (2) literacy education programs; (3) programs that support a healthy, active lifestyle; (4) services for the disabled; (5) cultural programs; and (6) programs that build science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills and support innovative STEM teaching methods. Reauthorizes the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program through FY2019.

Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out programs that provide adolescents with comprehensive sex education to: (1) replicate evidence-based sex education programs, (2) substantially incorporate elements of evidence-based sex education programs, or (3) create a demonstration project based on generally accepted characteristics of effective sex education programs. Sets forth provisions regarding evaluation of such programs. Requires the Secretary to establish a common set of performance measures to assess the implementation and impact of grant programs funded under this Act. Requires the Secretary to award competitive grants to: (1) institutions of higher education to enable such institutions to provide young people with comprehensive sex education with an emphasis on reducing HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy; and (2) eligible entities to train targeted faculty and staff in order to increase effective teaching of comprehensive sex education for elementary and secondary school students. Prohibits programs funded under this Act from discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. Prohibits federal funds provided under this Act from being used for health education programs that: (1) deliberately withhold life-saving information about HIV; (2) are medically inaccurate or have been scientifically shown to be ineffective; (3) promote gender stereotypes; (4) are insensitive and unresponsive to the needs of sexually active youth or lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender youth; or (5) are inconsistent with the ethical imperatives of medicine and public health. Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal a prohibition against the use of appropriations for AIDS prevention programs to provide education or information designed to promote or encourage, directly, homosexual or heterosexual activity or intravenous substance abuse. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to repeal a prohibition against the use of authorized funds to operate a program of contraceptive distribution in schools.

Startup Act 3.0

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

Startup Act 3.0 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to adjust to conditional permanent resident status up to 50,000 aliens who have earned a master's or doctorate degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field (STEM field) and permit such an alien to remain in the United States: (1) for up to one year after the expiration of the alien's student visa, if the alien is searching for STEM field employment; and (2) indefinitely if the alien remains actively engaged in a STEM field. Removes a STEM alien's conditional status after five years of maintaining eligibility during the entire five-year period. Authorizes the Secretary to issue conditional immigrant visas to up to 75,000 qualified alien entrepreneurs. Removes such conditional basis after four years of maintaining qualified entrepreneur status. Eliminates the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based visas. Increases the per country numerical limitation for family based immigrants from 7% to 15% of the total number of family-sponsored visas. Amends the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 to eliminate the provision requiring the reduction of annual People's Republic of China immigrant visas to offset status adjustments under such Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide a permanent full tax exclusion on gain from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock held for more than five years, (2) repeal the minimum tax preference and the 28% capital gains rate on such stock, and (3) provide a limited tax credit for certain startup small businesses. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to use certain federal agency extramural budget funds to award grants to institutions of higher education for initiatives to improve commercialization and transfer of technology. Requires the head of any federal or independent regulatory agency, before issuing a notice of rule making in connection with the issuance of a proposed major rule, to complete a review that, among other things, analyzes the problem that the rule intends to address, and identifies and analyzes the rule's expected impact on state, local, and tribal governments, as well as on the ability of new businesses to form and expand. Requires a cost-benefit analysis before rule issuance. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to regularly compile: (1) information from each of the states and the District of Columbia on laws that affect the formation and growth of new businesses, and (2) quantitative and qualitative information on U.S. businesses that are not more than one year old.

Abstinence Education Reallocation Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

Abstinence Education Reallocation Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to award grants for qualified sexual risk avoidance education to youth and their parents. Requires such education to meet certain criteria, including: (1) being age-appropriate, medically accurate, and evidence-based; (2) teaching the skills and benefits of sexual abstinence as the optimal sexual health behavior for youth; and (3) teaching the benefits of refraining from nonmarital sexual activity, the advantage of reserving sexual activity for marriage, and the foundational components of a healthy relationship. Gives priority to programs that serve youth ages 12 to 19 and that will promote the protective benefits of parent-child communication regarding healthy sexual decisionmaking.

ARPA-ED Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

ARPA-ED Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to reserve up to 30% of amounts appropriated for the Investing in Innovation Fund under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to establish and carry out the objectives of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Education (ARPA-ED). Requires the Secretary to appoint to the ARPA-ED, for terms of up to four years, individuals who have expertise in carrying out the Agency's objectives. Requires the ARPA-ED to: (1) identify and promote advances in learning, fundamental and applied sciences, and engineering that may be translated into new learning technologies; (2) develop, test, and evaluate new learning technologies and related processes; and (3) accelerate transformational technological advances in education. Directs the Secretary to award grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or cash prizes to, or enter into other transactions with, public or private entities in pursuit of these objectives. Directs the Secretary to: (1) convene an advisory panel to provide the Secretary and the ARPA-ED with advice in making those awards or entering into those transactions; (2) obtain independent, periodic, and rigorous evaluations of the ARPA-ED's effectiveness; and (3) disseminate information to education practitioners on effective practices and technologies developed through the ARPA-ED.

Stop the Sequester Job Loss Now Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

Stop the Sequester Job Loss Now Act - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to repeal the FY2013 sequester and reduce the FY2014 sequester. Eliminates the 2% maximum permissible reduction in budget authority for veterans' medical care. Extends through FY2014 agricultural commodity programs generally under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, but not the direct payment programs for wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley, oats, upland cotton, long and medium grain rice, soybeans, other oilseeds, and peanuts. Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to deductions from income, to set a special rule that a major integrated oil company's domestic production gross receipts shall not include any gross receipts from the production, refining, processing, transportation, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any of their primary products. Prohibits a major integrated oil company from using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) accounting method in inventorying goods. Prescribes a special rule to limit the foreign tax credit and tax deferrals for amounts paid or accrued by a major integrated oil company that is a dual capacity taxpayer (a person subject to a levy of a foreign country or U.S. possession and receives, or will receive, directly or indirectly a specific economic benefit from such county or possession). Requires an individual taxpayer whose adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million to pay a minimum (fair share) tax rate of 30% of the excess of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income over the taxpayer's modified charitable contribution deduction for the taxable year. Declares that it is the sense of the House that Congress should replace the entire 10-year sequester established by the Budget Control Act of 2011 with a balanced approach that would: (1) increase revenues without increasing the tax burden on middle-income Americans; and (2) decrease long-term spending while maintaining the Medicare guarantee, protecting Social Security and a strong social safety net, and making strategic investments in education, science, research, and critical infrastructure necessary to compete in the global economy.

Recognizing the 150th anniversary of Kansas State University.

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013

Congratulates Kansas State University for 150 years of outstanding service to Kansas, this country, and the world in fulfilling its mission as a land-grant university. Thanks Kansas for its visionary leadership in the beginning of the land-grant movement in this country.

Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research and Education Amendments of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013

Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research and Education (MD-CARE) Amendments of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the muscular dystrophy research program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Multiplies the forms of muscular dystrophy included within the program. Requires the research conducted through Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Centers to include cardiac and pulmonary function research. Requires the Director of NIH to ensure the sharing of data between such centers. Revises the composition of the Muscular Dystrophy Coordinating Committee (MDCC) to include the Social Security Administration and the United States Administration for Community Living. Requires the MDCC to meet at least two times per year. Requires the MDCC Action Plan to provide for: (1) health economic studies to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of providing independent living resources and support to patients with various forms of muscular dystrophy, (2) studies to determine optimal clinical care interventions for adults with various forms of muscular dystrophy, and (3) the development of clinical interventions to improve the health of adults with various forms of muscular dystrophy. Requires the MDCC to develop a plan to expedite the evaluation and approval of emerging therapies and personalized medicines that have the potential to decrease fatal disease progression across the various forms of muscular dystrophy. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in carrying out epidemiological activities regarding Duchenne and other forms of muscular dystrophies, to ensure that data from different racial and ethnic populations is captured and made publicly available to investigators conducting public or private research on muscular dystrophy. Directs the Secretary to foster ongoing engagement and collaboration between the surveillance program and the research centers. Amends the Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research, and Education Amendments of 2001 to authorize the Secretary to: (1) update and disseminate widely existing Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy care considerations for pediatric patients, and (2) develop and disseminate widely Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy considerations for adult patients and acute care considerations for all muscular dystrophy populations. Directs that such care considerations should build upon existing efforts currently underway for specified forms of muscular dystrophy and incorporate strategies specifically responding to the findings of the national transitions survey of minority, young adult, and adult communities of muscular dystrophy patients.

Ready to Learn Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013

Ready to Learn Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to schools, child care entities, Head Start programs, or other community-based prekindergarten providers for high-quality full day voluntary prekindergarten programs that prepare four-year olds for school. Requires that such programs: (1) first serve children whose family income is no higher than 200% of the poverty level or who are limited English proficient; (2) ensure that, within two years of grant receipt, each classroom is taught by a teacher who has at least a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education or such a degree and specialized training in early childhood development; (3) use curricula that are aligned with state early learning standards; and (4) have teacher-child ratios of no more than 1 to 10 and group sizes of no more than 20.

Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013

Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants for: (1) improving state comprehensive death scene investigations for sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) and sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC), and (2) increasing the rate of comprehensive and standardized autopsies for such deaths. Requires the Director to: (1) develop national guidelines for a standard autopsy protocol for such deaths, and (2) commission a study on the benefits and appropriateness of genetic testing for infant and early childhood deaths that remain unexplained after investigation and autopsy. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) award grants for death scene investigation training specific for SUID and SUDC; (2) modify the national death case reporting system to assure that such system provides for population-based data for ages 0-4 years of age and facilitates the understanding of the root causes, rates, and trends of SUID and SUDC with respect to such ages; (3) conduct a needs assessment for investigations and determinations of such deaths; (4) develop public education and prevention programs to reduce stillbirths and address the racial and ethnic disparities in occurrence; (5) award grants for surveillance efforts on stillbirths; and (6) develop and conduct public education and prevention program aimed at reducing stillbirths. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to: (1) award grants for child death review programs and prevention strategies; (2) establish a public health awareness and education campaign on SUID and SUDC; and (3) award grants for support services to families who have experienced SUID, SUDC, or stillbirth. Requires the Secretary to establish a task force to develop a national research plan to determine the causes of, and how to prevent, stillbirths.

ABLE Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013

Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2013 or the ABLE Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts to assist an individual with a disability in building an account to pay for qualified disability expenses. Defines "qualified disability expenses" to include expenses for education, including higher education expenses, a primary residence, transportation, obtaining and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Treats a qualified ABLE program and an ABLE account in the same manner as a qualified tuition program for income tax purposes (i.e., allowing a tax exemption for such program and an exclusion from gross income of amounts attributable to a contributor to or a beneficiary of a program account). Defines "qualified ABLE program" as a program established and maintained by a state agency under which a person may make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses. Requires amounts in ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. Suspends the payment of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to an individual during any period in which such individual has excess resources attributable to an ABLE account.

Startup Act 3.0

United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013

Startup Act 3.0 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to adjust to conditional permanent resident status up to 50,000 aliens who have earned a master's or doctorate degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field (STEM field) and permit such an alien to remain in the United States: (1) for up to one year after the expiration of the alien's student visa, if the alien is searching for STEM field employment; and (2) indefinitely if the alien remains actively engaged in a STEM field. Removes a STEM alien's conditional status after five years of maintaining eligibility during the entire five-year period. Authorizes the Secretary to issue conditional immigrant visas to up to 75,000 qualified alien entrepreneurs. Removes such conditional basis after four years of maintaining qualified entrepreneur status. Eliminates the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based visas. Increases the per country numerical limitation for family based immigrants from 7% to 15% of the total number of family-sponsored visas. Amends the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 to eliminate the provision requiring the reduction of annual People's Republic of China immigrant visas to offset status adjustments under such Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide a permanent full tax exclusion on gain from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock held for more than five years, (2) repeal the minimum tax preference and the 28% capital gains rate on such stock, and (3) provide a limited tax credit for certain startup small businesses. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to use certain federal agency extramural budget funds to award grants to institutions of higher education for initiatives to improve commercialization and transfer of technology. Requires the head of any federal or independent regulatory agency, before issuing a notice of rule making in connection with the issuance of a proposed major rule, to complete a review that, among other things, analyzes the problem that the rule intends to address, and identifies and analyzes the rule's expected impact on state, local, and tribal governments, as well as on the ability of new businesses to form and expand. Requires a cost-benefit analysis before rule issuance. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to regularly compile: (1) information from each of the states and the District of Columbia on laws that affect the formation and growth of new businesses, and (2) quantitative and qualitative information on U.S. businesses that are not more than one year old.

STEM Jobs Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013

STEM Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make up to 55,000 visas available in FY2014 and subsequent fiscal years to qualified immigrants who: (1) have a doctorate degree in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM degree) from a U.S. doctoral institution of higher education; and (2) have taken all doctoral courses in a STEM field, including all courses taken by correspondence or by distance education, while physically present in the United States. Defines "United States doctoral institution of higher education" as an institution that: (1) is defined under the Higher Education Act of 1965; (2) was classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching on January 1, 2012, as a doctorate-granting university with a very high or high level of research activity or classified by the National Science Foundation as having research activity equivalent to such institutions; (3) has been in existence for at least 10 years; and (4) is accredited by an accrediting body that is itself accredited either by the Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Makes any such unused visas available to aliens who: (1) hold a master's degree in a STEM field from a U.S. doctoral institution of higher education that was either part of a master's program that required at least two years of enrollment or part of a five-year combined baccalaureate-master's degree program in such field; (2) have taken all master's degree courses in a STEM field, including all courses taken by correspondence or by distance education, while physically present in the United States; and (3) hold a baccalaureate degree in a STEM field or in a field included in the Department of Education's Classification of Instructional Programs taxonomy within the summary group of biological and biomedical sciences. Prohibits the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) (Secretary) from approving an employer petition on behalf of a STEM alien unless the Secretary receives a determination by the Secretary of Labor that there are not sufficient American workers available for the job. Requires DHS to: (1) adjudicate a petition on behalf of a STEM alien within 60 days, and (2) notify a petitioner within 30 days if the petition does not meet approval standards and needs to be resubmitted. Requires: (1) employers of foreign STEM graduates to submit a job order for the position with the appropriate state workforce agency, and (2) such agency to post the position on its website for at least 30 days. Requires the Department of Labor to: (1) adjudicate a STEM application within 180 days, and (2) notify an applicant within 60 days if the application does not meet approval standards and needs to be resubmitted. Requires DHS to make available on its website specified information regarding foreign STEM employers, the number of aliens granted STEM status, and their occupations. Makes unused STEM visas in FY2014 through FY2017 available for use in future years under specified conditions. Eliminates the diversity immigrant program. Requires the National Science Foundation to report to Congress every five years regarding the STEM workforce in the United States. States that: (1) the permanent priority date for any employment-based petition shall be the date on which the petition is filed, unless such filing was preceded by the filing of a labor certification with the Secretary of Labor, in which case that date shall constitute the priority date; and (2) an alien who is the beneficiary of an employment-based petition that was approvable when filed shall retain such petition's priority date in the consideration of any subsequently filed employment-based petition. Revises foreign student visa (F-visa) provisions to establish: (1) an F-1 visa for a foreign student who is pursuing a full course of STEM field study at a U.S. institution of higher education or a proprietary institution of higher education which has agreed to report the attendance termination of each nonimmigrant student to DHS, or who is participating in related temporary optional practical training following completion of such studies; (2) an F-2 visa for a foreign student who has an actual residence in a foreign country and who seeks to enter the United States temporarily and solely to pursue a course of study at an established college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or in a language training program in the United States, which has agreed to report the attendance termination of each nonimmigrant student to DHS; (3) an F-3 visa for the spouse or minor child of an F-1 or F-2 foreign student; and (4) an F-4 visa for a Canadian or Mexican foreign student who maintains an actual residence in such country and commutes to a U.S. institution for full or part-time (F-1 or F-2 related) study. Authorizes the spouse and minor children (V-visa) of a lawful permanent resident alien to wait in the United States (without work authorization) for the availability of an immigrant visa after having spent a year on the visa waiting list. Offsets amounts expended to carry out this Act by a corresponding reduction in federal discretionary spending.

A resolution commemorating the 150th anniversary of Kansas State University.

United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013

Congratulates Kansas State University for 150 years of fulfilling the mission of a land-grant university.

A resolution commemorating the 150th anniversary of Emporia State University.

United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013

Congratulates the educational professionals, students, and alumni of Emporia State University, in Emporia, Kansas, for 150 years of excellence in higher education.

ABLE Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013

Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2013 or the ABLE Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts to assist an individual with a disability in building an account to pay for qualified disability expenses. Defines "qualified disability expenses" to include expenses for education, including higher education expenses, a primary residence, transportation, obtaining and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Treats a qualified ABLE program and an ABLE account in the same manner as a qualified tuition program for income tax purposes (i.e., allowing a tax exemption for such program and an exclusion from gross income of amounts attributable to a contributor to or a beneficiary of a program account). Defines "qualified ABLE program" as a program established and maintained by a state agency under which a person may make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses. Requires amounts in ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. Suspends the payment of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to an individual during any period in which such individual has excess resources attributable to an ABLE account.