Education

No School Bus Drivers with DUIs Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 30 December 2016

No School Bus Drivers with DUIs Act of 2016 The bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit any state, state educational agency, or local educational agency receiving ESEA funds from employing an individual as a school bus driver who has been convicted of, or pled guilty to, drunk driving or a driving violation that is a felony under state law. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent those entities from adopting a law, regulation, or policy that provides greater or additional protections prohibiting the employment of a school employee, contractor, or agent. The Department of Education shall not have the authority to mandate, direct, or control the specific measures adopted by such entities.

No Funding for Sanctuary Campuses Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2016

No Funding for Sanctuary Campuses Act This bill amends title IV (Student Aid) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make an institution of higher education (IHE) that is a sanctuary campus ineligible for funds under title IV. It defines the term "sanctuary campus." The Department of Homeland Security must transmit to the Department of Education and publish in the Federal Register notice of a determination that an IHE is a sanctuary campus. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that providing in-state tuition to an alien who lacks lawful immigration status in the United States creates an incentive for illegal immigration and encourages and induces aliens to come to, enter, or reside in the United States.

SAFE Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2016

Securing Active and Fair Enforcement Act or the SAFE Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): (1) shall grant a three-year provisional protected presence to a qualifying alien, (2) may not remove the alien from the United States unless such protected presence is rescinded, and (3) shall provide such alien with employment authorization. An alien is eligible for such protected presence and employment authorization if the alien: (1) was born after June 15, 1981; (2) entered the United States before attaining 16 years of age; (3)    continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007; (4) was physically but unlawfully present in the United States on June 15; (5) on the date the alien files an application the alien is present in the United States, is enrolled in school or in an education program assisting students in obtaining a high school diploma, has graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school or a general educational development certificate, or is an honorably discharged U.S. Coast Guard or Armed Forces veteran; (6) has not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors not occurring on the same date and not arising out of the same act; and (7) does not otherwise pose a threat to national security or a threat to public safety. The bill: (1) provides for confidentiality of application information, with certain national security and law enforcement exceptions; and (2) sets forth the criteria under which DHS may rescind protected presence. An alien granted protected presence is not considered to be unlawfully present in the United States during such period. An alien must be at least 15 years old, unless in removal proceedings, to apply for protected presence. DHS may provide for an application fee and for fee exemptions. DHS may not: (1) remove an alien who appears prima facie eligible for protected presence while the alien's application is pending, or (2) refer individuals whose cases have been deferred pursuant to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) or who have been granted protected presence to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A DACA alien is deemed to have protected presence through the expiration date of his or her deferred action status. The bill requires the detention of any alien who is: (1) unlawfully present in the United States; and (2) arrested for specified offenses, conviction of any of which would render the alien inadmissible or deportable. It shall be the goal of the Department of Justice (DOJ), DHS, and the Executive Office for Immigration Review to use funds authorized under this bill to resolve promptly cases pertaining to aliens inadmissible on specified criminal grounds. In order to help achieve this goal DOJ shall designate up to 100 temporary immigration judges and DHS shall hire 150 new immigration litigation attorneys.

BRIDGE Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2016

Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy Act or the BRIDGE Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): (1) shall grant a three-year provisional protected presence to a qualifying alien, (2) may not remove the alien from the United States unless such protected presence is rescinded, and (3) shall provide such alien with employment authorization. An alien is eligible for such protected presence and employment authorization if the alien: (1) was born after June 15, 1981; (2) entered the United States before attaining 16 years of age; (3)    continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007; (4) was physically but unlawfully present in the United States on June 15; (5) on the date the alien files an application the alien is present in the United States, is enrolled in school or in an education program assisting students in obtaining a high school diploma, has graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school or a general educational development certificate, or is an honorably discharged U.S. Coast Guard or Armed Forces veteran; (6) has not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors not occurring on the same date and not arising out of the same act; and (7) does not otherwise pose a threat to national security or a threat to public safety. The bill: (1) provides for confidentiality of application information, with certain national security and law enforcement exceptions; and (2) sets forth the criteria under which DHS may rescind such protected presence. An alien granted protected presence is not considered to be unlawfully present in the United States during such period. An alien must be at least 15 years old, unless in removal proceedings, to apply for protected presence. DHS may provide for an application fee and for fee exemptions. DHS may not: (1) remove an alien who appears prima facie eligible for protected presence while the alien's application is pending, or (2) refer individuals whose cases have been deferred pursuant to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) or who have been granted protected presence to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A DACA alien is deemed to have protected presence through the expiration date of his or her deferred action status.

Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2016

Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make competitive grants to local governments, public housing agencies (PHAs), community development corporations, assisted housing owners, and other for-profit and nonprofit entities to implement transformational programs in eligible neighborhoods with a concentration of extreme poverty, severely distressed housing, and a potential for long-term viability, once certain key problems are addressed. The programs shall include neighborhoods with proximity to educational institutions, medical centers, central business districts, major employers, effective transportation alternatives (including public transit, walking, and bicycling), and low poverty neighborhoods. The bill requires grant applications to include a transformation plan that will demonstrate how a distressed neighborhood can be transformed into a mixed-income neighborhood with high-quality, safe, affordable housing, economic opportunities, access to jobs and public transportation, and effective education programs. Such grants: (1) may not be used for construction or rehabilitation of a K-12 school building or an institution of higher education, and (2) are limited for certain non-housing activities and supportive services. HUD may waive these limitations. The bill exempts from specified requirements of the United States Housing Act of 1937 the demolition and disposition of severely distressed public and assisted housing pursuant to a transformation plan.

Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Act This bill requires the Department of the Interior to establish a nonregulatory Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Restoration Program, under which it shall: draw on management plans for the Hudson-Mohawk River Basin and work with applicable management entities, including the federal government, state and local governments, and regional and nonprofit organizations, to identify, prioritize, and implement water resources activities within the basin; adopt a basin-wide strategy that coordinates activities being undertaken by the basin states (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont), advisory committees, local governments, institutions of higher education, and nongovernmental organizations to address environmental, economic, and cultural issues associated with the management and use of water resources in the basin and that supports implementation of science-based restoration and protection activities; and establish the Hudson-Mohawk River Basin grant program to provide competitive matching grants and technical assistance to state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other eligible entities to carry out specified restoration and protection activities. Program purposes are listed, including: addressing the management, development, conservation, and use of water resources throughout the basin; coordinating restoration and protection activities; carrying out coordinated restoration and protection activities and providing technical assistance throughout the basin states; maintaining an inventory of historic and cultural resources of the basin and identifying projects to provide for cultural enrichment, preservation of cultural resources, public education about local heritage and historical significance of properties, canals, and historic sites within the basin; and providing a mechanism to promote communication, coordination, and collaborative working relationships among entities working in the basin. Interior shall develop criteria to ensure that activities funded through the grant program accomplish identified purposes and advance the implementation of priority actions or needs identified in the basin-wide strategy.

Graduate Medical Education Equity Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Graduate Medical Education Equity Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow a qualified hospital to have its payment amount for direct graduation medical education costs calculated on the basis of its Medicaid inpatient utilization rate rather than on the basis of its Medicare patient load.

RISE Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower Act of 2016 or the RISE Act of 2016 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to set forth requirements about data collection related to students with disabilities. Specifically, the bill requires institutions of higher learning to outline which documents disabled students need to submit in order to ensure they are eligible for student disability support services. Institutions must submit key data related to their undergraduate students with disabilities for inclusion in federal postsecondary institution data collection efforts.

Lead-free Students Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Lead-free Students Act This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require a local education agency, as a condition of receiving ESEA funds, to require a student to undergo blood lead-level testing prior to enrolling in an elementary school for the first time.

Safe Transfer Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Safe Transfer Act This bill amends the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 by prohibiting federal funds for any institution of postsecondary education that fails to disclose to other institutions information related to campus sexual assault on the transcript of: (1) a student who violated the institution's rules or polices with respect to sex offenses, or (2) a student who is accused of sex offenses in a pending disciplinary proceeding. The disclosure requirement terminates five years after a disciplinary proceeding is completed, or one year after the initiation of a proceeding if it is still pending. The student who is subject to the disciplinary proceeding must be notified of the disclosure and be allowed to inspect and copy the disciplinary proceeding, which does not include the name of any other student, such as a victim or witness. The student must also be given the opportunity to write a statement to accompany the disclosure.

Students and Families Empowerment Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Students and Families Empowerment Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the deduction for interest on education loans, to replace the dollar limitation and the limitation based on modified adjusted gross income with a $1 million limit ($2 million in the case of a joint return) on the aggregate amount of qualified education loans that may be taken into account for the deduction. The bill excludes from gross income the discharge of any student loan debt pursuant to income contingent and income-based repayment plans under the Higher Education Act of 1965. The bill also amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend from 6 months to 12 months: (1) the grace period before payment must begin on Federal Direct Stafford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans after the student ceases to carry at least one-half of the normal full-time academic workload, and (2) the deferment periods for parent borrowers and graduate or professional student borrowers with Federal Direct PLUS Loans. The bill prohibits interest from accruing on a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan or a Federal Direct PLUS Loan during the 12-month extension or deferral period.

Commission to Study Family Reconstruction Proposals for African-Americans Unjustly Impacted by the "War on Drugs" Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Commission to Study Family Reconstruction Proposals for African-Americans Unjustly Impacted by the "War on Drugs" Act of 2016 This bill establishes a commission to examine and report on: the disparate incarceration and the institution of forced prison labor within the African-American community, government and private sector support for and profit from mass incarceration, discriminatory laws and other forms of discrimination in the public and private sectors, and the lingering negative effects of mass incarceration. The commission must make recommendations for education and remedies.

Care for Life Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Care for Life Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and maintain the Pregnant and Parenting Women's Care Information Service database. This database must provide pregnant women and new parents with information on public and private service providers that help such women and parents in alleviating the physical, financial, social, and emotional difficulties encountered during or after pregnancy. HHS may award grants to: (1) providers to develop best practices for communities to identify optimal ways to provide pregnancy and parenting support services, and (2) academic medical centers to provide specialized training in pregnancy and parenting support services. The Department of Labor must recognize and publicize the practices of employers who successfully meet the needs of their pregnant or parenting employees. The grant program of the Department of Education to improve postsecondary education opportunities is expanded to include funding for the development of an online information toolkit about agencies that are working within institutions of higher education to provide pregnancy and child care services for students.

American Innovation and Competitiveness Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

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

Municipal Securities Disclosure Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Municipal Securities Disclosure Act of 2016 This bill amends the Securities Act of 1933 to require registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of certain industrial development bonds that finance private projects through municipal securities. (Currently, the Securities Act exempts these private activity municipal bonds from SEC registration.) The bill amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require state and local government issuers of municipal securities, or obligated persons or borrowers with respect to these securities, to prepare annual periodic reports and disseminate financial disclosures that the SEC determines appropriate in the public interest and for the protection of investors. (Currently, SEC antifraud rules do not regulate municipal securities issuers directly but the rules prohibit securities dealers from underwriting the buying or selling of municipal securities unless they obtain the state or local government issuer's agreement to provide ongoing disclosures to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board. The bill makes state or local government issuers directly responsible for providing the municipal securities disclosures by placing them under the SEC's jurisdiction.) The SEC may prescribe the accounting methods to be followed in the preparation of the financial statements or require the use of accounting methods established by a standard-setting body. An issuer or borrower of outstanding municipal securities exceeding $10 million must adopt internal controls that identify the officials responsible for preparing the required disclosures and provide checks and balances for adequate supervision. The SEC may allow these requirements to be satisfied through a statewide system of disclosure controls and disclosure education.

Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should seek to reverse the policy of a country that routinely denies religious worker visa applications by reviewing the bilateral relationship between such country and the United States. The Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom shall coordinate U.S. international religious freedom policies. The Annual Report on International Religious Freedom shall include information about: severe violations of religious freedom in a country where a government does not function or does not control its territory, identification of prisoners in a country, action taken by a government to censor religious activities, persecution of human rights advocates, and country-specific analysis of the impact of U.S. actions on religious freedom. Executive summaries of such report shall include information about countries in which a non-state actor is designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom. The George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center shall conduct training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers and all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom shall make publicly available lists of persons who are imprisoned disappeared, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of religious faith by the government of a foreign country or by a non-state actor that the commission recommends for designation as a country or entity of particular concern for religious freedom. The President shall: (1) concurrent with the annual review of the status of religious freedom in foreign countries, identify any non-state actors operating in a reviewed country or surrounding region that have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom; (2) designate each such non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom; and (3) determine the specific officials or members of such a non-state actor who are responsible for such violations. The President's report on action taken in response to violations of religious freedom or on designation of a country as a country of particular concern for religious freedom shall include an evaluation of the impact of such action or designation on the advancement of U.S. interests in democracy, human rights, and security. The bill limits a waiver of specified presidential actions subsequent to the designation of a country as a country of particular concern for religious freedom to 180 days. The President shall publish in the Federal Register: (1) any designation of a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, and (2) the identities of responsible individuals. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should request sufficient appropriations to promote international religious freedom, and (2) preference should be given to projects in countries that are included in the watch list or that are designated as countries of particular concern for religious freedom. The State Department shall establish the Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom of foreign individuals who are sanctioned for ordering particularly severe violations of freedom religion. The bill express the sense of Congress that: (1) U.S. institutions of higher education operating campuses outside the United States or establishing educational entities with foreign governments should adopt a voluntary code of operating conduct that upholds religious freedom; and (2) the President's annual national security strategy report should promote international religious freedom as a foreign policy and national security priority and should be a guide for the strategies and activities of relevant federal agencies, including the Department of Defense's quadrennial defense review.

Urban Agriculture Production Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016

Urban Agriculture Production Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish an urban agriculture outreach program to award grants to support outreach activities for: (1) infrastructure, (2) land acquisition and conversion, (3) education and training, (4) technical and financial assistance to farmers or ranchers in urban areas, and (5) other activities that support urban agriculture. USDA must give preference to grants for activities in historically underserved communities. The bill amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to expand the purpose and duties of USDA's Office of Advocacy and Outreach to include activities on behalf of urban farmers or ranchers. USDA must award grants, on a competitive basis, for scientific and community-based participatory research related to urban agriculture. The bill provides specified funds for the grants and requires USDA to give priority to outreach activities to be carried out in historically underserved communities. The bill amends the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 to: (1) establish a program to provide loans and loan guarantees for projects or activities to establish, expand, and promote direct producer-to-consumer marketing and assist in the development of local food business enterprises; and (2) extend and provide additional funding for the Farmers' Market Promotion Program. The bill amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to extend the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program and provide additional funding. The bill amends the Census of Agriculture Act of 1997 to require additional USDA reporting on farmers' markets and agricultural production in urban areas.

Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2016

Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Act of 2016 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, and other laws to:  establish the Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care; support the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative; establish the National Law Enforcement Child and Youth Trauma Coordinating Center; authorize the Department of Education to award grants for the improvement of trauma support services and mental health care for children in educational settings; establish Medicaid demonstration projects to test innovative, trauma-informed approaches for delivering early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services to eligible children; modify and extend the Performance Partnership Pilots; and revise or establish provisions related to best practices, data collection, health professional shortage areas, licensing guidelines for certain community figures, health care workforce training, trauma-related coordinating bodies, and trauma-informed teaching.

INVEST to Prevent Crime Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2016

Investing in Neighborhood-focused, Vital, Evidence-based Strategies and Trust to Prevent Crime Act of 2016 or the INVEST to Prevent Crime Act This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish a grant program for governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education to prepare a comprehensive plan and enhance community capacity to address crime through collaborative cross-sector approaches.

A bill to reauthorize the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation Program.

United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2016

This bill amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to reauthorize for FY2017-FY2023 the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation Fund Grant Program.

Teachers and Parents at the Table Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2016

Teachers and Parents at the Table Act This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to establish: (1) a Volunteer Teacher Advisory Committee to monitor the effects of the ESEA in classrooms, and (2) a Volunteer Parents and Families Advisory Committee to monitor the effects of the ESEA on children and families and to review and analyze the implementation of various family engagement activities.

APP Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2016

Advancing and Promoting Programming or the APP Act This bill requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to establish a publicly available website that includes a database of federal funding opportunities for the creation of apps (software applications that enable the performance of specific tasks that may be run on a computer, a mobile device, the Internet, or any other electronic device) and allows the public to download a federal government app that includes: a list of each funding source for the creation and maintenance of government apps and instructions on how an applicant may apply for such funding; the ability for the public to rate and review any such app; a page that prominently displays apps that have been recently updated or that receive a high user review average; a page that features government projects that provide application developers with tools to improve private apps; resources for education and training related to the creation of apps; and a page that features outstanding, educational, computer science programs and resources to replicate such programs. The GSA shall review any app for which an update has not been released in more than two years and shall remove any app from the website that is no longer functional or compatible.

Teach to Lead Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2016

Teach to Lead Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Education to award competitive grants to nonprofit organizations for the development and implementation of teacher-led projects to improve outcomes in elementary and secondary schools. Grantee organizations shall use grant funds to make competitive subgrants to teachers and school leaders in partnership with the organization or a local educational agency.

Attracting and Retaining Entrepreneurs Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2016

Attracting and Retaining Entrepreneurs Act This bill: (1) amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a three-year nonimmigrant entrepreneur W-visa for an alien meeting specified investment, or job creation and revenue, requirements; and (2) establishes a $1,000 visa fee. Additional three-year periods of admission are allowed if the individual meets specified job creation and revenue or investment requirements. An individual who has not met such admission renewal requirements may be granted up to two one-year renewals if: (1) he or she has made substantial progress in meeting such criteria, and (2) such renewal is economically beneficial to the United States. The bill establishes an employment-based entrepreneur immigrant visa for an individual who: (1) has a significant ownership interest in a U.S. business entity, (2) is employed in a senior executive position at such entity, (3) submits a business plan to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and (4) had a substantial role in the founding or early-stage growth and development of such entity. The bill sets forth visa criteria, which shall include qualifying: (1) nonimmigrant U.S. residency, (2) job creation, (3) investment and revenue amounts, (4) education levels, and (5) ownership in a U.S. entity. Up to 10,000 entrepreneur immigrant visas shall be made available each fiscal year.

Student Borrower HELP Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2016

Student Borrower Higher Education Lending Protection Act of 2016 or the Student Borrower HELP Act of 2016 This bill amends the Truth in Lending Act to provide to student borrowers of private education loans: (1) loan payment deferments without interest accruing during any period in which the student borrower is temporarily disabled, and (2) loan discharges if a student borrower dies or becomes totally or permanently disabled. If a student borrower dies or becomes totally or permanently disabled, the student borrower, any cosigner on the loan, or the estate of either the student borrower or the cosigner shall not be obligated to make any additional loan payments. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to exclude from an individual's gross income (which would otherwise include cancellation of debt as income) amounts based on the discharge of a student loan under this bill. An individual is therefore not subject to tax liability for the discharge of student loan debt under this bill. Private educational lenders must disclose to borrowers the number of private education loans they offer and the number and rate of defaults on such loans.

Perkins Loan Program Inflation Adjustment Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2016

Perkins Loan Program Inflation Adjustment Act of 2016 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to adjust the maximum annual and aggregate amount that a student may borrow under the Federal Perkins Loan program to account for inflation.

Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2016

Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act of 2016 This bill establishes the Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Program for the appointment of individuals who are graduates of accredited law schools to serve as congressional clerks in the Senate or House of Representatives. The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the House Committee on House Administration must each select at least six individuals for a one-year term to serve for a clerkship with an office in their respective chambers. The committees shall ensure that congressional clerks selected under this bill are apportioned equally between majority and minority party offices. The bill expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the amount of financial assistance provided to a congressional clerk should, if practicable, be comparable to the compensation and benefits provided for similar clerkships offered through the federal judiciary and executive branches; and (2) any financial assistance provided to a clerk should not result in a net increase in the amounts appropriated for the legislative branch for any fiscal year.

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016

United States · United States Senate · 2 December 2016

Creating Financial Prosperity for Businesses and Investors Act

United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2016

Creating Financial Prosperity for Businesses and Investors Act This bill amends the Small Business Investment Incentive Act of 1980 to require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to issue a public statement, and disclose any actions it intends to take, each time its annual government-business forum submits findings or recommendations regarding the current status of problems and programs relating to small business capital formation. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is amended to establish within the SEC an Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation and a Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. The Investment Company Act of 1940 is amended to increase from 100 to 250 the limit on the number of people who may own securities in certain venture capital funds (with no more than $10 million in invested capital, adjusted annually for inflation) before the issuer is required to register as an investment company. The bill allows a crowdfunding issuer to sell shares through a crowdfunding vehicle (a company that aggregates small individual contributions into a single investment in the issuer) that meets certain requirements and revises conditions upon which the SEC exempts securities issued in crowdfunding transactions from SEC registration requirements. The Securities Act of 1933 is amended to add to the definition of accredited investor certain categories of natural persons whose net worth or income exceeds specified levels, who are licensed or registered as brokers or investment advisors, or whose verified education or job experience qualifies as professional knowledge for a particular investment. The Investment Company Act of 1940 is amended to repeal the exemption from its coverage of investment companies created under the laws of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or any other U.S. possession.

Protect the Flag Act

United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2016

Protect the Flag Act This bill makes an institution of higher education ineligible for federal funds if it has an official policy that prohibits or limits the display of the U.S. flag.

Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2016

Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Education, when reviewing whether there has been a violation of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance) based on an individual's actual or perceived shared Jewish ancestry or Jewish ethnic characteristics, to consider the definition of "anti-Semitism" as part of its assessment of whether the alleged practice was motivated by anti-Semitic intent. For purposes of this bill, the definition of "anti-Semitism" is the definition set forth by the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism of the Department of State in the Fact Sheet issued on June 8, 2010, as adapted from the Working Definition of Anti-Semitism of the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia (now known as the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights).

Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2016

Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Education (ED), when reviewing whether there has been a violation of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance) based on an individual's actual or perceived shared Jewish ancestry or Jewish ethnic characteristics, to consider the definition of "anti-Semitism" as part of its assessment of whether the alleged practice was motivated by anti-Semitic intent. For purposes of this bill, the definition of "anti-Semitism" is the definition set forth by the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism of the Department of State in the Fact Sheet issued on June 8, 2010, as adapted from the Working Definition of Anti-Semitism of the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia (now known as the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights).

Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2016

Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016 TITLE I--DISABILITY COMPENSATION MATTERS This bill revises specified Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation provisions, including provisions concerning: (1) payment of survivors benefits, (2) review of claims processing performance by regional offices of the Veterans Benefits Administration, (3) staffing levels at VA regional offices under the National Work Queue, (4) a report on the VA's progress in implementing the Veterans Benefits Management System, (5) contract physicians, and (6) traumatic brain injury assessments. TITLE II--UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS The bill extends the temporary expansion of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims until January 1, 2021. TITLE III--BURIAL BENEFITS AND OTHER MATTERS The bill: (1) authorizes the VA to furnish a headstone or marker, or a medallion or other device to be attached to a headstone or marker furnished at private expense to signify an individual's veteran status, including status as a medal of honor recipient, to a deceased individual who served in the Armed Forces on or after April 6, 1917, and who is eligible for a headstone or marker or who would be eligible but for his or her date of death; and (2) requires studies on interring unclaimed remains of veterans in national cemeteries and on providing increased interments in veterans' cemeteries on Saturdays and Sundays. TITLE IV--EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 is amended to deem any member of the Armed Forces who died between September 11, 2001, and December 31, 2005, 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. The VA may prioritize vocational rehabilitation services based upon need. The bill: (1) revises the Post-9/11 education assistance program, and (2) extends the period for certain qualifying work-study activities. Specified education programs are deemed to be approved for veterans' education benefit purposes if a state approving agency determines that they qualify. Licensure or certification program requirements necessary for VA approval are revised. The VA shall contract with a non-government entity to conduct a survey of individuals who have used or are using their VA educational benefits. The authorities under which a Reservist may regain lost payments and lost entitlement for educational programs when ordered to active duty shall include disaster service and service for a pre-planned mission in support of a combatant command. TITLE V--SMALL BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT MATTERS The bill revises ownership requirements for VA small business contracts and preferences. Each state director for veterans' employment and training shall coordinate activities with the state departments of labor and veterans affairs. TITLE VI--HEALTH CARE MATTERS The bill revises specified VA health care provisions, including provisions concerning: (1) advance funding for the Medical Community Care account, (2) access to adult immunizations, (3) priority access for medal of honor recipients, (4) mental health care for veterans who served in classified missions, (5) examination and treatment for emergency medical treatment and women in labor, and (6) VA physicians and graduate medical residency positions. The VA may carry out major medical facility projects in Reno, Nevada, and Long Beach, California. The VA shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Medicine for an assessment of scientific research relating to the descendants of individuals with toxic exposure to a hazardous agent. TITLE VII--HOMELESSNESS MATTERS The bill expands the definition of "homeless veteran" for purposes of VA benefits. The VA shall: (1) establish and operate the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, (2) assess comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans, and (3) provide case management services to improve the housing retention by veterans who were previously homeless and are transitioning to permanent housing and by veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless. The bill eliminates the minimum continuous active duty service requirement for homeless veterans to receive certain VA benefits. TITLE VIII--OTHER MATTERS The bill requires the VA to: (1) use industry standards, standard designs, and best practices in carrying out medical facility construction; (2) provide for external forensic audits of certain medical facility construction projects; and (3) provide quarterly reports on super construction projects.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that access to digital communications tools and connectivity is necessary to prepare youth in the United States to compete in the 21st century economy.

United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2016

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that access to digital communications tools and connectivity is necessary to prepare youth to compete in the economy.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ACTIONS CONCERNING VOLUNTARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS

United States · United States Senate · 29 November 2016

Northern Mariana Islands Economic Expansion Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2016

Northern Mariana Islands Economic Expansion Act This bill: (1) requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to increase the supplemental education fee charged to a prospective employer for each CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)-Only Transitional Worker who is issued a permit during the transition period to U.S. immigration law, (2) allows such a permit for construction occupations to be issued only to extend a permit first issued before October 1, 2015, and (3) caps the number of permits issued for such nonimmigrant workers for FY2017 at 15,000.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that all students should have access to the digital tools necessary to further their education and compete in the 21st century economy.

United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2016

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that all students should have access to the digital tools necessary to further their education and compete in the economy.

A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of American Diabetes Month.

United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016

Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of American Diabetes Month, including encouraging individuals to fight diabetes through public awareness about prevention and treatment options and enhancing education about the disease; and (2) decreasing the prevalence of type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes in the United States through increased research, treatment, and prevention. Recognizes the importance of early detection, awareness of the symptoms, and the risk factors that often lead to the development of diabetes.

Combating European Anti-Semitism Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016

Combating European Anti-Semitism Act of 2016 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) it is in the U.S. national interest to combat anti-Semitism at home and abroad; (2) there is a need to ensure the security of European Jewish communities, including synagogues, schools, and cemeteries; and (3) the United States should continue to emphasize the importance of combating anti-Semitism in multilateral bodies. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 is amended to require the Department of State's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom to include, for each European country in which threats or attacks against Jewish persons, schools, and religious institutions are particularly significant, a description of: the security challenges and needs of European Jewish communities and European law enforcement agencies; U.S. efforts to partner with European law enforcement agencies and civil society groups to combat anti-Semitic incidents; educational programming and public awareness initiatives that impart values of pluralism and tolerance, showcase the positive contributions of Jews, and pay special attention to population segments that exhibit a high degree of anti-Semitic animus; and efforts by European governments to adopt and apply a working definition of anti-Semitism.

A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of American Education Week.

United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2016

Expresses support for the goals and ideals of American Education Week.

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program to assist eligible entities in carrying out programs to replace lead service lines for schools and solder that is not lead free used in the plumbing for schools, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2016

This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program to help schools and day cares in replacing service lines and solder that are not lead free. The program may fund activities for identifying the location and condition of the service lines and solder.

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to the accreditation of osteopathic residency training programs for purposes of graduate medical education payments under the Medicare program.

United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2016

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to modify, with respect to graduate medical education (GME) payments under the Medicare program, provisions related to "approved medical residency training programs" by: (1) specifying that such programs include osteopathic community residency training programs; and (2) replacing the requirement for such programs to include certain postgraduate training in geriatric medicine with a requirement for approval by a certified accrediting body. Under current law, a "foreign medical graduate" is generally a resident who was not a graduate of a school that meets the standards for accreditation by one of several specified accreditors. (Foreign medical graduates are subject to certain examination requirements for purposes of being counted as residents with respect to Medicare GME payments.) The bill alters this definition such that a "foreign medical graduate" is a resident who is not a graduate of an accredited school. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must certify at least two accrediting bodies for the purpose of accrediting medical residency training programs in allopathic and osteopathic medicine.

Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2016

Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act of 2016 This bill eliminates the minimum continuous active duty service requirement for homeless veterans to receive certain benefits, including: (1) outreach, (2) rehabilitative services, (3) vocational counseling and training, (4) transitional housing assistance, (5) supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing, and (6) health care for homeless veterans with special needs. Homeless veterans are exempted from disqualification for such benefits because of discharge or dismissal from the Armed Forces under conditions other than honorable, except for discharge by reason of a general court-martial. "Veteran" is defined for purposes of such benefits as a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, regardless of length of service and who was discharged or released from service other than by a dishonorable discharge or by reason of a general court-martial. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) shall conduct related training and education for appropriate VA and grant recipient personnel. Services for which a homeless veteran receives a grant under the VA comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans may include furnishing care for a dependent under the veteran's care.

American Food for American Schools Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2016

American Food for American Schools Act of 2016 This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require school food authorities (SFAs) to request a waiver from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase foreign commodities or products for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). (Under current law, Buy American provisions require SFAs to purchase, to the maximum extent practicable, domestic commodities or products for the NSLP. There are limited exceptions which permit the purchase of non-domestic products in circumstances when using domestic products is truly not practicable. If an SFA uses an exception, there is no requirement to request a waiver to purchase a foreign product or commodity, but the SFA must keep documentation justifying the exception.) USDA may not grant a waiver for an SFA to purchase foreign commodities or products unless: (1) the commodities or products are not produced or manufactured domestically in sufficient amounts or of satisfactory quality, (2) the domestic commodities or products would be significantly higher in price than foreign commodities or products, and (3) the SFA agrees to make the waiver publicly available on its website and meet other specified notification requirements.

Expressing support for designation of the week beginning on November 14, 2016, as "National School Psychology Week".

United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2016

Expresses support for the designation of National School Psychology Week, and recognizes the contributions of school psychologists to the success of students in schools across the United States.

Supporting the goals and ideals of American Education Week.

United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2016

Expresses support for the goals and ideals of American Education Week.

A concurrent resolution commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 1916 opening of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and the 2016 opening of the new Texas A&M Veterinary & Biomedical Education complex in College Station, Texas.

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2016

Commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 1916 opening of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and the 2016 opening of the new Texas A&M Veterinary & Biomedical Education complex in College Station, Texas.

A bill to amend the Small Business Act to expand tax credit education and training for small businesses, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2016

This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), to develop partnership agreements to: provide for development of basic training relating to federal income tax credits benefitting small businesses and startups, especially credits for research and experimentation, and informational materials relating to such credits, including IRS guidance documents; provide these basic training and informational materials through electronic resources and at physical locations; and make the materials available to SBA business development programs and business development entities that partner with SBA programs, including universities, nonprofits, business incubators, and business accelerators. The bill amends the Small Business Act to require SBA development centers to provide, in conjunction with the IRS, informational materials, education, and basic training to small businesses relating to federal income tax credits, including credits available to: (1) businesses generally; and (2) small businesses and startups specifically, especially credits for research and experimentation. Such materials, education, and basic training may be delivered in person or through an Internet website.

Student Worker Exemption Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2016

Student Worker Exemption Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude students who are employed by an institution of higher education (IHE) and carrying a full-time academic workload at the IHE from being counted as full-time employees in calculating the IHE's shared responsibility regarding health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2016

Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act This bill postpones from December 1, 2016, until June 1, 2017, the effective date of a final rule of the Department of Labor revising income thresholds for determining overtime pay for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer ("white collar") employees exempt from regular minimum wage and overtime pay requirements.