Education

Coding Technology Improvements Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2016

Coding Technology Improvements Act This bill amends title VII (Graduate and Postsecondary Improvement Programs) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify provisions related to grants under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) program. Specifically, this bill expands the areas of national need for FIPSE program special project grants to include support for innovative technology partnerships between institutions of higher education and nontraditional providers that offer education programs on coding, high-technology software, or computer science.

Pre-College Engineering Education Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016

Pre-College Engineering Education Act This bill establishes a grant program to encourage, through public-private partnerships, the development and implementation by states and local educational agencies of sustainable engineering education programs in elementary and secondary schools. The National Science Foundation (NSF) shall administer the program. Grantees may use funds to: research, review, and analyze the effectiveness of existing research-based instructional materials; select or develop new research-based instructional materials; teach students the overall analytical approached used in engineering; prepare students who may pursue engineering studies in college or enter careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; increase participation of underrepresented student groups in the engineering pipeline; and provide professional development for teachers to teach pre-college engineering. The NSF shall study and report on program activities and results.

Four C's for Careers Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016

Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity for Careers Act or the Four C's for Careers Act This bill amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to revise requirements for the local use of funds received by eligible recipients under the Act to support their career and technical education programs. The bill requires such funds to be used by eligible recipients to support career and technical education programs that: train career guidance and academic counselors to use labor market information in assisting students with postsecondary education and career planning; and support public-private partnerships designed to provide students with the credentials and skills required to secure employment in relevant fields; and if determined appropriate by the local educational agency, support programs that coordinate and integrate academic and career and technical education content and specified work-based learning opportunities. Funds may be used to assess resources required for promoting greater engagement and coordination with business and industry. An eligible agency, with input from eligible recipients, may identify in its state plan, the acquisition of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity skills as additional indicators of performance for the career and technical education activities authorized under the Act. State plans shall describe how eligible agencies will improve the critical thinking, communications, collaboration, and creativity skills of the students participating in their career and technical education programs.

H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016

H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2016 This bill amends the the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise employer and government requirements regarding visas for nonimmigrant aliens rated H-1B (specialty occupation) and L-1 (intracompany transfer to the United States from abroad). H-1B employer application requirements are revised. The bill establishes an H-1B visa allocation system, with first priority reserved for aliens who have earned an advanced degree in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from a U.S. institution of higher education. The bill requires completion of a U.S. degree (or an equivalent foreign degree) as a qualification for "specialty occupation" eligibility, eliminating experience in a specialty as an equivalent to the completion of such a degree. The bill prescribes an H-1B labor condition application fee. The Department of Labor may issue subpoenas and seek appropriate injunctive relief and specific performance of contractual obligations to ensure H-1B employer compliance. The period of authorized admission for an H-1B nonimmigrant is reduced from six to three years, with a three-year extension available for aliens with extraordinary ability or with advanced degrees, or professors. The bill denies an H-1B visa to any alien normally classifiable as an H-1 nonimmigrant who seeks U.S. admission to provide services in a specialty occupation. Labor may investigate applications for fraud and conduct H-1B compliance audits. Labor shall conduct annual audits of companies with more than 100 employees who work in the United States if more than 15% of those employees are H-1B nonimmigrants. The bill increases certain employer penalties, including the penalty for displacing a U.S. worker. An employer that violates any H-1B requirement shall be liable to the harmed employee for lost wages and benefits. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall give Labor any information in materials submitted by H-1B employers as part of the petition adjudication process that indicates employer noncompliance with H-1B visa program requirements. Labor may hire 200 additional employees to administer H-1B programs. The bill prohibits an employer, unless it receives a waiver from Labor, 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 an employer other than the petitioning employer. No employer may replace a U.S. worker with an L-1 worker. The bill prescribes L-1 requirements regarding: (1) employer petitions for employment at a new office, (2) wage rates and working conditions, and (3) employer penalties. Labor may initiate an L-1 employer investigation. Authority to administer L-1 visa blanket petitions is transferred from the Department of Justice to the Department of Homeland Security.

Addiction Prevention and Responsible Opioid Practices Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016

Addiction Prevention and Responsible Opioid Practices Act This bill addresses prescription opioid misuse. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must: (1) seek recommendations concerning opioid drugs from an FDA advisory committee relating to the approval of a new drug that is an opioid, and the labeling of opioid drugs for pediatric prescriptions; (2) develop recommendations for education programs for prescribers of opioids; and (3) issue guidance for labeling that deters opioid abuse. The bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by requiring manufacturers of opioid drugs to ensure that certain information about the risk factors associated with opioid drugs are included on the drug labels. The bill amends the Controlled Substances Act by: (1) addressing annual narcotic manufacturing quotas with respect to fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, and hydromorphone; and (2) directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to require medical practitioners to complete a training program on prescribing opioids for chronic pain before they are certified to prescribe controlled substances in schedule II, III, or IV. The bill establishes requirements for prescription drug monitoring systems to prevent over-prescribing controlled substances. The Department of Health and Human Services must: (1) submit a plan of action for addressing outliers in opioid prescribing practices and ensuring an adequate response to protect the public health, and (2) study the expansion of Medicare coverage for alternatives to opioid treatments. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on manufacturers or producers of opioid pain relievers. A portion of the amount generated from the tax must be used for substance abuse treatment programs. DOJ must establish a take-back program for the safe and environmentally responsible disposal of controlled substances.

CAREER Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016

Cutting Administrative Red-tape for Education and Employment Reinvestment Act or the CAREER Act This bill addresses educational and employment training programs for certain individuals including: training for adults, training for disadvantaged youth, vocational rehabilitation and referral services for individuals with disabilities, training for Native Americans, and training to reintegrate criminal offenders. The Department of Labor must assist in the development of a nationwide system of public labor exchange services that are provided through state and local workforce investment boards. Labor must provide funding to the boards to assist with training adults and disadvantaged youths, including providing services to promote literacy, attain education, and assist with job search and placement. Additionally, Labor must provide funding to states to carry out vocational rehabilitation and referral services for individuals with disabilities so that those individuals may prepare for and engage in employment. The bill also provides training for Native Americans to develop skills, be competitive in the workforce, and promote economic and social development. The bill amends the Second Chance Act of 2007 to make youth offenders eligible to receive grants from Labor for certain transitional services, including being reintegrated into society and obtaining and retaining employment. The bill replaces several provisions related to educational and employment programs for adults, youths, disabled individuals, and Native Americans.

Patsy T. Mink Gender Equity in Education Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016

Patsy T. Mink Gender Equity in Education Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to establish an Office for Gender Equity to support state and local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and elementary and secondary schools in fully implementing title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities. The office may provide grants and perform activities to reduce or prevent discrimination, bias, harassment, or violence based on actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions or stereotypes in all areas of education. The office must: (1) provide technical assistance and annual training to title IX coordinators, and (2) develop a handbook for conducting self-evaluations of title IX compliance. The training must address "compound discrimination" (defined as discrimination based on sex and other characteristics, including race, ethnicity, national origin, disability status, religion, or age). The office may award grants to educational entities and partnerships to: train students, teachers, faculty, and personnel; increase campus resources, facilities, and course offerings; support title IX coordinators in performing outreach, advocacy, and education; identify patterns or systemic problems in title IX compliance; strengthen prevention education and awareness programs; conduct campus climate and victimization surveys; identify gender inequities; and improve data collection and reporting of gender equity indicators from academic assessments, civil rights data, campus data, employment data, attendance and absenteeism data, or title IX coordinator-to-student ratios. ED must coordinate with the Institute of Education Sciences and other federal offices and entities to investigate, identify, and disseminate best practices to: (1) reduce and prevent sex stereotyping, bias, and discrimination in curricula and educational materials; (2) address sex-based harassment and violence on campuses; (3) develop counseling and career guidance training; (4) mitigate implicit bias in teaching and discipline; and (5) address the needs of students who face compound discrimination.

Patsy T. Mink Gender Equity in Education Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016

Patsy T. Mink Gender Equity in Education Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to establish an Office for Gender Equity to support state and local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and elementary and secondary schools in fully implementing title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities. The office may provide grants and perform activities to reduce or prevent discrimination, bias, harassment, or violence based on actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions or stereotypes in all areas of education. The office must: (1) provide technical assistance and annual training to title IX coordinators, and (2) develop a handbook for conducting self-evaluations of title IX compliance. The training must address "compound discrimination" (defined as discrimination based on sex and other characteristics, including race, ethnicity, national origin, disability status, religion, or age). The office may award grants to educational entities and partnerships to: train students, teachers, faculty, and personnel; increase campus resources, facilities, and course offerings; support title IX coordinators in performing outreach, advocacy, and education; identify patterns or systemic problems in title IX compliance; strengthen prevention education and awareness programs; conduct campus climate and victimization surveys; identify gender inequities; and improve data collection and reporting of gender equity indicators from academic assessments, civil rights data, campus data, employment data, attendance and absenteeism data, or title IX coordinator-to-student ratios. ED must coordinate with the Institute of Education Sciences and other federal offices and entities to investigate, identify, and disseminate best practices to: (1) reduce and prevent sex stereotyping, bias, and discrimination in curricula and educational materials; (2) address sex-based harassment and violence on campuses; (3) develop counseling and career guidance training; (4) mitigate implicit bias in teaching and discipline; and (5) address the needs of students who face compound discrimination.

Timber Innovation Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016

Timber Innovation Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a performance-driven research and development program to advance tall wood building construction in the United States. "Tall wood building" means a building designed to be over 85 feet high and constructed with large panelized wood construction (mass timber), including cross-laminated timber, nail laminated timber, glue laminated timber, laminated strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber. USDA shall for FY2017-FY2021 carry out an annual competition for a tall wood building design in accordance with the requirements for prize competitions carried out under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980. In carrying out a wood innovation grant program, USDA may make a wood innovation grant to one or more specified eligible entities in order to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies in the development of innovative wood products for tall wood building construction. USDA shall give priority to grant proposals which include the use or retrofitting (or both) of existing sawmill facilities in counties where the average annual unemployment rate exceeded the national average by more than 1% in the previous year. USDA shall carry out a program of education and technical assistance for mass timber applications. USDA shall collaborate and partner with one or more nonfederal entities, including governments of other countries, to: enhance tall wood building commercialization of the United States, develop technical assistance related to tall wood building commercialization, and carry out the program.

Shift Back to Society Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016

Shift Back to Society Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a pilot program that awards matching grants to historically black colleges and universities to provide educational programs for eligible offenders to facilitate re-entry into the community. An eligible offender is a convicted criminal offender who has been released from incarceration for less than one year or who is scheduled to be released from incarceration within one year. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on the results of the pilot program.

Equity in Career and Technical Education Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016

Equity in Career and Technical Education Act of 2016 This bill amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to require state and local educational agencies to conduct an annual equity gap assessment for career and technical education programs of study and create plans on how to reduce the gap. The "equity gap" consists of the gaps in participation and performance between students based on gender, race, and certain special populations. The bill requires states to provide professional development and technical assistance to help local educational agencies close equity gaps in career and technical education. States and local agencies that fail to make improvements in closing equity gaps must implement an improvement plan. The Department of Education (ED) may withhold funding from states that fail to show improvement in closing equity gaps. Additionally, states may withhold funding from local agencies that fail to make improvements. States must also annually report to ED on the progress of the state in closing equity gaps.

LEARNS Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016

Leveraging Effective Apprenticeships to Rebuild National Skills Act or the LEARNS Act This bill establishes, in the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor, an Office of Apprenticeship to: determine whether an apprenticeship program meets requirements for registration and maintains the standards necessary to remain registered, manage the national apprenticeship system (the collective group of registered apprenticeship programs and pre-apprenticeship programs in the nation), and make grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to carry out projects that support development of pre-apprenticeship programs. The bill also establishes in Labor a National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships. Labor and the Department of Education shall establish a voluntary Registered Apprenticeship-College Collaborative consisting of the sponsors carrying out registered apprenticeship programs, two- or four-year postsecondary educational institutions, and organizations that represent such programs or institutions, that agree to meet certain criteria in order to promote stronger connections between the registered apprenticeship programs involved and participating two- and four-year postsecondary educational institutions. Labor shall make assistance payments to eligible sponsors of new registered apprenticeship programs or of existing programs that add employers as new partners, which may include joint labor-management registered apprenticeship programs.

Electricity Storage Innovation Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016

Electricity Storage Innovation Act This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish the Electricity Storage Basic Research Initiative. The initiative is designed to expand knowledge related to the control, storage, and conversion of electrical energy into chemical energy, and chemical energy into electrical energy. DOE must support specific programs within its Office of Science and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy as part of the initiative. In addition, DOE must organize activities under the initiative utilizing research teams consisting of experts from the national laboratories, universities, and the private sector.

National Institute of Standards and Technology Improvement Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016

National Institute of Standards and Technology Improvement Act of 2016 This bill amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act regarding the functions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the Department of Commerce, the membership of the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology, police protection of NIST buildings and plant facilities, and research fellowships (including the Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program). The NIST shall contract with: the National Academy of Sciences to review NIST laboratory programs; and the National Research Council to assess the technical quality and impact of the work conducted at NIST laboratories, and conduct additional assessments of NIST programs and projects that involve collaboration across NIST laboratories and centers and assessments of selected scientific and technical topics. The bill revises requirements for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Hollings Manufacturing Extension Centers to eliminate from Center activities the making of selective, short-term loans of advanced manufacturing equipment to small manufacturing firms with less than 100 employees. Center activities shall instead include facilitation of collaborations and partnerships between small and medium-sized manufacturing companies and community colleges and area career and technical education schools to help achieve mutual understanding. The bill repeals the six-year limitation on financial support Commerce may give to any Center created under the Partnership. A Center must: (1) undergo an independent review in its eighth year of operation, and (2) be placed on probation for one year if the evaluation is not positive. The bill requires each Center's advisory boards to institute a conflict of interest policy that ensures representation of local small and medium-sized manufacturers in the Center's region. The bill changes the membership on the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board. Under the competitive grant program, the NIST shall select proposals that will promote the transfer and commercialization of research and technology from institutions of higher education, national laboratories, and nonprofit research institutes. The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 is amended to repeal the limitation to 75% of the total program cost on the total amount of any grant or cooperative agreement to assist technology innovation activities under the Act. The bill expresses the sense of Congress concerning U.S.-Israeli cooperation with regard to basic scientific research.

Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016

Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act of 2016 This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to reauthorize and modify: (1) child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and other institutional food service programs; and (2) the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The bill extends through FY2020 the authorizations for: the Summer Food Service Program, WIC, the WIC Farmer's Market Nutrition Program, and State Administrative Expenses. (Under current law, several programs such as the NSLP and the School Breakfast Program are permanently authorized.) For the child nutrition programs, the bill makes policy changes that: require the Department of Agriculture to use an expedited rulemaking process to change regulations regarding whole grain and sodium requirements for the NSLP and the School Breakfast Program; create a hardship exemption to temporarily permit certain schools to serve frozen, dried, or canned fruits under the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program; revise application verification requirements for the school meal programs; and permit states to provide summer meals away from a congregate site (specific sites where children come to eat and are supervised) in rural or low-income areas without access to summer service. For WIC, the bill: changes rules regarding the eligibility criteria for children, the infant certification period, and income eligibility calculations; permits commercial availability and participant demand to be considered when amending the list of supplemental foods, and modifies the competitive bidding and contract award process for infant formula and infant foods.

GPA Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016

Grace Period Alleviation Act or the GPA Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow a borrower of a Federal Direct Stafford Loan (whether subsidized or unsubsidized) to elect a one-year grace period before beginning repayment on the loan. The Department of Education, through a loan modification process, must pay to each borrower who received a Federal Direct Stafford Loan for which the first disbursement was made between July 1, 2012, and July 1, 2014, an amount equal to the amount of interest that accrued on the loan prior to the beginning of the repayment period.

Supporting the goals and ideals of "National Latino AIDS Awareness Day" on October 15, 2016, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016

Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day; (2) the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy; (3) effective and comprehensive HIV prevention education programs; (4) appropriate funding of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment, research, and housing; and (5) a comprehensive prevention and treatment strategy that empowers stakeholders to engage their communities to help decrease violence, discrimination, and stigma towards individuals who disclose their sexual orientation or HIV status and to normalize voluntary testing practices. Encourages individuals, especially Latinos, to get tested for HIV. Commends the work of organizations providing services to people living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

ESSA IMPLEMENTATION: UPDATE FROM THE U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ON PROPOSED REGULATIONS

United States · United States Senate · 29 June 2016

REAL Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2016

Restoring Education And Learning Act of 2016 or the REAL Act of 2016 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to eliminate the provision that prohibits Pell Grant eligibility for individuals incarcerated in a federal or state penal institution and for sex offenders subject to civil commitment following incarceration. This amendment takes effect in academic year 2016-2017.

Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2016

Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify loan counseling requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student aid programs. Currently, an IHE must provide entrance counseling to a student who is a first-time federal student loan borrower. This bill replaces required entrance counseling with required annual counseling. Also, it expands the required recipients of such annual counseling to include, in addition to student borrowers, Federal Pell Grant recipients and parent PLUS Loan borrowers. Each annual counseling recipient must receive comprehensive information on the terms, conditions, and responsibilities with respect to a grant or loan and general information on a typical student budget, the right to request an annual credit report, average income and employment data, and financial management resources. Additionally, the bill revises and expands the required contents of annual counseling for student borrowers, specifies the authorized contents of annual counseling for Pell Grant recipients, and establishes the required contents of annual counseling for parent PLUS loan borrowers. The bill revises and expands exit counseling information requirements to include an outstanding loan balance summary, the anticipated monthly payments under standard and income-based repayment plans, an explanation of the grace period preceding repayment, the option to pay accrued interest before it capitalizes, the right to request an annual credit report, and loan servicer contact information. It directs ED to maintain a consumer-tested online counseling tool that provides annual and exit counseling. The Institute of Education Sciences must study the impact and effectiveness of exit counseling, annual counseling, and the online counseling tool.

Food Recovery Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2016

Food Recovery Act of 2016 This bill provides funding and establishes requirements to reduce food waste and standardize date labeling on food. The bill expands and establishes grant and loan programs to: raise awareness about wasted food and food recovery efforts to reduce the quantity of wasted food, improve cooperation between agricultural producers and emergency feeding organizations, assist schools in using food from farms that would otherwise go to waste and providing farms with compostable materials, and install facilities that include composting or anaerobic digesters that use food or crop waste to produce energy. The bill provides funds for: (1) state storage and distribution costs under the Emergency Food Assistance Program, and (2) media campaigns to decrease food waste. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish an Office of Food Recovery to coordinate programs to measure and reduce food waste. The bill specifies that composting is eligible for support under USDA's conservation programs. Companies that receive federal food service contracts must donate surplus food to nonprofit organizations that assist food-insecure people. Food Date Labeling Act of 2016 Producers, manufacturers, distributors, or retailers that place a date label on food packaging of a product must use the phrases "best if used by" to indicate food quality and the phrase "expires on" to warn of food that may be unsafe to eat after a specified date. Labelers may include a quality date on packaging, but must include a safety date on ready-to-eat products. No one may prohibit the sale, donation, or use of a product after the quality date for the product has passed.

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to parental rights.

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2016

Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment stating that: the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children is a fundamental right; the parental right to direct education includes the right to choose, as an alternative to public education, private, religious, or home schools, and the right to make reasonable choices within public schools for one's child; neither the United States nor any state shall infringe upon these rights without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served; the parental rights guaranteed by this amendment shall not be denied or abridged on account of disability; this amendment shall not be construed to apply to a parental action or decision that would end life; and no treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this amendment.

Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2016

Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2022 the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, divides career and technical education (CTE) students into CTE concentrators and CTE participants, and revises requirements for within-state funding allocations. The bill also revises requirements for core indicators of performance, including state adjusted levels of performance, to differentiate those for CTE concentrators who graduate from high school and for CTE concentrators at the postsecondary level. The Institute for Education Sciences shall act for the Department of Education (ED) to appoint the independent advisory panel on the evaluation of CTE programs. The bill revises requirements for the contents of an evaluation. ED may award grants to eligible entities, including local educational agencies and area CTE schools, to: create, develop, implement, or take to scale evidence-based, field initiated innovations, including through a pay for success initiative to improve CTE student outcomes; and evaluate such innovations rigorously. The bill reauthorizes through FY2022 grants for tribally controlled CTE institutions, and repeals the authorization for assistance for certain occupational and information activities. State plans shall be for four years instead of six years. The bill revises requirements for: such plans as well as state program improvement plans and state leadership activities; local applications for CTE programs, including a comprehensive CTE needs assessment, and local uses of funds; and state maintenance of efforts, including administrative penalties for failure to meet maintenance requirements. The bill repeals the separate mandate for tech prep education. The Government Accountability Office shall evaluate: the strategies, components, policies, and practices used by eligible agencies or eligible recipients receiving funding to assist successfully all students in pursuing and completing programs of study aligned to high-skill, high-wage occupations, as well as any specific underrepresented subgroup of students; and any challenges associated with replication of such strategies, components, policies, and practices. The Wagner-Peyser Act is amended to revise the duties of a state agency receiving federal assistance for participation in the nationwide employment statistics system of workforce and labor market information.

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the use of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to pursue independent study programs at certain educational institutions that are not institutions of higher learning.

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2016

This bill permits veterans to use Department of Veterans Affairs post-9/11 educational assistance for an accredited independent study program (including open circuit television) at an educational institution that is an area career and technical education school or a postsecondary vocational school providing postsecondary level education.

Secure the Northern Triangle Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 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 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 prohibits: (1) knowingly tracking or transmitting the location or activities of law enforcement agents with the intent to gain financially in furtherance of a violation of immigration, customs, or other border controls; and (2) destroying or damaging any physical or electronic device used by the federal government to control the border or any port of entry. 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.

National Memorial to Fallen Educators Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2016

National Memorial to Fallen Educators Act This bill designates as the "National Memorial to Fallen Educators" an existing memorial located at the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas. The memorial is not a unit of the National Park System, and its designation shall not require or allow federal funds to be expended for any purpose related to it.

NEXT STEPS IN K-12 EDUCATION: EXAMINING RECENT EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT

United States · United States House of Representatives · 23 June 2016

Removing Barriers to Person-Centered Care Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2016

Removing Barriers to Person-Centered Care Act of 2016 This bill amends title XI (General Provisions) of the Social Security Act to establish an alternative payment model for patient-centered care with respect to Medicare beneficiaries with advanced illnesses. Through the voluntary pilot program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shall enter into demonstration project agreements with advance care collaboratives to provide Medicare services in a manner that promotes accountability, coordinates services, and encourages investment in infrastructure and redesigned care processes. An "advance care collaborative" is an affiliated group of providers, physicians, or practitioners. Under the program, a participating advance care collaborative may use a pre-implementation grant to: (1) conduct a needs assessment; (2) modify, upgrade, or purchase health information technology; (3) conduct education and training; (4) hire staff to conduct care management and coordination activities; and (5) conduct other appropriate activities.  With respect to coverage and payment for services provided to a target Medicare beneficiary by a participating collaborative, CMS shall waive specified requirements related to: (1) coverage of curative care with respect to individuals receiving hospice care, (2) alternative certification for home care and hospice care, (3) coverage of skilled nursing services without an inpatient stay, and (4) coverage of home health care without homebound status. Under the program, a participating collaborative may receive payment for furnishing target Medicare beneficiaries with: (1) inpatient care as an alternative to routine hospice care, and (2) home-based respite care as an alternative to inpatient respite care. A participating collaborative shall be eligible for shared savings payments. CMS shall identify and develop a recommended set of advance care quality measures that may be tested in the pilot program.

Equity in Career and Technical Education Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2016

Equity in Career and Technical Education Act of 2016 This bill amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to require state and local educational agencies to conduct an annual equity gap assessment for career and technical education programs of study and create plans on how to reduce the gap. The "equity gap" consists of the gaps in participation and performance between students based on gender, race, and certain special populations. The bill requires states to provide professional development and technical assistance to help local educational agencies close equity gaps in career and technical education. States and local agencies that fail to make improvements in closing equity gaps must implement an improvement plan. The Department of Education (ED) may withhold funding from states that fail to show improvement in closing equity gaps. Additionally, states may withhold funding from local agencies that fail to make improvements. States must also annually report to ED on the progress of the state in closing equity gaps.

EMPOWER Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2016

Enhancing and Modernizing Pathways to Opportunity through Work, Education, and Responsibility Act of 2016 or the EMPOWER Act of 2016 This bill amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to reauthorize through FY2021: (1) state family assistance grants, (2) tribal family assistance grants, and (3) child care entitlement grants. The purposes of the TANF program are amended to include: (1) reduction of child poverty, including the incidence of children living in families with incomes of less than 50% of the poverty line; and (2) encouragement of employment entry, retention, retention, and advancement. The bill repeals the separate and higher participation rate for two-parent families (marriage penalty). The bill renames individual responsibility plans as individualized employment plans (IDPs), and revises their requirements. The bill revises mandatory work requirements to: limit the use of the caseload reduction credit in the formula for calculating a state's work participation rate, allow states to include subsidized employment in calculating participation rates, reformulate the penalty for failure to satisfy minimum participation rates, eliminate the distinction between core and non-core work activities, allow states to receive partial credit for families participating for less than the minimum hours required for work activities, allow states to request an alternative work participation rate calculation, count as a work activity certain job search activities, replace child care assistance to a community service participant as a separate work activity with job readiness assistance, eliminate the age 20 cap on participation in secondary school attendance, eliminate the limitation on the number of persons who may be treated as engaged in work because of participation in education activities, limit to six months (unless the IDP specifies otherwise) the period in which an individual shall be considered engaged in work because of participation in a job readiness activity, and count certain disabled individuals as engaged in work if participating in work activities according to the IDP. A state shall not use federal TANF funds for families with income greater than 200% of the federal poverty line. The bill establishes a minimum spending requirement on TANF core activities along with an associated penalty. The bill replaces current pre-reauthorization state-by-state reports on engagement in additional work activities and expenditures for other benefits and services with requirements that each state: establish robust performance indicators and targets, and report annually on outcomes achieved. In determining eligibility for TANF assistance or any other state program funded with qualified state expenditures, a state to which a family assistance grant is made shall exclude from: a family's financial resources the value of any funds in a qualified tuition program or a Coverdell account; and a family's income and assets any income or resources of a dependent child receiving benefits under SSAct title XVI (Supplemental Security Income).

A resolution affirming the importance of title IX, applauding the increase in educational opportunities available to women and girls, and recognizing the tremendous amount of work left to be done to further increase such opportunities.

United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2016

Recognizes the increase in educational opportunities, including in sports, for women and girls since the passage of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Commends the work of the Department of Education and the Department of Justice to ensure that students have a safe learning environment by working to ensure that schools prevent and respond to discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex, including dating violence, pregnancy, sex-stereotyping, and discrimination based on actual or perceived gender identity. Recognizes that progress must still be made to ensure that no educational institution that receives federal education funding discriminates against any persons because of their sex.

American Innovation and Competitiveness Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016

American Innovation and Competitiveness Act This bill calls on the National Science Foundation (NSF) to maintain the intellectual merit and broader impacts criteria as the basis for evaluating grant proposals in the merit review process. The NSF shall issue and periodically update policy guidance for both NSF staff and other NSF merit review process participants, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability of the outcomes made through such process. The bill renames the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research as the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and revises program requirements. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall: (1) research information systems for future cybersecurity needs; and (2) develop a process to research and identify, or if necessary, develop cryptography standards and guidelines for future cybersecurity needs, including quantum-resistant cryptography standards. The bill renames the National High Performance Computing Program as the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program and revises program requirements. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) shall define and coordinate federal research in high-energy physics. NIST shall implement a comprehensive strategic plan for laboratory programs expanding interactions with academia, international researchers, and industry, and commercial and industrial applications. The NSF shall: evaluate the existing and future needs, across all NSF-supported disciplines, for mid-scale projects; and strengthen oversight and accountability over the full life-cycle of large-scale research facility projects; and continue to review its efforts to sustain scientific efforts in the face of logistical challenges for the U.S. Antarctic Program. The Department of Commerce Office of Security shall directly manage NIST's law enforcement and security programs through an assigned Director of Security for NIST. The Office of Management and Budget shall establish an interagency working group to reduce administrative burdens of federally funded researchers while protecting the public's interest in the transparency of, and accountability for, federally funded activities. The NSF, the Department of Education, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shall establish the STEM Education Advisory Panel to advise the NSTC Committee on STEM Education on matters related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The NSF shall award grants to: increase the participation of women and underrepresented groups in STEM fields, for research to advance the engagement of students in grades kindergarten through 8 in STEM, and for establishment of at least one Center of Excellence for the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of information to increase the participation of women and groups underrepresented in STEM fields. The National Institute of Standards and Technology Act is amended to revise requirements for: NIST's post-doctoral fellowship program, and the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Federal agencies may use crowdsourcing and voluntary, collaborative citizen science to advance their missions. The Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish an interagency working group to: summarize available research and best practices on how to promote diversity and inclusions in STEM fields, and examine whether barriers exist to promoting diversity and inclusion within federal agencies employing scientists and engineers. Each federal agency shall recommend to the President how it could expand research opportunities for undergraduate students attending institutions of higher education. The NSF shall award grants for: research on computer science education and computational thinking; and Innovation Corps entrepreneurship and commercialization education, training, and mentoring.

Student Loan Interest Rate Parity Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016

Student Loan Interest Rate Parity Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reduce the interest rates on Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Federal Direct PLUS Loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2016.

National Parks for America's Children Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016

National Parks for America's Children Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior, through the National Park Service, to create a program that helps to ensure that youths from urban areas have access to the National Parks. The program shall include: an advertising strategy aimed at urban youths and transportation programs to help ensure that they have better access to National Parks, partnerships with urban schools to teach basic outdoor skills and basic nature and biology, and a grant program that helps to ensure that urban youths can afford attendance and lodging fees at the National Parks.

Personalize Your Care Act 2.0

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016

Personalize Your Care Act 2.0 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish several new programs and requirements related to end-of-life care and advance care planning. The bill establishes a demonstration program to test the use of advanced illness management and early use of palliative care under Medicare. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must make grants to eligible entities for the purpose of developing, expanding, and enhancing programs for orders for life-sustaining treatment. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shall adopt standards for electronic health records with respect to providing one-click access to specified advance care planning documentation. Under Medicare, an advance directive shall be portable across state lines and may be presumed valid regardless of where it was executed. In the absence of a validly executed advance directive, any authentic expression of a person's wishes with regard to health care shall be honored. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on the portability, electronic storage, use, and barriers to use of advance directives. The bill applies specified quality measures to end-of-life care under Medicare. CMS must report annually on specified information related to Medicare decedents. HHS shall award grants to increase public awareness of advance care planning. In addition, HHS shall award grants to eligible entities for the development and implementation of training and education programs related to advance care planning, hospice care, and palliative care. HHS must establish an advisory committee on advance care planning.

Environmental Health Workforce Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2016

Environmental Health Workforce Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop model standards and guidelines for credentialing environmental health professionals. Additionally, HHS must develop a comprehensive and coordinated plan for the environmental health workforce that: (1) includes performance measures, (2) identifies any gaps between existing programs and future environmental health workforce needs, and (3) identifies actions needed to address any identified gaps. The Government Accountability Office must identify the best practices related to training and credentialing environmental health professionals in six states. The bill also amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make environmental health professionals eligible for loan forgiveness programs from the Department of Education.

Digital GAP Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2016

Digital Global Access Policy Act of 2016 or the Digital GAP Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: the title of the Department of State's Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment should be changed to Under Secretary for Economics, Energy, the Environment, and Cyberspace; the State Department should designate an Assistant Secretary for Technology, International Communications, and Cyberspace to lead diplomatic cyberspace policy for Internet access, governance, and freedom, telecommunications networks and communications technology, and cybersecurity; and the U.S. Agency for International Development should integrate efforts to expand Internet access, develop appropriate technologies, and enhance digital literacy into its education, development, and economic growth programs, and promote protection of the personal information of people served by humanitarian, disaster, and development programs. The Peace Corps Act is amended to express the sense of Congress that the Peace Corps should develop volunteer positions focused on leveraging technology for development, education, and social and economic mobility. The President is urged to direct U.S. representatives to international bodies to advocate for: (1) increasing efforts to promote gender-equitable Internet access, (2) standardizing inclusion of broadband conduit-fiber optic cables, and (3) providing technical assistance to remove investment barriers and strengthen market growth. The President shall transmit plans to Congress to promote U.S. and U.S.-funded agency partnerships with the private and public sectors to provide Internet access or infrastructure in developing countries. The President is urged to include in the next White House Cyberspace Strategy information relating to: (1) Internet access, (2) cybersecurity policy, and (3) principles of global Internet freedom.

Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017

United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2016

Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 Provides FY2017 appropriations for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and related agencies. Provides appropriations to Interior for: the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education. Provides appropriations to Interior for Departmental Offices, including: the Office of the Secretary, Insular Affairs, the Office of the Solicitor, the Office of Inspector General, and the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians. Provides appropriations to Interior for Department-Wide Programs, including: Wildland Fire Management, the FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Fund, the Central Hazardous Materials Fund, the Natural Resources Damage Assessment Fund, and the Working Capital Fund. Provides appropriations to the EPA. Provides appropriations to the Department of Agriculture for the Forest Service. Provides appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for: the Indian Health Service, the National Institutes of Health for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Provides appropriations to other related agencies, including: the Executive Office of the President for the Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Environmental Quality; the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation; the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development; the Smithsonian Institution; the National Gallery of Art; the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities, including the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities; the Commission of Fine Arts; the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; the National Capital Planning Commission; and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Sets forth permissible and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.

Family Leave for Parental Involvement in Education Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2016

Family Leave for Parental Involvement in Education Act This bill entitles an employee covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to take up to 8 hours during any 30-day period, and up to 48 hours during any 12-month period, of parental involvement leave to participate in or attend school conferences or activities sponsored by a school or community organization and related to a program attended by the employee's child or grandchild. An employee may elect, or an employer may require, substitution of any of the employee's paid or family leave or paid medical or sick leave for any leave allowed under this bill. Nothing in this bill shall require an employer to grant paid sick leave or paid medical leave in situations where the employer would not normally grant it. The bill imposes on the employee requesting leave certain notification requirements. An employer may require certification supporting such requests. The bill also applies the parental involvement and family wellness leave allowance to federal employees.

HBCU Capital Financing Improvement Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2016

HBCU Capital Financing Improvement Act This bill amends title III (Institutional Aid) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the HBCU Capital Financing Program. [The program guarantees low-cost private loans to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to finance infrastructure repairs, maintenance, and construction.] It replaces statutory references to "escrow account" with "bond insurance fund." The bill authorizes the Department of Education to provide financial counseling that prepares an eligible HBCU to qualify for, apply for, and maintain a capital improvement loan. Finally, it revises and expands reporting requirements for the HBCU Capital Financing Advisory Board.

Accessing Higher Education Opportunities Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2016

Accessing Higher Education Opportunities Act This bill amends title V (Developing Institutions) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand grant activities under the Hispanic Serving Institutions program to include: (1) support programs that facilitate student advancement to doctoral degree programs in health care occupations, and (2) developing or expanding access to dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high school programs.

Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2016

Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education (ED) to use tax information from the second preceding tax year (the "prior, prior year") to determine a student's financial aid eligibility. It requires data sharing between ED and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), pursuant to taxpayer consent. The bill revises the annual adjustment percentage calculation used to determine the total maximum Federal Pell Grant award by measuring inflation over the most recent fiscal year instead of calendar year. ED must develop and maintain a consumer-tested technology tool to allow a federal financial aid applicant to complete and submit electronic forms (e.g., the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) using a mobile device. Additionally, ED must make every effort to use IRS data to automatically populate the electronic forms with tax return information.

Recognizing American Children Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2016

Recognizing American Children Act This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional nonimmigrant for an initial five-year period the status of, an alien who: was younger than 16 years old when he or she initially entered the United States and who has been physically present in the United States since January 1, 2010; is a person of good moral character; is not inadmissible or deportable on specified grounds under the Immigration and Nationality Act; has not participated in the persecution of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion; has not been convicted of certain offenses under federal or state law; is 18 years or older and has earned a high school diploma, general education development certificate, or high school equivalency diploma in the United States, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has a valid work authorization; and has never been under a final order of exclusion, deportation, or removal unless the alien has remained in the United States under color of law after such order's issuance or received the order before attaining the age of 18. An alien applying for relief under this bill shall: (1) register under the Military Selective Service Act if so required, (2) undergo a medical examination, (3) submit biometric and biographic data, and (4) complete security and law enforcement background checks. Conditional nonimmigrant status shall include employment and military enlistment authorization. DHS shall terminate the conditional nonimmigrant status of an alien who is at least 18 years old and who: (1) is an enlistee who fails to enlist or be accepted for enlistment or who receives a dishonorable or other than honorable military discharge; (2) becomes a public charge; (3) is a postsecondary student who fails to enroll or to remain so enrolled in an accredited U.S. institution of higher education; (4) fails to meet employment requirements; or (5) ceases to be a person of good moral character, becomes inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds, has participated in racial, religious, social, or political persecution, or has been convicted of certain federal or state offenses. DHS shall extend such conditional status for an additional five-year period if the alien: (1) has demonstrated good moral character; (2) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds, has not participated in racial, religious, social, or political persecution, and has not been convicted of certain federal or state offenses; (3) has not abandoned U.S. residency; and (4) is at least 18 years old and has graduated from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education, satisfied certain employment requirements, or served in the Armed Forces on active duty status for at least three years and, if discharged, received an honorable discharge. A conditional nonimmigrant may file an application to adjust his or her status to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence during a specified period. Such application must show that the alien: (1) has demonstrated good moral character; (2) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds, has not participated in racial, religious, social, or political persecution, and has not been convicted of certain federal or state offenses; and (3) has not abandoned U.S. residency. An alien who adjusts to permanent resident status may apply for naturalization upon compliance with all immigration law requirements.

A resolution designating June 20, 2016, as "American Eagle Day" and celebrating the recovery and restoration of the bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States.

United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2016

Designates June 20, 2016, as American Eagle Day. Applauds the issuance of bald eagle commemorative coins by the Department of the Treasury as a way to generate funds for the protection of the bald eagle. Encourages entities with an interest in conserving endangered species to collaborate and develop educational tools for use in the public schools.

National Flood Research and Education Center Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016

National Flood Research and Education Center Act This bill 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. The purposes of NFREC are listed, 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. The bill sets forth criteria for selection of a lead partner institution and consortium members. NFREC must: (1) partner with the U.S. Geological Survey 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. Review and reporting requirements are set forth. NFREC must establish and make information available on a website. NFREC may 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.

Local Education Freedom Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016

Local Education Freedom Act of 2016 This bill requires a state to carry out an education voucher program as a condition of receiving federal funds for elementary and secondary education. Through the program, a parent of an eligible child may enter into an agreement with a state educational agency (SEA) if the child's school receives federal funds on the condition of implementing a federal mandate with which the parent disagrees. An SEA shall: (1) provide an education savings account to each eligible child whose parent enters into such an agreement, and (2) disburse to each account an amount equal to the state's average per-pupil expenditure. The funds in an education savings account may be used only for: tuition and fees for a qualifying provider; textbooks, supplemental materials, and supplies; specified examination fees; transportation; a contribution to a qualified tuition program or specified education savings account; and other education expenses approved by the SEA. A "qualifying provider" is an SEA-approved entity that complies with specified requirements and is: (1) a public or nonpublic school; (2) a home school, provided that the eligible child was enrolled in a public school during the previous academic year; (3) a tutoring facility; (4) a provider of distance learning or specialized instructional support services; or (5) an institution of higher education. In general, a qualified provider may not discriminate against program participants or applicants on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex. However, the prohibition on sex discrimination shall not apply to religiously affiliated providers to the extent that such application is inconsistent with the provider's religious tenets or beliefs.

American Dream Promise Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016

American Dream Promise Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the eligibility requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) to participate in federal student aid programs. Specifically, an IHE that participates in title IV federal student aid programs must not deny admission to a student on the basis of that student's immigration or naturalization status.

FIFA Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016

Fairness in Financial Aid Act or the FIFA Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Internal Revenue Code to revise the Free Application for Federal Student Aid application process. Specifically, it allows a tax payer identification number to be used in place of a social security number in the application.

Get Veterans a Doctor Now Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016

Get Veterans a Doctor Now Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to offer a contingent physician's appointment to a person who, upon completion of a post-graduate training program, completes a residency program within two years after the VA offer. Eligibility requirements for a VA physician's appointment, including a contingency appointment, are revised to require completion of a residency program rather than an internship. The VA shall ensure that a recruiter or other similar official of each Veterans Integrated Service Network visits, at least annually, each allopathic and osteopathic teaching institution with a graduate medical education program within the Network to recruit individuals for the Veterans Health Administration.

Addiction Prevention and Responsible Opioid Practices Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016

Addiction Prevention and Responsible Opioid Practices Act This bill addresses prescription opioid misuse. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must: (1) seek recommendations concerning opioid drugs from an FDA advisory committee relating to the approval of a new drug that is an opioid, and the labeling of opioid drugs for pediatric prescriptions; (2) develop recommendations for education programs for prescribers of opioids; and (3) issue guidance for labeling that deters opioid abuse. The bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by requiring manufacturers of opioid drugs to ensure that certain information about the risk factors associated with opioid drugs are included on the drug labels. The bill amends the Controlled Substances Act by: (1) addressing annual narcotic manufacturing quotas with respect to fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, and hydromorphone; and (2) directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to require medical practitioners to complete a training program on prescribing opioids for chronic pain before they are certified to prescribe controlled substances in schedule II, III, or IV. The bill establishes requirements for prescription drug monitoring systems to prevent over-prescribing controlled substances. The Department of Health and Human Services must: (1) submit a plan of action for addressing outliers in opioid prescribing practices and ensuring an adequate response to protect the public health, and (2) study the expansion of Medicare coverage for alternatives to opioid treatments. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on manufacturers or producers of opioid pain relievers. A portion of the amount generated from the tax must be used for substance abuse treatment programs. DOJ must establish a take-back program for the safe and environmentally responsible disposal of controlled substances.