Education

Compassionate Care Act

United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016

Compassionate Care Act This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop and implement a national campaign that informs the public of the importance of end-of-life or advanced care planning and of an individual's right to direct and participate in health care decisions. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) must establish a website for qualified health care providers about those rights and advance care planning. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish a pilot grant program for end-of-life training in certain medical and health education schools. The AHRQ must develop quality measures for end-of-life care in each relevant qualified health care provider setting. Health care providers must begin reporting on their performance relating to such measures on April 1, 2018. The Health Resources and Services Administration must approve existing and develop new curricula on advance care planning and end-of-life care for continuing education that states may adopt for qualified health care providers. HHS must establish a demonstration program for supporting the provision of advance care planning through videoconferencing for patients who live far from their health care provider.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017

United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 Provides FY2017 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. Provides appropriations to USDA for Agricultural Programs, including: the Office of the Secretary; Executive Operations; the Office of the Chief Information Officer; the Office of the Chief Financial Officer; the Office of Civil Rights; Agriculture Buildings and Facilities; Hazardous Materials Management; the Office of Inspector General; the Office of the General Counsel; the Office of Ethics; the Economic Research Service; the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Agricultural Research Service; the National Institute of Food and Agriculture; the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; the Agricultural Marketing Service; the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration; the Food Safety and Inspection Service; the Farm Service Agency; the Risk Management Agency; the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund; and the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund. Provides appropriations to USDA for Conservation Programs, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Provides appropriations to USDA for Rural Development Programs, including Rural Development Salaries and Expenses, the Rural Housing Service, the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and the Rural Utilities Service. Provides appropriations to USDA for the Food and Nutrition Service, including: Child Nutrition Programs; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program); the Commodity Assistance Program; and Nutrition Programs Administration. Provides appropriations to USDA for the Foreign Agricultural Service, including Food for Peace Title II Grants and McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Grants. Provides appropriations to the Food and Drug Administration and the Farm Credit Administration. Rescinds specified unobligated balances from prior appropriations. Sets forth permissible, restricted, and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.

ESSA IMPLEMENTATION: PERSPECTIVES FROM EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS

United States · United States Senate · 18 May 2016

Student Loan Refinancing and Recalculation Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2016

Student Loan Refinancing and Recalculation Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Department of Education to establish a program to refinance the outstanding principal, interest, and late charges on Federal Direct Loans (DLs) and Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs). A refinanced loan has a fixed interest rate equal to the 10-year Treasury note rate plus 1 percentage point. Additionally, the bill modifies the formula to calculate interest rates on new Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS Loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2017. Finally, it eliminates the origination fee on Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS Loans disbursed (and on Consolidation Loans applied for) after enactment of this bill.

Congratulating Dr. and Mrs. David and Valerie Hodge on a successful 10-year tenure as President of Miami University.

United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2016

Congratulates David and Valerie Hodge for their successful tenure leading Miami University over the last decade. Recognizes that they leave behind a significant legacy of success that benefitted the lives of countless students and positioned Miami as a premier Ohio institution of higher education.

SASCA

United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2016

Survivors' Access to Supportive Care Act or SASCA This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for state surveys concerning health care provider access for sexual assault forensic examination services. HHS must establish a continuing and clinical education pilot program for medical examiners of survivors of sexual assault. HHS must establish a SASCA Task Force to: (1) review data concerning those examiners; and (2) assist and standardize state-level efforts in improving medical forensic evidence collection relating to sexual assault. Each institution of higher education that receives federal funds must publish its plan for ensuring access to sexual assault medical forensic examinations and treatments. Those institutions must also, to the extent practicable, ensure that students have access to such examinations. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act by requiring HHS to establish: (1) a demonstration grant program for equipping new providers with the clinical training necessary to establish and maintain competency in sexual assault forensic examiner and sexual assault nurse examiner services; and (2) a center that provides technical assistance to states and health care providers for increasing the quality of, and access to, sexual assault examinations. HHS must convene state and hospital regional learning collectives to assist health care providers and states in sharing best practices, discussing practices, and improving the quality of, and access to, sexual assault examinations.

EARNS Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2016

Effective Apprenticeships to Rebuild National Skills Act or the EARNS 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.

HELPING STUDENTS SUCCEED BY STRENGTHENING THE CARL D. PERKINS CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACT

United States · United States House of Representatives · 17 May 2016

Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2016

Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal judicial code to reauthorize the independent counsel law (currently expired) for a five-year period. It extends to eight years after leaving office the period during which individuals who have held the following positions are still subject to preliminary investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to determine whether to apply to a division of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia for the appointment of an independent counsel for further investigation and possible prosecution: the President or the Vice President; the Attorney General or the Secretaries of State, the Treasury, Defense, the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans Affairs, or Homeland Security; the U.S. Trade Representative, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Commissioner of Social Security, the Director of National Drug Control Policy, the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or the Director of National Intelligence; individuals working in the Executive Office of the President compensated at or above level II of the Executive Schedule; Assistant Attorneys General and DOJ employees compensated at or above level III of the Executive Schedule; or the Director of Central Intelligence, the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, or the Commissioner of Internal Revenue.

Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2016

Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct an interagency study regarding research on lung cancer in women, access to lung cancer preventive services, and public awareness and education campaigns on lung cancer. The study must include a comprehensive report on research and knowledge gaps related to lung cancer in women in the federal government and recommendations for: (1) a research program that would encourage innovative approaches to eliminate knowledge gaps, (2) the development of a national lung cancer screening strategy with sufficient resources to expand access to screening, and (3) the development of a national public education and awareness campaign on lung cancer in women and the importance of early detection of lung cancer.

Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2016

Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act This bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to allow private civil causes of action for disparate impact violations (to the same extent as intentional violations) of federal regulations of general applicability that prohibit discrimination on the ground of race, color, or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. Education programs that receive financial assistance authorized or extended by the Department of Education (ED) must designate at least one compliance coordinator to carry out these nondiscrimination responsibilities and to investigate complaints. The Department of Education Organization Act is amended to establish an ED-appointed Special Assistant for Equity and Inclusion within ED to: (1) promote, coordinate, and evaluate equity and inclusion programs, including the dissemination of information, technical assistance, and coordination of research activities; and (2) advise ED on matters relating to equity and inclusion.

Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2016

Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct an interagency study regarding research on lung cancer in women, access to lung cancer preventive services, and public awareness and education campaigns on lung cancer. The study must include a comprehensive report on research and knowledge gaps related to lung cancer in women in the federal government and recommendations for: (1) a research program that would encourage innovative approaches to eliminate knowledge gaps, (2) the development of a national lung cancer screening strategy with sufficient resources to expand access to screening, and (3) the development of a national public education and awareness campaign on lung cancer in women and the importance of early detection of lung cancer.

Transparency in Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2016

Transparency in Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination Act This bill amends the Department of Education Organization Act to require the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to publish, on its website, the names of institutions of higher education (IHEs) that request and IHEs that receive religious exemptions from title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. (Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities.) Additionally, the bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require an IHE that requests or receives a religious exemption from title IX to publish, on its website, certain information with respect to such exemption.

Improving Transition Programs for All Veterans Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2016

Improving Transition Programs for All Veterans Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to study and report on programs to assist veterans in their transition to civilian life. Such study shall determine the effectiveness of current programs, especially concerning the challenges faced by women veterans and minority veterans, with regard to: (1) pursuing higher education, (2) entering the civilian workforce and translating military experience and skills to the job market, and (3) transitioning to civilian life for veterans families.

Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2016

Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop and implement an outreach and education strategy to promote behavioral and mental health and reduce stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance abuse among the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations.

Stop Taxing Death and Disability Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2016

Stop Taxing Death and Disability Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of an individual the discharge of student loans or private education loans due to the death or disability of the student. The bill also amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education (ED) to discharge the liability on loans that parents received on behalf of a student who: (1) has become permanently and totally disabled, or (2) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity due to a physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or has lasted or is expected to last continuously for at least 60 months. (Under current law, ED is required to discharge the loans to parents if the student dies.)

Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the founding of the American Federation of Teachers.

United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2016

Commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the American Federation of Teachers.

S. 2417, THE TRIBAL VETERANS HEALTH CARE ENHANCEMENT ACT, AND S. 2842, THE JOHNSON-O'MALLEY SUPPLEMENTAL INDIAN EDUCATION PROGRAM MODERNIZATION ACT

United States · United States Senate · 11 May 2016

Fairness in Forgiveness Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2016

Fairness in Forgiveness Act of 2016 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include as a public service job for purposes of the public service loan forgiveness program a full-time job as an employee of a management and operating contractor of a national laboratory owned by the Department of Energy. This Act and the amendments made by this Act take effect as if enacted on October 1, 2007.

Enhancing Opportunities for Medical Doctors Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2016

Enhancing Opportunities for Medical Doctors Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to redistribute unused residency positions for which graduate medical education costs are paid under Medicare. Specifically, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must: (1) reduce a hospital's resident limit by a specified amount if the hospital has unused residency positions and is not a rural hospital with fewer than 250 acute care inpatient beds, and (2) increase the resident limit for each qualifying hospital that applies for an increase. In aggregate, the number of increased positions shall equal the number of reduced positions. The bill establishes specified priorities, limitations, and capacity considerations with respect to redistribution.

Veterans First Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2016

Veterans First Act TITLE I--PERSONNEL AND ACCOUNTABILITY MATTERS This bill establishes in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection. The VA is required to develop criteria to promote supervisory protection of whistle-blowers. The bill revises VA authority to remove certain employees or senior VA executives for reasons of misconduct or performance. TITLE II--HEALTH CARE MATTERS Jason Simcakoski Memorial Act The bill establishes the Veterans Expedited Recovery Commission to examine the VA's therapy model for treating mental health illnesses. The VA shall require additional information about a prospective health care employee from the medical board of each state in which the health care provider holds or has held a medical license. The VA family caregiver program is expanded. The bill establishes a VA advisory committee on caregiver policies. The VA shall revive the Intermediate Care Technician Pilot Program. The VA may place a veteran requesting nursing home care in a medical foster home that meets appropriate VA standards. The bill sets forth requirements for VA hospitals with emergency departments to provide appropriate examination and stabilizing treatment for emergency medical conditions and women in labor. The VA and the Department of Defense (DOD) shall jointly update the VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain. The VA shall expand its Opioid Safety Initiative. The bill establishes the VA Office of Patient Advocacy. The VA shall ensure that payments are made promptly to non-VA health care providers. If the VA is unable to furnish certain hospital, medical, or extended care at VA facilities or under other authorized contracts or sharing agreements, it may enter into a Veterans Care Agreement with an eligible provider to furnish such care. The bill authorizes the VA to carry out specified major medical facility projects in California, Maryland, Kentucky, and Washington. The VA shall: (1) adopt the Federal Drug Administrations's unique device identification system to identify biological implants for use in VA medical procedures; (2) expand research and integration of complementary and integrative health services into veterans health care services; and (3) carry out a three-year program to assess the feasibility of integrating complementary and alternative medicine services for veterans with mental health conditions, chronic pain conditions, and other chronic conditions. TITLE III--DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND PENSION The VA may pay burial and funeral expenses and other benefits to a survivor of a veteran who has not filed a formal claim if the record contains sufficient evidence to establish the survivor's entitlement to such benefits. The bill increases the special monthly pension for living Medal of Honor recipients. The Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 is amended to extend VA authority to provide for persons other than VA employees (i.e., contract physicians) to conduct medical disability examinations of applicants for VA benefits. The VA shall carry out a five-year disability claims appeals pilot program. TITLE IV--EDUCATION Any member of the Armed Forces who died between September 11, 2001, and December 31, 2005, is deemed to have died on January 1, 2006, in order to make that member's surviving spouse eligible for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry scholarship. VA educational assistance payments for a veteran who was forced to discontinue a course or who did not receive credit toward completion of an education program because of a permanent school closure shall not be charged against the individual's educational assistance entitlement or counted against the aggregate assistance period. The bill revises the process for electing Post-9/11 educational benefits. TITLE V--EMPLOYMENT AND TRANSITION Each state director for veterans' employment and training shall coordinate activities with the state's departments of labor and veterans affairs. TITLE VI--HOMELESS VETERANS The bill includes as a homeless veteran, for purposes of VA benefits, a veteran or veteran's family fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions in their current housing situation. The VA shall shall carry out case management services to improve the retention of housing by: (1) veterans who were previously homeless and who are transitioning to permanent housing, and (2) veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless. The VA shall establish the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans. This bill eliminates the minimum continuous active duty service requirement for homeless veterans to receive certain benefits. Homeless veterans are exempted from disqualification for such benefits because of a discharge or dismissal from the Armed Forces under conditions other than honorable, except for a discharge by reason of a general court-martial. TITLE VII--UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS The bill extends the temporary expansion of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. TITLE VIII--BURIAL BENEFITS The VA may, in lieu of furnishing a headstone or marker to certain deceased individuals, furnish a medallion or other device to be attached to a headstone or marker furnished at private expense. TITLE IX--OTHER MATTERS The VA may carry out specified leases at the VA's West Los Angeles Campus in Los Angeles, California.

529 and ABLE Account Improvement Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2016

529 and ABLE Account Improvement Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the tax treatment of qualified tuition programs (known as 529 plans) and ABLE accounts. (Tax-favored ABLE [Achieving a Better Life Experience] accounts are designed to enable individuals with disabilities to save for and pay for disability-related expenses.) The bill excludes from gross income a fringe benefit consisting of up to $100 per year (adjusted for inflation after 2016) of employer contributions to an employee's 529 or ABLE account. The employer contribution must be made: (1) to an account for which the designated beneficiary is the employee or a member of the employee's family, and (2) in connection with a payroll deduction contribution program established by the employer. The bill also: (1) expands the tax credit for small employer pension plan startup costs to include the costs of establishing a payroll deduction contribution program for 529 plans and ABLE accounts; (2) permits 529 funds to be used for transfers to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), education loan payments, or charitable contributions without being subject to the additional tax for distributions that are not used for qualified higher education expenses; and (3) permits tax-free rollovers of funds between 529 and ABLE accounts for the benefit of the same beneficiary or a family member of the beneficiary. For the purpose of current law restrictions on the frequency of investment directions that a beneficiary or contributor may provide for a 529 or ABLE account, rebalancing investments among broad-based investment strategies established under the program is not an investment direction unless the beneficiary or contributor directs the specific investments within the strategies.

HELP for Students and Parents Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2016

Higher Education Loan Payments for Students and Parents Act or the HELP for Students and Parents Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the tax exclusion for employer-provided educational assistance programs to exclude from the gross income of an employee: (1) employer payments of principal or interest on loans for higher education expenses incurred by an employee, and (2) any qualified dependent 529 contributions made by the employer. (Under current law, the maximum exclusion for educational assistance programs is $5,250 per year.) A "qualified dependent 529 contribution" is any amount contributed by an employer to a qualified tuition program the designated beneficiary of which is an employee's child who: (1) has not attained the age of 19 at the time of the contribution, or (2) is a student who has not attained the age of 24 at the time of the contribution. The bill also allows a business tax credit for employer-provided higher education assistance, including: (1) 50% of the student loan repayment expenditures of the taxpayer for the year, and (2) 50% of the qualified dependent 529 contributions made by the taxpayer for the year. The amount taken into account for each expenditure with respect to any employee for any taxable year may not exceed $5,250.

UNDERSTANDING DYSLEXIA: THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

United States · United States Senate · 10 May 2016

GI Bill Oversight Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2016

GI Bill Oversight Act of 2016 This bill directs the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to apply heightened scrutiny to any program of education if any federal or state agency has made a final determination or settlement that the program used advertising, sales, or enrollment practices that are erroneous, deceptive, or misleading. The VA shall provide notice of such heightened scrutiny and the reasons for it to an individual who is entitled to VA educational assistance and is enrolled in a course under such program. The VA shall: (1) monitor allegations of deceptive and misleading program practices, including federal and state investigations; and (2) include information about allegations on the GI Bill Comparison Tool or any similar VA website. The VA shall: (1) disapprove an educational course provided by an institution of higher learning if the VA determines pursuant to heightened scrutiny that such institution has engaged in erroneous, deceptive, or misleading practices; and (2) provide counseling services to assist affected individuals in transferring to another institution of higher learning. The VA shall establish an interagency working group to: (1) share information about educational programs that employ deceptive or misleading practices; and (2) enter into information sharing memoranda of understanding with the Inspector Generals of relevant agencies to determine if funds from other federal programs are affected when one agency investigates a program for employing deceptive or misleading practices.

Veterans Education Enhancement Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2016

Veterans Education Enhancement Act of 2016 This bill revises the fee that is deducted from a veteran's education entitlement under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 educational assistance program from a monthly to a prorated fee for: (1) certain license and certification tests, and (2) national tests. The Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education is extended through December 31, 2021. The VA shall, in consultation with state approving agencies, prescribe training requirements for a school certifying official (SCO) employed by a covered educational institution offering approved veterans education courses. The VA may disapprove any course of education offered by a covered educational institution that does not ensure that an SCO meets such requirements. (A covered educational institution is an institution that has enrolled 20 or more individuals using veterans educational assistance.) The bill extends the applicability of provisions requiring rounding down, and delays the applicability of provisions requiring rounding up, of veterans educational assistance increases for: (1) the All-Volunteer Force, and (2) survivors and dependents. The VA shall reduce the monthly housing stipend on a pro rata basis for a student who reduces his or her course load, effective for a month that begins on or after August 1, 2017. A reporting fee paid by the VA to an educational institution or joint apprenticeship training committee with respect to an institution that has 75 or more enrollees may not be used for or merged with amounts available for the general fund of the educational institution or joint apprenticeship training committee.

A resolution recognizing the 100th anniversary of the founding of the American Federation of Teachers.

United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2016

Commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the American Federation of Teachers.

SMART Jobs Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016

School Modernization and Revitalization Through Jobs Act, the SMART Jobs Act, or the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to make grants to states for the modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, including early learning facilities and charter schools. The bill allocates grant funds among states on the basis of the relative portion of school improvement funds provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) in each state under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. States shall reallocate the grant funds to LEAs on the basis of each LEA's share of school improvement funds received by LEAs in the state for the previous fiscal year. In addition, ED shall make grants to LEAs that serve specified disaster areas for the construction, modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, including early learning facilities and charter schools. The bill allocates grant funds among LEAs on the basis of each LEA's share of infrastructure damage inflicted on public school facilities in such areas. With specified exceptions, only U.S.-produced iron, steel, and manufactured goods shall be used in projects funded under the bill.

Assisting America's Dislocated Miners Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016

Assisting America's Dislocated Miners Act of 2016 This bill establishes within the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration a Dislocated Miners Assistance Program. The program shall contract with comprehensive career centers to: identify miners who have been dislocated from their employment in mining jobs across the United States; assess the skills, training, and education such miners need to find and hold new jobs; identify job training programs that would provide such training and education; and provide grants to eligible job training providers to recruit and train such miners and assist them in finding new employment. A comprehensive career center or job training provider eligible to receive a grant under this bill shall be a nonprofit organization with demonstrated success in coordinating or providing necessary training and education to enable dislocated miners to acquire marketable skills to find and hold jobs in areas where they live.

Career and Technical Education Equity Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016

Career and Technical Education Equity Act This bill amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to revise hold harmless requirements for the allotment of career and technical education assistance grants to states. A state is prohibited from receiving an allotment for a fiscal year that is less than 90% of the allotment the state received for the preceding fiscal year. (Currently, no state may receive an allotment less than the one it received for FY1998.)

VOTE Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016

Verifying Optimal Tools for Elections Act of 2016 or the VOTE Act of 2016 This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to direct the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to make a payment to each eligible state in which a precinct used at least one outdated voting machine to administer the regularly scheduled federal general election held in November 2012. A state shall use the funds from such a payment to replace outdated voting machines in qualifying precincts with voting machines that: (1) have never been used in any federal general election and are not outdated voting machines, or have been used only with respect to federal general elections held after November 2012; and (2) are auditable and meet specified requirements. A state receiving such a payment shall ensure that all the outdated voting machines in its qualifying precincts have been replaced in time for the regularly scheduled federal general election in November 2018. The EAC shall make grants to states for the education and training, through webinars or other appropriate means, of election officials and poll workers on matters including voting machine maintenance, pre- and post-election voting machine testing, and the development of contingency plans. The EAC shall also make grants to state or local governments to conduct pilot testing with respect to, and carry out the implementation of, voting systems that use: (1) non-proprietary open source software, and (2) commercial or custom firmware and hardware. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall develop, or fund the development of, a common data format allowing for voting-equipment device interoperability. A voting system used in a federal election in a state may not at any time during the election contain or use any election-dedicated voting system technology that is not deposited by the state with the NIST National Software Reference Library before the election.

Transparency in Taypayer-Funded [sic] Discrimination Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016

Transparency in Taypayer-Funded [ sic ] Discrimination Act This bill amends the Department of Education Organization Act to require the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to publish, on its website, the names of institutions of higher education (IHEs) that request and IHEs that receive religious exemptions from title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. (Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities.) Additionally, the bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require an IHE that requests or receives a religious exemption from title IX to publish, on its website, certain information with respect to such exemption.

Over-The-Counter Contraceptives Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016

Over-The-Counter Contraceptives Act of 2016 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prioritize review of supplemental drug applications (applications to modify the approved use of a drug) for contraceptive drugs intended for routine use that would be available to individuals aged 18 and older without a prescription. The FDA must waive user fees for such supplemental drug applications. Any drug that is eligible for this priority review must be a prescription drug for individuals under age 18. This bill repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 to allow health savings accounts and health flexible spending accounts (HFSAs) to be used to pay for medicine without a prescription and to remove the limit on salary reduction contributions to a HFSA under a cafeteria plan, effective as if the provisions had never been enacted.

ECHO Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes Act or the ECHO Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Health Resources and Services Administration, to study technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models and the ability of those models to improve patient care and provider education. (Such models connect specialists to primary care providers through videoconferencing to facilitate case-based learning, dissemination of best practices, and evaluation of outcomes.) The Government Accountability Office must report on such models and HHS support for such models.

In the Red Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

In the Red Act of 2016 This bill authorizes and appropriates specified funds to the Department of Education (ED) for FY2016-FY2025 and each succeeding year for grants: (1) to waive tuition and fees for eligible students at community colleges, and (2) to waive or reduce tuition and fees for low-income students at four-year historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. It amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct ED to establish a program to refinance outstanding federal student loans for borrowers of Direct Loan program loans disbursed before July 1, 2016, and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program loans. (FFELs were not disbursed after June 30, 2010.) The bill modifies, for academic year 2018-2019 and succeeding years, the calculation of the mandatory add-on amount used to determine the total maximum Federal Pell Grant award. It also amends various provisions of the Internal Revenue Code to, among other things: (1) expand the expenses eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit to include the amount of a Federal Pell Grant used to pay for living expenses; and (2) include, as a qualified scholarship excludible from gross income, any amount received as a Federal Pell Grant. Finally, the bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal royalty relief for: (1) deep gas wells in shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and (2) deep water oil and gas leases in the central and western Gulf of Mexico.

TECH Careers Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

Technical Education Creates High-Paying Careers Act of 2016 or the TECH Careers Act This bill amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to direct the Department of Education (ED), in coordination with the Department of Labor, to develop and implement an American Technical Training Grant Program awarding competitive three-year grants of up to $5 million per fiscal year to eligible entities for supporting the establishment, redesign, or expansion of job training programs that enable economically disadvantaged students to enter into and advance along career pathways that lead to jobs in high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand occupations. The entities eligible for such grants must be institutions of higher education offering career and technical education programs that can be completed in two years or less (or a consortium of such institutions), but only if they enter a partnership agreement with: a local workforce development board; an employer with a workforce need in a high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand industry; an industry organization or other intermediary representing the industry sector or occupation for which the job training program provides training; and an institution of higher education that offers a baccalaureate degree and also has an articulation agreement with the eligible entity.

21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act of 2016 This bill establishes a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) that provides work and training opportunities for youth and veterans in certain federal agencies. Work and training provided in 21CSC must involve: protecting, restoring, and enhancing natural, cultural, and historical resources and treasures, including public and tribal land or water; supporting outdoor recreation and urban green spaces; restoring and safeguarding U.S. natural resources; or service that is primarily indoors with a clear benefit for natural, cultural, or historic resources or treasures. Participating federal agencies may develop public-private partnerships with organizations to support and carry out 21CSC projects. Participating federal agencies must compensate 21CSC participants with a wage, a stipend, a living allowance, or an educational credit at a participating institution of higher education. Participating federal agencies must also provide participants with: (1) job skill development; (2) community skill development to help participants acquire an ethic of service to others and become more effective resource and community stewards; and (3) a greater understanding of U.S. natural, cultural, or historic resources or treasures.

Timber Innovation Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 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 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.

American Innovators and Entrepreneurs Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

American Innovators and Entrepreneurs Act This bill amends the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2010 to direct the National Science Foundation (NSF) to: carry out an Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program to award grants for entrepreneurship and commercialization education to science and engineering researchers and students and institutions of higher education to increase the economic impact of federally funded research; and develop and provide access through specified Nodes, Sites, and Teams to I-Corps program curriculum by supporting entrepreneurship and commercialization education and training for faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, and other science and engineering researchers. The purpose of grants shall be to increase the capacity of science and engineering researchers and students to engage successfully in entrepreneurial activities and to help transition the results of federally funded research into the marketplace. The Treasury may: locate and recover U.S. government assets on behalf of any executive, judicial, or legislative agency; and retain a portion of recovered amounts to cover administrative and operational costs associated with locating and recovering those assets.

Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act This bill amends the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) to include among the responsibilities of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom the integration of international religious freedom policies and strategies into U.S. foreign policy. The bill states that the Department of State should consider elevating the Office of International Religious Freedom and the position of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to the Office of the Secretary of State. The executive summary to the annual religious freedom report shall include a special watch list of countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom but do not meet the criteria for designation as country of particular concern for religious freedom. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) there should be within the National Security Council's staff a Special Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom, (2) the State Department should work with Congress to address severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors, (3) ongoing and persistent waivers of specified presidential actions against countries of particular concern for religious freedom do not fulfill the IRFA's purpose, (4) the State Department should make specified assistance available to promote international religious freedom, (5) U.S. institutions of higher education operating campuses outside the United States or establishing educational entities with foreign governments should seek to uphold the right of freedom of religion, and (6) the President's annual national security strategy should promote international religious freedom. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended to direct the State Department to develop a curriculum for, and the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center to begin, mandatory training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers. The IRFA is amended to require the Commission on International Religious Freedom to compile and make publicly available updated lists of persons it determines are imprisoned, disappeared, placed under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of faith for their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy by a foreign government or a non-state actor that the commission recommends for designation as a country or entity of particular concern for religions freedom. The President shall: (1) identify and designate a non-state actor that has engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom; and (2) take appropriate actions to address severe violations of religious freedom, including suspension of assistance. The President shall designate any country that appears on the special watch list in more than two consecutive annual reports on international religious freedom as a country of particular concern for religious freedom. The State Department shall establish a list of foreign individuals who are sanctioned for ordering or otherwise directing particularly severe violations of freedom religion.

Reports Reduction Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

Reports Reduction Act of 2016 This bill eliminates or modifies reporting requirements for programs of: the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, State, the Treasury, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs; the U.S. Coast Guard; the Environmental Protection Agency; the Executive Office of the President; the Federal Communications Commission; the Federal Trade Commission; the General Services Administration; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the National Science Foundation; the Office of Personnel Management; the Director of National Intelligence; and the Small Business Administration. The Andean Trade Preference Act is amended to eliminate the U.S. International Trade Commission's reports regarding the economic impact of the President's authority to proclaim duty-free treatment to beneficiary countries and the effectiveness of drug-related crop eradication. The bill eliminates a provision that required the President to report on compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act for projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

A resolution recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Recognizes that National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month provides an opportunity for sexual violence education and sexual assault prevention, treatment, and prosecution. Calls for: (1) acknowledging survivors and commending volunteers and professionals who assist them; (2) recognizing and applauding national and community organizations and private sector supporters; and (3) recognizing and applauding public safety, law enforcement, and health professionals.

A resolution congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of charter schools across the United States for making ongoing contributions to education, and supporting the ideals and goals of the 17th annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 1 through May 7, 2016.

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

Congratulates the students, families, teachers, administrators, and staff of public charter schools across the United States for: (1) making ongoing contributions to public education, (2) making impressive strides in closing the academic achievement gap in U.S. schools, and (3) improving and strengthening the public school system. Expresses support for the ideals and goals of the 17th annual National Charter Schools Week (May 1-May 7, 2016).

A resolution recognizing the roles and contributions of the teachers of the United States in building and enhancing the civic, cultural, and economic well-being of the United States.

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

Thanks the teachers of the United States and promotes the teaching profession by encouraging students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to participate in National Teacher Appreciation Week.

Social Networking Online Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016

Social Networking Online Protection Act This bill prohibits employers from: (1) requiring or requesting that employees or applicants for employment provide their passwords or any other means for accessing their private email accounts or personal online accounts, including social networking websites; or (2) discharging, disciplining, discriminating against, denying employment or promotion to, or threatening to take any such action against employees or applicants who refuse to provide such information, file a complaint or institute a proceeding under this bill, or testify in any such proceeding. Employers who violate these prohibitions are subject to: (1) civil penalties; (2) the authority of the Department of Labor to bring injunctive actions; and (3) the jurisdiction of U.S. district courts to provide legal or equitable relief including employment, reinstatement, promotion, and payment of lost wages and benefits. The Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 are amended to prohibit certain institutions of higher education and local educational agencies from requesting such password or account information from students or potential students. The bill prohibits denial of admission, suspension, expulsion, and other discipline or discrimination against students who decline to provide such information, file a complaint, institute a proceeding, or testify in any related proceeding.

AIM Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2016

Airplane Impacts Mitigation Act of 2016 or the AIM Act of 2016 This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enter into an agreement with an eligible institution of higher education to conduct a study of the health impacts of airplane flights on residents exposed to a range of noise and air pollution levels from such flights. The study shall: focus on residents in Boston, Chicago, New York, the northern California metroplex, Phoenix, and not more than three additional metropolitan areas that each contain at least one international airport; consider the health impacts on residents living partly or wholly within the land area underneath the flight paths most frequently used by aircraft flying below 10,000 feet; and consider only those health impacts that manifest during the physical implementation of the NextGen RNAV program on flights departing from or arriving at an international airport located in one of such metropolitan areas. An institution of higher education is eligible to conduct the study if it: has a school of public health that has participated in the FAA Center of Excellence for Aircraft Noise and Aviation Emissions Mitigation, has a Center for Environmental Health that receives funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, is located in one of the areas within the scope of the study, applies to the FAA in a timely fashion, demonstrates that it is qualified to conduct such a study, and agrees to submit its findings to the FAA within two years after entering into such an agreement.

Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2016

Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish the Maritime Security Initiative to provide assistance and training through September 30, 2022, for maritime security and domain awareness for countries in the Asia-Pacific region. DOD shall prioritize assistance in order to: retain access to international waterways to ensure the free flow of commerce and achieve U.S. national security objectives, improve maritime domain awareness, counter piracy, disrupt illicit maritime trafficking activities of organizations that are a U.S. security threat, and enhance the maritime capabilities of a country or regional organization to respond to emerging maritime security threats. Assistance and training shall also promote observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms and respect for legitimate civilian authority. DOD may use funds provided for by this bill to pay incremental training-connected expenses if such payment will facilitate the participation of organization personnel in Brunei, Singapore, and Taiwan. The Arms Export Control Act is amended to extend special foreign military sales status to the Philippines. FY2017 international military education and training funds and foreign military financing assistance funds are authorized for activities in the region. The Department of State may prioritize the provision of maritime capacity building assistance to countries in the region that will contribute to the same objectives as provided in this bill for DOD. FY2017 funds are authorized for support of the Southeast Asia Maritime Law Enforcement Initiative. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to give priority for the transfer of excess defense articles to: (1) other major U.S. non-North American Treaty Organization allies in the region (including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand); and (2) other Association of Southeast Asian Nations maritime states. The bill authorizes the transfer of one OLIVER HAZARD PERRY class guided missile frigate on a grant basis to a foreign government pursuant to the Maritime Security Initiative. The President shall ensure that the U.S. government treats every proposed arms sale for Taiwan with the same time lines, processes, and procedures accorded to proposed arms transfers for all other countries.

College Access Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2016

College Access Act of 2016 This bill establishes a competitive grant program for states to develop or implement comprehensive plans to improve post-secondary outcomes for students.  A state's plan must include reforms to: (1) implement measures to maintain or increase fiscal support for post-secondary education; (2) increase the transparency of, and access to, information about the costs and outcomes of attaining post-secondary credentials at the state's institutions; and (3) improve post-secondary education remediation, remove barriers to innovation in postsecondary education, or improve the transition of students to and from post-secondary institutions.

A resolution designating April 2016 as "National 9-1-1 Education Month".

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2016

Designates April 2016 as National 9-1-1 Education Month.

To prohibit the provision of Federal funds to any State or local educational agency that denies or prevents participation in constitutional prayer in schools.

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2016

This bill prohibits the provision of Department of Education funds to any state or local educational agency that has a policy of denying, or that effectively prevents participation in, constitutional prayer in public schools by individuals on a voluntary basis. No person shall be required to participate in prayer, or shall influence the form or content of any constitutional prayer, in public schools.