Education

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week.

United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013

Expresses the House of Representatives' support for the goals and ideals of National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week.

Expressing support for designation of the week of September 23, 2013, as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week.

United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013

Expresses support for the designation of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Encourages people across the United States to support programs to assist those in need of adult education and family literacy programs. Requests that the President issue a proclamation recognizing the importance of adult education and family literacy programs, calling upon the federal government, states, localities, schools, libraries, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, consumer advocates, institutions of higher education, labor unions, and businesses to support increased access to adult education and family literacy programs to ensure a literate society.

An original resolution authorizing expenditures by committees of the Senate for the periods October 1, 2013, through September 30, 2014, and October 1, 2014, through February 28, 2015.

United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2013

Authorizes expenditures by the following Senate committees for FY2014 and for October 1, 2014-February 28, 2015: (1) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; (2) Armed Services; (3) Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; (4) Budget; (5) Commerce, Science, and Transportation; (6) Energy and Natural Resources; (7) Environment and Public Works; (8) Finance; (9) Foreign Relations; (10) Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; (11) Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; (12) Judiciary; (13) Rules and Administration; (14) Small Business and Entrepreneurship; (15) Veterans' Affairs; (16) Special Committee on Aging; (17) Select Committee on Intelligence; and (18) Indian Affairs. Authorizes establishment of a special reserve within funds for Inquiries and Investigations, to be available to any committee to meet specified unpaid obligations or expenses.

PREPARING TODAY'S STUDENTS FOR TOMORROW'S JOBS: A DISCUSSION ON CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 20 September 2013

Common Sense Health Reform Americans Actually Want Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2013

Common Sense Health Reform Americans Actually Want 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. Requires each state to operate a qualifying high risk pool to provide health coverage to certain individuals with a preexisting condition. Prohibits a health insurance issuer from applying an annual or lifetime aggregate spending cap on any health insurance coverage or plan. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for the establishment and governance of small business health plans, which are group health plans sponsored by trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations that meet ERISA certification requirements. Amends ERISA, the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to: (1) continue in effect for group (not individual) health plans dependent coverage until the beneficiary turns 26 years of age, (2) continue in effect the prohibition on imposition of preexisting condition exclusions on a participant or beneficiary under 19 years of age, and (3) permit a health plan to vary premiums and cost-sharing by up to 50% of the benefits based on participation in a wellness program. Amends the PHSA to provide that the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) shall apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with the conditions of this Act. Amends the IRC to: (1) revise provisions related to health savings accounts, including to allow the payment of premiums for high deductible health plans from such accounts; (2) allow self-employed individuals to deduct health insurance costs in computing the tax on self-employment income; and (3) allow a tax deduction from gross income for the cost of health insurance coverage for individual taxpayers, their spouses, and dependents. Sets forth requirements for civil actions for an injury or death as the result of health care. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere with the doctor-patient relationship or the practice of medicine. Repeals provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that establish the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Prohibits the expenditure of funds authorized or appropriated by federal law or funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by federal law for any abortion. Prohibits federal funds from being used for any health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. (Currently, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services and plans receiving federal funds must keep federal funds segregated from any funds for abortion services.) Sets forth certain exceptions, including for rape and a life-endangering physical condition. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address: (1) enforcement of Medicare secondary payer provisions; (2) screening of providers and suppliers under the Medicare program; and (3) tracking of providers that have been excluded from Medicare, including by permitting data matching between Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

CIR ASAP Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2013

Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2013, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform ASAP Act of 2013, or CIR ASAP Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) (Secretary) to: (1) develop and submit to Congress a National Strategy for Border Security; (2) increase the number of Customs and Border Protection officers, agriculture specialists, and border security support personnel, and enhance related equipment, assets, and technology; (3) develop a comprehensive land and maritime border surveillance plan, including aerial and integrated surveillance demonstration programs; (4) issue a rule for electronic device searches and related agent training; (5) improve coordination efforts to combat human smuggling; (6) establish a Border Communities Liaison Office in every Border Patrol sector at the southern and northern borders; (7) carry out a ports of entry technology demonstration program; and (8) establish a Southern Border Security Task Force. Authorizes appropriations for border security improvements at U.S. ports of entry. Authorizes border relief grants for tribal, state, or local law enforcement and related agencies in proximity to the border or in a designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Provides reimbursement for state and county prosecutors in border states for prosecuting federally initiated and referred drug cases. Suspends the Operation Streamline program pending an evaluation of its viability. Expands resources for Project Gunrunner and for Operation Armas Cruzadas along the U.S.-Mexico border. Establishes the United States-Mexico Border Enforcement Commission. Prohibits the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard, from assisting in non-emergency federal, state, local, and civilian law enforcement of immigration laws. Directs the Secretaries of DHS, the Interior, Agriculture (USDA), Defense (DOD), and Commerce to develop: (1) a land border protection strategy, and (2) a borderlands environmental monitoring plan. Provides for: (1) enhanced border cooperation with Mexico, and (2) expansion of Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism programs. Sets forth detention conditions. Directs the Secretary to appoint an Immigration Detention Commission. Prescribes requirements for: (1) immigration enforcement protections, (2) protections against unlawful detentions, (3) protections for vulnerable populations, (4) apprehension procedures for families and family detention, (5) welfare services for children separated from detained or removed parents, (6) unaccompanied alien children, and (7) female detainees. Provides a stay of removal and work authorization for detained alien workers who are witnesses or necessary for workplace prosecution claims. Eliminates, with specified exceptions, DHS authority to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to perform immigration law enforcement functions. Establishes in DHS an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Ombudsman. Eliminates the one-year asylum filing requirement. Provides for federal court review of DHS orders of removal currently exempt from such review. Establishes an alien employment verification system which requires employers to comply with: (1) document verification requirements, and (2) a phased-in electronic employment verification system. Sets forth backlog reduction requirements respecting family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant levels. Revises the definition of "immediate relative" to: (1) include the spouse and child of a lawful permanent resident, and (2) permit a qualifying widow/widower and the child or parent of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to maintain such status while filing for permanent resident status. Increases: (1) per-country limits for family-sponsored and employment-based immigrants, and (2) specified family-unity exceptions to unlawful presence-based inadmissibility. Prohibits the removal from the United States of an individual who: (1) fled his or her homeland while under the age of 12; and (2) was later admitted to the United States as a refugee, parolee, or asylee. Exempts the sons and daughters of certain naturalized Filipino World War II veterans from worldwide or numerical immigrant visa limits. Makes a minor child of an alien fiancee/fiance or of an alien spouse of a U.S. citizen eligible for derivative K-visa status under specified circumstances. Redefines "child" to include a stepchild under 21 years old. Amends the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 to: (1) require determinations with respect to children to be made using the age and status of an individual on October 21, 1998, and (2) permit an application based upon child status to be filed by a parent or guardian if the child is present in the United States on such filing date. Permits new status adjustment applications to be filed for a limited time period. Reduces the required support level for immigrant sponsorship. Establishes the Prevent Unauthorized Migration Visa (PUM Visa) program which shall provide for: (1) 100,000 PUM conditional permanent resident visas annually, for three years, to persons from countries (transitional visa admission states) which represent at least 5% of the total unauthorized migration population to the United States for the past five years; and (2) a process to adjust to permanent resident status. Exempts specified categories of U.S.-educated aliens from employment-based immigration limits. Permits a nonimmigrant alien whose employer has petitioned for an employment-based green card for the alien to file an application for adjustment of status, regardless of whether an immigrant visa is immediately available. (Requires visa availability before such application may be approved.) Return of Talent Act - Establishes the Return of Talent Program to permit an eligible alien (and certain family members) to return to the alien's country of citizenship for up to two years in order to contribute to such country's postconflict or natural disaster reconstruction activities. (During such absence the alien and family members shall be considered to be continuously present and residing in the United States for naturalization purposes.) Establishes a conditional nonimmigrant status for qualifying aliens and their dependents who are illegally present or out of status in the United States and who register and meet the requirements for such status. Authorizes: (1) adjustment from conditional to permanent resident status at the earlier of six years after enactment of this Act or 30 days after specified immigrant visas become available (with exceptions to this time frame for certain students, military personnel, and employed individuals), and (2) naturalization three years after permanent resident status adjustment. Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2013 or AgJOBS Act of 2013 - Confers "blue card status" upon an alien who: (1) during the 24-month period ending on December 31, 2013, has performed specified lengths of, or earned a specified amount from, agricultural employment in the United States; (2) applied for such status during the 18-month application period; (3) is otherwise admissible to the United States; and (4) has not been convicted of specified felonies or misdemeanors. Limits the number of blue cards that may be issued during the five-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. Provides for adjustment of blue card status to permanent resident status based upon completed periods of agricultural employment. Revises H-2A visa (agricultural labor or temporary or seasonal services) provisions. Replaces the existing labor certification requirement with a labor attestation requirement containing: (1) a description of the nature and location of the job, (2) the job's expected beginning and ending dates, (3) the number of jobs, and (4) specified labor assurances respecting job opportunities covered by collective bargaining agreements and non-covered job opportunities. Establishes: (1) the Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets, and (2) the Security and Prosperity Account in the Treasury. Requires each State Workforce Agency (SWA) to establish an Internet-based American Worker Recruit and Match program. Requires employers and foreign labor contractors to provide workers recruited abroad with specified employment-related information. Amends H-1B visa (specialty occupation) employer application requirements to: (1) revise wage determination requirements; (2) require Internet posting and description of employment positions; (3) lengthen U.S. worker displacement protection; (4) apply certain requirements to all H-1B employers rather than only to H-1B dependent employers; (5) prohibit employer advertising that makes a position available only to, or gives priority to, H-1B nonimmigrants; and (6) limit the number of H-1B and L-1 visa (intracompany transfer) employees that an employer of 50 or more workers in the United States may hire. Authorizes the Department of Labor (DOL) to: (1) investigate applications for fraud, and (2) conduct H-1B compliance audits. Prohibits an employer from hiring an L-1 nonimmigrant for more than one year who will: (1) serve in a capacity involving specialized knowledge, and (2) be stationed primarily at the worksite of another employer. Specifies L-1: (1) employer petition requirements for employment at a new office, (2) wage rates and working conditions, and (3) employer penalties. Authorizes: (1) DOL to enforce federal labor laws with respect to employers of H-2B nonagricultural temporary workers, and (2) a private right of action against such employers. Specifies employer actions to recruit U.S. workers before filing for H-2B admissions. Sets forth H-2B and U.S. worker protections. Amends EB-5 visa (alien investor) requirements to: (1) increase EB-5 eligibility, (2) make the regional center program permanent, (3) establish $2,500 regional center designation and premium processing fees, (4) permit concurrent filing for EB-5 petitions and status adjustment applications, (5) establish in the Treasury the Immigrant Entrepreneur Regional Center Account, and (6) increase employment creation-related visas. Revises requirements regarding: (1) immigration service fees, (2) the naturalization age-based English language proficiency exemption, and (3) citizenship application background checks. Establishes the New Americans Initiative grants program to assist lawful permanent resident aliens to become citizens. Authorizes grants for: (1) public education and community training regarding the provisions of this Act; (2) community-based organizations to assist naturalization applicants (initial entry, adjustment, and citizenship assistance grants); and (3) states to form New American Councils. Provides for the naturalization of certain graduates of U.S. high schools who are under 25 years of age on the date of application for naturalization. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish: (1) a tax credit and a deduction for certification expenses for teachers of English language learners, and (2) a tax credit for employer-provided adult English literacy and basic education programs. Makes funds available for oath of allegiance ceremonies.

SAFE in Our Schools Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2013

Secure America for Education in Our Schools Act or the SAFE in Our Schools Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to require that each state include in its application for funds under the Homeland Security Grant Program a certification that the state requires each institution of education for kindergarten through 12th grade to develop an emergency response plan that includes provisions for evacuation relocation, family-child reunification, children with special needs, and addressing multiple disasters by the earlier of the beginning of the academic year for 2015 or September 1, 2015.

Expressing support for designation of October 2013 as "National Principals Month".

United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2013

Recognizes school principals' and assistant principals' contribution to the success of elementary and secondary school students. Encourages the observation of National Principals Month in a manner that promotes awareness of the importance of school leadership in ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education.

THE TRIAD: PROMOTING A SYSTEM OF SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. ISSUES FOR REAUTHORIZATION OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT

United States · United States Senate · 19 September 2013

Financial and Economic Literacy Improvement Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013

Financial and Economic Literacy Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award formula matching grants to states or partnerships between states and experienced nonprofit providers of financial literacy or personal finance education. Requires grantees to use 25% of the grant funds to: (1) develop financial literacy standards and assessments for at least three grade levels, (2) create teacher training programs to embed financial literacy or personal finance education into core academic subjects, and (3) evaluate the impact such education has on students' financial literacy. Requires the remaining grant funds to be used for subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or partnerships between LEAs and community organizations, local businesses, or other educational entities to implement such financial literacy activities, including student assessments and teacher training. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) or partnerships between IHEs and experienced nonprofit providers of financial literacy or personal finance education for activities that increase student knowledge in consumer, economic, and personal financial concepts.

Children in Families First Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013

Children in Families First Act of 2013 - Establishes within the Department of State the Bureau of Vulnerable Children and Family Security which shall: (1) support the implementation in foreign countries of child welfare laws and policies; and (2) establish within the Bureau a Senior Coordinator for Permanence who shall lead the implementation of policies to ensure permanent family care for children living without families, including refugee and stateless children. States that the Bureau shall be headed by an Assistant Secretary and have lead responsibility for representing the U.S. government in diplomatic contacts pertaining to intercountry adoptions. Amends the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), to carry out the functions prescribed by the Convention regarding the accreditation of U.S. adoption services providers. Establishes data bases for: (1) internationally adopted children, and (2) adoption service providers. Transfers from the Secretary of State to the Field Operations Directorate of USCIS specified adoption-related functions, including accreditation of agencies and approval of persons to provide adoption services and oversight of provider investigations. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), through USCIS, to: (1) be responsible for processing and case-specific decision-making on all intercountry adoption cases, (2) ensure that all intercountry adoption suitability and eligibility determinations of prospective adoptive parents are made in accordance with criteria that comply with the Hague Adoption Convention, (3) ensure that all non-Convention adoption cases undergo specified preprocessing, and (4) be responsible for all case-processing steps in Convention and non-Convention adoption petitions on behalf of children whom U.S. parents propose to immigrate to the United States. Directs the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress regarding children living without families. Establishes within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) a Center of Excellence on Children in Adversity. Authorizes the President to provide assistance for programs in developing countries for nutrition, education, care, and protection of children. Requires USAID to carry out a priority country demonstration program implementing the (December 2012) Action Plan for Children in Adversity over a period of five years in at least six countries.

Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013

Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to select institutions of higher education (IHEs) for voluntary participation in Competency-Based Education Demonstration Programs that provide participating IHEs with the ability to offer competency-based education that does not meet certain statutory and regulatory requirements that would otherwise prevent them from participating in federal student aid programs. Defines "competency-based education" as an education process that is characterized by the direct assessment and measurement of student learning instead of, or in addition to, measuring students' credit or clock hours. Deems IHEs to be eligible to participate in a Program if they are eligible to participate in title IV programs or have been approved by the Secretary to offer programs that measure student learning through direct assessments rather than credit or clock hours. Requires Program applicants to provide the Secretary with a description of the statutory and regulatory requirements they would like waived and the reasons for seeking each waiver. Directs the Secretary to conduct an annual evaluation of each of the up to 20 Programs authorized by this Act.

Student Disciplinary Fairness Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013

Student Disciplinary Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish an Office of School and Discipline Policy for the purpose of reducing the number of juveniles who are incarcerated and develop a criminal record based on activity that occurs while the juvenile is at school. Directs the Office to: (1) collect and publish data relating to the arrest and incarceration of juveniles for violations of school policies or rules; (2) work with states, local governments, and nongovernmental organizations to expand the use of alternatives to detention and incarceration programming in schools; and (3) collect and publish data on the relationship between the presence of a school resource officer at a school and the rate of juveniles who are arrested and incarcerated for violations of school rules or policies. Authorizes the Director of the Office of School and Discipline Policy to make grants to states, local governments, and local educational agencies to reduce the number of juveniles who are incarcerated and develop a criminal record based on activity that occurs while the juvenile is at school. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require state or local government applicants for community policing grants to provide assurances that the administration of juvenile justice in their jurisdictions is consistent with constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize the Attorney General to issue subpoenas to access documents relating to actions by governmental and law enforcement officials responsible for the administration of juvenile justice or the incarceration of juveniles. Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to states, local governments, or juvenile justice agencies to fund training for school personnel in elementary and secondary schools to mitigate delinquent student behavior which may avoid a referral to law enforcement officials.

STEM Readiness Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013

STEM Readiness Act of 2013 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive merit-based scholarships to students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with concurrent certification as kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school teachers. Requires scholarship recipients to work for at least five academic years as a full-time STEM teacher at a public or private kindergarten or elementary or secondary school during the seven-year period beginning within one year after they complete their studies. Awards scholarships for one academic year of study at a time, but makes them renewable on an annual basis if their recipients meet certain measures of academic progress. Allows scholarship recipients to enter into agreements with the Secretary that provide them with a bonus in exchange for performing their service in a high-need local educational agency for a period equivalent to the period for which they receive the bonus. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to up to 50 institutions of higher education to establish, strengthen, and operate four-year undergraduate degree programs that enable students to concurrently: (1) earn a STEM bachelor's degree; and (2) be certified to teach kindergarten, elementary, or secondary school. Awards those grants one fiscal year at a time, but makes them renewable on an annual basis for up to five years.

Rebuilding America's Schools Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Rebuilding America's Schools Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to tax-exempt bond funding for educational facilities, to: (1) reinstate the national qualified school construction bond limitation amount for calendar years after 2013, (2) make permanent the qualified zone academy bond (QZAB) limitation amount, (3) permit private entities to waive the 10% matching requirement for QZABs, and (4) revise the definition of QZAB for purposes of the credit for issuers of qualified tax credit bonds.

Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2012 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to cover dental services. Increases the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for funding under Medicaid for dental services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to maintain a database containing information on each state regarding dental benefits available for adults enrolled in the state Medicaid program. Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish, revise, and extend funding for grant programs for: (1) educating nondental medical and other professionals about oral health care; (2) providing dental services in hospital emergency rooms or in community settings; (3) providing scholarships and education loans for dental therapists and oral health professional students; (4) providing comprehensive oral health services to low-income individuals and individuals in underserved areas; (5) building, operating, or expanding dental clinics in schools; (6) funding research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent and manage oral health diseases; and (7) providing rural health clinics with mobile and portable, comprehensive dental services, including dentures, and outreach for senior-care facilities and facilities that provide federal health care and nutrition benefits for women and children. Authorizes appropriations for community based dental residencies. Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to declare oral health services to be an essential health benefit. Removes restrictions on the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide dental care to veterans (thereby requiring such care on the same basis as other VA-provided medical care and services). Authorizes the VA to carry out a demonstration program to train and employ alternative dental health care providers in order to increase access to dental health care services for veterans in rural and other underserved communities. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to carry out a similar demonstration program to train and employ such providers in order to increase access to those dental services for members of the Armed Forces and their dependents who lack ready access to such services. Authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to carry out a demonstration program to establish programs to train and employ alternative dental health care providers to increase access to dental health services for prisoners within the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. Allows dental services provided under the demonstration program to be administered by alternative dental health care providers and any other dental care providers who are licensed to provided clinical care, through telehealth-enabled collaboration and supervision. Authorizes the Secretary of HHS, through the Indian Health Service (IHS), to carry out a demonstration program to establish programs to train and employ alternative dental health care providers to help eliminate oral health disparities and increase access to dental services through health programs operated by the IHS, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Urban Indian organizations. Allows dental services provided under the demonstration program to be administered by alternative dental health care providers and any other dental care providers licensed to provided clinical care, through telehealth-enabled collaboration and supervision. Directs the Secretary of HHS to conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the expansion of dental service coverage pursuant to this Act, including whether it resulted in a reduction in total health care costs for individuals under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of: (1) the implementation and utilization of expanded dental service coverage under this Act for individuals enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, and (2) the demonstration programs authorized by this Act for the training and employment of alternative dental health care providers.

Improving Outcomes for Youth At Risk for Sex Trafficking Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Improving Outcomes for Youth At Risk for Sex Trafficking Act of 2013 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require the state plan to demonstrate the state has developed policies and procedures for identifying and screening children whom the state has reasonable cause to believe are victims of sex trafficking or a specified severe form of trafficking in persons, or are at risk of being such victims. Requires the state authority or authorities designated by a state plan for foster care and adoption assistance to: (1) develop a reasonable and prudent parent standard for the child's participation in age or developmentally appropriate extracurricular, enrichment, and social activities; and (2) apply this standard to any foster family home or child care institution receiving title funds under IV part E. Limits to children age 16 or older the option, in an initial permanency hearing, of being placed in a planned permanent living arrangement other than a return to home, referral for termination of parental rights, or placement for adoption, with a fit and willing relative, or with a legal guardian. Prescribes documentation and determination requirements for such an option. Prescribes requirements of child support collected by the state for payment indirectly to a child (via a depository account) or directly to a foster youth age 18 or older. Requires the state case review system to require the state agency to appear before a court and verify that before a child is placed in child care institutions or other settings that are not a foster family home: (1) a family group decisionmaking meeting decided that such placement is in the child's best interests, and (2) efforts have been made to locate relatives or other potential guardians for the child but that those efforts have thus far been unsuccessful in locating an alternative placement. Revises requirements for foster family homes, authorizing a state to decrease the maximum number of children permitted in a home, and increase the number only if certain criteria are met. Specifies length of placement restrictions on federal foster care maintenance payments in the case of children under 13 or over age 13 placed in a setting other than a foster family home (congregate care placement). Amends SSA: (1) title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) to repeal the grants; and (2) title IV part B (Child and Family Services) to redirect funds from such grants to child welfare services programs, including additional funds for exploitation prevention and normalcy. Specifies funding to support preserving intact families, including through residential family treatment programs, and post-permanency services as well as therapeutic services, family connection grants. Increases funding for state court improvement grants, and adds to the purposes of such grants protecting children from domestic sex trafficking and coordinating certain foster care and adoption services. Amends SSA title IV part E to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to treat as necessary for the proper and efficient administration of the state foster care plan (despite specified cost allocation requirements) certain state expenditures related to identifying and screening youth at risk of sex trafficking and the reasonable and prudent parent standard, among other things. Requires annual performance reports to Congress on outcome measures to include certain information on children in foster care placed in child care institutions or other settings that are not foster family homes. Gives children age 14 and older authority to participate in the development of their own case plans, in consultation with up to two members of the case planning team. Requires case review systems to make sure foster youths are not discharged from care without being provided with birth certificates, Social Security cards, and bank accounts. Modifies the state educational and training voucher program, under the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, to eliminate the minimum eligibility age of 21 and increase the maximum age from 23 to 26, but limit the total time of participation to five years. Directs the Secretaries of HHS and of Education jointly to: (1) develop and administer an information clearing house on federal financial aid to youth in foster care, and (2) collect and make available information regarding best practices for providing housing assistance for youth who have aged out of foster care and for youth who are pregnant, parenting, victims of sex trafficking, or are at risk of being victims of sex trafficking. Allows monthly caseworker visits to occur electronically for foster youth age 18 or older. Directs the Secretary to conduct a pilot program for certain children in therapeutic foster care under which the state shall be authorized to divide the monthly assistance payments for such children and pay portions to the child's foster or adoptive parent or parents, or relative guardian, and the therapeutic foster program. Authorizes the President to make presidential awards to individuals contributing to excellence in the field of child welfare, including child welfare case workers, child welfare advocates, foster parents, and foster youth.

ConTACT Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Concussion Treatment and Care Tools Act of 2013 or ConTACT Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish guidelines for states on the implementation of best practices for diagnosis, treatment, and management of mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBIs) in school-aged children, including best practices relating to student athletes returning to play after an MTBI. Requires the Pediatric MTBI Guideline Expert Panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a final report on such best practices by March 15, 2015. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to states for: (1) adopting, disseminating, and ensuring school implementation of the guidelines; and (2) ensuring elementary and secondary schools implement computerized preseason baseline and post-injury neuropsychological testing for student athletes. Directs the Secretary to require states receiving grants to utilize, to the extent practicable, applicable expertise and services offered by local chapters of national brain injury organizations.

401Kids Family Savings Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

401Kids Family Savings Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) rename Coverdell education savings accounts as 401Kids savings accounts, (2) allow the use of such accounts to pay the acquisition costs of a first-time homebuyer, and (3) allow tax-free rollovers of amounts in a 401Kids savings account to a Roth individual retirement account (Roth IRA).

A resolution designating the week beginning September 15, 2013, as "National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week".

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Recognizes the achievements and goals of Hispanic-serving institutions across the United States. Designates the week beginning September 15, 2013, as National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week.

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

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

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

Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (21st Century Schools) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to: (1) develop, improve, and implement state reporting and information systems that measure conditions for learning, based on surveys of school students and staff; and (2) award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or nonprofit organizations that use such measurement systems to make comprehensive improvements to school-level conditions for learning. Identifies conditions conducive to learning as those that: (1) promote physical activity, education, fitness, and nutrition; (2) promote mental health; (3) prevent violence, harassment, and substance abuse among students; and (4) promote safe and supportive schools and communities. Conditions a state's grant eligibility on the state: (1) having a statewide physical education requirement that is consistent with widely recognized standards; and (2) requiring its LEAs to establish policies that prevent and prohibit harassment in schools, to notify students, parents, and educational professionals of prohibited conduct each year, and to provide students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct. Directs the Secretary to evaluate the programs this Act funds and provide technical assistance to program applicants, grantees, and subgrantees.

American Health Care Reform Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

American Health Care Reform Act of 2013 - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of their enactment. Restores or revives provisions amended or repealed by such Act or such health care provisions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow an income tax standard deduction for a specified percentage of an individual's health insurance costs, regardless of whether or not the taxpayer itemizes other deductions. Excludes the amount of such a deduction from employment taxes. Allows a taxpayer, for earned income credit purposes, to exclude from earned income any employer contributions to a qualified accident or health plan. Allows double additional contributions to a health savings account (HSA) if both spouses are age 55 or older and one spouse is not an account beneficiary. Prescribes special rules for HSA coverage eligibility for certain individuals: (1) participating in a Medicare Advantage Medical Savings Account (MSA), (2) receiving periodic hospital care or medical services for a service-connected disability, (3) eligible for Indian Health Service assistance, or (4) eligible for TRICARE coverage. Prescribes requirements for interaction of health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements with HSAs. Prohibits the payment of health insurance premiums from HSAs, with certain exceptions. Prescribes circumstances in which certain medical expenses incurred before establishment of an HSA may still be qualified expenses. Prescribes requirements for protection of any HSA in a bankruptcy proceeding. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize additional health opportunity account demonstration programs. Treats membership in a health care sharing ministry as coverage under a high deductible health plan. Renames high deductible health plans as HSA qualified plans. Allows payments from an HSA for: (1) direct primary care service arrangements, (2) certain exercise equipment and physical fitness programs, (3) certain nutritional and dietary supplements, and (4) periodic fees paid to a primary care physician for the right to receive medical services on an as-needed basis. Increases the maximum limit on contributions to an HSA to match deductible and out-of-pocket expenses limitations. Prescribes requirements for establishment of child health savings accounts, for which an income tax deduction shall be allowed a taxpayer equal to the aggregate cash amount paid into the account during the taxable year. Amends the IRC to include in gross income any distributions from an HSA for an abortion. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), and the IRC to authorize premium and cost-sharing variances in group health plans based on certain financial incentives for participation (or lack of it) in a standards-based wellness program. Amends the PHSA to direct the Secretary to provide a grant of up to $5 million to each state for the costs of creation and initial operation of a qualified high risk pool if it has not created such a pool as of September 1, 2013. Limits participation in such a pool to U.S. citizens and nationals. Declares that the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) shall apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with conditions of this Act. Prohibits a health insurance issuer from offering, selling, or issuing individual health insurance coverage in a secondary state if its insurance commissioner does not use a risk-based capital formula for determining capital and surplus requirements for all health insurance issuers. Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to declare that nothing in it shall modify, impair, or supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance (including the business of dental insurance). Amends SSA title XI (General Provisions) to require the Secretary to make available to the public Medicare claims and payment data, including data on payments made to any provider of services or supplier. Authorizes a state to establish a Health Plan and Provider Portal website to standardize information on: (1) health insurance plans available in the state, and (2) price and quality information on health care providers (including physicians, hospitals, and other health care institutions). Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere with the doctor-patient relationship or the practice of medicine. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to eliminate the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Amends ERISA to prescribe requirements for establishment and governance of association health plans, which are group health plans meeting certain ERISA certification criteria whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations. Limits the commencement of a health care lawsuit, except in certain cases including fraud or intentional concealment, to three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers, or through the use of reasonable diligence should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first. Limits to $250,000 the amount of noneconomic damages in such a lawsuit, but allows a claim for the full amount of any economic damages. Requires the court, in any health care lawsuit, to supervise the arrangements for payment of damages to protect against conflicts of interest that may have the effect of reducing the amount of damages awarded that are actually paid to claimants. Specifies criteria for the award of punitive damages, limited to the greater of $250,000 or double the amount of economic damages. Preempts state law with respect to health care lawsuits. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) require any health plan to provide coverage of or access to abortion services; or (2) allow the Secretary, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Labor, or any other federal or non-federal person or entity in implementing this Act to require coverage of, or access to, abortion services. Prohibits the use of funds authorized or appropriated by this Act to pay for any abortion or to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes abortion coverage, except: (1) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest; or (2) in the case where a pregnant female suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the female in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.

To authorize the Secretary of the Air Force to make competitive grants to support research and development, education, and training to produce a bio-based aviation fuel for use by the Air Force and to provide an initial infusion of funds for the grant program.

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Authorizes the Secretary of the Air Force to make a competitive grant to an existing biofuels research center in the United States to conduct pilot-scale research, development, and testing of bio-based fuels for use by the Air Force as aviation fuel for jet aircraft. Permits a recipient to use grant funds to train military and civilian personnel in the new technologies and to conduct a study regarding the economic feasibility of a full-scale bio-based aviation fuel production facility. Directs the Secretary to give preference to a center that: (1) has the capacity and expertise necessary to quickly and efficiently conduct such research, development, and testing; and (2) is located in close proximity to specified raw materials, a military installation with responsibility for military air transportation, and a private or commercial airport with capacity to host a research and pilot production facility. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to transfer to the Secretary of the Air Force a specified amount from the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund to fund such grants.

Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2013 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to cover dental services. Increases the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for funding under Medicaid for dental services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to maintain a database containing information on each state regarding dental benefits available for adults enrolled in the state Medicaid program. Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish, revise, and extend funding for grant programs for: (1) educating nondental medical and other professionals about oral health care; (2) providing dental services in hospital emergency rooms or in community settings; (3) providing scholarships and education loans for dental therapists and oral health professional students; (4) providing comprehensive oral health services to low-income individuals and individuals in underserved areas; (5) building, operating, or expanding dental clinics in schools; (6) funding research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent and manage oral health diseases; and (7) providing rural health clinics with mobile and portable, comprehensive dental services, including dentures, and outreach for senior-care facilities and facilities that provide federal health care and nutrition benefits for women and children. Authorizes appropriations for community based dental residencies. Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to declare oral health services to be an essential health benefit. Removes restrictions on the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide dental care to veterans (thereby requiring such care on the same basis as other VA-provided medical care and services). Authorizes the VA to carry out a demonstration program to train and employ alternative dental health care providers in order to increase access to dental health care services for veterans in rural and other underserved communities. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to carry out a similar demonstration program to train and employ such providers in order to increase access to those dental services for members of the Armed Forces and their dependents who lack ready access to such services. Authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to carry out a demonstration program to establish programs to train and employ alternative dental health care providers to increase access to dental health services for prisoners within the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. Allows dental services provided under the demonstration program to be administered by alternative dental health care providers and any other dental care providers who are licensed to provided clinical care, through telehealth-enabled collaboration and supervision. Authorizes the Secretary of HHS, through the Indian Health Service (IHS), to carry out a demonstration program to establish programs to train and employ alternative dental health care providers to help eliminate oral health disparities and increase access to dental services through health programs operated by the IHS, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Urban Indian organizations. Allows dental services provided under the demonstration program to be administered by alternative dental health care providers and any other dental care providers licensed to provided clinical care, through telehealth-enabled collaboration and supervision. Directs the Secretary of HHS to conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the expansion of dental service coverage pursuant to this Act, including whether it resulted in a reduction in total health care costs for individuals under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of: (1) the implementation and utilization of expanded dental service coverage under this Act for individuals enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, and (2) the demonstration programs authorized by this Act for the training and employment of alternative dental health care providers.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 687) to facilitate the efficient extraction of mineral resources in southeast Arizona by authorizing and directing an exchange of Federal and non-Federal land, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1526) to restore employment and educational opportunities in, and improve the economic stability of, counties containing National Forest System land, while also reducing Forest Service management costs, by ensuring that such counties have a dependable source of revenue from National Forest System land, to provide a temporary extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3102) to amend the Food and Nutrition Act 2008; and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013

Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 687) to facilitate the efficient extraction of mineral resources in southeast Arizona by authorizing and directing an exchange of Federal and non-Federal land, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1526) to restore employment and educational opportunities in, and improve the economic stability of, counties containing National Forest System land, while also reducing Forest Service management costs, by ensuring that such counties have a dependable source of revenue from National Forest System land, to provide a temporary extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3102) to amend the Food and Nutrition Act 2008.

High Technology Jobs Preservation Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013

High Technology Jobs Preservation Act of 2013 - Amends the Helium Act to require that all proceeds received by the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) from the sale or disposition of helium on federal land from sale or auction be credited to the Helium Production Fund (established in this Act). Requires the Secretary to impose a fee, credited to the Fund, that accurately reflects the economic value of helium storage, withdrawal, or transportation services. Revises requirements for the sale of crude helium, now in four phases. Devotes the fourth phase to disposal of assets as excess property, including all facilities, equipment, and other real and personal property held by the United States in the Federal Helium System. Makes the Helium Production Fund available for specified purposes, including capital investments in upgrades and maintenance of the Federal Helium System. Repeals the requirement that the Secretary arrange with the National Academy of Sciences to study whether disposal of helium reserves will have a substantial adverse effect on scientific, technical, biomedical, or national security interests. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to: (1) undertake a national helium gas resource assessment; and (2) submit to certain congressional committees assessments of global and domestic demand for helium, including an inventory of diverse uses of helium. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to support research, development, commercial application, and conservation programs to: (1) expand domestic production of low-Btu gas and helium resources, (2) separate and capture helium from natural gas streams, and (3) reduce the venting of helium and helium-bearing low-Btu gas during natural gas operations. Requires DOE to support or carry out directly research programs to develop: (1) advanced membrane technology used in the separation of low-Btu gases, and (2) helium separation technology. Requires also a DOE industrial helium research program to develop: (1) low-cost technologies and technology systems for recycling, reprocessing, and reusing helium for all medical, scientific, industrial, commercial, aerospace, and other uses of helium in the United States, including federal uses; and (2) industrial gathering technologies to capture helium from other chemical processing, including ammonia processing. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with DOE on any assessment or research regarding extraction and refinement of the isotope helium-3 from crude helium and other potential sources. Authorizes the Secretary to study the feasibility of: (1) establishing a facility to separate the isotope helium-3 from crude helium, and (2) exploring other potential sources of the isotope helium-3. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on a federal agency acquisition strategy. Amends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000 to extend through FY2013: (1) certain federal payments to states and counties containing federal land to fund schools and roads (including certain payments to eligible counties in California), (2) authority to conduct special projects on federal land, (3) authority to reserve and use county funds, and (4) the authorization of appropriations for the Act. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to make specified amounts available to DOE for FY2014 and FY2018 to remediate, reclaim, and close abandoned oil and gas wells on current or former National Petroleum Reserve land. Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to make certain funds available for FY2018 to the Secretary to pay the federal funding share of challenge cost-share agreements for deferred maintenance projects and to correct deficiencies in National Park Service infrastructure. Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 relating to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to: (1) waive the limitation on the total annual payments to a state or Indian tribe certified as having completed coal reclamation for FY2014, but (2) restrict to a specified amount the total FY2014 payment to any certified state or Indian tribe. Fixes at 4% the royalty rate on the quantity of gross value of the output of sodium compounds and related products at the point of shipment to market from federal land in the 2-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to reduce by a certain amount the amount authorized to be appropriated for grants for production of advanced biofuels that has not been appropriated as of the date of enactment of this Act.

Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013

Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income, for income tax purposes, the value of an Indian general welfare benefit. Defines "Indian general welfare benefit" as any payment made or services provided to or on behalf of a member of an Indian tribe under an Indian tribal government program if: (1) such program is administered under specified guidelines and does not discriminate in favor of members of the governing body of the Indian tribe; and (2) the program benefits are available to any tribal member, are for the promotion of general welfare, are not lavish or extravagant, and are not compensation for services. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) establish a Tribal Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary on the taxation of Indians, (2) establish and require training and education for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) field agents on federal Indian law and the implementation of this Act, and (3) suspend audits and examinations of Indian tribal governments and members of Indian tribes and waive any interest or tax penalties related to the exclusion from gross income of Indian general welfare benefits.

MODDERN Cures Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013

Modernizing Our Drug & Diagnostics Evaluation and Regulatory Network Cures Act of 2013 or MODDERN Cures Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish the Advanced Diagnostics Education Council to recommend standard terms and definitions related to innovative diagnostics for use by patients, physicians, health care providers, payers, and policy makers; and (2) publish a guide regarding such terms and definitions. Sets forth additional factors for the Secretary to consider in determining the payment amount for new clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under gap filling procedures which are used when no comparable existing test is available. Extends the exclusivity period for a medicine if the diagnostic test related to such drug has been determined by the Secretary to have been developed by, or with the participation of, the manufacturer or sponsor of the medicine, and use of the diagnostic tests provides for or improves: (1) the identification of a patient population for the medicine; or (2) the determination of the most appropriate treatment option for a patient population with the medicine. Establishes a dormant therapy designation for medicine that addresses unmet medical needs. Gives such medicine 15 years of data exclusivity under which no drug can be approved by relying on the approval or licensure of the dormant therapy. Directs the Secretary to arrange with the Institute of Medicine (or, if it declines, another appropriate entity) to study intellectual property laws and their impact on therapy and diagnostic development in order to formulate recommendations on how to facilitate the clinical evaluation and development of therapies currently available on the market for new potential indications.

ConTACT Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013

Concussion Treatment and Care Tools Act of 2013 or ConTACT Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish guidelines for states on the implementation of best practices for diagnosis, treatment, and management of mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBIs) in school-aged children, including best practices relating to student athletes returning to play after an MTBI. Requires the Pediatric MTBI Guideline Expert Panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a final report on such best practices by March 15, 2015. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to states for: (1) adopting, disseminating, and ensuring school implementation of the guidelines; and (2) ensuring elementary and secondary schools implement computerized preseason baseline and post-injury neuropsychological testing for student athletes. Directs the Secretary to require states receiving grants to utilize, to the extent practicable, applicable expertise and services offered by local chapters of national brain injury organizations.

Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2013

Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to prohibit the payment of a deposit fee in excess of any state fee reimbursement to recipients of supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) for the return of empty bottles and cans used to contain food purchased with SNAP benefits. Requires participating retail food stores to: (1) offer perishable goods in at least three staple food categories, and (2) provide adequate electronic benefit transfer (EBT) service. Requires participating retail food stores (including restaurants participating in a state option restaurant program intended to serve the elderly, disabled, and homeless), with certain exceptions, to pay 100% of the costs of acquiring and arranging for the implementation of EBT point-of-sale equipment and supplies. Prohibits a state from issuing manual vouchers unless the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) determines that such vouchers are necessary. Restricts categorical SNAP eligibility to only those households receiving cash assistance through other low-income assistance programs. Includes as eligible retailers governmental or nonprofit food purchasing delivery services that serve elderly or disabled individuals who are unable to shop for food. Reauthorizes the Indian reservation food distribution program. Excludes medical marijuana as an excess medical expense deduction. Requires a household to receive a low-income heating and energy assistance program payment of $20 or more annually in order to receive the SNAP utility allowance deduction. Limits SNAP employment and training programs only to: (1) college students enrolled in specific career and technical education courses; or (2) those in basic adult education, remedial, and literacy, or English as a second language courses. Repeals state work program waiver authority. Makes any household in which a member receives substantial lottery or gambling winnings ineligible for SNAP benefits. States that, if a household makes excessive requests for replacement of its EBT card, the Secretary may require a state agency to decline to issue a replacement card unless the household provides an explanation for the card's loss. Requires states in implementing this practice to protect vulnerable persons. Requires a pilot program to allow retailers to accept SNAP benefits through mobile transactions. Authorizes the use of SNAP benefits for shares of community-supported agriculture. Sets forth additional responsibilities for state agencies before restaurants may participate in a restaurant meals program. Prohibits a private establishment that contracts with a state agency to offer meals at concessional prices from being authorized to accept SNAP benefits unless the Secretary determines that the establishment's participation is required to meet a documented need. Requires a state agency to use an income and eligibility, or an immigration status, verification system. Prescribes requirements for: (1) data exchange standardization, and (2) pilot projects to improve federal-state cooperation in reducing SNAP fraud. Prohibits: (1) federal funds from being used to recruit SNAP recipients, and (2) recruitment activities by entities that receive SNAP funds. Repeals the performance bonus program. Reduces funding for employment and training programs. Requires pilot projects to: (1) identify best practices for employment and training programs to increase the number of work registrants who obtain unsubsidized employment and reduce public assistance dependence, and (2) permit states to run a work program to increase employment and self-sufficiency through increased accountability. Authorizes SNAP appropriations through FY2018. Prohibits funds for Puerto Rico from being used to provide nutrition assistance in cash. Provides funds for: (1) community food projects, and (2) emergency food assistance. Reduces FY2014 funding for nutrition education. Provides funding for the prevention of retailer trafficking. Requires: (1) a study to assess the capabilities of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to operate the SNAP program in the same manner it is operated in the states, and (2) establishment of a pilot program if the study determines that it is feasible for the CNMI to operate such a SNAP program. Terminates the U.S-Mexico partnership for nutrition assistance initiative. Authorizes the donation to and serving of traditional food through a food service program at a public facility, nonprofit facility, including facilities operated by an Indian tribe or tribal organization. Authorizes a state, at its own expense, to provide for testing any individual who is a member of a household applying for SNAP benefits for the unlawful use of controlled substances as a condition for receiving such benefits. Disqualifies certain convicted felons from SNAP eligibility. Requires a state agency to expunge from a household's EBT account any benefits that are not used within 60 days. Extends: (1) the commodity distribution program, (2) the commodity supplemental food program, (3) the distribution of surplus commodities to special nutrition projects, and (4) the farmers' market nutrition program. Repeals the nutrition information and awareness pilot program. Requires a five-state grant pilot program to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to schools and service institutions participating in specified food service programs. Permits each school food authority with a low annual commodity entitlement value to substitute locally and regionally grown and raised food for the authority's allotment of commodity assistance for the school lunch program. Authorizes farm-to-school demonstration programs to source local food in lieu of commodity assistance for school meal programs. Requires a review of: (1) the economic and public health benefits of white potatoes on low-income families at nutritional risk, and (2) sole-source contracts in federal nutrition programs. Establishes a healthy food financing initiative to improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas, create quality jobs, and revitalize low-income communities by providing loans and grants to fresh food retailers to overcome higher entry costs in such areas. Directs the Secretary to finalize and implement a plan for the increased purchase of kosher and halal food if such food is cost-neutral as compared to food that is not from food manufacturers with a kosher or halal certification.

School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013

School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act, with respect to asthma-related grants for child health services, to give an additional preference to a state that allows self-administration of asthma and anaphylaxis medication and makes a certification concerning the adequacy of the state's civil liability protection law to protect trained school personnel who may administer epinephrine to a student reasonably believed to be having an anaphylactic reaction. Requires elementary and secondary schools in such a state to: (1) permit trained personnel to administer epinephrine to a student reasonably believed to be having such a reaction, (2) maintain a supply of epinephrine in a secure location that is easily accessible to trained personnel for such treatment, and (3) have in place a plan for having on the school premises during operating hours one or more designated personnel trained in administration of epinephrine.

Safe Meat and Poultry Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013

Safe Meat and Poultry Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act (the Acts) to include in the definition of "adulterated" a product bearing or containing a pathogen or contaminant associated with serious illness or death. Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to: (1) define specified food safety terms, and (2) set forth civil penalties for food safety law violations. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to: (1) identify significant foodborne disease pathogens, (2) determine levels of food product contamination, (3) establish public health goals to reduce foodborne illness, (4) prescribe pathogen reduction performance standards and implement a sampling program to determine food establishment compliance, (5) establish an accredited meat and meat food product testing program, and (6) implement adulterated food tracing protocols. Requires certain food establishments to sample for the presence of identified pathogens at any production or processing point. Permits banning food imports from countries refusing inspections by the Secretary. Sets forth notice and recall provisions. Requires the Secretary to: (1) maintain an active surveillance system of food, food products, and epidemiological evidence; (2) assess the frequency and sources of food-caused human illness; (3) establish guidelines for a system to take and analyze food samples; (4) establish a national public education program on food safety; and (5) conduct specified research concerning food safety. Establishes penalties under the Acts for the introduction into commerce of unsafe or misbranded products of up to $100,000, 20 years' imprisonment, or both. Requires a study of worker safety in the meat packing and poultry processing industry, including the relationship between line speed and worker safety.

Elder Protection and Abuse Prevention Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013

Elder Protection and Abuse Prevention Act - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Aging to: (1) ensure that all programs funded under such Act include appropriate training in elder abuse prevention and the provision of services that address elder justice and exploitation, and (2) update periodically the need for and benefit of such training related to prevention of abuse, neglect, and exploitation (including financial exploitation) of older adults. Makes it a duty and function of the Administration on Aging to: (1) establish priority information and assistance services for older individuals; (2) ensure full collaboration between all governmental information and assistance systems that serve older individuals; and (3) develop a National Eldercare Locator Service, with a nationwide toll free number. Directs the Assistant Secretary, by grant or contract with a national nonprofit entity, to establish a National Adult Protective Services Resources Center to improve the capacity of state and local adult protective services programs to: (1) respond effectively to abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults, including home care consumers and residents of long-term care facilities; and (2) coordinate with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Requires each area plan to provide that the area agency on aging: (1) increases public awareness of elder abuse and financial exploitation, and removes barriers to elder abuse education, prevention, investigation, and treatment; (2) coordinates elder justice activities of the area agency on aging, community health centers, other public agencies, and nonprofit private organizations; (3) develops standardized, coordinated, and reporting protocols with respect to elder abuse; and (4) reports instances of elder abuse. Directs the Assistant Secretary to make grants to states under approved state plans for elder abuse and neglect screening. Requires a state operating a nutrition project to encourage individuals who distribute nutrition services to distribute information on diabetes, elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and the annual Medicare wellness exam. Requires a state, an area agency on aging, a nonprofit organization, or a tribal organization that receives a grant for an older individuals' protection from violence project to use it to research and replicate successful models of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation prevention and training. Directs the Assistant Secretary to award grants and enter into contracts with eligible organizations to carry out projects to engage volunteers over 50 years of age in providing support and information to older adults (and their families or caretakers) who have experienced or are at risk of elder abuse. Allows a state to use funds under the National Family Caregiver Support Program to support the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.

MODDERN Cures Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013

Modernizing Our Drug & Diagnostics Evaluation and Regulatory Network Cures Act of 2013 or MODDERN Cures Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish the Advanced Diagnostics Education Council to recommend standard terms and definitions related to innovative diagnostics for use by patients, physicians, health care providers, payers, and policy makers; and (2) publish a guide regarding such terms and definitions. Sets forth additional factors for the Secretary to consider in determining the payment amount for new clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under gap filling procedures which are used when no comparable existing test is available. Extends the exclusivity period for a medicine if the diagnostic test related to such drug has been determined by the Secretary to have been developed by, or with the participation of, the manufacturer or sponsor of the medicine, and use of the diagnostic tests provides for or improves: (1) the identification of a patient population for the medicine; or (2) the determination of the most appropriate treatment option for a patient population with the medicine. Establishes a dormant therapy designation for medicine that addresses unmet medical needs. Gives such medicine 15 years of data exclusivity under which no drug can be approved by relying on the approval or licensure of the dormant therapy. Directs the Secretary to arrange with the Institute of Medicine (or, if it declines, another appropriate entity) to study intellectual property laws and their impact on therapy and diagnostic development in order to formulate recommendations on how to facilitate the clinical evaluation and development of therapies currently available on the market for new potential indications.

E. Clay Shaw, Jr. Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013

Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Missing Children's Assistance to declare that many missing children are runaways. Requires the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to send the Office's annual report to the President and Congress specifically to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate. Requires the Administrator also to coordinate with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to ensure that homeless services professionals are aware of educational resources and assistance provided by the Center regarding child sexual exploitation. Adds to the authorized uses of the annual grant to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: (1) giving technical assistance and training to state and local law enforcement agencies and statewide clearinghouses to coordinate with state and local educational agencies in identifying and recovering missing children; (2) assisting the efforts of law enforcement agencies in coordinating with child welfare agencies to respond to foster children missing from the state welfare system; and (3) giving technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and first responders in identifying, locating, and recovering victims of, and children at risk for, child sex trafficking. Prohibits the use of federal funds to pay the compensation of any Center employee exceeding 110% of the maximum annual salary payable to a member of the federal government's Senior Executive Service (SES) for that year. Allows the Center to compensate an employee at a higher rate provided the amount exceeding this limitation is paid with non-federal funds. Excludes from the meaning of such compensation any health, medical, or life insurance payments, disability or retirement pay, or pensions benefits. Requires the Administrator to conduct national incidence studies triennially (currently, periodically) to determine for a given year the actual number of children reported missing, the number who are victims of abduction by strangers, the number who are the victims of parental kidnappings, and the number who are recovered each year. Requires that the Administrator's duty to provide to state and local governments, public and private nonprofit agencies, and individuals information to facilitate the lawful use of school records and birth certificates to identify and locate missing children be performed in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Authorizes the Administration to make grants or enter into contracts with the Center and with public agencies or nonprofit private organizations for research, demonstration projects, or service programs designed to: (1) educate schools, school leaders, teachers, state and local educational agencies, homeless shelters, and service providers in ways to prevent the abduction and sexual exploitation of children; and (2) aid schools in the collection of materials useful to parents in assisting others in the identification of missing children.

Right Start Child Care and Education Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013

Right Start Child Care and Education Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the rates and maximum allowable amount of the tax credit for employer-provided child care facilities; (2) increase the eligibility threshold amount and rate of the household and dependent care tax credit and make such credit refundable; (3) allow a new $2,000 tax credit for child care providers who hold a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, child care, or a related degree and who provide at least 1,200 hours of child care services in a taxable year; and (4) increase the tax exclusion for employer-provided dependent care assistance.

Stability, Security, and Fairness Resolution of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013

Stability, Security, and Fairness Resolution of 2013 - Makes continuing appropriations for FY2014. Appropriates amounts for continuing operations, projects, or activities which were conducted in FY2013 and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available in: the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (division A of P.L. 113-6); the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (division B of P.L. 113-6); and The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (division F of P.L. 113-6). Requires the rate for operations for each account to be calculated to reflect the full amount of any reduction required in FY2013 pursuant to: section 3004 of division G of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6), if any; and the sequestration order issued to enforce a specified budget goal pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). (The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act was amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011 to revise the discretionary spending limits and reduce the discretionary appropriations and direct spending specified in the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act unless a joint committee bill achieving an amount greater than $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction would be enacted by January 15, 2012.) Provides funding under this joint resolution through FY2014, unless otherwise provided for in this division or in the applicable appropriations Act. Authorizes continuation of other specified activities (including those for entitlements and other mandatory payments) through such fiscal year. Enacts the following bills into law: H.R. 2216 (Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014), as engrossed by the House of Representatives on June 4, 2013; H.R. 2217 (Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2014), as engrossed by the House on June 6, 2013; and H.R. 2397 (Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014), as engrossed by the House on July 24, 2013. Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to reduce the discretionary category in new budget authority for FY2014 from $1.066 trillion to $967.473 million. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), if for FY2014 the amount of new budget authority provided by this joint resolution exceeds such discretionary spending limits, to increase the applicable percentage of 0% by the amount necessary to eliminate the excess of the limit. Rescinds the applicable 0%, subject to such requirement, of: the budget authority provided (or obligation limit imposed) for FY2014 for any discretionary account in section 101 of this joint resolution, the budget authority provided in any advance appropriation for FY2014 for any discretionary account (excluding any account funded under section 111 of this joint resolution) in any prior fiscal year appropriation Act, and the contract authority provided in FY2014 for any program subject to limitation incorporated or otherwise contained in section 101 of this joint resolution. Exempts: amounts designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism (OCO/GWOT) or for disaster relief; or the amount made available by this joint resolution for "Social Security Administration, Limitation on Administrative Expenses" for continuing disability reviews under titles II (Federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance [OASDI] Benefits) and XVI (Grants to States for Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled) of the Social Security Act (SSA), and for the cost associated with conducting redeterminations of eligibility under SSA title XVI. Prohibits, during any fiscal year, the use of federal funds to carryout: (1) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA); or (2) certain PPACA related requirements in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Rescinds any funds provided by PPACA, its title, or subtitle for FY2014. Delays: the obligation of any PPACA funds for FY2015 until January 1, 2015; and implementation of PPACA, its related requirements in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or amendments made by either Act until December 31, 2014.

KEEPING COLLEGE WITHIN REACH: SUPPORTING HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMERICA'S SERVICEMEMBERS AND VETERANS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 11 September 2013

James H. Shelton III, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of Education, vice Anthony W. Miller, resigned.

United States · United States Senate · 11 September 2013

EDUCATION RESEARCH: EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN THE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

United States · United States House of Representatives · 10 September 2013

A bill to delay the application of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2013

Delays for one year the effective date of any provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or of any health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2011 that were scheduled to take effect on or after January 1, 2014. Suspends for one year, beginning January 1, 2014, any tax or tax increase imposed by such provisions if the tax or increase takes effect before that date.

Expressing the support of Congress for National Telephone Discount Lifeline Awareness Week.

United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2013

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the U.S. national interest is served by further outreach, education, and participation in the Lifeline program (provides a discount on basic telephone service to eligible low-income consumers); (2) the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should be commended for efforts to improve the Lifeline program's efficiency and addressing waste, fraud, and abuse to ensure that federal resources are only going to those who are eligible; (3) the program should be modernized to allow eligible low-income consumers to access affordable telephone or broadband services; and (4) the FCC, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), and National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) are to be commended for creating "National Telephone Discount Lifeline Awareness Week" to promote subscribership.

Forensic Science and Standards Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2013

Forensic Science and Standards Act of 2013 - Establishes a national forensic science research program to improve, expand, and coordinate federal research in forensic sciences. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to enter into an arrangement with the National Academies to develop a report identifying the most critical forensic science disciplines that require further research to strengthen the scientific foundation in those disciplines and making recommendations. Establishes a National Forensic Science Coordinating Office at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to coordinate among federal agencies: (1) the development of a unified federal research strategy to enhance the validity and reliability of forensic science disciplines; (2) the development of a five-year roadmap, updated triennially, for the unified strategy; and (3) any necessary programs, policies, and budgets to support implementation of the roadmap. Directs NSF to award forensic science basic research grants to improve the foundation and practice of forensic science in the United States, consistent with NSF's mission and the recommendations in the unified strategy. Requires NSF to: (1) award grants to support one or more forensic science research centers to conduct research consistent with the unified strategy and with NSF's mission, and (2) conduct a comprehensive evaluation of its full portfolio of forensic science research and education grants every four years. Authorizes a federal department, agency, or office to assist in satisfying the research needs and priorities identified in the unified federal research strategy by using specified prizes and challenges under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 or any other federal law. Requires the NIST to: (1) conduct research supporting the development and dissemination of methods, standards, and technical guidance for forensic science measurements, and (2) identify or coordinate the development of forensic science standards to enhance the validity and reliability of forensic science activities. Directs NIST to establish a Forensic Science Advisory Committee to provide advice to federal agencies, NIST, and the Department of Justice. Directs the Attorney General to promote the adoption of the standards developed under this Act.

JOB CREATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITIES: HOW UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SPURS SMALL- BUSINESS GROWTH

United States · United States House of Representatives · 5 August 2013

Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013

Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income, for income tax purposes, the value of an Indian general welfare benefit. Defines "Indian general welfare benefit" as any payment made or services provided to or on behalf of a member of an Indian tribe under an Indian tribal government program if: (1) such program is administered under specified guidelines and does not discriminate in favor of members of the governing body of the Indian tribe; and (2) the program benefits are available to any tribal member, are for the promotion of general welfare, are not lavish or extravagant, and are not compensation for services. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) establish a Tribal Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary on the taxation of Indians, (2) establish and require training and education for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) field agents on federal Indian law and the implementation of this Act, and (3) suspend audits and examinations of Indian tribal governments and members of Indian tribes and waive any interest or tax penalties related to the exclusion from gross income of Indian general welfare benefits.

TRANSFER Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013

Technology and Research Accelerating National Security and Future Economic Resiliency Act of 2013 or the TRANSFER Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act to replace provisions requiring the Director of the National Institutes of Health to use funds for a Proof of Concept Partnership pilot program to accelerate the creation of small businesses and the commercialization of research innovations made by certain institutions with provisions directing each federal agency required to establish a small business technology transfer (STTR) program to carry out an Innovative Approaches to Technology Transfer Grant Program to support innovative approaches to technology transfer at institutions of higher education, nonprofit research institutions, and federal laboratories in order to accelerate the commercialization of federally funded research and technology by small businesses. Outlines activities eligible for funding, application requirements, and award procedures and amounts. Requires successful grant proposals to include a plan to assemble a program oversight board to establish award programs for individual projects and evaluate project applications. Provides the percentage of each agency's extramural budget to be expended on such Program for FY2014-FY2017. Directs each agency to: (1) develop a Program evaluation plan and collect information from grantees annually to evaluate the Program, and (2) submit a Program activities report to specified congressional committees. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to include information on the Program on the public database of small businesses participating in STTR or Small Business Innovation Research programs.

National Flood Research and Education Center Act

United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013

National Flood Research and Education Center Act - Establishes within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) a National Flood Research and Education Center (NFREC), which shall consist of: (1) an office within NOAA; (2) one public university or college selected by the NOAA Administrator, which shall serve as the lead partner institution with NOAA; and (3) a consortium of other public universities or colleges selected by the Administrator and such lead partner institution based on their ability to fulfill specific purposes of NFREC. Lists the purposes of NFREC, including to plan, conduct, and arrange for competent public research, data, education, and recommendations within the following categories as they relate to flooding issues nationwide, regionally, and locally: (1) physical sciences, social science, and economic, policy, and risk analysis; (2) risk management; and (3) improvement of existing, and testing of new, risk assessment tools and methods, monitoring and predicting strategies and techniques, and flood management and prevention strategies and techniques. Sets forth criteria for selection of a lead partner institution and consortium members. Directs NFREC to: (1) partner with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Army Corps of Engineers; (2) collaborate on federal flood-related issues with specified federal agencies; and (3) collaborate and share best practices on regional, state, and locally specific flooding and flood-related issues with state and local governments and with watershed, agriculture, environmental, and business and development organizations. Sets forth review and reporting requirements. Requires NFREC to establish and make information available on a website. Authorizes NFREC to provide technical assistance and demonstration project grant assistance to state and local governments on a competitive basis to assist with implementing recommendations of NFREC or testing new or improved strategies or technologies.

Computer Science in STEM Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013

Computer Science in STEM Act of 2013 - Amends the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 to include computer science in that Act's definition of "STEM" as the academic and professional disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Directs the Secretary of Education to award states: (1) two-year formula grants to develop comprehensive plans to strengthen elementary and secondary computer science education, and (2) competitive five-year matching grants to implement the improvements proposed in their comprehensive plans. Requires such improvements to include: (1) challenging and grade-appropriate academic content standards for computer science, (2) grade-appropriate assessments of computer science learning, (3) programs to increase disadvantaged students' access to computer science courses, (4) computer science teacher training programs, (5) improved certification or licensure requirements and processes for such teachers, (6) programs to ensure that computer science courses are considered an integral part of the secondary school curriculum, (7) effective computer science curricula, and (8) computer science distance learning programs. Requires states to partner with institutions of higher education (IHEs) and local educational agencies in implementing such measures. Favors implementation grant applicants that emphasize serving low-performing schools and increasing the participation in computer science by students underrepresented in computing. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary to award five-year grants to IHEs to: (1) develop courses that prepare undergraduate students to teach elementary and secondary school computer science, and (2) develop and fund teacher mentoring programs to support new computer science teachers. Amends the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 to include informatics and computer science majors and professionals in the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (the Program recruits and prepares science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors and professionals to become mathematics and science teachers).

Executive Cyberspace Coordination Act of 2013

United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013

Executive Cyberspace Coordination Act of 2013 - Establishes in the Executive Office of the President the National Office for Cyberspace to serve as the principal office for coordinating issues relating to cyberspace. Establishes within such Office the Federal Cybersecurity Practice Board to be responsible for developing and updating information security policies and procedures. Requires the Director of the National Office for Cyberspace to: (1) oversee information security policies and practices, (2) establish a national program to instruct students in cybersecurity education and computer literacy, (3) review federal agency budgets relating to the protection of information infrastructures, and (4) ensure the operation of a central federal information security incident center. Requires each federal agency to perform an annual independent audit of its information security programs and practices and submit the results of such audit to the Director. Requires the Secretary of Commerce, on the basis of proposed standards developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to promulgate information security standards pertaining to federal information systems. Prohibits any agency from entering into a contract, an order under a contract, or an interagency agreement for information technology without including requirements for effective information security that supports the operations and assets of that agency. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to require each agency to conduct an initial vulnerability assessment for any major information system. Establishes in the Executive Office of the President the Office of the Federal Chief Technology Officer. Includes among the duties of such Officer: (1) advising the President and agency officials on information technology infrastructures, strategy, and use; (2) leading an interagency effort to ensure the use of best-in-class technologies; (3) promoting technological innovation in the federal government; (4) establishing public-private sector partnership initiatives; and (5) gathering information on significant developments and trends in information technology. Grants the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) primary authority for the protection of the critical information infrastructure, as defined by this Act.