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351 records in US in 2014
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2014
Congratulates the educational professionals, students, and alumni of Webster University for 100 years of excellence in higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2014
Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2015 and 2016 - Authorizes FY2015-FY2016 appropriations for the Coast Guard. Authorizes: (1) specified levels of end-of-year strength for active duty personnel and military training student loads; (2) leasing of submerged lands and tidelands under the control of the Coast Guard for periods longer than five years; (3) the establishment of an Interagency Arctic Maritime Domain Awareness Committee; and (4) the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to construct or lease hangar, berthing, and messing facilities in the Arctic Region and Bering Sea-Aleutian Islands operating area. Requires the Coast Guard to be the sole supplier of icebreaking services to federal agencies, unless the Coast Guard is unable to provide the services. Amends policies related to Coast Guard personnel and their families, including retirement, employment, debt cancelation, child care, education, orders to return to active duty for emergencies, medical care reimbursements, and housing. Increases specified fines and penalties. Requires the Secretary to provide prompt notice of casualties to state and tribal governments. Applies the Coast Guard's drug testing reporting requirements to applicants for federal employment. Establishes a Support of Seafarers Fund. Requires the Secretary to publish a final rule implementing the proposed rule "Vessel Requirements for Notices of Arrival and Departure, and Automatic Identification System." Amends provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) related to area contingency plans for the discharge of oil and hazardous substances Sets forth provisions concerning the Coast Guard's response to oil spills.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2014
Servicemember Higher Education Protection Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to direct: the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to create a revised and searchable website with information about all federal and state student financial assistance programs available to servicemembers, veterans, and their families; the Secretary to create a simplified federal student loan disclosure and enrollment form for borrowers who are performing eligible military service; the Chief Operating Officer of the Performance-Based Organization established in the Department of Education to appoint a military and veteran point of contact, within the office of the Student Loan Ombudsman, to help ensure that servicemembers, veterans, and their families receive the loan benefits and protections to which they are entitled; the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Secretary to ensure that the federal student loans of a servicemember or veteran who has been assigned a disability rating of 100% are automatically discharged; the Secretary to work with the Commissioner of Revenue (IRS) and DOD to ensure that interest does not accrue on the Federal Direct Loans of borrowers who are performing eligible military service in an area of hostilities that qualifies them for special pay; the Secretary to incorporate the military and veteran status of borrowers in the National Student Loan Data system; an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) that enrolls more than 100 students who are veterans to certify that it has developed and implemented a plan to ensure the success of veterans at that IHE; and the Secretary to use information the Secretary receives from DOD regarding the active duty status of borrowers to ensure that the interest rate charged servicemembers on a Federal Direct Loan does not exceed the maximum interest rate allowed under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Defers payments on student loans under title IV (Student Assistance) of the HEA: (1) during the period a borrower is performing eligible military service and for the 180-day period following the servicemember's demobilization date; and (2) for any period of up to 180 days after the movement date of a borrower's spouse if that spouse is a servicemember who has received military orders for a permanent change of station. Defines "eligible military service." Qualifies recipients of Federal Perkins Loans for loan forgiveness for eligible military service. (Currently, the service must occur in an area of hostilities that qualifies the servicemember for special pay.) Treats a borrower who is enrolled in a public service employee repayment plan and who makes a lump sum payment through a student loan repayment program for servicemembers or a similarly structured repayment program as having made a number of qualifying monthly payments under the public service employee repayment plan. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to set a 6% limitation on the interest rate that can be charged a servicemember during the servicemember's military service and one year thereafter on the student loans incurred by the servicemember prior to his or her military service, including student loans incurred prior to such service but consolidated or refinanced during that service. Requires DOD, the Secretary, the VA, and the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to jointly establish and maintain a working group to assess and improve the resources available to education service officers and other federal personnel who provide assistance to servicemembers and their spouses in using or seeking to use the DOD's tuition assistance programs.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2014
Truth in Obamacare Accounting Act - Requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide regular estimates of the net effect that enactment and implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 had on direct spending, revenue, and the deficit. Requires CBO to include the estimates in each annual and revised report on the budget and economic outlook prepared pursuant to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2014
Equity in Law Enforcement Act of 2014 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) expand the definition of "public service officer," for purposes of provisions concerning public safety officer death benefits, to include a law enforcement officer serving a private institution of higher education in an official capacity, or a rail police officer employed by a rail carrier, who is sworn, licensed, or certified under the laws of a state for the purposes of law enforcement (applicable to a personal injury sustained in the line of duty by a public safety officer on or after April 15, 2013); (2) authorize the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to make grants to such institutions and carriers for the purchase of armor vests for such officers; and (3) include such institutions and carriers among entities eligible for contracts or subawards under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2014
Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program to refinance the unpaid principal, accrued unpaid interest, and late charges on: (1) the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (DLs) of qualified borrowers if the DLs were first disbursed or, in the case of Direct Consolidation Loans, applied for, before July 1, 2013; and (2) the Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) of qualified borrowers as DLs. (FFELs were not disbursed after June 30, 2010.) Refinances the FFELs as Federal Direct Stafford, Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, or Consolidated Loans depending on the categorization of the FFEL as a Stafford, Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, or Consolidated Loan. Sets the interest rate on the refinanced loans, other than the Federal Direct Consolidation Loans, at the rate for the 12 months beginning on July 1, 2013, based on: (1) the DL's categorization; and (2) in the case of Stafford Loans, whether the loan was issued to an undergraduate or graduate student. Determines a refinanced Consolidation Loan's interest rate by: (1) weighing the proportion of the unpaid balance of the Consolidation Loan that each component loan represents, (2) setting the interest rate on each component loan at the lesser of the rate on the component loan for the 12 months beginning on July 1, 2013, or its original rate, and (3) applying the weighted average of the interest rates on those loans as the interest rate on the Consolidation Loan. Fixes the interest rate on the refinanced loans for the period of such loans. Directs the Secretary to establish eligibility requirements that are based on a borrower's income or debt-to-income ratio and that take into consideration providing access to refinancing for borrowers who have the greatest financial need. Requires the Secretary to establish a program to refinance the unpaid principal, accrued unpaid interest, and late charges on private education loans as Federal Direct Refinanced Private Loans if the private education loans were first disbursed to qualified borrowers before July 1, 2013, and were for their postsecondary educational expenses. Sets the interest rate on Federal Direct Refinanced Private Loans at the rate applicable for the 12 months beginning on July 1, 2013, to: (1) Direct Stafford and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans issued to undergraduates if the private education loan was issued for undergraduate expenses, (2) Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans issued to graduate or professional students if the private education loan was issued for graduate or professional studies, or (3) Direct PLUS Loans if the private education loan was issued for undergraduate and graduate or professional studies. Fixes the interest rate on such loans for the period of such loans. Directs the Secretary to establish eligibility requirements that: (1) are based on a borrower's income or debt-to-income ratio and take into consideration providing access to refinancing for borrowers who have the greatest financial need, (2) ensure eligibility only for borrowers in good standing, (3) minimize inequities between Federal Direct Refinanced Private Loans and other federal student loans, and (4) preclude windfall profits for private educational lenders. Requires qualified borrowers of such loans to undergo loan counseling before their private education loan is refinanced. Requires private educational lenders to report specified loan information to the Secretary, Congress, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in order to allow for an assessment of the private education loan market. Directs the Secretary to undertake a campaign to alert borrowers that they may be eligible for refinancing under this Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require an individual taxpayer whose adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million to pay a minimum tax rate of 30% of the excess of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income over the taxpayer's modified charitable contribution deduction for the taxable year (tentative fair share tax). Establishes the amount of such tax as the excess (if any) of the tentative fair share tax over the excess of: (1) the sum of the taxpayer's regular tax liability, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) amount, and the payroll tax for the taxable year; over (2) certain tax credits. Provides for a phase-in of such tax. Requires an inflation adjustment to the $1 million income threshold for taxable years beginning after 2015. Requires the Secretary to terminate this Act's refinancing programs on the earlier of the date: (1) when the net cost of carrying out the programs is equal to the Secretary's estimate of the amount of additional revenue generated during the 10-year period beginning on the date of this Act's enactment due to the fair share tax, or (2) that is two years after this Act's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2014
Special Inspector General for Monitoring the ACA Act of 2014 or the SIGMA Act of 2014 - Establishes the Office of the Special Inspector General for Monitoring the Affordable Care Act to conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations of the implementation and administration of programs and activities established under, and payment system changes made by, the Affordable Care Act (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010). Requires the Special Inspector General to be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Requires the Special Inspector General to appoint an Assistant Inspector General for Auditing and an Assistant Inspector General for Investigations. Places the Special Inspector General under the supervision of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), but prohibits federal agencies involved in implementing or administering the Affordable Care Act from preventing or prohibiting the Special Inspector General from initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2014
Employer Participation in Refinancing Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an exclusion from gross income for the payment of an employer, either to an employee or a lender, of any indebtedness of an employee under a qualified education refinance loan or any interest relating to such a loan. Defines "qualified education refinance loan" as any indebtedness used solely to refinance a qualified education loan with respect to which the lender offers the borrower protection in the event of unemployment or financial hardship.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2014
Ensuring Veterans' Resiliency Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a three-year pilot program to repay the loans used to finance the education expenses related to psychiatric medicine of certain individuals who demonstrate a commitment to long-term careers as psychiatrists in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Requires those individuals to be: (1) licensed or eligible for licensure to practice psychiatric medicine in the VHA, or (2) enrolled in the final year of a residency program leading to a specialty qualification in psychiatric medicine that is approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Directs the Secretary to select at least 10 individuals each year to participate in the program. Requires program participants to agree to a period of obligated service with the VHA in the field of psychiatric medicine. Prohibits the Secretary from paying more than $60,000 on behalf of an individual for each year of obligated service the individual agrees to serve. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study of pay disparities among VHA psychiatrists. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a pilot program providing a monthly housing allowance to individuals who: (1) are health care providers, (2) are or agree to become VHA employees on a full-time basis in a health care position designated by the Secretary, and (3) accept an assignment in such position for at least 36 months at a rural or highly rural community-based outpatient clinic selected by the Secretary. Provides bonus housing allowances to participants who complete the 36 months of service and to those who complete additional one-year or two-year terms of service.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2014
Constitutional Amendment - States that the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children is a fundamental right. Declares further that the parental right to direct education includes the right to choose public, private, religious, or home schools, and the right to make reasonable choices within public schools for one's child. States that neither the United States nor any state shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest, as applied to the person, is of the highest order and not otherwise served. Prohibits this article from being construed to apply to a parental action or decision that would end life. Declares that 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.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2014
Ensuring Veterans Access to Care Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) implement an upgraded and centralized electronic system for scheduling individuals' appointments for VA health care, and (2) contract for an independent assessment of the process at each VA medical facility for scheduling such appointments. Sets forth measures concerning the training and hiring of VA health personnel that: protect primary care physicians from liability for failing to perform their period of obligated service under the Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program due to VA staffing changes or an oversupply of primary care physicians; allow individuals, as part of that Program, to enroll in the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences to pursue a medical education with a primary care specialization; require the Secretary to annually identify the five VA health care occupations for which there are the largest staffing shortages, to recruit and appoint health care providers to those positions, and to give scholarship priority under the Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program to applicants pursuing careers in those occupations; direct the Secretary to implement a clinic management training program to provide in-person, standardized education on health care management to all managers of, and health care providers at, VA medical facilities; and include service at VA medical facilities as obligated service under the National Health Service Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs. Establishes measures to improve veterans' access to health care from non-VA providers by: requiring the Secretary to make enhanced use of the Secretary's existing authorities to give veterans access to health care at non-VA facilities if they cannot get timely access to care at VA health facilities; extending a joint Department of Defense (DOD)-VA program to identify, implement, and evaluate creative health care coordination and sharing initiatives at facility, intraregional, and nationwide levels; requiring the Secretary to transfer the authority to pay for health care through non-VA facilities from the VA's Veterans Integrated Service Networks and medical centers to the Veterans Health Administration's Chief Business Office; requiring the Secretary to provide outreach to Indian medical facilities regarding their ability to enter into agreements with the VA for reimbursement for providing veterans with health care; requiring the Secretary to enter into agreements to reimburse Native Hawaiian health care systems for the provision of health care to veterans. Sets forth VA health care administrative matters, which include: requiring the Secretary to improve veterans' access to telemedicine and other health care through the use of VA mobile vet centers by establishing standardized requirements for the operation of such centers, establishing the Commission on Access to Care, establishing the Commission on Capital Planning for Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facilities, and authorizing the Secretary to remove any individual from the Senior Executive Service if the Secretary determines that the individual's performance warrants such removal. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out certain major medical facility leases at specified locations for up to specified amounts. Sets forth requirements for the budgetary treatment of such leases.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2014
Congratulates the educational professionals, students, and alumni of Webster University for 100 years of excellence in higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2014
Restoring Veterans Trust Act of 2014 - Revises veterans' benefit programs to address: veterans' access to medical care, including through measures that address the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA's) scheduling and performance management systems, VA health facility staffing shortages, and veterans' access to covered care at non-VA facilities; the expansion and extension of certain health care benefits, including caregiver support services, immunizations, chiropractic care, and treatment for traumatic brain injury; health care administration, including by extending the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Professional Scholarship Program; complementary and alternative medicine; mental health care; dental care eligibility and expansion, including by requiring the creation of a program of education to promote veterans' dental health; health care related to sexual trauma, including by requiring the provision of counseling and treatment to members of the Armed Forces and the development of a screening mechanism to detect incidents of domestic abuse; reproductive treatment and services, including by requiring the provision of fertility counseling and adoption assistance to severely wounded veterans; major medical facility leases; survivor and dependent matters, including the provision of benefits to the children of certain veterans who are born with spina bifida; education matters, including the approval of courses for purposes of the All-Volunteer Force and the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance programs; the extension of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs' authority to provide the same rehabilitation and vocational benefits to members of the Armed Forces with severe injuries or illnesses as are provided to veterans; veterans' employment, including employment within the federal government; sanctions for federal contractors who repeatedly violate the employment and reemployment rights of members of the Armed Forces; small business matters, including contracting and subcontracting participation goals with federal departments and agencies; administrative matters, including by requiring the Secretary to establish regional support centers for Veterans Integrated Service Networks; the processing of disability claims, including those based on military sexual trauma, as well as claims for pensions and dependency and indemnity compensation; the manner in which hearings before the Board of Veterans' Appeals are to be conducted; certain rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, including protections regarding the expiration of professional licenses, the denial of credit or the termination of residential leases due to military service, and mortgage foreclosures against surviving spouses; and outreach and miscellaneous matters, including the repeal of a provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces who are under age 62.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2014
Carl Levin National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 - Authorizes FY2015 appropriations for military activities of the Department of Defense (DOD), military construction, and for national security activities of the Department of Energy (DOE). Authorizes military personnel strengths for FY2015. Authorizes FY2015 appropriations to DOD for: procurement, including aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and other procurement; research, development, test, and evaluation; operation and maintenance; military personnel; working capital funds; the National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund; chemical agents and munitions destruction; drug interdiction and counter-drug activities; the Office of the Inspector General; the Defense Health Program; and overseas contingency operations. Sets forth provisions or requirements concerning: end strengths for active and reserve forces; military personnel policy, including education and training, sexual assault prevention and response, and military justice and legal matters; military pay and allowances; military health care; acquisition policy and management, including major defense acquisition programs; DOD organization and management; financial matters; counter-drug activities; counterterrorism; civilian personnel matters; matters relating to foreign nations, including assistance and training; cooperative threat reduction; nuclear forces; space, intelligence, and cyberspace related matters; and military construction and military family housing. Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2015 for military construction for the Armed Forces and defense agencies. Authorizes appropriation for FY2015 to the Department of Energy for national security programs.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Building Understanding, Investment, Learning, and Direction Career and Technical Education Act of 2014 or the BUILD Career and Technical Education Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive two-year grants to local educational agencies to support career and technical education exploration programs that provide middle and high school students with experiential learning opportunities that are connected to their education and career pathways. Requires grant funds to be used for: (1) leasing, purchasing, upgrading, or adapting equipment related to program activities; (2) staff expenses in coordinating or implementing program activities; (3) consultation services that are directly aligned to program goals; (4) professional development programs that are aligned to program goals; (5) minor remodeling to accommodate program equipment; and/or (6) program evaluation. Requires each grantee to develop a plan to evaluate grant activities that includes an evaluation of specified outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Prohibits federal funds from being used to enter into agreements with, make grants or awards to, or provide loans or loan guarantees to institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in a boycott of the Israeli government, economy, or academia. Terminates the application of that prohibition to an IHE that the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, determines has ceased participating in such a boycott.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Promoting Healthy Minds for Safer Communities Act of 2014 - Title I: Strengthening and Improving Intervention Efforts - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program to award grants to states, political subdivisions, or nonprofit private entities for the expansion of mental health crisis assistance programs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed, and age appropriate. Requires a comprehensive school mental health program funded under this Act to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence. Makes only a partnership between a local educational agency and at least one community program or agency that is involved in mental health eligible for such funding. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with at least one relevant community-based entity that clearly states how school-employed mental health professionals will be utilized and the responsibilities of each partner; (2) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires grantees to comply with the health information privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures. Amends the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 to: (1) expand the assistance provided under such Act, and (2) reauthorize appropriations for FY2015-FY2019. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to establish or expand: (1) veterans treatment court programs, which involve collaboration among criminal justice, veterans, and mental health and substance abuse agencies to provide qualified veterans (preliminarily qualified offenders who were discharged from the armed forces under conditions other than dishonorable) with intensive judicial supervision and case management, treatment services, alternatives to incarceration, and other appropriate services, including housing, transportation, job training, education, and assistance in obtaining benefits; (2) peer to peer services or programs to assist such veterans in obtaining treatment, recovery, stabilization, or rehabilitation; (3) practices that identify and provide treatment, rehabilitation, legal, transitional, and other appropriate services to such veterans who have been incarcerated; and (4) training programs to teach criminal justice, law enforcement, corrections, mental health, and substance abuse personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving such veterans. Revises the definition of "preliminarily qualified offender" to include, in the case of a veterans treatment court program, an adult or juvenile accused of an offense who has been diagnosed with, or manifests obvious signs of, mental illness or a substance abuse disorder or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorder. Removes a requirement that the adult or juvenile be accused of a nonviolent offense. Requires preliminarily qualified offenders to be unanimously approved for participation in a collaboration program by, when appropriate, the relevant prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, probation or corrections official, judge, and representative from the relevant mental health agency. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to enhance the capabilities of a correctional facility to: (1) identify and screen for mentally ill inmates; (2) plan and provide assessments of the clinical, medical, and social needs of inmates and appropriate treatment and services that address mental health and substance abuse needs; (3) develop, implement, and enhance post-release transition plans that coordinate services and public benefits, the availability of mental health care and substance abuse treatment services, alternatives to solitary confinement and segregated housing, and mental health screening and treatment for inmates placed in solitary confinement or segregated housing; and (4) train employees in identifying and responding to incidents involving inmates with mental health disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) award not more than six grants per year to applicants for the purpose of reducing the use of public services by mentally ill individuals who consume a significantly disproportionate quantity of public resources, and (2) make grants to provide support for programs that teach law enforcement personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving persons with such disorders. Directs the Attorney General to give priority in awarding grants for adult or juvenile collaboration programs to applications that: (1) propose interventions that have been shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism, and (2) use validated assessment tools to target preliminarily qualified offenders with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a need for treatment and services. Title II: Improving Mental Health Research - Directs the Secretary to expand research on self-directed and other-directed violence associated with mental illness. Title III: Understanding the Epidemic of Gun Violence - Requires the Secretary to expand: (1) the National Violent Death Reporting System to all 50 states, and (2) research and grants of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address gun violence. Authorizes FY2015-FY2019 appropriations for CDC research and grants. Title IV: Mental Health and Access to Firearms - Amends federal criminal code prohibitions on the sale, purchase, transport, or possession of firearms or ammunition to: (1) specify that prohibitions with respect to persons committed to a mental institution apply to persons committed on an involuntary inpatient or involuntary outpatient basis, and (2) expand the prohibitions to persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of stalking. Expands the definition of: (1) "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include offenses by children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, or dating partners; and (2) "intimate partner" to include such individuals as well as parents and guardians. (Thus, adds such individuals to the categories of persons that may be prohibited from possessing or receiving guns under domestic violence laws.) Authorizes the Attorney General to reserve not more than 5% of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds for grants to states that: (1) give state and local law enforcement the authority to seize firearms or ammunition from an individual pursuant to a warrant, where there is probable cause to believe the individual possessing such firearms or ammunition poses an elevated risk of harm to himself or herself or to another individual; or (2) temporarily prohibit an individual involuntarily hospitalized for mental illness on an emergency basis from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Directs the Attorney General to establish a system for the prompt notification of state and local enforcement agencies when the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) notifies a licensed dealer that an individual attempting to obtain a firearm is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal or state law. Title V: Restoration - Amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to set forth requirements for persons adjudicated to have a mental disorder or committed to a mental institution to apply for relief (restoration of firearm ownership rights) after one year by submitting an opinion of a psychiatrist or licensed clinical psychologist in order to seek a determination by the adjudicating agency that the person no longer manifests the symptoms that elevate the risk of harm. Title VI: Submission of Mental Health Records to National Instant Criminal Background Check System - Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to report annually to Congress regarding the number of persons reported by each state to NICS who are prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm based on a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Reauthorizes the national criminal history improvement program for FY2015-FY2018. Requires the Attorney General to establish a four-year implementation plan for each state or Indian tribal government desiring a grant to improve the automation and transmittal to federal and state repositories of: (1) mental health records and criminal history dispositions, (2) records relevant to determining whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, (3) court orders, and (4) mental health adjudications or commitments. Requires each federal agency in possession of records relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under specified circumstances to make such records, updated at least quarterly, available to the Attorney General for use in NICS background checks. Directs HHS, under HIPAA, to allow states to make information concerning persons adjudicated as a mental defective or those committed to mental institutions available for NICS.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Reducing Barriers for Veterans Education Act of 2014 - Makes an individual who is eligible for educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance program eligible for assistance with the fees for applying to institutions of higher education (IHEs). Sets the amount of such assistance payable to an individual at the lesser of: (1) the total application fees charged to the individual by the IHEs, or (2) $750.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Safeguarding Classrooms Hurt by ObamaCare's Obligatory Levies - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude any elementary or secondary school, state or local educational agency, and institution of higher education from the definition of "applicable large employer" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide health care coverage for employees. Directs the Secretary of Education to study and report on the impact of the employer health insurance mandate on educational agencies and institutions before and after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014
Creating Hope and Opportunity for Individuals and Communities through Education Act or the CHOICE Act - Amends the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to: (1) require the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to use funds appropriated under the Act that are carried over from one fiscal year to the next to provide opportunity scholarships to eligible students who have not yet received them; and (2) include among the eligibility criteria for such a scholarship a requirement that a student in the District of Columbia is enrolled, or will be enrolled for the next school year, in a public or private elementary or secondary school. (Opportunity scholarships are provided to low-income students in the District of Columbia to enable them to attend the District of Columbia private elementary or secondary school of their choice.) Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to allow states that have established a program allowing the parents of disabled children to use public or private funds to send their children to a private school to use their allocation of special education funds to supplement those funds. Authorizes grants for the improvement of special education services to be used for the planning, design, and initial implementation, during a period of up to three years, of state programs that allow the parents of a disabled child to make a genuine independent choice of the appropriate public or private school for their child. Sets forth requirements for those programs, including that they: (1) permit parents to receive state funds to pay some or all of the costs of their disabled child's attendance at the selected school, or (2) permit persons to receive a state tax credit for donations to an entity that provides funds to enable parents to pay some or all of the costs of their disabled child's attendance at that school. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to carry out a five-year pilot program to award scholarships to enable military dependent students who live on military installations to attend the public or private elementary or secondary schools their parents choose rather than those assigned to them. Requires the Secretary of Defense to select at least five military installations to participate in the program and choose those where military students would most benefit from expanded education options. Directs the Secretary of Defense to use a random process to select scholarship recipients if more students apply for the scholarships than can be accommodated. Requires the Secretary to return to the Treasury specified amounts made available for Department of Education salaries and expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014
Partnerships for Affordability and Student Success Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require states, for academic year 2014 and each of the succeeding four academic years, to maintain their support for: (1) institutions of higher education (IHEs) (excluding support for capital projects, research and development, or tuition and fees paid by students) at least at the level of such support for academic year 2012, and (2) student postsecondary financial aid at least at the level of such support for academic year 2012. Directs the Secretary of Education to waive those requirements if such a waiver would be appropriate due to exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances. Replaces the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership program with a program that allots matching incentive grants to states, based on each state's share of students eligible for Federal Pell Grants, to assist states in: providing need-based grants to students attending IHEs or participating in study abroad programs approved for credit by the IHEs, providing subgrants to IHEs or consortia of IHEs to improve student outcomes and to develop and implement practices that reduce costs for students, and providing public accountability and consumer information on the performance of IHEs in the state. Requires each state grantee to have a comprehensive plan for public postsecondary education that: has measurable goals for student outcomes, including enrollment, participation, and completion rates; has measurable college affordability goals; is aligned with the state's workforce and economic development plan; is aligned with the state's elementary and secondary education plan; and addresses the postsecondary education needs of unserved and underserved individuals, including those who are beyond the traditional college age. Requires each state grantee to report annually to the public on its progress in meeting its public postsecondary education goals and comprehensive plan for public higher education. Allows private, nonprofit IHEs to participate on a voluntary basis in a state's comprehensive plan for postsecondary education. Requires at least 70% of the funds allocated to a state to be reserved for need-based grants to students.
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014
Fit for LIFE Act of 2014 - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make grants to create or expand the offering of an innovative food distribution project that: serves a low-income area or one that is a food desert (an area without ready access to fresh, healthful, and affordable food) or food swamp (an area with an abundance of less healthful food options); is not supermarket-based; provides free or low-cost delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables; provides for the acquisition of produce trucks to distribute food without service or delivery charges; or provides for the establishment of a community food market at which fresh fruits and vegetables are sold at a low cost. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to: (1) expand the availability of free fruits and vegetables in elementary and secondary schools, child care centers, and family child care homes; (2) expand summer food service programs for children; and (3) establish a program providing nutritious food to at-risk school children on weekends and during extended school holidays during the school year. Directs the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to study physical activity by juveniles in juvenile justice facilities and the nutritional quality of meals and snacks served in the facilities. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a grant program to enable local and tribal governments to conduct food security assessments. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of HHS to establish programs to reduce and prevent obesity in children. Requires the Secretaries of Education and HHS to award grants for health and fitness programs in secondary schools in low-income communities. Requires the Secretary of HHS to award grants to states for a community navigator program. Expands coverage of obesity treatment and prevention programs and services in federal programs. Establishes the National Commission on Child Obesity. Sets forth grant programs to increase physical activity in low-income communities and schools and prevent childhood obesity, including through the upgrading of educational facilities and child care centers and community use of elementary and secondary school buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014
Bullying Redress and Verified Enforcement Act or the BRAVE Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require the employees of local educational agencies (LEAs) who become aware of bullying to report to an LEA-designated individual, within seven business days: (1) the acts that constituted bullying; (2) the protected characteristic of the victim if the bullying included a reference to or was motivated by such an actual or perceived protected characteristic; and (3) the response of the LEA's employees. Requires the LEA-designated individual, within 60 days after receiving such a report, to inform all the LEA's employees of the acts described and the response of the LEA's employees. Requires each LEA to annually review its policies on bullying. Directs each LEA to publish and make available to all of its students and their parents a quarterly report that: (1) summarizes the bullying reported since the previous quarterly report, (2) summarizes the responses to such bullying by the LEA's employees, (3) excludes any personally identifiable information of any student involved, and (4) informs the public of the right to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights for the Department of Education regarding the LEA's failure to comply with this Act's requirements. Directs the Assistant Secretary who heads the Office of Civil Rights to: (1) establish the complaint procedure and publish it on the Department's website; (2) investigate each complaint to determine if the LEA complied with this Act's requirements; (3) withhold ESEA funds from, issue a complaint against, or enter into a compliance agreement with a noncompliant LEA to bring it into compliance; and (4) make information about each complaint available on the Department's website. Conditions each LEA's receipt of ESEA funds on the LEA: (1) annually certifying to the Secretary of Education in writing that it is in compliance with this Act's requirements, and (2) submitting its four most recent quarterly reports on bullying.
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014
Elects specified Members to the following House Committees: (1) Education and the Workforce, and (2) Foreign Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2014
Standard of Care Protection Act of 2014 - Provides that the development, recognition, or implementation of any guideline or other standard under any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the health care-related parts of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act shall not be construed to: (1) establish the standard or duty of care owed by a health care provider to a patient in any medical malpractice or medical product liability action or claim, or (2) preempt any standard or duty of care established under state or common law. Prohibits such health care provisions from being construed to preempt any state or common law governing medical professional or medical product liability actions or claims.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2014
Elimination of Tariffs on Education for Children's Act or the ETEACH Act - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to grant duty-free treatment to electronic educational devices designed or intended primarily for children.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2014
Global Health Worker Protection Act of 2014 - Prohibits the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and any other agency from using health or humanitarian workers or activities (including immunization and vaccination campaigns, health education and surveillance, or direct health services) in countries outside the United States for the purpose of collecting foreign intelligence. Prohibits this Act from being construed to restrict the provision of medical services to individuals involved in authorized intelligence activities on behalf of the United States.
United States · United States Senate · 22 May 2014
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Leverage Prior Skills Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require a governor, in establishing a procedure for local workforce investment boards in the state in determining the initial eligibility of a provider to receive funds for a program of training services, to require the applicant proposing a program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential to include in the application information on the quality of the services that lead to that credential. Requires a state to use federal funds reserved to carry out statewide employment and training activities (other than certain statewide rapid response activities) to identify and implement a process by which local boards will contract with providers of training services, or identify eligible providers of training services, only if the providers involved agree to: use direct assessments to assess the prior learning of the participants in noncredit employment and training programs; and take that prior learning into account when determining whether a participant has earned credit hours or made progress toward earning a degree from an institution of higher education, or has earned or made progress towards earning a recognized postsecondary credential.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Field EMS Innovation Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to designate the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the primary federal agency for emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma care. Establishes the Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma (or Office of EMS and Trauma) within HHS. Gives the Office responsibilities related to emergency medical services and authorizes the Secretary of HHS to delegate additional responsibilities related to EMS. Requires the Director of the Office to: (1) implement a national EMS strategy; (2) establish the EQUIP grant program to promote excellence, quality, universal access, innovation, and preparedness in field EMS; and (3) establish the SPIA grant program to improve EMS system performance, integration, and accountability, to ensure preparedness, to enhance oversight and data collection, and to promote standardization of certifications. Defines "field EMS" to mean emergency medical services provided to patients (including transport by ground, air, or otherwise) prior to or outside a medical facility or other clinical setting. Requires the Director to improve medical oversight of field EMS, including by: (1) promoting the development and adoption of national guidelines for medical oversight, and (2) convening a Field EMS Medical Oversight Advisory Committee. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study issues related to emergency medical care in field EMS. Authorizes the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to maintain, improve, and expand the National EMS Information System. Sets forth reporting requirements relating to data collection and electronic health records. Declares that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) shall not be construed to prohibit certain exchanges of information between field EMS practitioners, hospital personnel, state EMS offices, and the National EMS Database. Requires the Secretary to establish guidelines for the exchange of information between field EMS practitioners and hospital personnel. Authorizes the Director of the Office to make grants for the development, availability, and dissemination of field EMS education programs and courses that improve the quality and capability of field EMS personnel. Requires the Director to conduct or support demonstrations projects relating to alternative dispositions of field EMS patients. Amends title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, and Administrative Simplification) of the Social Security Act to include field EMS as a model for testing by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to conduct research and evaluation relating to field EMS through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Requires the Director of AHRQ to establish a Field EMS Evidence-Based Practice Center. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish the Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund, and (2) allow taxpayers to designate a portion of any income tax overpayment and make additional contributions to finance such Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Amends the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to enter into contracts under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act with eligible Indian tribes to carry out activities related to them under the Land Consolidation Program. Requires the Secretary to invest the amounts remaining in the Trust Land Consolidation Fund into public debt securities with maturities suitable to the needs of such Fund. Requires invested funds and the interest to be used for the purposes for which the Trust Land Consolidation Fund was established. Makes the Secretary responsible for ensuring that all payments are made to beneficiaries within one year.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Avonte's Law Act of 2014 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to law enforcement agencies to: (1) reduce the risk of injury and death relating to the wandering characteristics of some individuals with autism and other disabilities, and (2) safeguard the well-being of individuals with disabilities during interactions with law enforcement. Requires grant awards to be used to: (1) provide education and resources to law enforcement agencies, first responders, schools, clinicians, and the public in order to reduce the risk of wandering by such individuals, help to identify signs of abuse in such individuals, increase their personal safety and survival skills, and facilitate effective communication with individuals who have communication-related disabilities; (2) provide training and emergency protocols for school administrators, staff, and families; (3) provide response tools and training for law enforcement and search-and-rescue agencies, including tracking technology; or (4) provide response tools and training to law enforcement agencies in order to recognize and respond to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Directs the Attorney General to establish standards and best practices relating to the use of tracking technology to monitor children with autism and other disabilities. Requires each law enforcement agency that receives a grant to comply with any such standards and best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Protecting Aid for Students Act of 2014 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require institutions of higher education (IHEs) that enroll students who receive title IV grants or loans to establish a system to disburse credit balances to students through electronic payments to a deposit account or a general-use prepaid card with the protections afforded under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Prohibits an IHE from: (1) requiring or encouraging a student to select a particular financial institution to which those electronic payments will be made, or (2) denying or causing a delay in the disbursement of credit balances based on the selection by a student of a particular financial institution. Directs the Secretary of Education to conduct a pilot program giving students the option to receive credit balances through the Treasury Direct Express system or another low-cost alternative. Prohibits an IHE that is affiliated with a consumer financial product or service from receiving financial assistance under the HEA unless it: develops a code of conduct with respect to affiliated consumer financial products or services with which associated individuals must comply that prohibits conflicts of interest and requires those individuals to act in the best interests of the IHE's students; publish that code prominently on the IHE's website; requires all of its associated individuals to be annually informed of the code's provisions. Defines an "associated individual" as: (1) an officer of an IHE, or (2) an employee or agent of the IHE who is involved in specified ways with the affiliated consumer financial product or service. Prohibits an IHE that is affiliated with a consumer financial product or service from: (1) entering into a revenue-sharing arrangement with the financial institution providing that product or service, or (2) requesting or accepting any staffing assistance from that financial institution. Prohibits an IHE's associated individuals from: (1) soliciting or receiving a gift from a financial institution that has a consumer financial product or service with which the IHE is affiliated; (2) accepting financial compensation from such financial institution pursuant to a service contract; or (3) receiving anything of value from such financial institution for serving on its advisory board, commission, or group. Allows specified exceptions to such prohibitions. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require financial institutions to submit an annual report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) containing the terms and conditions of all business, marketing, and promotional agreements they have with any IHE, or any alumni organization or foundation that is an affiliate of or related to an IHE, relating to any consumer financial product or service offered to college students at IHEs. Requires each financial institution to: (1) establish and maintain a website on which it posts the written agreement with the IHE for each affiliated consumer financial product or service; and (2) provide the CFPB, in electronic format, the written agreements it publishes on its website. Requires the CFPB to establish and maintain on its publicly available website a central repository of all of those agreements received from financial institutions. Prohibits a financial institution that offers a consumer financial product or service that is affiliated with an IHE from entering into a revenue-sharing arrangement with the IHE.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Curbing Abusive Marketing Practices with University Student Debit Cards Act or the CAMPUS Debit Cards Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education (IHE) that enters into a preferred banking arrangement with a financial institution to: develop a code of conduct regarding the preferred banking arrangement with which the IHE's officers, employees, and agents must comply that prohibits conflicts of interest and requires those individuals to act in the best interests of the IHE's students; publish that code prominently on the IHE's website; annually inform its officers, employees, and agents who have responsibilities regarding the preferred banking arrangement of the code's provisions; and effectively enforce the code. Requires that code of conduct, at a minimum, to prohibit: the IHE from entering into a revenue-sharing arrangement with any financial institution; the IHE's officers, employees, or agents who have responsibilities regarding the preferred banking arrangement or a financial institution from soliciting or receiving a gift from the financial institution; the IHE from requesting or accepting from any financial institution assistance with any office or department of the IHE; the IHE's officers, employees, or agents who have responsibilities regarding the preferred banking arrangement or a financial institution from accepting financial compensation from any financial institution pursuant to a service contract; the IHE from denying or unnecessarily delaying the disbursement of a title IV loan or grant on the basis of a student's selection of a particular financial institution; and the IHE's officers, employees, or agents who have responsibilities regarding the preferred banking arrangement or a financial institution from receiving anything of value from the financial institution for serving on its advisory board, commission, or group. Allows specified exceptions to such prohibitions. Requires IHEs that enroll students who receive title IV grants or loans to establish a system to disburse credit balances to students through electronic payments to a deposit account or a general-use prepaid card with the protections afforded under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Directs the Secretary to conduct a pilot program giving students the option to receive credit balances through the Treasury Direct Express system or another low-cost alternative. Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to require: IHEs or their alumni organizations or foundations to publicly disclose any agreement made with a financial institution to market a financial product, financial institutions to submit an annual report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) containing the terms and conditions of all agreements they make with IHEs or IHE alumni organizations or foundations relating to any financial product they offer to students at such IHEs, the CFPB to establish and maintain on its publicly available website a central repository of all agreements contained in such reports from financial institutions. Prohibits financial institutions from offering students any tangible or intangible item to induce them to apply, purchase, or obtain a financial product offered by the financial institution if the offer is made on or near the campus of an IHE or at an event sponsored by or related to an IHE. Directs the CFPB: (1) to conduct a study on the marketing of financial products to students enrolled in IHEs, and (2) if the study finds that financial products are not marketed to IHE students in a fair manner, to issue regulations to ensure that such products are marketed in a fair manner. Expresses the sense of Congress that financial products marketed to IHE students should be presented in a fair and neutral manner.
United States · United States Senate · 21 May 2014
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Creating Higher Education Affordability Necessary to Compete Economically Act or the Middle Class CHANCE Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the maximum Federal Pell Grant for award year 2014-2015 and adjust it each subsequent award year to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index. Directs the Secretary of Education to award an additional Pell Grant to an eligible student who: (1) has received a Pell Grant for an award year, and (2) is enrolled in a program of study for one or more additional payment periods during the same award year that are not otherwise covered by the Pell Grant. Limits the total amount of the Pell Grants awarded to such student for the award year to 150% of the maximum Pell Grant for such award year. Raises, from 12 semesters to 15 semesters, the period during which a student may receive Federal Pell Grants.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 2014 - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program providing eligible households with summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards that give children access to food during the summer months to: (1) reduce or eliminate children's food insecurity and hunger, and (2) improve their nutritional status. Defines an "eligible household" as a household that includes one or more children who are eligible to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs. Sets the amount on each summer EBT card at $150 per child in 2016, with adjustments thereafter reflecting changes in reimbursement rates for school meals under the school lunch program. Requires children to be enrolled in the program without further application if they are enrolled to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs. Requires summer EBT cards to be used only to purchase food from retail food stores that have been approved for participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to limit the amount of a taxpayer's foreign-related interest expense that is allowed as a deduction for any taxable year. Sets that limit pursuant to a formula that takes into account a domestic corporation's undistributed foreign earnings.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Jumpstarting Occupational-learning and Entrepreneurship Act or the JOE Act - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to exempt school-based enterprises that are managed as part of a school's curriculum from the nutrition standards for foods sold in schools that are not foods provided under the school lunch and breakfast programs. Defines a "school-based enterprise" as an entrepreneurial operation in a school setting that: provides goods or services to meet the needs of the market; is managed and operated by students as a hands-on learning laboratory; provides realistic and practical learning experiences that reinforce classroom instruction; may sell to consumers through a permanent location, a mobile kiosk, or through Internet marketing; and may sell products such as food and beverage items or provide services such as event catering.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Amends the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to enter into contracts under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act with eligible Indian tribes to carry out activities under the Land Consolidation Program. Requires the Secretary to invest the amounts remaining in the Trust Land Consolidation Fund into public debt securities with maturities suitable to the needs of the Fund. Deems invested funds to have been used to conduct the Land Consolidation Program and for other costs associated with the Class Action Settlement Agreement. Makes the Secretary responsible for ensuring that all payments are made to beneficiaries within one year.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the limitation on the tax deduction for interest paid on qualified education loans to $5,000 in a taxable year and provide for an annual inflation adjustment to that amount for taxable years beginning after 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2014
Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education (IHEs) participating in title IV programs to include in their annual fire safety report: (1) the number and percentage of beds at their student housing facilities that are protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system in the bedroom, and (2) the number and percentage that are not so protected. Directs the Secretary of Education to make publicly available statistics on the number and percentage, in the aggregate and by state, of: student housing facilities at IHEs with less than 100% of the beds protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system in the bedroom, student housing facilities at IHEs with less than 50% of the beds so protected, beds at student housing facilities at IHEs that are so protected, and beds at such facilities that are not so protected. Defines "student housing facilities" to include facilities that are campus facilities and facilities that are noncampus buildings or properties. Requires IHEs that maintain student housing facilities to: include in all materials relating to such facilities information on whether they are equipped with a fire safety system that includes an automatic fire sprinkler system in each bedroom, give students who are selecting a student housing facility written notice as to whether or not the facility has such a system, and give students written notice on the date they move into a student housing facility as to whether the facility has such a system and how its fire safety system is described in the IHE's annual fire safety report.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2014
Supporting College Success Through Dual Enrollment Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make matching grants to states to promote moderate- to low-income student participation in dual-enrollment programs. Defines a "dual enrollment program" as a program through which a secondary school student takes courses offered through an institution of higher education (IHE) while enrolled in secondary school for which the student earns both secondary and postsecondary school credit. Allots the grant funds to states based on each participating state's share of residents: (1) aged 5 through 17 who are living below the poverty line, and (2) aged 15 through 44 who are living below the poverty line. Requires grant applicants to assure the Secretary that every local educational agency (LEA) in the state will form a partnership with one or more two-year or four-year degree granting IHEs to coordinate dual enrollment programs under which the IHE: (1) is responsible for administering the dual enrollment program, with the LEA's cooperation; and (2) determines the curriculum, standards, and instructors to be used in the dual enrollment program. Requires states to use the grants to: cover the costs for moderate- to low-income secondary student participation in dual enrollment programs, provide counseling and support services for students and families regarding dual enrollment programs, create credit-bearing or noncredit-bearing courses to ensure that low-income and first generation college students have the skills to succeed in postsecondary education, encourage students and schools in small communities to participate in dual-enrollment programs, or engage in other activities that are approved by the Secretary and promote moderate- to low-income student participation in dual-enrollment programs. Requires states to focus such activities on dual enrollment programs offered through secondary schools that: are in high poverty areas, serve a large number or percentage of students from populations underrepresented in higher education, have a high dropout rate, have a low percentage of graduates who enter postsecondary education, are in an area of the state with low postsecondary education aspiration and attainment rates, or are small schools whose academic offerings are limited by scale. Directs the Secretary to ensure that a student's participation in dual enrollment programs has no negative effect on their eligibility for financial aid under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2014
Simplifying Financial Aid for Students Act of 2014 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to provide for the use of data from the second preceding tax year when and to the extent necessary to carry out the simplification of applications used in estimating and determining financial aid eligibility. Requires such simplification to include data sharing between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Education, pursuant to taxpayer consent. Increases (from $23,000 to $30,000) the limit on the adjusted gross income that parents, in the case of dependent students, and students and their spouses, in the case of independent students with dependents other than a spouse, may make if those students are to be considered as having zero expected family contribution in the determination of their need for financial aid.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2014
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Innovation Fund Act of 2014 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive one-year planning grants and five-year implementation grants to historically black colleges or universities to plan, develop, and implement educational innovations. Allows an historically black college or university to apply for such grants by itself or in a consortium with one or more other institutions of higher education, private nonprofit organizations, or local educational agencies (LEAs). Requires implementation grant recipients to use the grant to further develop, pilot, field-test, implement, document, validate, and, as applicable, scale up and replicate educational innovations, including those designed to: improve student achievement, such as through activities designed to increase the number or percentage of students who successfully complete developmental or remedial coursework and successfully pursue postsecondary studies; improve and expand institutional recruitment, postsecondary school awareness, and postsecondary school preparation efforts targeting students from low-income families, such as through activities undertaken in partnership with LEAs and nonprofit organizations; increase the number or percentage of students who enroll in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, graduate with STEM degrees, and pursue advanced STEM studies; increase the number or percentage of students who graduate from postsecondary school on time; implement evidence-based improvements to courses to improve student outcomes and reduce students' costs; enhance the quality of teacher preparation programs at historically black colleges or universities; and expand the effective use of technology in higher education. Makes the five-year duration of each implementation grant conditional after the third year of such grant on the Secretary determining that the grantee is achieving satisfactory progress in carrying out its educational innovations. Limits the federal share to not more than 85% of the total cost of carrying out a project funded by an implementation grant.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2014
Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and oversee a National Autism Spectrum Disorder Initiative to implement a strategic plan for the conduct and support of research into the disorder and minimize duplication by HHS programs of other federal research activities. Extends through FY2019: (1) the developmental disabilities surveillance and research program; (2) the autism education, early detection, and intervention program; and (3) the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. Adds members appointed by the Speaker and the minority leader of the House of Representatives, and the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the demographics and needs of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder, make policy recommendations, and include a survey of public and private stakeholders on the needs of adults with such a disorder, the services and resources available, and the effectiveness of the services and resources.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2014
Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow borrowers that received loans under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (DL) or Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program on or after July 1, 2006, to consolidate those loans as Federal Direct Consolidation Loans. Directs the Secretary of Education to consolidate DLs, and send a completed loan consolidation application to FFEL borrowers, within 90 days of this Act's enactment. Gives FFEL borrowers six months after their receipt of such application to endorse it and submit it to the Secretary if they wish to consolidate their loans. Sets the interest rate on Federal Direct Consolidation Loans at 4% or, if the weighted average of the interest rates of the loans being consolidated is less than 4%, the lesser of: (1) that weighted average, or (2) an interest rate equal to 0.4% of the principal balance of the consolidation loan at the time of consolidation. Adds an origination fee equal to 0.4% of the principal balance of the consolidation loan at the time of consolidation if an FFEL is being consolidated. Reduces the interest rate on a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan by 0.25% if one or more of the loans being consolidated is an FFEL held by an eligible lender. Prohibits any benefit a borrower is receiving or earning when issued a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan from being affected by the consolidation.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2014
Boating Occupancy and Teaching Safety Act or the BOATS Act - Directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to: (1) establish maximum passenger capacity and maximum weight capacity standards for recreational vessels, and (2) require manufacturers and operators of passenger vessels to permanently display in a legible manner that is clearly visible, including on each flying bridge of the vessel, to vessel passengers such maximum capacity requirements and a notice of the need to balance vessel weight to avoid capsizing. Defines "flying bridge" to mean an open deck above the main navigating bridge of a recreational vessel. Amends federal shipping law to revise state recreational boating safety program requirements. Allows a state to contract with a local government or private entity to provide boating safety education services under a state recreational boating safety program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make amounts in the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund available for expenditures to carry out the purposes of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (as in effect upon enactment of this Act).
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2014
Nationally Enhancing the Wellbeing of Babies through Outreach and Research Now Act or the NEWBORN Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award five-year grants to eligible entities to create, implement, and oversee infant mortality pilot programs. Defines "eligible entity" to mean a county, city, territorial, or tribal health department that has submitted a proposal to the Secretary that the Secretary deems likely to reduce infant mortality rates within the standard metropolitan statistical area involved. Requires the Secretary to give preference to eligible entities proposing to serve any of the 15 counties or groups of counties with the highest rates of infant mortality in the United States in the past three years. Sets forth uses of grant funds, which may include: (1) developing a plan that identifies the individual needs of each community to be served and strategies to address those needs; (2) providing outreach to at-risk mothers; (3) developing and implementing standardized systems for improved access, utilization, and quality of social, educational, and clinical services to promote healthy pregnancies, full-term births, and healthy infancies delivered to women and their infants; (4) establishing a rural outreach program to provide care to at-risk mothers in rural areas; (5) establishing a regional public education campaign; and (6) coordinating efforts between health departments to be served through the infant mortality program and existing entities that work to reduce the rate of infant mortality within an area.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2014
Bereaved Borrowers' Bill of Rights Act of 2014 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require a private educational lender to include in a private education loan for which the cosigner is jointly liable a process for releasing the cosigner from obligations on such loan. Requires a lender who receives notification of the death or bankruptcy of a cosigner who is jointly liable for the loan to notify the borrower about the borrower's rights under the loan agreement regarding: (1) release of the cosigner, and (2) identification of a new cosigner or refinancing of the loan. Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit: (1) consumer reporting agencies from containing in any consumer report default on a private education loan that results from accelerated repayment terms of the loan after the death or bankruptcy of a jointly liable cosigner, and (2) the lender or servicer of a private educational loan from furnishing loan information to a consumer reporting agency if the consumer defaulted on the loan due to accelerated repayment terms after the death or bankruptcy of such a cosigner.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2014
Recognizes the excellence of Compton Community College, located in Compton, California. Expresses support for its faculty and students. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Compton Community College should receive an expedited accreditation process.