Education

I Teach Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015

Incentives to Educate American Children Act of 2015 or the I Teach Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit a refundable tax credit of $1,000 for: (1) teachers in public or elementary or secondary schools or public kindergartens in rural areas or areas with high poverty, and (2) teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Increases such credit to $2,000 for a teacher meeting both requirements.

IDEA Full Funding Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015

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. Sets the amount authorized each fiscal year at a percentage of the maximum amount of the grants all states may receive for special education. Increases that percentage each fiscal year from FY2016-FY2025, until it reaches 100% in FY2025 and each succeeding fiscal year. Sets the appropriation for each fiscal year as an amount equal to the difference between the amount of such percentage that is applicable that fiscal year and a specified amount. Makes funds appropriated for a fiscal year available for obligation on July 1 of such fiscal year through September 30 of the succeeding year.

A resolution recognizing the 150th anniversary of Bowie State University.

United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015

Congratulates Bowie State University, located in Bowie, Maryland, on the 150th anniversary of its founding.

Core Opportunity Resources for Equity and Excellence Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Core Opportunity Resources for Equity and Excellence Act of 2015 Amends the school improvement program under part A of title I of the the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require states to adopt student achievement standards that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation. Requires each state school improvement plan to ensure that the state's public school system enables students to meet those standards by providing them with fair and equitable access to the core resources for learning. Includes among the core resources for learning: high-quality instructional teams; rigorous academic standards and curricula that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation; equitable and instructionally appropriate class sizes; up-to-date instructional materials, technology, and supplies; effective school library programs; school facilities and technology, including physically and environmentally sound school buildings and well-equipped instructional spaces; specialized instruction support teams providing assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, therapeutic, and other necessary services as part of a comprehensive program to meet student needs; and effective programs to engage families and the community in education. Prohibits states that fail to make progress toward eliminating inequities in access to the core resources for learning for two or more consecutive years from receiving funds under any competitive grant program authorized by the ESEA. Requires the annual report cards publicly disseminated by states and their local educational agencies (LEAs) to include information on the performance of LEAs and schools in providing students with fair and equitable access to the core resources for learning. Requires states to identify any of their LEAs as needing improvement if they: (1) fail for two consecutive years to make adequate yearly progress toward state academic content and achievement standards, or (2) have received a waiver of the ESEA's statutory or regulatory requirements from the Secretary of Education. Requires states to: (1) identify any inequities in access to the core resources of learning in schools served by an LEA that has been identified as needing improvement, and (2) work with the LEA to address those inequities. Prohibits the Secretary from waiving this Act's requirements for accountability in providing students with access to the core resources for learning.

Clay Hunt SAV Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act or the Clay Hunt SAV Act Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to arrange for an independent third party evaluation, to be conducted by September 30, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, of the VA's mental health care and suicide prevention programs. Directs the Secretary to survey the VA's websites and information resources to publish a website that serves as a centralized source to provide veterans with information regarding the VA's mental health care services. Requires the Secretary to carry out a three-year pilot program to repay the education loans relating to psychiatric medicine that are incurred by individuals who: are eligible to practice psychiatric medicine in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) or are enrolled in the final year of a residency program leading to a specialty qualification in psychiatric medicine; demonstrate a commitment to a long-term career as a psychiatrist in the VHA; and agree to a period of two or more years of obligated service with the VHA in the field of psychiatric medicine. Limits the loan repayment to no more than $30,000 for each year an individual performs such obligated service. Directs the Secretary to establish a three-year pilot program at not less than five Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) to assist veterans transitioning from active duty and to improve the access of veterans to mental health services. Requires the pilot program at each VISN to include: (1) a community oriented veteran peer support network carried out in partnership with an entity that has experience in peer support programs, and (2) a community outreach team for each medical center in such VISN. Authorizes the Secretary to collaborate with nonprofit mental health organizations to prevent suicide among veterans. Requires the Secretary and any such organization to exchange training sessions and best practices. Directs the Secretary to select a VA Director of Suicide Prevention Coordination to undertake any collaboration with nonprofit mental health organizations. Extends for one year combat veterans' eligibility for VA hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for illnesses that have not been medically proven to be attributable to their service, provided they: (1) were discharged or released from active duty between January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2011, and (2) did not enroll to receive such care during the five-year period of eligibility following their discharge or release.

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit the centralized reporting of veteran enrollment by certain groups, districts, and consortiums of educational institutions.

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Amends veterans' educational assistance program reporting requirements under which enrolled veterans (or eligible persons) and educational institutions must report enrollment information to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Requires individuals and educational institutions participating in the post-Vietnam era and post-9/11 veterans' educational assistance programs to report to the Secretary such enrollment and any updates on interruption or termination of the education (thereby making the enrollment reporting requirements for the post-Vietnam and post-9/11 programs consistent with other veterans' educational programs). Defines "educational institution" to permit the inclusion of groups, districts, or consortiums of separately accredited educational institutions located in the same state that are organized in a manner facilitating the centralized reporting of enrollments.

A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the Coverdell education savings accounts to allow home school education expenses, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

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 2014 to the contribution limit amount for such accounts.

21st Century Charter School Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

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.

STEM Jobs Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

STEM Jobs Act of 2015 Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make up to 55,000 visas available in FY2016 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, 2014, 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: 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; 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 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 FY2016-FY2019 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: 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; 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; an F-3 visa for the spouse or minor child of an F-1 or F-2 foreign student; and 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.

Repay Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Repay Act of 2015 Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a simplified income-driven repayment program for students who become new borrowers of William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (DLs) on or after July 1, 2015. Sets a student's annual repayment obligation under the program at: 10% of the borrower's discretionary income (gross income that exceeds 150% of the federal poverty level) that is less than $25,000, adjusted for inflation; plus 15% of the borrower's discretionary income that is equal to or greater than $25,000, adjusted for inflation. Directs the Secretary to cancel the outstanding balance on a DL under the repayment program if the borrower: for 20 years made monthly payments under the program or was in deferment due to economic hardship and had a DL principal balance at the outset of the repayment period that did not exceed a specified amount; or for 25 years made monthly payments under the program or was in deferment due to economic hardship and had a DL principal balance at the outset of the repayment period that exceeded a specified amount. Requires the Secretary to offer borrowers of DLs made on or after July 1, 2015, the following repayment plans: (1) a fixed repayment plan (currently referred to as a standard repayment plan), or (2) a simplified income-driven repayment plan, but this plan is only available to student borrowers. Authorizes the Secretary to provide an alternative repayment plan to a borrower of a DL made on or after July 1, 2015, if the borrower demonstrates that these repayment options do not accommodate the borrower's exceptional circumstances. Continues to allow borrowers of DLs to accelerate, without penalty, their repayment of such loans. Makes public service employees who make 120 monthly payments on their DL under a simplified income-driven repayment plan eligible for the public service employee loan forgiveness program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income debt the Secretary discharges on a borrower's subsidized Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) or DL due to the borrower's death or disability. Directs the Secretary to require servicers of FFELs and DLs to: (1) provide borrowers with information regarding their loan repayment options, and (2) offer to enroll borrowers in alternative plans for which they are eligible. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) study the feasibility of simplifying the process for enrolling in, and verifying annual eligibility for, this Act's simplified income-driven repayment program; and (2) provide recommendations for the efficient administration of income-based repayment programs.

Financial Aid Simplification and Transparency Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Financial Aid Simplification and Transparency Act of 2015 Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to make a free application available for individuals to use in applying for a Federal Pell Grant or a loan under this Act's One Loan program. Requires specified identifying information and, in the case of Pell Grant applicants, income and family size information to be included in the application. Requires the Secretary to provide an applicant under the One Loan program specified information regarding the terms of the loan, including the anticipated monthly payment. Makes a student automatically eligible for a Pell Grant if the student or the student's family received benefits under a means-tested federal benefit program at some time during the previous 24 months. Lists, for award year 2015, the Pell Grant awards available to students based on their income and family size. Adjusts those amounts each subsequent award year by the percentage by which the maximum Pell Grant for such award year exceeds or falls below the maximum Pell Grant for award year 2015. Allows students who complete the coursework equivalent to one academic year before the end of a Pell Grant award year to receive all, or a portion of, the Pell Grant they would otherwise be eligible for in the following award year to cover their enrollment in additional courses during the current award year. Allows students who have not completed the coursework equivalent to one academic year before the end of a Pell Grant award year to receive up to two Pell Grants during an award year to complete the coursework required for them to receive a certificate or degree on time. Limits the total amount of the Pell Grants awarded to such students for the award year to 150% of the maximum Pell Grant for such award year. Terminates the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program on the June 30 following this Act's enactment. Establishes the One Loan program. Makes loans under such program available to undergraduate students, parents of such students, and graduate or professional students on the same terms as Direct Loans were made available to such individuals, unless otherwise specified in this Act. Sets annual and aggregate limits on the amounts undergraduate and graduate or professional students may borrow. Authorizes institutions of higher education (IHEs) to limit the annual amount that students enrolled in an identified program of study at the IHE may borrow if: (1) the IHE can show that student debt levels are excessive, and (2) the prorating or limiting of loan amounts are applied in the same manner to all students enrolled in the IHE or program of study. Gives One Loan program borrowers the option of choosing either a 10-year repayment plan or an income-based repayment plan. Directs the Secretary to develop and implement a plan to disseminate title IV financial aid eligibility information to local educational agencies and middle and secondary schools that serve students at least 25% of whom are eligible for free or reduced price school lunches under the school lunch program.

Patient Choice Restoration Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Patient Choice Restoration Act This bill repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Provisions of law amended by those Acts are restored as if those Acts had never been enacted.

Local Control of Education Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Local Control of Education Act Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit the federal government from directly or indirectly mandating, directing, controlling, incentivizing, or conditioning federal support on a state's, local educational agency's (LEA's), or school's adoption of: the Common Core State Standards, any other academic standards common to a number of states, or any statewide or nationally recognized content standards; or any assessment, instructional content, or curriculum aligned to, or based on, specific academic standards. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to make those prohibitions applicable to grants awarded under the Race to the Top program for innovations and reforms in elementary and secondary education. Prohibits the Secretary of Education from conditioning the provision of a statutory or regulatory waiver under the ESEA on a state, LEA, Indian tribe, or school adopting any specific instructional content, academic standard, assessment, curriculum, or program of instruction. Makes that prohibition applicable to future and previously issued waivers.

Home School Opportunities Make Education Sound Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Home School Opportunities Make Education Sound Act of 2015 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.

Education Tax Fraud Prevention Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Education Tax Fraud Prevention Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require: (1) individuals who claim a tax credit for qualified tuition and related expenses under the Hope Scholarship 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.

Expanding School Choice Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Expanding School Choice Act Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow states to allocate school improvement grant funds among their local educational agencies (LEAs) on the basis of the number of children aged 5 through 17 whose family income lies below the federal poverty level and who are enrolled in the public and state-accredited private schools within each LEA's geographic jurisdiction.

A bill to reduce the amount of financial assistance provided to the Government of Mexico in response to the illegal border crossings from Mexico into the United States, which serve to dissipate the political discontent with the higher unemployment rate within Mexico.

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

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.

Safety for Our Schoolchildren Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Safety for Our Schoolchildren Act of 2015 Requires states and local educational agencies (LEAs): (1) to obtain a Federal Bureau of Investigation 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.

A bill to prohibit aliens who are not lawfully present in the United States from being eligible for postsecondary education benefits that are not available to all citizens and nationals of the United States.

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015

Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to prohibit unlawful aliens from being eligible for any postsecondary education benefit unless every citizen and national of this country is eligible to receive that benefit in no less of an amount, duration, or scope. (This replaces a prohibition against a state's offering unlawful aliens postsecondary benefits on the basis of their residence in the state that are more generous than those offered citizens or naturals of this country without regard to their state residence.) Allows any citizen or national who is enrolled at a postsecondary educational institution that is alleged to have violated that prohibition to bring a civil action against any state official overseeing the institution to obtain appropriate relief, attorneys' fees, and court costs.

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2017

United States · United States House of Representatives · 6 January 2015

21st Century Cures Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2015 Reauthorizes the Tsunami Warning and Education Act through FY2017. Consolidates separate tsunami warning systems for the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and for the Atlantic Ocean into a single warning system. Requires the system to support international tsunami forecasting and warning efforts. Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support or maintain tsunami warning centers to support the national warning system and develop uniform operational procedures for the centers. Requires warning centers to utilize a range of models to predict tsunami arrival times and flooding estimates, and maintain a fail-safe warning capability and an ability to perform back-up duties for each other. Requires the National Weather Service to coordinate with the centers. Modifies the tsunami hazard mitigation program to provide for: (1) technical and financial assistance; (2) activities to support the development of regional hazard and risk assessments; and (3) dissemination of guidelines and standards for community planning, education, and training products, programs, and tools. Expands the tsunami research program, including by: (1) requiring the program to develop the technical basis for validation of tsunami maps, models, and forecasts; and (2) authorizing NOAA to develop a pilot project for near-field tsunami forecast development for the west coast's Cascadia region. Removes a requirement that NOAA operate an International Tsunami Information Center to improve preparedness for Pacific Ocean nations. Directs NOAA to: (1) designate an existing working group to serve as the Tsunami Science and Technology Advisory Panel to provide advice on matters regarding tsunami science, technology, and regional preparedness; and (2) convene a coordinating committee to assist in the national tsunami hazard mitigation program.

Low-Dose Radiation Research Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Low-Dose Radiation Research Act of 2015 Requires the Director of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science to carry out a research program on low dose radiation to enhance the scientific understanding of and reduce uncertainties associated with the effects of exposure to low dose radiation. Requires the Director to enter into an agreement with the National Academies to conduct a study assessing the current status and development of a long-term strategy for low dose radiation research. Requires such study to: identify current scientific challenges for understanding the long-term effects of ionizing radiation, assess the status of current low dose radiation research, formulate overall scientific goals for the future of low-dose radiation research, recommend a long-term strategic and prioritized research agenda to address scientific research goals for overcoming the identified scientific challenges in coordination with other research efforts, define the essential components of a research program that would address this research agenda within the universities and the National Laboratories, and assess the effectiveness of such a program. Directs the Secretary of Energy to deliver to Congress a five-year research plan that responds to the study's findings and recommendations and identifies and prioritizes research needs. Makes DOE's limitation on human research inapplicable to research under this Act.

ObamaCare Repeal Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

ObamaCare Repeal Act Repeals 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.

Local Education Authority Returns Now Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Local Education Authority Returns Now Act This bill requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make an annual determination of states that have chosen to opt-out of K-12 education grant programs and the Secretary of Education to determine credits due to states as opt-out state education amounts. The bill also amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers in states that opt-out a refundable tax credit for a share of the opt-out amount creditable to such states.

Access to Insurance for All Americans Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

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.

America RISING Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

America Realizing the Informational Skills and Initiative of New Graduates Act of 2015 or the America RISING Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education to jointly establish a program providing grants to: eligible employers to defray the cost of compensation they pay to recent graduates from institutions of higher education (IHEs); and such graduates to enable them to defray the cost of undertaking further postsecondary education at an IHE for up to 24 months in subjects relating to mathematics, science, engineering, or technology. Defines an "eligible employer" as a small business concern or a major corporation that has an operation located in an enterprise zone or in an area in which the unemployment rate exceeds the national average unemployment rate by more than 2%. Allows college graduates who are participating in the program, either as grantees or beneficiaries of grants to their employers, to defer payment on their federal student loans under title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 until their participation in the program ends. Requires graduates who are awarded a program grant to be eligible to receive federal student aid under title IV without regard to whether they have been or are delinquent on title IV loans.

Breath of Fresh Air Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Breath of Fresh Air Act Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to: (1) purchase nebulizers for use in their schools, and/or (2) train school personnel to use nebulizers. Requires LEA grant applicants to demonstrate that for each of their schools that are to use the nebulizers: (1) a full-time certified nurse is on staff, (2) trained personnel and other resources necessary for nebulizer use are in place, (3) emergency services personnel are notified of nebulizer locations, (4) nebulizers are integrated into the school's emergency response procedures, and (5) procedures are in place to notify parents of the availability of nebulizers and to inform them how to provide the school with their child's prescription asthma medication and authorization to use a nebulizer to assist their child. Gives grant priority to LEAs that: (1) serve areas where the prevalence of asthma is at least 10% higher than the national average; (2) do not already have at least one nebulizer in each of their schools; (3) serve schools that typically have a significant number of students, staff, and visitors present during the day; and (4) have not received funds under the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Act.

Restoration of Parental Rights and State Sovereignty Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Restoration of Parental Rights and State Sovereignty Act of 2015 Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit the Secretary of Education from forcing a state to satisfy any requirement imposed as a condition of receiving assistance under an ESEA grant program. Prohibits the Secretary from releasing assistance to a state under an ESEA grant program unless the state's legislature has by law expressly approved the program. Allows that approval to be accomplished by a vote to affirm a state budget that includes the use of such federal funds, but requires that budget to expressly include any requirement imposed as a condition on the state's receipt of those funds. Prohibits ESEA funds that are not allocated to a state due to the state's failure to affirmatively agree to their receipt from being reallocated among the other states. Expresses the intent of Congress that control over public education and parental rights to control their children's education is vested exclusively within the authority reserved to the states and individual Americans by the Constitution, except when states expressly approve federal terms or conditions on educational assistance or the federal government is obliged to enforce minimum federal equal protection or due process standards.

Cyber Security Education and Federal Workforce Enhancement Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Cyber Security Education and Federal Workforce Enhancement Act Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) an Office of Cybersecurity Education and Awareness Branch to make recommendations to DHS regarding: (1) recruitment of information assurance, cybersecurity, and computer security professionals; (2) grants, training programs, and other support for kindergarten through grade 12, secondary, and post-secondary computer security education programs; (3) guest lecturer programs in which professional computer security experts lecture computer science students at institutions of higher education; (4) youth training programs for students to work in part-time or summer positions at federal agencies; and (5) programs to support underrepresented minorities in computer security fields with programs at minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Native American colleges, Asian-American institutions, and rural colleges and universities. Directs DHS to provide matching funds to local educational agencies for after-school programs dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and math. Provides for the establishment of: a Research K-12 Science and Technology Education Board of Advisors to make recommendations regarding K-12 science and technology education domestically and internationally; a Computing and Information Security Post-Secondary Education Working Group to assist DHS in developing voluntary guidelines for federal civil agency training programs, certification authorities, and accreditation bodies; a Post-Secondary Laboratory Research Development Task Force to recommend best practices for baseline equipment, skilled instruction, and certification needed by college and university laboratory facilities; an Office of Computing and Information Security Professional's Mentoring Program for outreach to institutions of higher education, critical infrastructure owners, and federal agencies to promote professional mentors for students; a program under which DHS may designate colleges and universities as Centers of Academic Computer and Information Assurance Distinction; programs in conjunction with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award grants to institutions of higher education for cybersecurity and information security professional development programs and degrees; and an E-Security Fellows Program for state, local, tribal, and private sector officials to participate in DHS's National Cybersecurity Division. Authorizes DHS to make grants to post-secondary institutions to equip computer laboratories for teaching and research purposes. Requires the NSF to report to Congress regarding the causes of the high dropout rates of women and minority students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs.

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Research and Education Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Research and Education Act of 2015 Requires the National Institutes of Health to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of research on triple-negative breast cancer (breast cancers whose cells are negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and the HER2 protein). Directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop and disseminate to the public information regarding triple-negative breast cancer, including information on: (1) the incidence and prevalence of triple-negative breast cancer among women, (2) the elevated risk for minority women, and (3) the availability of a range of treatment options. Requires the Health Resources and Services Administration to develop and disseminate information on triple-negative breast cancer to health care providers.

Students Voicing Opinions in Today's Elections (VOTE) Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Students Voicing Opinions in Today's Elections (VOTE) Act Directs the Election Assistance Commission to carry out a pilot program providing funds, during FY2015, to local educational agencies (LEAs) for initiatives that provide 12th graders with voter registration information. Requires LEAs to consult with their state and local election officials in developing those initiatives.

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Malala Yousafzai, a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace, in recognition of her devoted service to education, justice, and equality in Pakistan.

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Malala Yousufzai in recognition of her devoted service to education, justice, and equality in Pakistan.

Electing Members to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives.

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Elects specified Members to the following House Committees: (1) Agriculture; (2) Appropriations; (3) Armed Services; (4) the Budget; (5) Education and the Workforce; (6) Energy and Commerce; (7) Ethics; (8) Financial Services; (9) Foreign Affairs; (10) Homeland Security; (11) House Administration; (12) the Judiciary; (13) Natural Resources; (14) Oversight and Government Reform; (15) Rules; (16) Science, Space, and Technology; (17) Small Business; (18) Transportation and Infrastructure; (19) Veterans' Affairs; and (20) Ways and Means.

Electing Members to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives.

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Elects specified Members to the House Committees on: (1) Agriculture; (2) Appropriations; (3) Armed Services; (4) the Budget; (5) Education and the Workforce; (6) Energy and Commerce; (7) Ethics; (8) Financial Services; (9) Foreign Affairs; (10) Homeland Security; (11) House Administration; (12) the Judiciary; (13) Natural Resources; (14) Oversight and Government Reform; (15) Rules; (16) Science, Space, and Technology; (17) Small Business; (18) Transportation and Infrastructure; (19) Veterans' Affairs; and (20) Ways and Means.

Core Opportunity Resources for Equity and Excellence Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015

Core Opportunity Resources for Equity and Excellence Act of 2015 Amends the school improvement program under part A of title I of the the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require states to adopt student achievement standards that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation. Requires each state school improvement plan to ensure that the state's public school system enables students to meet those standards by providing them with fair and equitable access to the core resources for learning. Includes among the core resources for learning: high-quality instructional teams; rigorous academic standards and curricula that lead to college and career readiness by high school graduation; equitable and instructionally appropriate class sizes; up-to-date instructional materials, technology, and supplies; effective school library programs; school facilities and technology, including physically and environmentally sound school buildings and well-equipped instructional spaces; specialized instruction support teams providing assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, therapeutic, and other necessary services as part of a comprehensive program to meet student needs; and effective programs to engage families and the community in education. Prohibits states that fail to make progress toward eliminating inequities in access to the core resources for learning for two or more consecutive years from receiving funds under any competitive grant program authorized by the ESEA. Requires the annual report cards publicly disseminated by states and their local educational agencies (LEAs) to include information on the performance of LEAs and schools in providing students with fair and equitable access to the core resources for learning. Requires states to identify any of their LEAs as needing improvement if they: (1) fail for two consecutive years to make adequate yearly progress toward state academic content and achievement standards, or (2) have received a waiver of the ESEA's statutory or regulatory requirements from the Secretary of Education. Requires states to: (1) identify any inequities in access to the core resources of learning in schools served by an LEA that has been identified as needing improvement, and (2) work with the LEA to address those inequities. Prohibits the Secretary from waiving this Act's requirements for accountability in providing students with access to the core resources for learning.