Records whose title is actually about this topic. Use a country filter if the list is still too broad.
Records
Bill· HRH.R. 459 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
STEM Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make up to 55,000 visas available in FY2015 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, and (3) 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; and (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. 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. Makes unused STEM visas in FY2015 through FY2017 available for use in future years under specified conditions. Eliminates the diversity immigrant program. 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.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 51 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
Recognizes the importance of art and design in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Supports the designation of a STEM-to-STEAM Month. Encourages the inclusion of art and design in the STEM fields during the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Higher Education Act. Encourages the Secretaries of Commerce and Education, the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a STEM to STEAM Council in order to facilitate a comprehensive approach to incorporate art and design into federal STEM programs.
Bill· SS. 195 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2013
Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed, and age appropriate. Requires a comprehensive school mental health program funded under this Act to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence. Makes only a partnership between a local educational agency and at least one community program or agency that is involved in mental health eligible for such funding. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with at least one relevant community-based entity that clearly states the responsibilities of each partner; (2) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires grantees to comply with the health information privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 25 (113th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2013
Honors Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, on its 125th anniversary. Applauds Gonzaga University for its commitment to its students and for instilling in them the importance of service to others and civic engagement. Congratulates its students, staff, faculty, alumni, and supporters for their many contributions in the United States and abroad.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 22 (113th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2013
Recognizes the goals of Catholic Schools Week, an event cosponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that recognizes the vital contributions of thousands of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the United States. Commends Catholic schools, students, parents, and teachers for their ongoing contributions to education and the future of this country.
Bill· SS. 177 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2013
ObamaCare Repeal Act - R epeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of their enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by such Acts.
Bill· SS. 169 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2013
Immigration Innovation Act of 2013 or the I-Squared Act of 2013 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish an annual cap on H-1B visas (specialty occupations) at between 115,000 and 300,000 visas depending upon market conditions and existing demand. Sets forth allocation provisions. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) authorize the accompanying spouse of an H-1B alien to work in the United States, and (2) provide such spouse with an appropriate work permit. Prohibits the Secretary of Homeland Security from denying a petition to extend the status of an H-1B or L-visa (intra-company transferee) nonimmigrant involving the same alien and petitioner unless the Secretary determines that: (1) there was a material error in the previous petition approval, (2) a substantial change in circumstances has taken place that renders the nonimmigrant ineligible for such status, or (3) new information has been discovered that adversely impacts the eligibility of the employer or the nonimmigrant. Directs the Secretary of State to authorize a qualifying alien admitted under an E-visa (treaty traders and investors), H-visa (temporary workers), L-visa (intracompany transferees), O-visa (extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business, athletics, or the arts or films or television), or P-visa (athletes, artists, and entertainers) to renew his or her nonimmigrant visa in the United States. Eliminates the foreign student visa requirement that an individual has no intention of abandoning his or her foreign residence. Eliminates the per country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrants and increases the per country family category limit. Applies such provisions beginning with FY2014. Amends the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 to eliminate the provision requiring the reduction of annual Chinese (PRC) immigrant visas to offset status adjustments under such Act. Provides for the recapture of unused employment-based immigrant visas from FY1992 through the current fiscal year. Excludes from employment based immigrant limitations aliens: (1) who are the spouse or child of an employment-based immigrant; (2) who have a master's or higher degree in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and math) from a school qualified under the Higher Education Act of 1965; and (3) for whom a priority worker petition for an employment-based immigrant visa has been approved. Increases H-1B employer fees and establishes a fee on employment-based visa petitions. Provides that such fees shall be used for STEM education and training. Establishes in the Treasury the Promoting American Ingenuity Account to enhance U.S. economic competitiveness by: (1) strengthening STEM education and ensuring that schools have access to well-trained STEM teachers; (2) strengthening the elementary and secondary curriculum, including efforts to increase computer science course availability; and (3) helping colleges and universities produce more graduates in fields needed by American employers. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) fund allocations, (2) state grant applications, and (3) approved grant activities. States that nothing in such STEM funding provisions shall be construed to permit the Secretary of Education or any other federal official to approve the content or academic achievement standards of a state.
Bill· SS. 168 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2013
Fair Pay Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin. (Allows payment of different wages under seniority systems, merit systems, systems that measure earnings by quantity or quality of production, or differentials based on bona fide factors that the employer demonstrates are job-related or further legitimate business interests.) Prohibits the discharge of, or any other discrimination against, an individual for opposing any act or practice made unlawful by this Act, or for assisting in an investigation or proceeding under it. Directs courts, in any action brought under this Act for violation of such prohibition, to allow expert fees as part of the costs awarded to prevailing plaintiffs. Allows any such action to be maintained as a class action. Directs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to: (1) undertake studies and provide information and technical assistance to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning effective means available to implement this Act; and (2) carry on a continuing program of research, education, and technical assistance with specified components related to the purposes of this Act. Makes conforming amendments relating to congressional and executive branch employees to the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and the Presidential and Executive Office Accountability Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 438 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2013
Fair Pay Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin. (Allows payment of different wages under seniority systems, merit systems, systems that measure earnings by quantity or quality of production, or differentials based on bona fide factors that the employer demonstrates are job-related or further legitimate business interests.) Prohibits the discharge of, or any other discrimination against, an individual for opposing any act or practice made unlawful by this Act, or for assisting in an investigation or proceeding under it. Directs courts, in any action brought under this Act for violation of such prohibition, to allow expert fees as part of the costs awarded to prevailing plaintiffs. Allows any such action to be maintained as a class action. Directs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to: (1) undertake studies and provide information and technical assistance to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning effective means available to implement this Act; and (2) carry on a continuing program of research, education, and technical assistance with specified components related to the purposes of this Act. Makes conforming amendments relating to congressional and executive branch employees to the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and the Presidential and Executive Office Accountability Act.
Bill· SS. 162 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2013
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act of 2013 - Amends the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 to: (1) expand the assistance provided under such Act, and (2) reauthorize appropriations for FY2015-FY2019. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to establish or expand: (1) veterans treatment court programs, which involve collaboration among criminal justice, veterans, and mental health and substance abuse agencies to provide qualified veterans (preliminarily qualified offenders who were discharged from the armed forces under conditions other than dishonorable) with intensive judicial supervision and case management, treatment services, alternatives to incarceration, and other appropriate services, including housing, transportation, job training, education, and assistance in obtaining benefits; (2) peer to peer services or programs to assist such veterans in obtaining treatment, recovery, stabilization, or rehabilitation; (3) practices that identify and provide treatment, rehabilitation, legal, transitional, and other appropriate services to such veterans who have been incarcerated; and (4) training programs to teach criminal justice, law enforcement, corrections, mental health, and substance abuse personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving such veterans. Revises the definition of "preliminarily qualified offender" to include, in the case of a veterans treatment court program, an adult or juvenile accused of an offense who has been diagnosed with, or manifests obvious signs of, mental illness or a substance abuse disorder or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorder. Removes a requirement that the adult or juvenile be accused of a nonviolent offense. Requires preliminarily qualified offenders to be unanimously approved for participation in a collaboration program by, when appropriate, the relevant prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, probation or corrections official, judge, and representative from the relevant mental health agency. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to enhance the capabilities of a correctional facility to: (1) identify and screen for mentally ill inmates; (2) plan and provide assessments of the clinical, medical, and social needs of inmates and appropriate treatment and services that address mental health and substance abuse needs; (3) develop, implement, and enhance post-release transition plans that coordinate services and public benefits, the availability of mental health care and substance abuse treatment services, alternatives to solitary confinement and segregated housing, and mental health screening and treatment for inmates placed in solitary confinement or segregated housing; and (4) train employees in identifying and responding to incidents involving inmates with mental health disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) award not more than six grants per year to applicants for the purpose of reducing the use of public services by mentally ill individuals who consume a significantly disproportionate quantity of public resources, and (2) make grants to provide support for programs that teach law enforcement personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving persons with such disorders. Directs the Attorney General to give priority in awarding grants for adult or juvenile collaboration programs to applications that: (1) propose interventions that have been shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism, and (2) use validated assessment tools to target preliminarily qualified offenders with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a need for treatment and services.
Bill· SS. 165 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2013
Indian Trust Asset Reform Act - Reaffirms the federal government's fiduciary responsibilities to Indians. States that: (1) the most exacting common law fiduciary standards governing private trustees also govern the federal government when it manages Indian Trust Assets, and (2) those standards are not limited to the express terms of statutes and regulations. Indian Trust Asset Management Demonstration Project Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish an eight-year Indian trust asset management demonstration project that allows Indian tribes to propose, for the Secretary's approval, Indian trust asset management plans. Allows participating Indian tribes that contract or compact trust management functions or activities under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to develop and carry out trust asset management systems, practices, and procedures that differ from the Secretary's. Requires each plan to: (1) be consistent with all tribal laws and all federal treaties, statutes, executive orders, and court decisions applicable to the trust assets and their management; (2) establish procedures for nonbinding mediation or resolution of any plan-related disputes between the Indian tribe and the federal government; (3) include an annual evaluation by the Indian tribe and affected federal agencies of the plan's implementation; and (4) identify any federal regulations that the plan will supersede. Prohibits the approval of any plan that does not: (1) protect trust assets from loss, waste, and unlawful alienation; and (2) promote the interests of the trust asset's beneficial owner. Establishes, in the Department of the Interior, an Under Secretary for Indian Affairs who is to report directly to the Secretary and assume the functions of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs and the Office of Special Trustee for American Indians. Requires the Office of the Under Secretary to carry out additional duties relating to the management of Indian trust assets and resources through an Office of Trust Reform Implementation and Oversight. Requires the Under Secretary to give a hiring preference to Indians.
Bill· HRH.R. 428 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2013
School Meals Reimbursement Rates Comparison Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to report to Congress on the cost differences between: (1) providing meals and supplements under the school lunch and breakfast programs in Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, respectively; and (2) the average cost of providing those meals and supplements in the states and District of Columbia. Requires that report to show the relation of those cost differences to the national average payment rates for meals and supplements under the school lunch and breakfast programs.
Bill· HRH.R. 426 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2013
Race to the Top Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to implement reforms and innovations designed to improve educational outcomes significantly for all students and reduce achievement gaps significantly among specified student subgroups. Requires each grant applicant to have a comprehensive and coherent plan for doing so that includes, if applicable: improving the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders and promoting their equitable distribution; strengthening the use of data to improve education; implementing internationally benchmarked, college- and career-ready elementary and secondary academic standards; turning around its lowest-performing schools; supporting, or coordinating with, early learning programs for high-need children from birth through third grade; assessing kindergarten students' readiness for school success; and creating or maintaining successful conditions for high-performing charter schools and other innovative, autonomous public schools. Requires each grantee to establish performance measures that track its progress in implementing its plan and improving educational outcomes for students and specified student subgroups. Gives grant priority to LEAs with the highest number or percentages of impoverished children and those that serve rural schools. Requires each state grantee to use at least 50% of its grant for subgrants to LEAs that participate in its plan. Allows LEAs to receive a grant and subgrant for the same fiscal year.
Bill· HRH.R. 421 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2013
COPS Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to modify the public safety and community policing grant program (COPS ON THE BEAT grant program) to: (1) establish within the Department of Justice (DOJ), under the general authority of the Attorney General, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to be headed by a Director; and (2) authorize the Attorney General to carry out more than one such program. Repeals provisions authorizing: (1) the Attorney General to give preferential consideration to applications for hiring and rehiring additional career law enforcement officers that involve a non-federal contribution exceeding a 25% minimum; and (2) the use of such grants to develop and implement either innovative programs to permit members of the community to assist state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies in the prevention of crime in the community or new administrative and managerial systems to facilitate the adoption of community-oriented policing as an organization-wide philosophy. Authorizes the use of such grants to: (1) hire school resource officers and establish local partnerships to enhance school safety and to combat crime, gangs, drug activities, and other problems in elementary and secondary schools; (2) establish and implement innovative programs to reduce and prevent illegal drug manufacturing, distribution, and use; (3) meet emerging law enforcement needs; (4) hire former members of the Armed Forces to serve as career law enforcement officers for deployment in community-oriented policing; and (5) develop new technologies to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in crime prevention and training. Requires an application for a grant for officers performing homeland security duties to explain how the applicant intends to coordinate with federal law enforcement in support of the applicant's homeland security mission. Increases the limit on grant funding provided for hiring or rehiring a career law enforcement officer, unless the Attorney General grants a waiver, from $75,000 to $125,000. Extends the authorization of appropriations for the program for FY2013-FY2017.
Bill· HRH.R. 422 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2013
Children's Hope Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit of up to $100 ($200 for joint returns) for charitable contributions to an education investment organization that disburses 90% of its contributions to provide grants to students for elementary and secondary education expenses, if at least 50% of such disbursements go to students who qualify for free or reduced-cost school lunches. Requires a taxpayer claiming such credit, as a condition of eligibility to receive it, to first claim a state qualified scholarship tax credit.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 10 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2013
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of No Name-Calling Week (an annual week of educational activities to bring attention to name-calling and provide schools with tools to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate name-calling and bullying in their communities). Encourages the people of the United States to observe such week with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.
Bill· SS. 146 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2013
School Safety Enhancements Act of 2013 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize school security grants by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to be used for the installation of surveillance equipment and the establishment of hotlines or tiplines for the reporting of potentially dangerous students and situations. Increases the maximum federal share of the costs of a program provided by a grant to 80%. Requires a grant application to be accompanied by a report that is signed by the heads of each law enforcement agency and school district with jurisdiction over the schools where the safety improvements will be implemented and that demonstrates that each proposed use of the grant funds will be: (1) an effective means for improving school safety, (2) consistent with a comprehensive approach to preventing school violence, and (3) individualized to the needs of each school. Requires the Office Director and the Secretary of Education to establish an interagency task force to develop and promulgate a set of advisory school safety guidelines. Authorizes appropriations for such grant program for FY2014-FY2023.
Bill· SS. 148 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2013
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to make grants to local governments and Indian tribes to provide for school resource and safety officers at schools. Defines a "school resource and safety officer" as a career law enforcement officer who is assigned by the employing police department to protect schools and who works in and around schools for not less than 75% of the time the officer is on duty. Requires the Director to: (1) establish guidelines for programs that train school resource and safety officers, and (2) ensure an equitable geographic distribution of grants among regions of the United States and among urban, suburban, and rural areas. Limits grants to: (1) $200,000 for each officer proposed to be hired or each training program proposed to be funded, subject to a waiver; and (2) three fiscal years. Authorizes the Director to make available additional funds if the funds were used in the manner required and the recipient demonstrates significant financial need.
Bill· SS. 145 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2013
Save Our Students Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to provide funds to states submitting specified plans for using National Guard personnel to: (1) perform administrative functions normally performed by state and local law enforcement personnel in order to enable such law enforcement personnel to be dispatched to keep schools and students safe from violence, (2) help conduct school security assessments and safety plans, and (3) conduct capital improvements related to enhancing school and student safety.
Bill· SS. 129 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2013
Saving Money and Reducing Tragedies through Prevention Act of 2013 or the SMART Prevention Act of 2013 - Amends the Violence against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) to replace provisions regarding grants to assist children and youth exposed to violence with a Saving Money and Reducing Tragedies through Prevention (SMART Prevention) grant program. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants for the purpose of preventing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (such violence) by taking a comprehensive approach that focuses on youth, children exposed to violence, and men as leaders and influencers of social norms. Permits the use of grant funds to develop, maintain, or enhance programs that: (1) change attitudes and behaviors around the acceptability of such violence and provide education and skills training to young individuals and those who influence them; (2) are designed to prevent future incidents of such violence by preventing, reducing, and responding to children's exposure to violence in the home; and (3) work with men to prevent such violence by helping men to serve as role models and social influencers of other men and youth at the individual, school, community, or statewide levels. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) eligible entities to receive grants; (2) grantee requirements; and (3) fund allotments, including for Indian tribes or tribal organizations. Repeals provisions of: (1) VAWA regarding development of curricula and pilot programs for home visitation projects and regarding engaging men and youth in preventing such violence, and (2) the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 regarding a public awareness campaign regarding domestic violence against pregnant women.
Bill· SS. 128 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 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.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 13 (113th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2013
Congratulates Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., for 100 years of service to communities throughout the United States and the world. Commends it for its promotion of sisterhood, scholarship, and service.
Bill· SS. 84 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Makes such defense inapplicable where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner [ sic ] of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.
Bill· SS. 120 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) education and freedom from discrimination are fundamental human rights, and (2) educational exchanges increase people-to-people ties and promote institutional linkages between this country and other countries. Encourages the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue to support Pakistani education initiatives, especially those for women. Directs the USAID Administrator to increase the number of scholarships available under the Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program (Program) during each fiscal year from FY2013-FY2016 by 30% compared to the number of scholarships awarded during FY2012. Requires all the additional scholarships to be awarded to Pakistani women. Directs the USAID Administrator to make every effort to award 50% of the other scholarships available under the Program to Pakistani women.
Bill· SS. 123 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Voter Empowerment Act of 2013 - Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2013 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) to require each state to make available official public websites for online voter registration. Authorizes automated voter registration of certain individuals and establishes other initiatives to promote voter registration, such as same day registration and voter registration of individuals under 18 years of age. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit hindering, interfering with, or preventing voter registration. Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to establish requirements for states to promote access to voter registration and voting for individuals with disabilities, including a single office for providing related information. Directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to make grants to eligible states to conduct pilot programs enabling individuals with disabilities to register to vote and vote privately and independently at their own residences (including by telephone). Amends HAVA to reauthorize the program of grants to state and local governments to assure voting access for individuals with disabilities. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit state or local election officials from preventing an individual from registering or voting in any federal election (voter caging), or from permitting a formal challenge under state law to an individual's registration status or eligibility to vote, if the basis for such decision is evidence consisting of: (1) a voter caging document or voter caging list, (2) an unverified match list, (3) an error or omission on voter application or registration documents that is not material to an individual's eligibility to vote, or (4) any other evidence so designated by the Commission. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit a person, including an election official, from knowingly and willfully attempting to or depriving or defrauding the residents of a state of their free and fair exercise of the right to vote by the communication of election-related information that is known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent. Increases the penalty for voter intimidation. Declares that the right of an individual U.S. citizen to vote in any federal election shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless he or she is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution at the time of the election. Prescribes enforcement of this right by public or private civil action. Requires each state to notify in writing any individual convicted of a criminal offense under state law, upon release from state custody or upon sentence to probation, that he or she has the right to vote in a federal election and so may register to vote. Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2013 - Amends HAVA to revise requirements for the audit capacity of voting systems, particularly those for a permanent paper record. Requires the voting system to require the use of an individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot of the voter's vote that shall be marked and made available for inspection by the voter before the voter's vote is cast and counted, and which shall be counted by hand or read by an optical character recognition device or other counting device. Requires the voting system to provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any system-made error in the voter-verified paper ballot before it is permanently preserved. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make grants to eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Prescribes requirements for: (1) publication of poll tapes, (2) treatment of ballots cast at early voting sites and of absentee ballots, and (3) the counting of provisional ballots that will be treated as votes. Prescribes laboratory conflict-of-interest requirements and prohibitions. Requires the NSF Director to make grants to eligible entities to conduct research on the development of election-dedicated voting system software. Requires each state, except when the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the votes, to administer audits of federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected, consisting of random hand counts of the voter-verified paper ballots. Requires the Election Auditor of a state, as soon as practicable after the completion of an audit, to submit the results to EAC for publication. Prohibits certification of the results of any election until completion of audits. Amends HAVA to: (1) add requirements for counting provisional ballots, (2) require each state to allow early voting and facilitate the ability of voters to vote by mail. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend the guarantee of voting residency to family members of absent military personnel. Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act with respect to pre-election reports on availability and transmission of absentee ballots. Revises the 45-day absentee ballot transmission rule. Permits use of a single absentee ballot application for subsequent elections. Entitles to leave a federal employee who serves as a poll worker. Directs the EAC to: (1) make a grant to each eligible state for poll-worker recruitment and training, and (2) develop materials for a model state poll worker training program. Amends HAVA to make available to any person aggrieved by a violation of uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration requirements the option to file a complaint with the Attorney General or pursue a private right of action to enforce such requirements. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful for a chief state election administration official, unless he or she or a family member is a candidate, to take an active part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which such official has supervisory authority. Amends NVRA to treat universities as voter registration agencies. Amends HAVA to establish minimum notification requirements on behalf of voters affected by polling place changes. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) coordinate the establishment of a state-based response system for responding to questions and complaints from individuals voting or seeking to vote, or registering to vote or seeking to, in federal elections; (2) establish and operate a toll-free telephone service to connect directly to such response system; and (3) appoint a Voter Hotline Task Force. Makes requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and HAVA applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Amends HAVA to: (1) reauthorize and extend the EAC, and (2) repeal its exemption from certain government contracting requirements.
Bill· SS. 116 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and revise a research, training, and technical assistance resource center to prevent suicides (the Suicide Prevention Resource Center). Expands the program's focus from youth suicides to suicides among all ages, particularly among groups that are at high risk for suicide. Repeals authority for grants to establish research, training, and technical assistance centers related to mental health, substance abuse and the justice system. Reauthorizes a program of grants for the development of state or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies. Reauthorizes and revises a grant program to enhance services for students with mental health or substance use disorders at institutions of higher education. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) (who currently is merely authorized), acting through the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services, to award grants to enhance such services and to develop best practices for the delivery of such services. Permits grant funds to be used for the provision of such services to students and to employ appropriately trained staff. Requires the Secretary to give special consideration to applications for grants that describe programs that demonstrate the greatest need for new or additional mental and substance use disorder services and the greatest potential for replication.
Bill· SS. 113 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Know Before You Owe Private Student Loan Act of 2013 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require a lender, before issuing a private education loan for a student attending an institution of higher education (IHE), to obtain the IHE's certification of: (1) the student's enrollment status, (2) the student's cost of attendance, and (3) the difference between that cost and the student's estimated financial assistance. Eliminates the requirement that such lenders obtain a self-certification form from the private education loan applicant. Allows a lender to issue such loan without a certification if there is no response from the relevant IHE within 15 business days of the lender's request for the certification. Requires private educational lenders to: (1) send loan statements to borrowers at least once every three months a student is enrolled at an IHE; (2) notify the relevant IHE, in writing, of the loan amount and the student to whom it applies no later than the date funds are issued; and (3) submit an annual report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) containing information the CFPB requires concerning private student loans. Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require IHEs, before providing lenders with certifications, to determine whether students have exhausted their options for title IV assistance and notify borrowers of: (1) the availability of such assistance, (2) their ability to choose their own private educational lender, (3) the impact of the proposed private education loan on their eligibility for other financial assistance, and (4) their right to accept or reject a private education loan within 30 days of the lender's approval of their application and to cancel the loan within 3 business days of its consummation.
Bill· SS. 111 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Safety for Our Schoolchildren Act of 2013 - Requires states and local educational agencies (LEAs): (1) to obtain an FBI background check on individuals prior to offering them employment as school employees; and (2) if the check identifies them as sexual predators, to report their application to local law enforcement. Prohibits states or LEAs from hiring individuals as: (1) school employees if they have been convicted of a crime of violence or other felony; or (2) school bus drivers if they have been convicted of, or pled guilty to, drunk driving or a serious moving violation. Withholds funds available to states for planning and administration and to LEAs as subgrants under part A of title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, if they violate such prohibitions or fail to take such actions.
Bill· SS. 108 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
IDEA Full Funding Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to reauthorize and make appropriations for the grant program to assist states and outlying areas to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities. Authorizes and makes specified appropriations for FY2013-FY2020, and sets forth a formula for determining the authorization of, and makes, appropriations for FY2021 and thereafter.
Bill· SS. 102 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) annually estimate the number of illegal border crossings along the southern U.S. land border, and (2) reduce financial assistance to the government of Mexico by a total of $1,000 for each illegal border crossing from Mexico to the United States during the previous fiscal year. Authorizes the Secretary to not reduce appropriations for the government of Mexico from the International Military Education and Training Fund, the International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement Fund, and the fund to carry out nonproliferation, anti-terrorism, demining, and related programs and activities.
Bill· SS. 88 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
21st Century Charter School Act - Amends the Charter School program of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Makes public and private nonprofit entities eligible for program grants. (Currently, state educational entities are eligible for such grants.) Allows grantees to award subgrants to charter school developers or nonprofit charter support organizations and award them multiple grants to support multiple campuses of a public charter school. Sets forth additional factors that are to work in favor of grant applicants, including that their state gives public charter schools funding commensurate with that provided to other public schools, has no cap on such schools, and gives the schools a high degree of autonomy. Authorizes the use of subgrants to plan and implement, or expand existing, public charter schools. Authorizes grantees to use a portion of the grant funds reserved for administrative expenses to improve public charter school authorizing policies and practices in their area. Expands the portion of funds grantees may use in establishing revolving loan funds for loans to subgrantees for planning and operating a public charter school. Requires each public charter school participating in the program to have an independent governing board that enters into a performance-based agreement with an authorized public chartering agency that describes: (1) how student performance will be measured pursuant to the state assessments required of other schools, and (2) the criteria for renewal or revocation of their charter. Prohibits such schools from giving admissions preference to any student on the basis of prior academic achievement. Establishes two new grant programs awarding grants to: (1) public charter schools, public and private nonprofit entities, charter school developers, and nonprofit charter support organizations to disseminate charter school innovations to other schools and states; and (2) public and private nonprofit entities to demonstrate innovative credit enhancement initiatives that assist public charter schools in covering the cost of acquiring, constructing, and renovating facilities.
Bill· SS. 87 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Home School Opportunities Make Education Sound Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow all taxpayers, including taxpayers who do not itemize their deductions, a tax deduction for expenses relating to the home schooling of their children at the elementary or secondary school level.
Bill· SS. 86 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) payment of home school expenses from Coverdell education savings accounts, and (2) an annual inflation adjustment after 2012 to the contribution limit amount for such accounts.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 11 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Recognizes that prayer before school board meetings is a protected act and expresses support for such prayer.
Bill· HRH.R. 409 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Indian Trust Asset Reform Act - Reaffirms the federal government's fiduciary responsibilities to Indians. States that: (1) the most exacting common law fiduciary standards governing private trustees also govern the federal government when it manages Indian Trust Assets, and (2) those standards are not limited to the express terms of statutes and regulations. Indian Trust Asset Management Demonstration Project Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish an eight-year Indian trust asset management demonstration project that allows Indian tribes to propose, for the Secretary's approval, Indian trust asset management plans. Allows participating Indian tribes that contract or compact trust management functions or activities under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to develop and carry out trust asset management systems, practices, and procedures that differ from the Secretary's. Requires each plan to: (1) be consistent with all tribal laws and all federal treaties, statutes, executive orders, and court decisions applicable to the trust assets and their management; (2) establish procedures for nonbinding mediation or resolution of any plan-related disputes between the Indian tribe and the federal government; (3) include an annual evaluation by the Indian tribe and affected federal agencies of the plan's implementation; and (4) identify any federal regulations that the plan will supersede. Prohibits the approval of any plan that does not: (1) protect trust assets from loss, waste, and unlawful alienation; and (2) promote the interests of the trust asset's beneficial owner. Establishes, in the Department of the Interior, an Under Secretary for Indian Affairs who is to report directly to the Secretary and assume the functions of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs and the Office of Special Trustee for American Indians. Requires the Office of the Under Secretary to carry out additional duties relating to the management of Indian trust assets and resources through an Office of Trust Reform Implementation and Oversight. Requires the Under Secretary to give a hiring preference to Indians.
Bill· HRH.R. 357 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), for purposes of the educational assistance programs administered by the Secretary, to disapprove courses of education provided by public institutions of higher education that do not charge tuition and fees for veterans at the same rate that is charged for in-state residents, regardless of the veteran's state of residence.
Bill· HRH.R. 403 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to alter the percentage of school improvement funds that are reserved for outlying areas and Indian education. Reserves 0.5% of those funds for outlying areas and 0.75% for Indian education. (Currently, 1% of those funds are reserved for outlying areas and Indian education.)
Bill· HRH.R. 392 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Student Privacy Protection Act of 2009 [ sic ]- Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise provisions for military recruiter access to secondary school student information. Requires ESEA-assisted local educational agencies (LEAs) to notify each secondary school student's parent of the option to consent to a release of the student's name, address, and telephone listing to military recruiters, and to give the parent the opportunity to provide such consent in writing. Requires such LEAs to provide military recruiters, upon their request, with access to such information on a student only if the student's parent has given such written consent.
Bill· HRH.R. 379 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Fiscal Fairness Act - Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to condition local educational agency (LEA) receipt of school improvement funds on: (1) an average state and local spending per pupil in each school receiving school improvement funds of at least 97% of such spending per pupil across all of the LEA's schools that are not receiving such funds; and (2) an average state and local spending per pupil in each higher poverty school of at least 97% of such spending per pupil across all lower poverty schools, if the LEA is serving all of its schools under part A. Allows LEAs to meet such requirement across all schools or among schools serving a particular grade span if they compare schools within no more than three grade spans. Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Education, in the fourth and fifth years after this Act's enactment, to audit 5 states and 10 LEAs to determine their progress in meeting these requirements. Requires annual LEA report cards to include certain information on state and local spending per pupil in schools. Requires states to provide the public with annual up-to-date school-by-school listings of per-pupil state and local spending.
Bill· HRH.R. 378 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Student Bill of Rights - Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each state's public school system provides all its students with the educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship, (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards, and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy. Requires each system to do so by: (1) satisfying certain opportunity to learn indicators for all its schools, including highly effective teachers and equitable instructional resources; (2) providing educational services in local educational agencies (LEAs) that receive funds for disadvantaged students that are, taken as a whole, at least comparable to educational services provided in LEAs not receiving such funds; and (3) complying with any final federal or state court order in any matter concerning the adequacy or equitableness of the system. Requires withholding of specified portions of its federal funding for administrative expenses if a system: (1) fails to meet a yearly interim goal; (2) does not remedy, after two school years, a failure to provide comparable educational services to schools that receive funds for disadvantaged children; or (3) does not comply with a court order. Allows students or parents aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in federal district courts. Directs the Commissioner of Education Statistics to study the effects of educational disparities on economic growth and on national defense.
Bill· HRH.R. 377 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Makes such defense inapplicable where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner [ sic ] of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 401 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act of 2013 - Amends the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 to: (1) expand the assistance provided under such Act, and (2) reauthorize appropriations for FY2015-FY2019. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to establish or expand: (1) veterans treatment court programs, which involve collaboration among criminal justice, veterans, and mental health and substance abuse agencies to provide qualified veterans (preliminarily qualified offenders who were discharged from the armed forces under conditions other than dishonorable) with intensive judicial supervision and case management, treatment services, alternatives to incarceration, and other appropriate services, including housing, transportation, job training, education, and assistance in obtaining benefits; (2) peer to peer services or programs to assist such veterans in obtaining treatment, recovery, stabilization, or rehabilitation; (3) practices that identify and provide treatment, rehabilitation, legal, transitional, and other appropriate services to such veterans who have been incarcerated; and (4) training programs to teach criminal justice, law enforcement, corrections, mental health, and substance abuse personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving such veterans. Revises the definition of "preliminarily qualified offender" to include, in the case of a veterans treatment court program, an adult or juvenile accused of an offense who has been diagnosed with, or manifests obvious signs of, mental illness or a substance abuse disorder or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorder. Removes a requirement that the adult or juvenile be accused of a nonviolent offense. Requires preliminarily qualified offenders to be unanimously approved for participation in a collaboration program by, when appropriate, the relevant prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, probation or corrections official, judge, and representative from the relevant mental health agency. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to enhance the capabilities of a correctional facility to: (1) identify and screen for mentally ill inmates; (2) plan and provide assessments of the clinical, medical, and social needs of inmates and appropriate treatment and services that address mental health and substance abuse needs; (3) develop, implement, and enhance post-release transition plans that coordinate services and public benefits, the availability of mental health care and substance abuse treatment services, alternatives to solitary confinement and segregated housing, and mental health screening and treatment for inmates placed in solitary confinement or segregated housing; and (4) train employees in identifying and responding to incidents involving inmates with mental health disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) award not more than six grants per year to applicants for the purpose of reducing the use of public services by mentally ill individuals who consume a significantly disproportionate quantity of public resources, and (2) make grants to provide support for programs that teach law enforcement personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving persons with such disorders. Directs the Attorney General to give priority in awarding grants for adult or juvenile collaboration programs to applications that: (1) propose interventions that have been shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism, and (2) use validated assessment tools to target preliminarily qualified offenders with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a need for treatment and services.
Bill· HRH.R. 393 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Domestic Violence Judicial Support Act of 2013 - Amends the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, as amended by the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005, to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to state and local governments, Indian tribal governments, courts and other specified providers for: (1) supervised visitation and safe visitation exchange of children and youth by and between parents in situations involving domestic violence, dating violence, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; and (2) court-related and child protective services workers education on the dynamics of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault (including child sexual abuse), and stalking. Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to: (1) ensure that by January 1, 2016, a court-appointed special advocate shall be available to every victim of child abuse or neglect in the United States that needs one; and (2) reauthorize through FY2018 the court-appointed special advocate program and the child abuse training programs for judicial personnel and practitioners.
Bill· HRH.R. 359 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Center to Advance, Monitor, and Preserve University Security Safety Act of 2013 or the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2013 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to establish and operate, within the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, a National Center for Campus Public Safety. Tasks the Center with strengthening the safety and security of institutions of higher education (IHEs) by: (1) training IHE public safety personnel and their collaborative partners; (2) fostering relevant research; (3) collecting and disseminating information and best practices regarding campus safety; (4) developing protocols and best practices to prevent, protect against, and respond to dangerous and violent situations that threaten the campus community; and (5) promoting cooperation among public safety and emergency management personnel of IHEs and their collaborative partners, including law enforcement, emergency management, and mental health agencies. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to IHEs and other nonprofit organizations for activities that will assist the Center in performing its functions.
Bill· HRH.R. 390 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
National Emergency Centers Establishment Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish at least six national emergency centers on military installations to use existing infrastructure to provide: (1) temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and families dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster; and (2) centralized locations for the training of first responders and the coordination of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Lists minimum requirements for sites for such centers, including that they be capable of: (1) meeting for an extended period the housing, health, transportation, education, public works, humanitarian, and other transition needs of a large number of individuals affected; (2) being scaled up or down to accommodate major disaster preparedness and response drills, operations, and procedures; (3) housing existing permanent structures necessary to meet training and first responders coordination requirements during non-disaster periods; and (4) hosting the infrastructure necessary to rapidly adjust to temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance needs. Sets forth center location requirements, including requiring the Secretary to designate closed military installations as sites whenever possible and to designate portions of existing military installations as centers otherwise.
Bill· HRH.R. 394 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Nanotechnology Advancement and New Opportunities Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce, if $100 million is made available from the private sector for establishing a Nanomanufacturing Investment Partnership, to establish such a Partnership to provide funding for precommercial nanomanufacturing research and development projects. Allows the Partnership to provide funding through direct investments in specified mechanisms designed to advance nanomanufacturing. Requires return on investment of amounts resulting from the commercialization of developed technologies to the Partnership. Requires establishment of an advisory board to assist the Secretary in carrying out the Partnership. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow a tax credit for the purchase of qualified nanotechnology developer stock. Authorizes establishment within the Technology Administration of a grant program to support the establishment and development of incubators (entities affiliated with or housed in degree-granting institutions that provide space and coordinated and specialized services to certain entrepreneurial businesses). Establishes a Nanotechnology Startup Advisory Council. Directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for the development of computer aided design tools for nanotechnology applications. Requires the establishment of nanotechnology research grant programs by the: (1) Secretary of Energy (DOE) to address the need for clean, cheap, renewable energy; (2) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address technologies for remediation of pollution and other environmental protection technologies; (3) Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to address the need for sensors and other materials related to homeland security needs; and (4) Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address health related applications of nanotechnology. Requires the Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office to transmit a nanotechnology research strategy that establishes priorities for the federal government and industry. Amends the IRC to: (1) allow a tax credit for nanotechnology education and training program expenses; and (2) revise, for purposes of Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits, the definition of "eligible educational institution" to include commercial nanotechnology training providers. Directs the NSF to establish: (1) a grant program for the development of curriculum materials for interdisciplinary nanotechnology courses at institutions of higher education, and (2) establish a program to encourage manufacturing companies to enter into partnerships with occupational training centers for the development of training to support nanotechnology manufacturing. Directs the Secretary of Energy to transmit a strategy for increasing interaction on nanotechnology issues between scientists and engineers at the Department of Energy's national laboratories and in the informal science education community.
Bill· HRH.R. 395 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Student Loan Employment Benefits Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of an employee amounts paid by an employer under a student loan payment assistance program. Limits the amount of such exclusion to $5,000 in a taxable year. Requires an employer student loan payment assistance program to be a separate written plan of an employer to provide employees with student loan payment assistance. Defines "student loan payment assistance" as the payment of principal or interest on any indebtedness incurred by an employee solely to pay qualified higher education expenses which are paid or incurred within a reasonable time before or after such indebtedness was incurred and are attributable to education furnished during a period in which such employee was a student eligible for federal financial assistance.
Bill· HRH.R. 380 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Communities Committed to College Tax Credit Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 50% of any contribution to a tax-exempt scholarship funding trust established to provide scholarships for individuals with demonstrated financial need to attend institutions of higher education.
Bill· HRH.R. 12 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Voter Empowerment Act of 2013 - Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2013 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) to require each state to make available official public websites for online voter registration. Authorizes automated voter registration of certain individuals and establishes other initiatives to promote voter registration, such as same day registration and voter registration of individuals under 18 years of age. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit hindering, interfering with, or preventing voter registration. Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to establish requirements for states to promote access to voter registration and voting for individuals with disabilities, including a single office for providing related information. Directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to make grants to eligible states to conduct pilot programs enabling individuals with disabilities to register to vote and vote privately and independently at their own residences (including by telephone). Amends HAVA to reauthorize the program of grants to state and local governments to assure voting access for individuals with disabilities. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit state or local election officials from preventing an individual from registering or voting in any federal election (voter caging), or from permitting a formal challenge under state law to an individual's registration status or eligibility to vote, if the basis for such decision is evidence consisting of: (1) a voter caging document or voter caging list, (2) an unverified match list, (3) an error or omission on voter application or registration documents that is not material to an individual's eligibility to vote, or (4) any other evidence so designated by the Commission. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit a person, including an election official, from knowingly and willfully attempting to or depriving or defrauding the residents of a state of their free and fair exercise of the right to vote by the communication of election-related information that is known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent. Increases the penalty for voter intimidation. Declares that the right of an individual U.S. citizen to vote in any federal election shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless he or she is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution at the time of the election. Prescribes enforcement of this right by public or private civil action. Requires each state to notify in writing any individual convicted of a criminal offense under state law, upon release from state custody or upon sentence to probation, that he or she has the right to vote in a federal election and so may register to vote. Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2013 - Amends HAVA to revise requirements for the audit capacity of voting systems, particularly those for a permanent paper record. Requires the voting system to require the use of an individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot of the voter's vote that shall be marked and made available for inspection by the voter before the voter's vote is cast and counted, and which shall be counted by hand or read by an optical character recognition device or other counting device. Requires the voting system to provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any system-made error in the voter-verified paper ballot before it is permanently preserved. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make grants to eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Prescribes requirements for: (1) publication of poll tapes, (2) treatment of ballots cast at early voting sites and of absentee ballots, and (3) the counting of provisional ballots that will be treated as votes. Prescribes laboratory conflict-of-interest requirements and prohibitions. Requires the NSF Director to make grants to eligible entities to conduct research on the development of election-dedicated voting system software. Requires each state, except when the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the votes, to administer audits of federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected, consisting of random hand counts of the voter-verified paper ballots. Requires the Election Auditor of a state, as soon as practicable after the completion of an audit, to submit the results to EAC for publication. Prohibits certification of the results of any election until completion of audits. Amends HAVA to: (1) add requirements for counting provisional ballots, (2) require each state to allow early voting and facilitate the ability of voters to vote by mail. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend the guarantee of voting residency to family members of absent military personnel. Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act with respect to pre-election reports on availability and transmission of absentee ballots. Revises the 45-day absentee ballot transmission rule. Permits use of a single absentee ballot application for subsequent elections. Entitles to leave a federal employee who serves as a poll worker. Directs the EAC to: (1) make a grant to each eligible state for poll-worker recruitment and training, and (2) develop materials for a model state poll worker training program. Amends HAVA to make available to any person aggrieved by a violation of uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration requirements the option to file a complaint with the Attorney General or pursue a private right of action to enforce such requirements. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful for a chief state election administration official, unless he or she or a family member is a candidate, to take an active part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which such official has supervisory authority. Amends NVRA to treat universities as voter registration agencies. Amends HAVA to establish minimum notification requirements on behalf of voters affected by polling place changes. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) coordinate the establishment of a state-based response system for responding to questions and complaints from individuals voting or seeking to vote, or registering to vote or seeking to, in federal elections; (2) establish and operate a toll-free telephone service to connect directly to such response system; and (3) appoint a Voter Hotline Task Force. Makes requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and HAVA applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Amends HAVA to: (1) reauthorize and extend the EAC, and (2) repeal its exemption from certain government contracting requirements.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 46 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Expresses support for the goals of Catholic Schools Week, an event cosponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and established to recognize the vital contributions of the thousands of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in this country. Applauds the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on their selection of a theme that all can celebrate.
PreviousPage 18 of 19Next