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Bill· HRH.R. 5898 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Know Your Repayment Options Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education (ED) to annually give federal student loan borrowers who have graduated or departed from school detailed information, including monthly amount and lifetime payment amount, for each repayment option available to the borrower. To provide this individualized information to borrowers, ED must establish a process for annual verification of the borrower's annual income and the outstanding balance of principal and interest due on federal loans. Borrowers may opt out of being provided this information.
Bill· HRH.R. 5862 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Keep Students in School Act of 2016 This bill establishes a grant program through which the Department of Education (ED) shall assist local educational agencies in carrying out one or more of the following activities: establishing an attendance program; funding after-school programs and recreational activities; establishing a teacher training and development program that focuses on issues relating to racial inequality and poverty; if applicable, making a zero tolerance policy more compatible with the goals of student retention and engagement; establishing a student absence policy with respect to at-risk children; collaborating with local agencies and social workers to address issues facing at-risk children; providing parents of at-risk children with resources and support; establishing or expanding a mentoring program; or providing schools with licensed social workers. ED shall provide technical assistance to grantees upon request. In addition, ED shall establish a task force to develop a comprehensive work plan to address the hardships that disadvantaged youth may face in attending school and attaining academic success. The task force shall: (1) coordinate interagency efforts to address such hardships, (2) assess the effectiveness of federal programs aimed at addressing those hardships, and (3) develop a plan that implements improvements to such federal programs and incorporates positive youth development practices.
Bill· HRH.R. 5850 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Secure the Northern Triangle Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that the United States must address the violence and humanitarian crisis resulting in the elevated numbers of unaccompanied children, women, and refugees from the Northern Triangle (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) arriving at the southwestern border of the United States. The bill authorizes appropriations for the United States Strategy for Engagement in Central America. Funds are made available for combating criminal violence and corruption and advancing economic development. The President shall designate a senior official to coordinate federal and international efforts to strengthen the rule of law and economic prosperity in Central America. The Millenium Challenge Corporation may fund concurrent compacts for regional integration. The Department of State shall submit a three-year strategy to secure international and regional support for the Plan of the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall expand law enforcement partnership efforts in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico to combat human smuggling and trafficking. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and DHS shall expand collaborative programs aimed at human smugglers and traffickers targeting Central American children and families. The bill provides for: (1) increased sanctions against foreign narcotics traffickers and their foreign supporters operating in Central or South America; (2) increased resources for, and expedited processing under, the Central American Minors (CAM) program; and (3) strengthening the capacity of Mexico and other regional countries to provide asylum and global resettlement. The Office of Refugee Resettlement of the Department of Health and Human Services shall perform record checks of prospective sponsors prior to placing an unaccompanied alien child with a sponsor. DHS shall: (1) monitor unaccompanied alien children after placement, and (2) provide funds to states for criminal registry and child abuse searches of prospective sponsors. The Department of Education shall provide funds to eligible school districts for unaccompanied alien children. A local educational agency shall: (1) ensure that unaccompanied alien children in the area are immediately enrolled in school following placement, and (2) remove enrollment and participation barriers. DHS shall: (1) ensure that legal orientation programs are available for all DHS-detained aliens, and (2) consult with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to develop a child-centered repatriation process. DOJ may appoint or provide legal counsel to individuals in immigration proceedings and shall appoint legal counsel for children and vulnerable individuals in such proceedings. DOJ shall increase the number of immigration judges and Board of Immigration Appeals attorneys.
Bill· HRH.R. 5881 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Unaccompanied Alien Children Placement Transparency Act of 2016 This bill amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to require the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Homeland Security to provide the following information to the governor and each appropriate agency of a state within 60 days after the custodial placement in such state of an unaccompanied alien child who is in federal custody by reason of the child's immigration status: the child's medical records if the child will be attending state public schools, the custodian's address and immigration status, any federal public benefit that the child will receive, and any federal public benefit that the custodian will receive as a result of such custody.
Bill· HRH.R. 5888 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
This bill amends the "Joint Resolution to approve the Covenant To Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America" to extend until December 31, 2029, the transition period during which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall regulate immigration in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) pending full applicability of U.S. immigration laws to the CNMI. The annual supplemental vocational education fee currently charged to the employer of each CNMI transition period nonimmigrant worker shall be charged instead to the employer of each temporary worker. The CNMI shall provide the Department of Labor with an annual plan for the expenditure of such funds for U.S. worker job placement. DHS is authorized to not reduce the annual transitional nonimmigrant worker visa allocation to zero during the transition period if a reduction in the number of available workers would adversely affect the CNMI's economy. The bill caps the number of transitional nonimmigrant worker visas at 18,000. An employer shall pay a CW-1 transitional worker: (1) wages that are at least the actual wage level paid by the employer to all other similarly qualified individuals; (2) wages that are at least the prevailing wage level for the occupational classification; or (3) for job classifications without a certified prevailing wage, wages equal to or greater than the mean wage of the three lowest wages within the CNMI's prevailing wage system. Labor, by April 30, 2027, shall ascertain the CNMI's current and anticipated labor needs and determine whether a five-year extension of the transition program is necessary to ensure the availability of an adequate number of workers. The bill provides for, and set forth the criteria under which, long-term CNMI residents may be admitted as CNMI permanent residents. The bill sets forth specified reporting and data collection requirements.
Bill· HRH.R. 5882 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Freedom Riders National Historical Park Act This bill establishes the Freedom Riders National Historical Park in Anniston, Alabama, for the purposes of: (1) arranging for an internationally significant place for public education focused on the Freedom Riders (civil rights activists who rode a Greyhound bus attacked and burned in Anniston on May 14, 1961), civil rights, and the burning of the Freedom Riders' bus; and (2) preserving such historical site for the heritage of that area and as a tourist destination. The park shall be located at 1031 Gurnee Avenue in downtown Anniston at the Greyhound Bus Station site where the attack began and includes the site of the original bus station. The Department of the Interior may acquire additional buildings, assets, lands, and interests for addition to the park. Interior shall complete a general management plan for the park.
Bill· HRH.R. 5867 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
National Strategy for School Security Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department Homeland Security, in order to assist in the domestic preparedness for and response to acts of terrorism and other emergencies and to coordinate federal efforts to secure elementary and secondary schools, to develop and submit to Congress a national school security strategy and updates to such strategy. The strategy shall: describe all federal programs, projects, and activities to secure elementary and secondary schools from acts of terrorism and other emergencies; identify specific school security vulnerabilities to acts of terrorism or other emergencies within the United States and delineate goals for closing such vulnerabilities; describe actions to be taken and means needed to achieve such goals, including steps to reform, improve, and streamline existing efforts to align the current threat environment to schools; and identify new authorities or changes in existing authorities required to address school security. The requirement to transmit updated national strategies shall terminate seven years after this bill's enactment.
Bill· SS. 3271 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Workforce Advance Act This bill amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to include dual or concurrent enrollment and early college high school options as part of the Act's supported career technical education (CTE) programs. (Dual and concurrent enrollment programs and early college courses allow students to earn college credit while still in high school.) The bill allows: (1) schools to use a portion of funding received under the Act for tuition and fees for CTE college courses, and (2) school districts to use such funding to support educators pursuing the credentials they need to teach these courses in their high schools. The Department of Education may include in its demonstration and dissemination of best practices information on CTE programs methods and techniques for providing and integrating dual or concurrent enrollment, early college high schools, pre-apprenticeship programs, and other opportunities for secondary students to earn postsecondary education credit in CTE programs.
Bill· SS. 3266 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Student Loan Tax Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income of an individual the discharge (in whole or in part) of student loans. The student loans covered by the bill include: (1) any loan provided expressly for postsecondary educational expenses and made by specified U.S. entities, states, political subdivisions, the District of Columbia, or any institution of higher education; (2) any private education loan; and (3) loans made by specified educational and tax-exempt organizations that meet certain requirements.
Bill· SS. 3259 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Forensic Science and Standards Act of 2016 This bill establishes a National Forensic Science Research Initiative, carried out by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, to improve, expand, and coordinate federal research in forensic sciences. The bill establishes a National Forensic Science Coordinating Office to coordinate with relevant federal agencies in the development of: (1) a unified federal research strategy; and (2) any necessary programs, policies, and budgets to support implementation of the research strategy. The National Science Foundation (NSF) shall contract with the National Research Council to develop a report: (1) identifying the most critical challenges in forensic science that require further research, and (2) making recommendations for research to address those challenges. The bill states that each external forensic science research grant awarded by a federal agency under this bill shall be subject to a specified competitive merit-review process. The NSF shall: award forensic science basic research grants to improve the foundation and practice of forensic science; support one or more forensic science research centers; and conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the NSF's full portfolio of forensic science research and education grants every four years. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall establish: (1) a competitively selected Center of Excellence focusing on measurement sciences, technology, and standards in forensic science; and (2) scientific area committees to identify gaps in and opportunities for standards development in the forensic sciences. NIST and the Department of Justice (DOJ) shall establish a National Commission on Forensic Science to advise the agencies participating in the unified federal research strategy and review recommendations on standards development in forensic science. DOJ shall: encourage the broad adoption of forensic science standards, requiring each DOJ laboratory, and encouraging other federal forensic laboratories, to adopt these standards; promote accreditation and certification based on forensic science standards; and promote recommendations made by the National Commission on Forensic Science.
Bill· SS. 3256 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Education for All Act of 2016 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) it is in the U.S. national security interest to promote universal basic education that includes gender parity in developing countries; and (2) education lays the foundation for increased civic participation, democratic governance, sustained economic growth, and more stable societies. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to state that it is U.S. policy to work with partner countries, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and nongovernmental and civil society organizations to promote sustainable, quality basic education by: (1) aligning with the needs and capacities of developing countries to strengthen educational systems, improve teacher skills, and support parental engagement in their children's education; and (2) promoting education as the foundation for economic development. The President shall ensure that assistance provided to support programs and activities pursuant to such policy is aligned with U.S. diplomatic, economic, and national security interests and that priority is given to developing countries in which: (1) there is the greatest need and opportunity to expand access to basic education, including for marginalized and vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls, or populations affected by conflict or crisis; and (2) such assistance can substantially impact children and educational systems. The President shall develop a comprehensive U.S. strategy to promote quality basic education in partner countries. The bill establishes within the U.S. Agency for International Development a Senior Coordinator of United States International Basic Education Assistance, who shall have primary responsibility for the oversight and coordination of all U.S. government resources and activities relating to the promotion of international basic education programs and activities.
Bill· SS. 3245 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2016 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to extend through FY2021 support for nursing workforce programs and grants. Eligibility for advanced nursing education grants is expanded to include education programs for clinical nurse leaders and all combined registered nurse and graduate degree programs. (Clinical nurse leaders are advanced generalist clinicians who apply research and coordinate care in order to improve outcomes for patients.) To be eligible for these grants, clinical nurse specialist programs must provide registered nurses with full-time clinical nurse specialist education that qualifies the nurses to provide a full range of care. Programs for loan repayment and scholarships for nurses, loans for nursing faculty, and geriatric care education are extended through FY2021. Grants for increasing nursing workforce diversity are also extended through FY2021. Nurse education, practice, and quality grants are extended through FY2021 and eligibility is expanded to include nurse-managed health clinics. Grants for nursing career ladder programs are expanded to: (1) promote career advancement for individuals to become registered nurses or advanced education nurses; and (2) support internships and residency programs to encourage mentoring and the development of specialties.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 542 (114th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Recognizes the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Trademark Act of 1946 (the Lanham Act) by President Harry S. Truman. Designates July 2016 as National Anti-Counterfeiting Consumer Education and Awareness Month. Expresses support for the goal of such month: to educate the public about the potential dangers counterfeit products pose to consumer health and safety. Affirms the continuing importance and need for comprehensive education and awareness efforts to equip U.S. consumers with the information and tools they need to safeguard against illegal counterfeit products in traditional and Internet commerce and other electronic commerce platforms. Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to combating counterfeiting by promoting: (1) awareness about the harm of counterfeiting to consumers and brand owners, and (2) new education programs and campaigns to reduce the supply of and demand for counterfeit products.
Bill· HRH.R. 5906 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
WiFi Capable Mobile Devices Act of 2016 This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue rules to ensure that providers of mobile broadband Internet access service supported through the Lifeline Assistance Program offer mobile devices that are capable of: (1) receiving WiFi or other wireless broadband signals using unlicensed spectrum, and (2) sharing a mobile service connection (commonly referred to as "tethering") with other compatible hardware or devices. (The Lifeline program provides discounts on telephone service to qualifying low-income consumers.) The FCC must also provide incentives to such providers to work with schools and libraries to conduct outreach to those eligible for Lifeline assistance.
Bill· HRH.R. 5890 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative Act of 2016 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should support the efforts of the Southeast Asian nations to strengthen their maritime security capacity, and (2) the maritime security of U.S. allies and partners bordering the South China Sea would be enhanced by the transfer of an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate to an appropriate regional country. In selecting Asia-Pacific region countries to receive maritime capacity building assistance, the Department of State may prioritize those countries that will contribute to achieving the following regional objectives: retaining access to waterways that are critical to the security and free flow of commerce and U.S. security objectives, improving maritime domain awareness, countering piracy, disrupting maritime trafficking that benefits organizations that are threats to U.S. security, and enhancing country or regional organization capabilities to respond to emerging maritime security threats. The bill urges the State Department to seek a bilateral memorandum of understanding with each of the governments of the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia to outline the delivery of planned maritime security capabilities through FY2020. The bill authorizes: (1) international military education/training and foreign military financing for the Asia-Pacific region, and (2) the Southeast Asia Maritime Law Enforcement Initiative. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to provide priority delivery of excess defense articles to Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia for articles that are used for maritime security-related missions. The President shall ensure that the U.S. government treats proposed arms sales for Taiwan with the same procedures that are accorded to all other countries.
Bill· HRH.R. 5886 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act by requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program that assists local educational agencies in replacing drinking water fountains manufactured prior to 1988 and located in schools. Grant recipients may also use funding for monitoring and reporting lead levels in the drinking water of schools.
Bill· HRH.R. 5821 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 2016 This bill amends the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to extend the award of coral reef conservation program grant funds to appropriate projects, including monitoring and assessment, research, pollution reduction, education, and technical support. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of the Interior are authorized to undertake emergency actions to: (1) minimize injury to a coral reef or a coral reef ecosystem; and (2) stabilize, repair, or restore a coral reef. It is unlawful to injure a coral reef or its ecosystem subject to certain exemptions. The bill modifies the goals and objectives of the national coral reef action strategy. NOAA must submit a report to Congress describing all activities undertaken to implement the strategy. Additionally, NOAA is authorized to: (1) make community-based planning grants for increased protection of high priority coral reefs, (2) maintain an inventory of all coral reef vessel groundings, (3) identify all coral reefs with a high incidence of vessel impacts, and (4) identify measures to reduce such impacts. NOAA must also submit an international coral reef ecosystem strategy to Congress and may establish an international coral reef ecosystem partnership program. The international strategy must be published in the Federal Register. The bill establishes the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to coordinate federal actions that are designed to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems. Additionally, the 12 federal agencies on the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force are authorized to carry out either individually or cooperatively, prize competitions that promote coral reef research and conservation.
Bill· HRH.R. 5795 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Forensic Science and Standards Act of 2016 This bill establishes a National Forensic Science Research Initiative to improve, expand, and coordinate federal research in forensic sciences. The bill establishes a National Forensic Science Coordinating Office to coordinate with relevant federal agencies in the development of: (1) a unified federal research strategy; and (2) any necessary programs, policies, and budgets to support implementation of the research strategy. The National Science Foundation (NSF) shall contract with the National Research Council to develop a report: (1) identifying the most critical challenges in forensic science that require further research, and (2) making recommendations for research to address those challenges. The bill states that all external forensic science research grants awarded by federal agencies under this bill shall be subject to a competitive, merit-review process. The NSF shall: award forensic science basic research grants to improve the foundation and practice of forensic science; establish one or more multidisciplinary forensic research centers led by public-private partnerships between universities, industry, state or local entities, and federal agencies; and conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the NSF's full portfolio of forensic science research and education grants every four years. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall establish: (1) a competitively selected Center of Excellence focusing on measurement sciences, technology, and standards in forensic science; and (2) scientific area committees to identify gaps in and opportunities for standards development in the forensic sciences. NIST and the Department of Justice (DOJ) shall establish a National Commission on Forensic Science to advise the agencies participating in the unified federal research strategy and review recommendations on standards development in forensic science. DOJ shall: encourage the broad adoption of forensic science standards, requiring each DOJ laboratory, and encouraging other federal forensic laboratories, to adopt these standards; promote accreditation and certification based on forensic science standards; and promote recommendations made by the National Commission on Forensic Science.
Bill· HRH.R. 5846 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Securing American Families by Educating and Training You (SAFETY) Through Nonviolence Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of preventing or alleviating the effects of community violence by providing education, mentoring, and counseling related to principles of nonviolence in conflict resolution. "Eligible entities" include state or local government entities, educational institutions, nonprofit communities, and faith-based organizations. In awarding grants under the program, DOJ shall give priority to applicants that agree to use the grant funds in at least one community that can certify: (1) an increased or sustained level of violence or tension in the community; or (2) a lack of resources to adopt innovative, integrated, community-based violence prevention programs.
Bill· HRH.R. 5844 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
America's Call To Improve Opportunities Now for National Service Act or the ACTION for National Service Act This bill amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to reestablish the Corporation for National and Community Service as an independent executive agency called the National and Community Service Administration. An individual who successfully completes a term of full-time national service shall be entitled to a national service educational award equal to twice the amount of tuition for the institution of higher education where the individual is enrolled, not to exceed twice the average in-state tuition. Current law limits the award's value to the maximum amount of a Federal Pell Grant that an individual is eligible to receive in the aggregate. Within the administration, the bill establishes an interagency working group to evaluate specified issues related to: (1) eligibility for tuition and student loan repayment assistance with regard to participation in certain national or volunteer service programs, (2) the advisability of granting federal hiring preference to certain volunteer program participants, and (3) methods for increasing the participation of seniors in national service programs. The National Service Foundation, a nonprofit corporation established by the bill, shall accept and administer gifts made in connection with the administration. The bill expresses support for the authorization of appropriations sufficient to provide, within 10 years, volunteer service opportunities for at least 1 million volunteers in full-time national service annually. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude AmeriCorps educational awards from gross income.
Bill· HRH.R. 5838 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Transparency in Student Lending Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand disclosure requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in the Direct Loan program. Specifically, it requires an IHE to disclose, in federal student loan application materials, the annual percentage rate applicable to a Direct Loan.
Bill· HRH.R. 5814 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Match Veterans to Student Loan Protections Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the federal student loan discharge process for a veteran who has a total and permanent disability. Specifically, it directs the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a computer matching program for ED to identify the borrowers who have been assigned a service-connected disability rating of 100% by the VA. ED must notify such borrowers of their eligibility for federal student loan discharge and provide simple instructions for applying.
Bill· HRH.R. 5791 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Standardization of Collegiate Oversight of Revenues and Expenditures Act or the SCORE Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each coeducational institution of higher education (IHE) that is participating in a title IV program and has an intercollegiate athletic program to include in its annual report on its intercollegiate athletic program: (1) the amount of revenue generated by each item on a list of categorized sources, disaggregated by each sports team; and (2) the expenses attributable to each item on a list of categorized activities or obligations, disaggregated by each sports team. The bill prohibits an IHE from being a member of any intercollegiate athletic association or participating in any national intercollegiate athletics competition organized by any person, unless the association or person annually reports and disaggregates by sport, athletic event, or contract, as applicable: (1) the total generated revenue and amount of revenue generated by each item on a list of categorized sources, (2) the amount of expenses attributable to each item on a list of categorized activities or obligations, and (3) executive compensation schedules. The Department of Education (ED) must: (1) define the categories of information that must be reported; and (2) biannually review and, as necessary, update each definition in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or significant changes in the national system of intercollegiate athletics. ED must: (1) appoint a task force made up of representatives from division I, II, and III schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and (2) consult with the task force when reviewing or updating the definitions.
Bill· HRH.R. 5787 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Securing Our Schools Act of 2016 This bill establishes a pilot program under which the Department of Justice may award one-year grants to local education agencies for the purpose of purchasing and installing devices that allow for the immediate notification of appropriate officials in case of emergency.
Bill· HRH.R. 5784 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
File Once FAFSA Act of 2016 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process for low-income students applying for Federal Pell Grants. Specifically, the bill allows dependent students to apply for aid once. Thus, students who receive Pell Grants need not apply again in subsequent years, unless they become independent of their family.
Bill· HRH.R. 5836 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Hunting, Education, and Recreational Development Act or the HEARD Act This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to dispose of federal lands under their respective jurisdictions by offering them for sale or exchange to units of local government in accordance with this bill. Before the offering of lands for sale or exchange, states or the unit of local government in whose jurisdiction the lands are located may elect to obtain any such lands for local public purposes pursuant to the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. Interior or USDA, as appropriate, shall retain the elected lands for conveyance to such states or unit of local government in accordance with that Act. The bill prescribes requirements for disposition of the gross proceeds of the sales of lands under this bill, including that: 15% be paid to the state where the sale takes place to be used to supplement the education of students in kindergarten through grade 12, to supplement public support of institutions of public higher education, and to supplement state agricultural and natural resource agencies; and 10% of such proceeds be deposited in a special account to be created in the Treasury which may be used for the acquisition of recreational beneficial lands and interests (providing an opportunity for hunting, recreational fishing, recreational shooting, recreational off-highway vehicles, or other recreational purposes, or to achieve better management of public lands through consolidation of federal ownership).
Bill· HJRESH.J.Res. 97 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting the federal government, states, or places subject to their jurisdiction from denying persons the right to a fair and equal education. The amendment makes it the responsibility of the states, Indian tribes, and territories to provide a quality education to all persons.
Bill· HRH.R. 5833 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Get the Lead Out of Schools Act This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act by requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate a national primary drinking water regulation that addresses lead in drinking water in schools and day care facilities. The EPA must also establish a grant program for: (1) testing such drinking water for lead contamination, and (2) replacing lead pipes and certain plumbing materials with lead-free material.
Bill· HRH.R. 5803 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Extra Credit for Working Students Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer to accelerate the American Opportunity Tax Credit for qualified tuition and related expenses. A taxpayer may elect to receive the full amount of the credit over the first two years of postsecondary education rather than the four-year period required under current law. Such an election is irrevocable, applies for all subsequent tax years, and may not be made for any taxable year beginning after December 31, 2022. The Department of the Treasury must submit to Congress reports that include: the election rate, the demographics of the students making the elections, and an assessment of the effectiveness of the elections and the tax credit in improving college completion times.
Bill· HRH.R. 5771 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Conserving Our Reefs and Livelihoods Act of 2016 This bill amends the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to expand the coral reef conservation program by awarding remaining program grant funds to appropriate projects, including monitoring and assessment, research, and education necessary to protect and restore coral reefs. The Coral Reef Conservation Fund is renamed the Coral Reef Conservation and Restoration Fund. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must establish the Center of Excellence in Coral Reef Ecosystem Science Cooperative Institute. Additionally, the bill directs NOAA to submit to Congress a national coral reef action strategy. The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force is authorized to carry out prize competitions that promote coral reef research and conservation. The prize competitions must be designed to help the United States achieve its goal of developing new and effective ways to advance the understanding, monitoring, and sustainability of coral reef ecosystems. The Department of the Interior may provide coral reef conservation and restoration assistance. Interior must obtain approval from the relevant fish and wildlife management agency of a state or territory before restricting fishing access to state or territorial waters within its jurisdiction. The bill directs NOAA to award competitive grants for colleges, universities, and nonprofit research organizations to research lionfish and their impact on the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico ecosystems.
Bill· HRH.R. 5761 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Train the Future Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an early distribution, without penalty, from a qualified retirement plan to an employee who is serving as a mentor. The bill defines "mentor" as a working individual who: (1) has attained age 55; (2) works reduced hours and engages in mentoring activities for at least 20% of such hours; and (3) is responsible for the training and education of employees or students in an area of expertise for which such individual has a professional credential, certificate, or degree.
Bill· HRH.R. 5756 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Degrees Not Debt Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a federal-state partnership to promote state investment in public higher education. It directs the Department of Education to award matching block grants to states to reduce tuition costs and support the enrollment, retention, and degree completion of low-income students at public institutions of higher education. A state that receives a grant must waive any unmet financial need for certain low-income students, maintain or increase per-student operating support, maintain state-based financial aid levels, and limit tuition increases at public institutions of higher education. The bill prohibits the use of grant funds to increase an institution's endowment or to modernize, renovate, or repair athletic facilities.
Bill· HRH.R. 5755 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Letter of Estimated Annual Debt for Students Act of 2016 or the LEADS Act of 2016 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 by requiring institutions of higher education to provide to each student with education loans for attending the institution an estimate of student loan borrowing costs, including: (1) the cumulative balance of education loans owed by the student, (2) the amount of new education loans expected to be disbursed during the year, (3) the projected cumulative balance of education loans that will be owed by the student after the student graduates, and (4) projected monthly payments to repay the loans. The estimates must be given to students before each academic year succeeding the one for which a loan was first received.
Bill· HRH.R. 5758 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Advancing Conservation and Education Act of 2016 This bill allows the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming (western states) to relinquish state land grant parcels wholly or primarily within eligible areas and select, in exchange, public land within the state. The bill defines "eligible areas" as lands within the outer boundaries of units of the National Park, National Wilderness Preservation, National Wildlife Refuge, or National Landscape Conservation Systems, areas identified by the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior as having wilderness characteristics, and certain designated lands within the National Forest System. Interior shall create a process for the relinquishment of such parcels. A western state may select, and Interior may convey, lands that are mineral in character. The overall value of the state land grant parcels and the public land to be conveyed shall be equal. The bill sets forth requirements regarding hazardous materials on land conveyed, water rights, and grazing permits.
Bill· SS. 3194 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Reducing Obesity in Youth Act of 2016 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Administration for Children and Families, to award grants to promote healthy eating and physical activity among children under six years old in early care and education settings. HHS must track the obesity prevention policies and practices of early care and education programs.
Bill· SS. 3190 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Strengthening Our Rural Health Workforce Act of 2016 This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to reauthorize the National Health Care Workforce Commission. The commission must track information on the career paths of medical school and residency program graduates and make such information publicly available. The Department of Health and Human Services must revise the definition of medical residency training programs (rural track training programs) in rural areas so that more health care facilities are able to participate. The Government Accountability Office must: (1) study and report on graduate medical education funding structures and their success in bringing physicians to practice in rural communities, and (2) report on improving data collection on emerging health care professions. The bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to redistribute unused residency positions to rural hospitals. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to (1) reauthorize the Primary Care Residency Expansion Program and Area Health Education Centers, and (2) authorize appropriations through FY2021 for the Quentin N. Burdick Program for Rural Interdisciplinary Training to provide access to health care in rural areas. The bill incorporates emerging health professionals, such as dental therapists and community paramedics, into existing loan forgiveness programs and other training programs for allied health professionals. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to establish mental health and substance use disorder training programs for schools of medicine or nursing, physician assistants, pharmacy, social work, and other allied health professions to ensure that health care providers are able to recognize, diagnose, and treat mental health and substance use disorders. The bill also funds essential mental and behavioral health education and training grants that are used to recruit and train graduate students in mental and behavioral health fields who practice in rural and other high need areas.
Bill· SS. 3185 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to specify that a provision of the Act may be cited as "Bree's Law." The relevant ESEA provision requires local educational agencies that receive certain funding under the Act to establish programs and activities that improve safety through the recognition and prevention of coercion, violence, or abuse.
Bill· SS. 3180 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Flexible Hiring and Improving Recruitment, Retention, and Education Act of 2016 or the Flexible HIRE Act This bill allows the President to authorize agencies to appoint candidates directly to positions that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has determined are in geographic areas affected by a unique situation or circumstance that has directly and significantly affected employee recruitment and retention. In areas within the continental United States in which recruitment and retention have become a severe challenge as the direct result of a dramatic economic development, hardship, or remoteness, the President may permit agencies to appoint candidates without using the statutory preference eligible veteran procedures that would otherwise require such agencies to provide experience credits, award examination points, or restrict competition to certain veterans and families of disabled or deceased veterans. Agencies must still prioritize the hiring of veterans by following regulatory principles regarding the appointment of qualified veterans to competitive service positions. For positions in such areas, the OPM may establish higher minimum rates of pay and authorize agencies to pay bonuses for recruitment, relocation, or retention. The OPM must replace the $10 per day cap on the commuting allowance for employees assigned to remote worksites with the mileage reimbursement rate prescribed by the General Services Administration for the use of privately owned automobiles for official government business. Agencies may pay an allowance to employees assigned to sites remote from: (1) established communities, suitable residences, or affordable housing; (2) medical care, child care, or schools; (3) employment options for spouses; or (4) consumer goods and services. The OPM must establish a permanent hiring working group to help agencies prepare and deal with such geographic areas. Agencies must: (1) create pilot programs to increase the number of new employees placed in these unique geographic areas; (2) develop strategies to aide employees' spouses and families; and (3) enhance recruiting methods targeting colleges, veterans transition centers, and job placement programs in such areas. The OPM must establish a centralized electronic database of individuals completing a federal internship program who are seeking full-time federal employment.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 531 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Recognizes: the significance of the 25th anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program; the value of having current science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers directly engaged in the policymaking process; the sacrifices made by teachers who interrupt their careers to serve as Einstein Fellows; and the contributions of Einstein Fellows. Expresses support for the continuation of the program. Encourages federal agencies and congressional offices to host Einstein Fellows and to leverage the expertise of former Einstein Fellows.
Bill· HRH.R. 5769 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Protect Our Schools from Tax Delinquents Act of 2016 This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require that each housing assistance payments contract entered into under the Section 8 rental assistance voucher program by a public housing agency (PHA) and the owner of a dwelling unit provide that such owner pay, on a timely basis, all covered taxes validly assessed against the property in which the unit is located. A "covered tax" is any tax under state or local law assessed upon real property or the revenue of which is dedicated for use only for schools or for costs of education. The bill allows a contract to provide that, upon notification and identification of a tax delinquency by a taxing authority, the PHA shall abate all of the rental assistance amounts for the property, transferring them monthly to the taxing authority, until the delinquency is eliminated. The bill does not authorize or establish any cause or grounds for the termination of the tenancy of any tenant from any dwelling unit assisted under the rental assistance voucher program. The Department of Housing and Urban Development must maintain a database of information regarding owners of dwelling units: (1) assisted under the program whose housing assistance payments contracts have been terminated for noncompliance with the requirements of this bill, and (2) with respect to whom assistance amounts have been abated and transferred to a taxing authority.
Bill· HRH.R. 5764 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Pell Grant Flexibility Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income any amount received as a Federal Pell Grant awarded under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 145 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Recognizes: the significance of the 25th anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program; the value of having current science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers directly engaged in the policymaking process; the sacrifices made by teachers who interrupt their careers to serve as Einstein Fellows; and the contributions of Einstein Fellows. Expresses support for the continuation of the program. Encourages federal agencies and congressional offices to host Einstein Fellows and to leverage the expertise of former Einstein Fellows.
Bill· HRH.R. 5738 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Stronger Together School Diversity Act of 2016 This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish the Stronger Together Program, through which the Department of Education (ED) shall award competitive grants for the development or implementation of plans to improve diversity or eliminate socioeconomic or racial isolation in public schools and publicly funded early education programs. The grants are available to local educational agencies, a consortium of such agencies, educational service agencies, or other regional educational authorities that have significant achievement gaps and socioeconomic or racial segregation within or across the school districts served by the entity. ED may give priority to an eligible entity that proposes to use funds to support a program that extends beyond one local educational agency. Each recipient of an implementation grant shall implement a high-quality plan that includes: a comprehensive set of strategies designed to improve academic outcomes by increasing diversity, evidence of strong family and community support for these strategies, ambitious but achievable goals to increase diversity over the grant period, collection and analysis of data to provide transparency and support continuous improvement throughout the grant period, and a rigorous evaluation of the proposed project's effectiveness. ED shall establish performance measures to track the progress of each grant recipient.
Bill· HRH.R. 5743 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2016 This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to revise requirements for the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program. (The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed or injured in the line of duty.) It authorizes the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to establish PSOB program rules, regulations, and procedures based on standards developed by another federal agency. In determining a claimant's eligibility for death or disability benefits, the BJA must give substantial weight to evidence and facts presented by a state, local, or federal agency. The BJA must also publish and update information on pending claims and report to Congress on submitted claims for death, disability, and educational benefits. This section extends the age limitation for a PSOB claim for death, disability, or education benefits that is approved more than one year after the date on which it was filed. The BJA must attempt to obtain necessary documentation to determine a claimant's eligibility for death, disability, or education benefits. If it cannot determine eligibility due to a lack of documentation from a third party (e.g., a public agency), then the BJA may abandon the claim only after it utilizes investigative tools, including subpoenas, to obtain the information. The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that a public safety officer acted properly at the time of injury or death and that no specified limitation (e.g., voluntary intoxication at the time of injury or death) bars the payment of death or disability benefits. The BJA may rebut the presumption by clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.
Bill· SS. 3168 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Stronger Together School Diversity Act of 2016 This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish the Stronger Together Program, through which the Department of Education (ED) shall award competitive grants for the development or implementation of plans to improve diversity or eliminate socioeconomic or racial isolation in public schools and publicly funded early education programs. The grants are available to local educational agencies, a consortium of such agencies, educational service agencies, or other regional educational authorities that have significant achievement gaps and socioeconomic or racial segregation within or across the school districts served by the entity. ED may give priority to an eligible entity that proposes to use funds to support a program that extends beyond one local educational agency. Each recipient of an implementation grant shall implement a high-quality plan that includes: a comprehensive set of strategies designed to improve academic outcomes by increasing diversity, evidence of strong family and community support for these strategies, ambitious but achievable goals to increase diversity over the grant period, collection and analysis of data to provide transparency and support continuous improvement throughout the grant period, and a rigorous evaluation of the proposed project's effectiveness. ED shall establish performance measures to track the progress of each grant recipient.
Bill· HRH.R. 5735 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Protecting Girls' Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that it is critical to ensure that children, particularly girls, displaced by conflicts overseas are able to receive a quality education and that the educational needs of women and girls are considered in implementing U.S. foreign assistance policies and programs. The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) may advance programs that: provide safe, quality, primary and secondary education for displaced children; build the capacity of institutions in countries hosting displaced people to prevent displaced children from facing educational discrimination; and help increase the access of displaced children, especially girls, to educational, economic, and entrepreneurial opportunities. The State Department and USAID may: coordinate with multilateral organizations to work with foreign governments to implement programs and policies that collect data disaggregated by sex and age on displaced people; and work with domestic and foreign private sector and civil society organizations to promote safe, quality, primary and secondary education for displaced children.
Bill· HRH.R. 5730 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Fair Treatment of Scholarships Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the provision which excludes from the gross income of a student any amount that is received as a qualified scholarship used for qualified tuition and related expenses. The bill expands the exclusion to: (1) permit the scholarship to be used for room and board costs for which there is an allowance under the Higher Education Act of 1965; and (2) to specify that "qualified tuition and related expenses" include fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for research at the educational organization. The amount included in qualified tuition and related expenses for research not required for a course of instruction may not exceed $300 per year, adjusted for inflation after 2016.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 824 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Supports the designation of National Dance Day to celebrate and encourage the national commitment to dance and dance education. Acknowledges that dance is making an important contribution to health by encouraging physical fitness and reducing overweight and obesity. Commends Nigel Lythgoe for his leadership in promoting National Dance Day.
Bill· HRH.R. 5702 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2016
Promoting Readiness through Early Pell Act of 2016 or the PREP Act of 2016 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 by allowing a Federal Pell Grant to be awarded to a student who is dually or concurrently enrolled at a public institution of higher education and a secondary school.
Bill· HRH.R. 5700 (114th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2016
Native Educator Support and Training Act or the NEST Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish scholarships, loan forgiveness plans, and training programs for educators who commit to teaching in Native American or Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. This bill establishes three scholarship programs for students who are seeking degrees in education or school administration at institutions of higher education and commit to teaching in Native American or BIE schools: the Indian Student Educator Scholarship Program for students seeking degrees, the Indian Educator Scholarship Program for Indian students seeking degrees, and the Indian Educator Graduate Fellowship Program for Indian students seeking graduate degrees. Recipients of the scholarships must commit to working for a BIE school, a school serving Native Americans, or other specified schools and agencies for the greater of three years or the number of school years that the scholarship funded. The bill establishes loan forgiveness programs for educators and Native Americans who have taught for at least five consecutive years at BIE schools or local educational agencies with high percentages of Native American students. The bill extends the federal Perkins Loan Cancellation Program to educators teaching in BIE schools or in Native American language immersion programs. The bill authorizes professional development grants for native-serving elementary and secondary schools. It also establishes the Native American Language Teacher Training Program to provide grants for institutions of higher education to develop training programs for Native American immersion and language teachers.