Housing

Fair Distribution of Affordable Housing Funds Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016

Fair Distribution of Affordable Housing Funds Act of 2016 This bill amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to eliminate the minimum state allocation requirement with respect to amounts allocated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Housing Trust Fund to be distributed to each state (including the District of Columbia) to provide affordable housing.

Equity for Disaster Victims Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016

Equity for Disaster Victims Act of 2016 This bill amends the Small Business Act to allow a small business concern, homeowner, or nonprofit entity that received a Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan for repairing, rehabilitating, or replacing real property damaged or destroyed by or because of Superstorm Sandy or that received such an SBA loan to refinance a mortgage or other lien against a home or business concern totally destroyed or substantially damaged by or because of the storm to receive Superstorm Sandy CDBG-DR grant funds only if they will be used to repay: the principal and any interest accrued on the loan for such repair, rehabilitation, or replacement; or the loan received to refinance the mortgage or other lien. The bill allows these recipients of additional SBA disaster assistance resulting from a declared major disaster to use CDBG-DR grant funds only if they are used for such repayments. The term Superstorm Sandy CDBG-DR grant funds means mandatory amounts made available by the Department of Housing and Urban Development only for impacted and distressed areas resulting from a declared major disaster due to Superstorm Sandy for activities authorized under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. A small business concern, homeowner, or nonprofit entity who receives assistance pursuant to any other law to repair, rehabilitate, or replace real property damaged or destroyed by or as a result of a declared major disaster on or after enactment of this bill may use such assistance to repay the principal and any interest accrued on a loan or the amount of other assistance received under it.

Flexible HIRE Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016

Flexible Hiring and Improving Recruitment, Retention, and Education Act of 2016 or the Flexible HIRE Act This bill allows the President to authorize agencies to appoint candidates directly to positions that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has determined are in geographic areas affected by a unique situation or circumstance that has directly and significantly affected employee recruitment and retention. In areas within the continental United States in which recruitment and retention have become a severe challenge as the direct result of a dramatic economic development, hardship, or remoteness, the President may permit agencies to appoint candidates without using the statutory preference eligible veteran procedures that would otherwise require such agencies to provide experience credits, award examination points, or restrict competition to certain veterans and families of disabled or deceased veterans. Agencies must still prioritize the hiring of veterans by following regulatory principles regarding the appointment of qualified veterans to competitive service positions. For positions in such areas, the OPM may establish higher minimum rates of pay and authorize agencies to pay bonuses for recruitment, relocation, or retention. The OPM must replace the $10 per day cap on the commuting allowance for employees assigned to remote worksites with the mileage reimbursement rate prescribed by the General Services Administration for the use of privately owned automobiles for official government business. Agencies may pay an allowance to employees assigned to sites remote from: (1) established communities, suitable residences, or affordable housing; (2) medical care, child care, or schools; (3) employment options for spouses; or (4) consumer goods and services. The OPM must establish a permanent hiring working group to help agencies prepare and deal with such geographic areas. Agencies must: (1) create pilot programs to increase the number of new employees placed in these unique geographic areas; (2) develop strategies to aide employees' spouses and families; and (3) enhance recruiting methods targeting colleges, veterans transition centers, and job placement programs in such areas. The OPM must establish a centralized electronic database of individuals completing a federal internship program who are seeking full-time federal employment.

Protect Our Schools from Tax Delinquents Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016

Protect Our Schools from Tax Delinquents Act of 2016 This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require that each housing assistance payments contract entered into under the Section 8 rental assistance voucher program by a public housing agency (PHA) and the owner of a dwelling unit provide that such owner pay, on a timely basis, all covered taxes validly assessed against the property in which the unit is located. A "covered tax" is any tax under state or local law assessed upon real property or the revenue of which is dedicated for use only for schools or for costs of education. The bill allows a contract to provide that, upon notification and identification of a tax delinquency by a taxing authority, the PHA shall abate all of the rental assistance amounts for the property, transferring them monthly to the taxing authority, until the delinquency is eliminated. The bill does not authorize or establish any cause or grounds for the termination of the tenancy of any tenant from any dwelling unit assisted under the rental assistance voucher program. The Department of Housing and Urban Development must maintain a database of information regarding owners of dwelling units: (1) assisted under the program whose housing assistance payments contracts have been terminated for noncompliance with the requirements of this bill, and (2) with respect to whom assistance amounts have been abated and transferred to a taxing authority.

Common Sense Postal Delivery Restoration Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016

Common Sense Postal Delivery Restoration Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from requiring centralized delivery (whereby mail receptacles of a number of delivery points are grouped or clustered at a single location) for certain residential housing units that: (1) were approved, before April 5, 2012, for construction; (2) would have been eligible for curbside delivery had they been constructed before such date; and (3) were not approved to receive such curbside delivery as of such date. The USPS must establish curbside delivery (whereby a mail receptacle is situated at the edge of a sidewalk abutting a road or curb, or at a road or curb, and can be served by a letter carrier from a motorized vehicle) for such units.

Fair Housing for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016

Fair Housing for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors Act of 2016 This bill amends the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination against or regarding survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault in: the sale or rental of housing and related activities, residential real estate-related transactions, and the provision of real estate brokerage services. This bill declares that nothing in the Act shall prohibit federal, state, or local government or other assistance or a preference program designed to assist or benefit domestic violence or sexual assault survivors in seeking, securing, or maintaining dwellings, shelters or any other form of housing. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 is amended to prohibit intimidation in fair housing tranactions regarding survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault.

Disability Integration Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2016

Disability Integration Act of 2016 This bill prohibits states or local governments that provide institutional placements for individuals with disabilities who need long-term assistance with daily living activities or health-related tasks, and prohibits insurance providers that fund such long-term services, from denying community-based services that would enable such individuals, as an alternative to institutionalization, to live in the community and lead an independent life. States, local governments, or insurance providers may not discriminate against such individuals in the provision of community-based services by: (1) imposing prohibited eligibility criteria, cost caps, waiting lists, or payment structures; (2) failing to provide a specific community-based service; or (3) requiring an individual to receive a service in a congregate or disability-specific setting. Community-based services must be offered to individuals with such disabilities prior to institutionalization. Institutionalized individuals must be notified regularly of community-based alternatives. States, local governments, and public insurance providers must assess: (1) transportation barriers that prevent individuals from receiving services in integrated settings, and (2) the availability of integrated employment opportunities. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must issue regulations requiring states, local governments, or insurance providers to offer community-based long-term services as an alternative to institutional placement. State and local governments, in conjunction with housing agencies, must ensure sufficient availability of affordable, accessible, and integrated housing that is not a disability-specific residential setting or a setting where services are tied to tenancy. Such regulations must also require states and local governments to begin implementing a transition plan to achieve the requirements of this Act within 12 years after its enactment. For 10 years after issuance of the regulations, HHS must determine annually whether each state is complying with the transition plan. If a state is complying, HHS must increase by five percentage points the federal medical assistance percentage for a state requesting an increase for expenditures on home and community-based services furnished under the state Medicaid plan under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, or a waiver of such plan, that are identified as: (1) improvements to ensure accessibility or self-directed receipt of such services, (2) funding shifts from institutional settings to integrated community-based services, or (3) environmental modifications for housing targeted toward the lowest income individuals. The bill provides for DOJ enforcement and allows civil actions by individuals subjected to, or about to be subjected to, a violation of this bill.

Urban Progress Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016

Urban Progress Act of 2016 This bill provides support (e.g. grant programs or tax credits) for: the Rental Assistance Demonstration program that improves public housing, qualified ex-felons and employers who hire them, economically disadvantaged communities, a training program for workers, a program for providing eligible youth with summer employment opportunities, a plan to reduce the number of children living in poverty, benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for children who attend summer school, families that have children and are under 150% of the poverty line, a process to expunge and seal certain youth criminal records, an effort in preventing juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and a program for increasing the racial diversity of law enforcement agencies. The bill also addresses gun violence, including by: (1) making trafficking in firearms a crime, (2) establishing firearm prohibitions for certain high-risk individuals, (3) establishing background check requirements, and (4) requiring gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm to Department of Justice and local law enforcement authorities within 48 hours of discovery.

Preventing Abandoned Foreclosures and Preserving Communities Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016

Preventing Abandoned Foreclosures and Preserving Communities Act of 2016 This bill amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to require a servicer of a federally related or federally backed mortgage loan to provide, with respect to foreclosure proceedings, specified notice to the borrower and applicable taxing district. Unless specified requirements are met, a servicer of a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration and backed by either the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) may not abandon an initiated foreclosure. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau must establish a database of abandoned foreclosures. The Government Accountability Office shall conduct a study on abandoned foreclosures.

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

United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016

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

Dialysis PATIENT Demonstration Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2016

Dialysis PATIENT Demonstration Act of 2016 or the Patient Access to Integrated-care, Empowerment, Nephrologists and Treatment Demonstration Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program for the provision of integrated care to Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Under the voluntary program, eligible participating providers may form organizations to offer ESRD integrated care models and serve as medical homes for program-eligible beneficiaries. Such a model: (1) shall cover medical and hospital services, other than hospice care, under Medicare; (2) must include benefits for transition into palliative care; and (3) may cover prescription drug benefits. An organization must offer at least one open network model but may also offer one or more preferred network models. An organization shall return savings achieved under the models to program-eligible beneficiaries. A beneficiary shall have the opportunity to: (1) opt out of the program, (2) make an assignment change into an open network model offered by a different organization, or (3) elect a preferred network model. The bill establishes requirements regarding: (1) benefits for program-eligible beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicaid benefits, (2) program quality and reporting, (2) ESRD integrated care strategy, (3) program operation and scope, (4) beneficiary notification, and (5) payment.

Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016

Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 and other housing laws to modify the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rental assistance (including section 8 low-income [voucher]) and public housing programs, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) requirements for condominium mortgage insurance, and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) single family housing guaranteed loan program. The bill revises the requirements for Public House Agencies (PHAs) to inspect dwelling units before making housing assistance payments to ensure that units comply with housing quality standards. A PHA shall review the incomes of assisted families in dwelling units, and may not rent a dwelling unit to or assist families with net family assets exceeding $100,000 annually (adjusted for inflation) or an ownership interest in property that is suitable for occupancy. The bill also revises requirements for: PHA project-based assistance, including vouchers; the public notice requirements for proposed Fair Market Rents; and the Family Unification Program, especially coordination between PHAs and public child welfare agencies in carrying it out. The Housing Act of 1949 is amended to permit USDA to delegate to preferred lenders its loan approval authority for the Rural Housing Service single family housing guaranteed loan program. The National Housing Act is amended to require the FHA to modify its certification requirements for condominium mortgage insurance. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is amended to require HUD to define the ''geographic area'' for purposes of the Continuum of Care Program (which awards project sponsors or unified funding agencies competitive grants focused on addressing the long-term housing and services needs of homeless individuals and families). Local governments receiving Emergency Solutions Grants may distribute all or part of the assistance to PHAs or Local Redevelopment Authorities. (The grants are awarded to assist the homeless and prevent homelessness. Distribution of the grants is currently limited to nonprofit organizations.) The bill transfers to the Office of the Secretary the Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs, currently in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs. HUD and the Department of Veterans Affairs must report annually to Congress on the number of veterans assisted by HUD programs, coordination of services for veterans, and the cost of administering programs to veterans. The bill also revises the formula and requirements for distributing funds under the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Program.

Providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany the bill (H.R. 2577) making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; providing for proceedings during the period from June 23, 2016, through July 4, 2016; and providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules.

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016

Sets forth the rule for consideration of the conference report to accompany the bill (H.R. 2577) making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; providing for proceedings during the period from June 23, 2016, through July 4, 2016; and providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules.

Military Infrastructure Consolidation and Efficiency Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2016

Military Infrastructure Consolidation and Efficiency Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to: (1) develop a force structure plan (plan) for the Armed Forces based on a DOD assessment of threats to U.S. national security for FY2018-FY2038; (2) conduct a comprehensive inventory of military installations world-wide for each military department; and (3) submit a certification of whether the need exists for DOD to consolidate, close, or realign military installations (installation actions). DOD may begin a round for the selection of installation actions only after Congress has had 90 days to consider such certification. The President may not begin such actions if Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval of the plan, inventory, or certification during such period. DOD must certify that a round of installation actions will result in annual net savings within five years. In developing its installation action recommendations, DOD shall consider an affected local government's approval of such an action. The bill prescribes final selection criteria for such recommendations, which shall include military value criteria. The bill establishes an independent Military Infrastructure Consolidation and Efficiency Commission of 2019 if: (1) DOD certifies that the need exists for a round for the selection of installation actions, and (2) Congress does not enact such a joint resolution of disapproval within the prescribed 90 days. The bill provides for: (1) commission review of, and authority to make changes to, DOD recommendations; and (2) presidential review of commission recommendations for the consolidation, closure, and realignment of military installations inside the United States. DOD may provide economic adjustment assistance to an affected community. DOD shall establish a new Field Activity to act as the executive agent for the management and disposal of excess real property resulting from installation actions. The General Services Administration shall delegate to DOD the authority to utilize excess property and dispose of surplus property located at a military installation closed or realigned under this Act. The bill sets forth: (1) provisions governing the transfer of property located at an affected installation, (2) the responsibilities of the redevelopment authorities for such installations, and (3) the duties of the Department of Housing and Urban Development s regarding how redevelopment plans address the needs of the homeless. The bill provides for establishment of the Military Infrastructure Consolidation and Efficiency 2019 account to be used for approved installation actions. This bill shall be the exclusive authority for selecting or carrying out installation actions inside the United States until April 15, 2020, excluding specified closures and realignments carried out for reasons of national security or a military emergency.

Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016

Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2016 This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to cover employees at worksites that employ fewer than 50 employees, but not fewer than 15 employees. The bill continues to exempt from FMLA coverage employees at worksites that employ fewer than 15 employees (currently 50), if the total number of employees employed by that employer within 75 miles of that worksite is fewer than 15 (currently 50). An employee covered by FMLA may take up to 4 hours during any 30-day period, and up to 24 hours during any 12-month period, of parental involvement leave to: (1) participate in or attend activities that are sponsored by a school or community organization, and (2) relate to a program of the school or organization that is attended by the employee's child or grandchild. Such parental involvement leave may be used to meet routine family medical care needs, including: (1) such employee's medical and dental appointments, or their spouse, child, or grandchild; and (2) the care needs of their related elderly individuals, including visits to nursing homes and group homes. An employee may elect, or an employer may require, substitution of any of the employee's paid or family leave or paid medical or sick leave for any leave allowed under this bill. Nothing in this bill shall require an employer to grant paid sick leave or paid medical leave in situations where the employer would not normally grant it. The bill imposes on the employee requesting leave certain notification requirements. An employer may require certification supporting such requests. The bill applies the parental involvement and family wellness leave allowance to federal employees.

Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016

Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 This bill amends Part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSAct) regarding: (1) mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services and in-home parenting skill-based programs, (2) foster care maintenance payments for children with parents in a licensed residential family-based treatment facility for substance abuse, and (3) payments for evidence-based kinship navigator programs. Part B (Child and Welfare Services) of SSAct title IV is amended regarding: (1) time limits for family reunification services for children in foster care or returning home, (2) grants for the development of an electronic interstate case-processing system to expedite the interstate placement of children in foster care or guardianship or for adoption, and (3) targeted grants to increase the well-being of children affected by substance abuse. The Department of Health and Human Services shall identify reputable model standards for the licensing of foster family homes. SSAct title IV part B is amended regarding tracking and preventing child maltreatment. SSAct title IV part E is amended regarding: (1) kinship guardianship assistance and prevention services, (2) foster care maintenance payments program and limited federal financial participation, and (3) assessment and judicial documentation of the need for placement of a child in a qualified residential treatment program. SSAct title IV part B is amended regarding procedures and protocols a state has established to ensure that children in foster care placements are not inappropriately diagnosed with mental illness, other emotional or behavioral disorders, medically fragile conditions, or developmental disabilities, and as a result placed in settings that are not foster family homes. SSAct title IV part E is amended regarding children in foster care who have been placed in a child care institution or other setting that is not a foster family home. SSAct title IV part B to reauthorize through FY2021: (1) the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program, (2) promotion of safe and stable families programs, (3) funding reservations for monthly caseworker visits and regional partnership grants, and (4) funding for state courts. SSAct title IV part E is amended to: (1) revise the John H. Chaffee Foster Care Independence Program and related programs, and (2) reauthorize the adoption and legal guardianship incentive programs through FY2021. SSAct title IV part B is amended to delay the adoption assistance phase-in. The Government Accountability Office shall study the extent to which states comply with certain SSAct requirements relating to the effects of phasing out the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program income eligibility requirements for adoption assistance payments.

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program to provide integrated care for Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016

Dialysis PATIENT Demonstration Act of 2016 or the Patient Access to Integrated-care, Empowerment, Nephrologists and Treatment Demonstration Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program for the provision of integrated care to Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Under the voluntary program, eligible participating providers may form organizations to offer ESRD integrated care models and serve as medical homes for program-eligible beneficiaries. Such a model: (1) shall cover medical and hospital services, other than hospice care, under Medicare; (2) must include benefits for transition into palliative care; and (3) may cover prescription drug benefits. An organization must offer at least one open network model but may also offer one or more preferred network models. An organization shall return savings achieved under the models to program-eligible beneficiaries. A beneficiary shall have the opportunity to: (1) opt out of the program, (2) make an assignment change into an open network model offered by a different organization, or (3) elect a preferred network model. The bill establishes requirements regarding: (1) benefits for program-eligible beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicaid benefits, (2) program quality and reporting, (2) ESRD integrated care strategy, (3) program operation and scope, (4) beneficiary notification, and (5) payment.

Revitalize Our Cities Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016

Revitalize Our Cities Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2019 the period for designating an empowerment zone (an area in which tax incentives are allowed to increase investment and employment). The Department of Housing and Urban Development may designate, prior to January 1, 2018, 20 additional empowerment zones in urban areas in which the average unemployment rate and the average rate of residential and commercial foreclosures are each higher than that of the state within which the area is located for the period beginning January 1, 2012, and ending with the date of enactment of this bill.

Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2016

Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 This bill amends Part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSAct) regarding: (1) mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services and in-home parenting skill-based programs, (2) foster care maintenance payments for children with parents in a licensed residential family-based treatment facility for substance abuse, and (3) payments for evidence-based kinship navigator programs. Part B (Child and Welfare Services) of SSAct title IV is amended regarding: (1) time limits for family reunification services for children in foster care or returning home, (2) grants for the development of an electronic interstate case-processing system to expedite the interstate placement of children in foster care or guardianship or for adoption, and (3) targeted grants to increase the well-being of children affected by substance abuse. The Department of Health and Human Services shall identify reputable model standards for the licensing of foster family homes. SSAct title IV part B is amended regarding tracking and preventing child maltreatment. SSAct title IV part E is amended regarding: (1) kinship guardianship assistance and prevention services, (2) foster care maintenance payments program and limited federal financial participation, and (3) assessment and judicial documentation of the need for placement of a child in a qualified residential treatment program. SSAct title IV part B is amended regarding procedures and protocols a state has established to ensure that children in foster care placements are not inappropriately diagnosed with mental illness, other emotional or behavioral disorders, medically fragile conditions, or developmental disabilities, and as a result placed in settings that are not foster family homes. SSAct title IV part E is amended regarding children in foster care who have been placed in a child care institution or other setting that is not a foster family home. SSAct title IV part B to reauthorize through FY2021: (1) the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program, (2) promotion of safe and stable families programs, (3) funding reservations for monthly caseworker visits and regional partnership grants, and (4) funding for state courts. SSAct title IV part E is amended to: (1) revise the John H. Chaffee Foster Care Independence Program and related programs, and (2) reauthorize the adoption and legal guardianship incentive programs through FY2021. SSAct title IV part B is amended to delay the adoption assistance phase-in. The Government Accountability Office shall study the extent to which states comply with certain SSAct requirements relating to the effects of phasing out the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program income eligibility requirements for adoption assistance payments.

Welfare Reform and Upward Mobility Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2016

Welfare Reform and Upward Mobility Act This bill requires the President to include in the annual budget proposal the total level of means-tested welfare spending by the federal, state, and local governments for the most recent fiscal year for which such data is available, and estimated levels for the current and 10 ensuing fiscal years. For each of FY2018-FY2028 each state that receives means-tested welfare spending by the federal government shall report annually to the Congressional Budget Office on the total amount of such spending by the state for the fiscal year. The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended to define means-tested welfare spending as spending for any federal program designed specifically to give assistance or benefits exclusively to low-income Americans, including certain targeted community and economic development programs, unless they: are based on earned eligibility, are not need-based, are designed exclusively or primarily for veterans of military service, or offer universal or near universal eligibility to the working population and their dependents. The bill specifies federal cash assistance, medical, food, housing, energy, education training, child care, services, and community development programs deemed means-tested welfare spending, as well as federal programs that are not so deemed, including Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare, unemployment insurance, Social Security retirement and survivor benefits, and military service veterans programs. The refundable portion of certain tax credits shall also be means-tested welfare spending, as well as the refundable portion of the premium and out-of-pocket health care subsidies to be paid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 is amended to specify, as an additional purpose for the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP), promoting prosperous self-sufficiency, which means the ability of households to maintain an income above the poverty-level without services and benefits from the federal government. The bill revises work eligibility requirements under SNAP As a condition of receiving SNAP funds, a state agency shall operate a work activation program for adults with dependent children. Part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act is amended to create the work preparation program for TANF families. The bill eliminates separate participation rate requirements for two-parent families. A family with a child under age 6 shall be deemed to meet work participation requirements if any parent is engaged in work for at least 20 hours per week. No federal funds shall be made available to carry out any means-tested housing program, but states may receive grants to fund their own housing programs. The bill prohibits funding for abortions and for health benefits that cover abortion, including certain tax credits, except where the pregnancy results from rape or incest or in certain other health cases.

Puerto Rico Humanitarian Relief and Reconstruction Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2016

Puerto Rico Humanitarian Relief and Reconstruction Act This bill establishes a Puerto Rico Reconstruction Finance Corporation to accept applications from the government of Puerto Rico or its municipalities to restructure their bond debts through a process under which: (1) the corporation will purchase the bonds from bond holders at the price the holder paid for the bond, and (2) the par value of each bond is reduced to the last price paid for the bond. Impairment of pension benefits is not permitted. The board of the corporation must consist of six members appointed by the President from lists submitted by Puerto Rico's legislature and governor and one member selected in the sole discretion of the President, each of whom must reside in, and have expertise in the economy, history, and government of, Puerto Rico. The corporation may: (1) make expenditures to address Puerto Rico's humanitarian crisis and restore economic growth; (2) authorize lending activities; and (3) negotiate with Puerto Rico or its municipalities that have defaulted on bonds over budgets, revenues, and appropriations. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has the authority to provide emergency financing to Puerto Rico to facilitate an orderly restructuring of its debt, (2) the Puerto Rico government should set aside any debt held by Puerto Rico that is found by the Commission for the Comprehensive Audit of Puerto Rico's Public Debt to have been acquired in violation of the Puerto Rico constitution, and (3) Puerto Rico should suggest that debt holders seek redress from investment banks that helped market and sell any unconstitutional instruments. The bill amends the federal bankruptcy code to treat Puerto Rico as a state under chapter 9 (Adjustment of Debts of a Municipality) to permit Puerto Rico to authorize its public corporations to be debtors. The bill amends the Social Security Act to: (1) eliminate certain funding caps under title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, Administrative Simplification) and the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage limitation under title XIX (Medicaid) for Puerto Rico; (2) apply the 100% Federal Poverty Level limitation to Puerto Rico under title XIX; (3) extend application of the Medicare payment rate floor to certain primary care services in Puerto Rico under the Medicaid program; (4) repeal the exclusion of residents of Puerto Rico from deemed enrollment under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits) of title XVIII (Medicare) and, thus, automatically enroll them; and (5) make permanent certain title XVIII part B incentive payments for primary care services in Puerto Rico. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must update the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to include Puerto Rico, including Vieques. The Department of Health and Human Services must award a grant to an institution of higher education in Puerto Rico to study the environmental and biological health of Vieques residents. The bill establishes grant programs and revises standards for renewable energy and energy efficient commercial buildings and homes in Puerto Rico. It provides additional funding to the Department of Transportation (DOT) through FY2026 for the Puerto Rico Highway Program. Through FY2021 for Puerto Rico, the bill provides additional funding for: DOT infrastructure investments under the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grant program, passenger and freight rail projects, the Airport Improvement Program, and ferry boats and terminals; Environmental Protection Agency capitalization grants for Puerto Rico water pollution control revolving funds and drinking water treatment revolving loan funds; Rural Utilities Service programs; Department of Agriculture rural energy programs; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood reduction projects; broadband and telecommunications programs; and housing and community development. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to make citizens of Puerto Rico eligible for the federal earned income tax credit and allow them to claim the refundable portion of the child tax credit on the same basis as U.S. taxpayers. Before 2019, the State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico must provide for a binding vote or series of votes on whether Puerto Rico should: be admitted as a U.S. state, become a sovereign nation, or continue the status quo as a U.S. commonwealth territory and reform its government. If a majority votes for admission as a U.S. state, the President must issue a proclamation to begin a transition process that will culminate in such admission within four years after the vote is certified.

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2016

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 Provides FY2017 appropriations to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; and related agencies. Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2017 Provides appropriations to the Department of Labor for: the Employment and Training Administration, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the Wage and Hour Division, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Office of Disability Employment Policy, and Departmental Management. Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2017 Provides appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for: the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration for Children and Families, the Administration for Community Living, and the Office of the Secretary. Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2017 Provides appropriations to the Department of Education for: Education for the Disadvantaged; Impact Aid; School Improvement Programs; Indian Education; Innovation and Improvement; Safe Schools and Citizenship Education; English Language Acquisition; Special Education; Rehabilitation Services; Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities; Career, Technical, and Adult Education; Student Financial Assistance; Student Aid Administration; Higher Education; Howard University; the College Housing and Academic Facilities Loan Program; the Historically Black College and University Capital Financing Program Account; the Institute of Education Sciences; and Departmental Management. Provides appropriations to Related Agencies, including: the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the National Council on Disability, the National Labor Relations Board, the National Mediation Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, the Railroad Retirement Board, and the Social Security Administration. Sets forth permissible and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.

Landlord Accountability Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2016

Landlord Accountability Act of 2016 This bill amends the Fair Housing Act to make it unlawful to discriminate in connection with the rental of a dwelling because the current or prospective tenant holds a housing voucher for rental assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937. An owner of a dwelling unit available for rental may not take any action, or fail to take any action, with the intent to make the unit insufficiently decent, safe, sanitary, or inhabitable so that the dwelling fails to qualify for assistance within the jurisdiction of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD shall increase the staffing level for the Multifamily Housing Complaint Line operated by its Multifamily Housing Clearinghouse to handle the volume of calls received without unreasonable waiting periods. HUD shall also carry out a Multifamily Housing Complaint Resolution Program to receive and resolve complaints about multifamily housing projects from resident voucher users and local governmental officials. HUD shall disclose on a departmental website information about each complaint received, identifying the multifamily housing project to which it relates. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to allow an eligible landlord a low-income housing maintenance credit of $2,500 multiplied by the number of low-income housing units owned up to a certain maximum for the landlord's annual low-income housing maintenance expenses. An owner of a multifamily housing project in which three or more voucher users reside shall display, at all times and in clear and conspicuous location on every floor, a written notice of tenant rights under federal law and the phone numbers for the Multifamily Housing Complaint Line and for a regional or local HUD office. HUD may also make grants to states, Indian tribes, local governments, and nonprofit, nongovernmental affordable housing organizations to develop or assist tenant harassment prevention programs meeting specified requirements.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017

United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2016

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Highlights: This bill provides FY2017 appropriations for the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and several related agencies. The bill includes both discretionary and mandatory funding. The HUD budget is primarily discretionary spending, and most of the DOT budget is mandatory spending, in the form of contract authority from the Highway Trust Fund. The bill increases overall discretionary spending for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies above FY2016 levels and includes increases for both DOT and HUD. The bill prohibits or restricts the use of funds for: enforcement of certain regulations regarding rest periods for commercial drivers, modifying regulations regarding safety fitness determinations for motor carriers, high speed rail in California, the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, and Amtrak food and beverage services. The bill also includes provisions that: specify that federal laws and regulations regarding the hours of service for commercial drivers preempt state and local laws and regulations on the subject, and limit the penalty wages that must be paid to seamen when pay is withheld for certain voyages. Full Summary: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2017 TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Provides FY2017 appropriations for the Department of Transportation (DOT). Provides appropriations for the Office of the Secretary, including: Salaries and Expenses; Research and Technology; National Infrastructure Investments (also known as TIGER grants); the National Surface Transportation and Innovative Finance Bureau; Financial Management Capital; Cyber Security Initiatives; the Office of Civil Rights; Transportation Planning, Research, and Development; the Working Capital Fund; the Minority Business Resource Center Program; Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and Outreach; and Payments to Air Carriers. (Sec. 101) Prohibits DOT from approving assessments or reimbursable agreements pertaining to funds appropriated to the modal administrations in this bill except for activities underway on the date of enactment, unless the reprogramming process has been completed. (Sec. 102) Permits DOT to use the Working Capital Fund to provide transit benefits to federal employees. (Sec. 103) Requires DOT to: (1) post on its website the schedule and agenda for all meetings of the Credit Council, and (2) require the council to record the decisions and actions of each meeting. Provides appropriations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for: Operations; Facilities and Equipment; Research, Engineering, and Development; and Grants-In-Aid For Airports. Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for: new applicants for the second career training program, new unauthorized aviation user fees, or aeronautical charting and cartography activities through the Working Capital Fund. Permits funds received from specified public, private, and foreign sources for expenses incurred to be credited to the appropriation. (Sec. 110) Limits technical staff-years under the federally funded research and development center contract between the FAA and the Center for Advanced Aviation Systems Development. (Sec. 111) Prohibits the FAA from requiring airport sponsors to provide the agency without cost building construction, maintenance, utilities and expenses, or space in sponsor-owned buildings for air traffic control, air navigation, or weather reporting, subject to specified exceptions. (Sec. 112) Permits the FAA to reimburse amounts made available from certain fees to carry out the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which ensures that small communities have a minimum level of air service. (Sec. 113) Permits amounts collected by the FAA for providing technical assistance to foreign aviation authorities to be credited to the Operations account. (Sec. 114) Prohibits the FAA from paying Sunday premium pay except if an individual worked on a Sunday. (Sec. 115) Prohibits the FAA from using funds provided by this bill to purchase a store gift card or gift certificate using a government-issued credit card. (Sec. 116) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for retention bonuses for FAA employees without prior approval of the Assistant Secretary for Administration of DOT. (Sec. 117) Requires the FAA, upon the request of an owner or operator, to block the display of the owner's or operator's aircraft registration number in the Aircraft Situational Display to Industry program. (Sec. 118) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to pay the salaries and expenses of more than nine political and presidential FAA appointees. (Sec. 119) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to increase fees for navigation products until the FAA provides Congress with a justification for all fees for aeronautical navigation products. (Sec. 119A) Requires the FAA to notify Congress prior to closing a regional operations center or reducing the services it provides. (Sec. 119B) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to change weight restrictions or prior permission rules at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. Provides funding from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for Administrative Expenses and Federal-Aid Highways. Rescinds specified balances of unused contract authority from the HTF. (Most of DOT's budget is mandatory budget authority rather than discretionary budget authority. The mandatory budget authority is primarily in the form of contract authority derived from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). Contract authority is the authority to obligate funds in advance of an appropriation Act. Spending from the HTF is determined both by authorization bills and appropriations bills. Authorization bills provide contract authority for highway programs, and appropriations bills include obligation limitations that determine how much of the contract authority may be used in a given year.) (Sec. 120) Specifies allocations and requirements for distributing obligation authority from the HTF among federal-aid highway programs. (Sec. 121) Credits funds received by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics from the sale of data products to the Federal-Aid Highways account to reimburse the bureau for expenses. (Sec. 122) Requires DOT to: (1) provide an informal public notice and comment opportunity prior to waiving the Buy America requirement for federal-aid highway projects, and (2) report to Congress annually on waivers. (Sec. 123) Requires DOT to notify Congress prior to providing credit assistance under the Transportation Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program, which provides credit to finance surface transportation projects of national and regional significance. Provides funding from the HTF to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for: (1) Motor Carrier Safety Operations and Programs, and (2) Motor Carrier Safety Grants. (Sec. 130) Directs the FMCSA to require certain Mexican motor carriers to meet specified safety requirements when applying to operate beyond U.S. municipalities and commercial zones on the U.S.-Mexico border. (Sec. 131) Requires the FMCSA to provide written notice of violations of certain safety procedures and regulations that could require an expedited safety audit or compliance review or a written response demonstrating corrective action. (Sec. 132) Prohibits funds from being used to enforce certain hours-of-service rules for commercial drivers, including the requirements for: (1) two off-duty periods from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., (2) or the prohibition on using more than one restart during a consecutive 168-hour period. Requires the 34-hour restart rule in effect on December 26, 2011, to be restored. (Prior to 2013, commercial drivers were required to take at least 34 hours off duty after working for 60 hours in a seven-day period [or 70 hours in an eight-day period], which is known as the "34-hour restart requirement." FMCSA regulations that took effect in 2013 require the 34-hour off-duty period to cover two consecutive 1 a.m.-5 a.m. periods, and limit the drivers to one 34-hour "restart" in a 168-hour period.) (Sec. 133) Prohibits funds for Motor Carrier Safety Operations and Programs from being used for a wireless roadside inspection program until after DOT makes specified certifications to Congress. (Sec. 134) Specifies that federal laws and regulations related to hours of service for commercial drivers preempt state and local laws and regulations. Makes the preemption retroactive to the date of enactment of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (Sec. 135) Prohibits funds from being used to amend, revise or otherwise modify regulations for safety fitness determinations for motor carriers until the DOT Inspector General makes specified certifications. Provides appropriations to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for Operations and Research. Provides funding from the HTF to NHTSA for Operations and Research and Highway Traffic Safety Grants. (Sec. 140) Provides additional funding to NHTSA for travel and related expenses associated with state management reviews and core competency development training for highway safety staff. (Sec. 141) Exempts from the current fiscal year's obligation limitation for NHTSA programs any obligation authority that was made available in previous public laws. (Sec. 142) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to conduct or support the National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers or any similar survey of alcohol and drug use by drivers. (Sec. 143) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to mandate global positioning system tracking without fully considering privacy concerns. Provides appropriations to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for: Safety and Operations, Railroad Research and Development, the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program, Federal-State Partnership for State Of Good Repair Grants, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grants, Northeast Corridor Grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), and National Network Grants to Amtrak. (Sec. 150) Limits overtime for Amtrak employees. Permits Amtrak to waive the limit for specific employees due to safety or operational efficiency reasons. Requires Amtrak to report to Congress on waivers granted and overtime payments incurred. Provides appropriations to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for: Administrative Expenses, Technical Assistance and Training, Capital Investment Grants, and Grants to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Provides funding from the HTF to the FTA for Transit Formula Grants. (Sec. 160) Exempts previously made transit obligations from limitations on obligations. (Sec. 161) Permits FTA Fixed Guideway Capital Investment funds for projects specified in this bill or the accompanying report that are not obligated by September 30, 2021, to be used for other projects eligible to use the funds for the same purpose. (Sec. 162) Permits prior appropriations that remain available for expenditure to be transferred to the most recent appropriation heading. (Sec. 163) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to enter into a full funding grant agreement for a project with a New Starts share greater than 50%. (Sec. 164) Prohibits the use of funds for a new light or heavy rail project for the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas if the project is constructed at a specified location in Houston, Texas unless the voters approve a ballot proposition specifying the location and the project meets specified criteria. Provides appropriations to the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation for Operations and Maintenance. Provides appropriations for the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for: the Maritime Security Program, Operations and Training, Ship Disposal, and The Maritime Guaranteed Loan (Title XI) Program Account. (Sec. 170) Permits MARAD to furnish utilities and services and make repairs in connection with any lease, contract, or occupancy involving government property under the control of MARAD. Requires rental payments received pursuant to this provision to be credited to the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. (Sec. 171) Prohibits DOT or MARAD from using funds provided by this bill for fee-for-service contracts for vessel disposal, scrapping, or recycling, unless there is no qualified domestic ship recycler that will pay any sum to purchase and scrap or recycle a vessel owned, operated or managed by MARAD or that is part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet. Provides appropriations to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for: Operational Expenses, Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline Safety, and Emergency Preparedness Grants. Provides appropriations to the Office of Inspector General. (Sec. 180) Permits DOT to use funds for maintenance and operation of aircraft, hire of passenger motor vehicles and aircraft, insurance for motor vehicles operating in foreign countries, and uniforms. (Sec. 181) Permits DOT to use funds provided by this bill for the employment of temporary or intermittent experts and consultants if the rates do not exceed the rate for an Executive Level IV. (Sec. 182) Prohibits: (1) funds provided by this bill from being used for more than 110 DOT presidential or political appointees, and (2) any of the appointees from being assigned on temporary detail outside of DOT. (Sec. 183) Prohibits recipients of funds provided by this bill from releasing certain personal information and photographs from a driver's license or motor vehicle record without the consent of the affected individual. Prohibits DOT from withholding funds if a state is not in compliance with this provision. (Sec. 184) Permits funds received by specified DOT agencies from states or other private or public sources for training expenses to be credited to specified agency accounts. (Sec. 185) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for certain loans, loan guarantees, lines of credit, or grants unless DOT notifies Congress prior to announcing competitively selected projects. Requires DOT to provide concurrent notification to Congress regarding any ''quick release'' of funds from the FHWA's Emergency Relief Program. (The program provides funding for the repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways and roads on federal lands which have suffered serious damage as a result of natural disasters or catastrophic failures from an external cause.) (Sec. 186) Permits rebates, refunds, incentive payments, minor fees and other funds received by DOT from travel management centers, charge card programs, the subleasing of building space, and miscellaneous sources to be credited to DOT appropriations and allocated to elements of DOT using fair and equitable criteria. (Sec. 187) Permits DOT to use amounts recovered from improper payments to a third party contractor for expenses incurred in the recovery. (Sec. 188) Requires reprogramming action notifications to be transmitted to and approved or denied solely by the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. (Sec. 189) Permits funds provided by this bill for modal administrations to be obligated to the Office of the Secretary for assessments or reimbursable agreements only if the funds provide a direct benefit to the applicable modal administration. (Sec. 190) Permits DOT to set uniform standards for developing and supporting agency transit passes and transit benefits. (Sec. 191) Prohibits the use of funds for any geographic, economic, or other hiring preference not otherwise authorized by law, unless certain requirements are met related to availability of local labor, displacement of existing employees, and delays in transportation plans. (Sec. 192) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for high speed rail in California or for the FRA to administer a grant agreement with the California High Speed Rail Authority that contains a tapered matching requirement. (A tapered match allows a project's federal share to vary from year to year as long as the final contribution of federal funds does not exceed the project's maximum authorized share.) (Sec. 193) Limits the penalty wages that must be paid when a vessel owner, operator, or an employer withholds pay for seamen on: (1) foreign and intercoastal voyages, and (2) coastwise voyages. (Sec. 194) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used in contravention of provisions of current law that permit Amtrak to provide food and beverage services on its trains only if revenues from the services each year at least equal the cost of providing the services. (Sec. 195) Makes a technical correction to statutory provisions regarding the treatment of a Bi-State Metropolitan Planning Organization as an urbanized area in California and Nevada. Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2017 TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Provides FY2017 appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Provides appropriations for Management and Administration, including for Executive Offices and Administrative Support Offices. Provides appropriations for Program Office Salaries and Expenses, including: Public and Indian Housing, Community Planning and Development, Housing, Policy Development and Research, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, and the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. Permits HUD to transfer specified funds provided by this title for salaries and expenses to the Working Capital Fund to fund centralized activities. Provides appropriations for Public and Indian Housing Programs, including: Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, the Housing Certificate Fund, the Public Housing Capital Fund, the Public Housing Operating Fund, the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, Native American Housing Block Grants, and the Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Fund Program Account. Provides appropriations for Community Planning and Development, including: Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, the Community Development Fund, the Community Development Loan Guarantees Program Account, the Home Investment Partnerships Program, the Self-Help and Assisted Home Ownership Opportunity Program, and Homeless Assistance Grants. Provides appropriations for Housing Programs, including: Project-Based Rental Assistance, Housing for the Elderly, Housing for Persons with Disabilities, Housing Counseling Assistance, Rental Housing Assistance, and Payment to the Manufactured Housing Fees Trust Fund. Provides appropriations and establishes limits on loan commitments for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which includes: the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Program Account, and the General and Special Risk Program Account. Provides appropriation and establishes limits on loan commitments for the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae). Provides appropriations to HUD for: Policy Development and Research, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, the Information Technology Fund, and the Office of Inspector General. (Sec. 201) Requires 50% of the funds that are recaptured from the refinancing of state projects under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1988 to be rescinded or, in the case of cash, remitted to the Treasury. Permits HUD to use up to 15% of the funds that are recaptured and not rescinded or remitted to the Treasury to provide project owners with incentives to refinance projects at lower interest rates. (Sec. 202) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to investigate or prosecute under the Fair Housing Act any lawful activities, including the filing or maintaining of a nonfrivolous legal action to achieve or prevent action by a government entity or a court. (Sec. 203) Requires HUD to make certain adjustments to the formula for distributing Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) funds for certain jurisdictions in New York, New Jersey, and North Carolina. (Sec. 204) Requires any grant, cooperative agreement, or other assistance made pursuant to this title to be made on a competitive basis and in accordance with the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989. (Sec. 205) Permits specified funds to be used, without regard to limitations on administrative expenses, for: (1) legal services; and (2) payment for services and facilities of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Ginnie Mae, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), the Federal Financing Bank, Federal Reserve banks, Federal Home Loan banks, and any bank insured under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Act. (Sec. 206) Prohibits HUD appropriations from being used for any program, project, or activity in excess of amounts included in the budget estimates submitted to Congress, unless otherwise provided by this bill or through reprogramming. (Sec. 207) Permits HUD corporations and agencies subject to the Government Corporation Control Act to utilize funds and make contracts and commitments, without regard to fiscal year limitations and subject to specified restrictions, to implement the FY2017 budget. (Sec. 208) Requires HUD to provide quarterly reports to Congress regarding uncommitted, unobligated, recaptured, and excess funds for each program and activity. (Sec. 209) Requires the President's budget request and HUD's congressional budget justifications to use the same account structure included in this bill. (Sec. 210) Provides that a public housing agency (PHA) or other entity that administers federal housing assistance for the Housing Authority of the county of Los Angeles, California; and the states of Alaska, Iowa, and Mississippi is not required to include public housing residents or recipients of section 8 rental assistance (under the United States Housing Act of 1937) on the governing board. Requires each PHA or entity that does not include these individuals on its board to establish an advisory board of at least six residents of public housing or recipients of section 8 assistance to provide advice on issues related to public housing and section 8. (Sec. 211) Exempts Ginnie Mae from certain requirements of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990. (Sec. 212) Permits HUD to authorize the transfer of project-based assistance, debt, and use restrictions associated with a multifamily housing project from obsolete or economically nonviable housing to housing that better meets the needs of the assisted tenants, subject to specified requirements. (Sec. 213) Sets forth eligibility requirements for section 8 housing assistance vouchers. (Sec. 214) Requires Native American Housing Block Grant funds to be distributed to the same Native Alaskans that received funds in FY2005. (Sec. 215) Permits HUD to insure home equity conversion mortgages (HECMs or reverse mortgages) for elderly homeowners through FY2017, notwithstanding limitations on insurance authority included in the National Housing Act. (Sec. 216) Sets forth requirements for HUD to maintain section 8 assistance on multifamily housing that is held or owned by HUD. (Sec. 217) Permits Community Development Loan Guarantee funds to be used to guarantee notes or other obligations issued by any state on behalf of its non-entitlement communities. (Sec. 218) Permits certain PHAs that own and operate 400 or fewer public housing units to be exempt from asset management requirements imposed by HUD in connection with the operating fund rule. (Sec. 219) Prohibits HUD from using public housing funds to impose any requirement or guideline relating to asset management that restricts or limits the use of capital funds for central office costs, up to the limits established in the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998. (Sec. 220) Prohibits the designation of a HUD official or employee as an allotment holder unless the Chief Financial Officer has determined that the employee has: (1) implemented an adequate system of funds control, and (2) received training in funds control procedures and directives. (Sec. 221) Requires HUD to publish on the Internet all competitively awarded Notices of Funding Availability for FY2017. (Sec. 222) Sets forth limitations and reporting requirements for the payment of attorney fees in program-related litigation. (Sec. 223) Sets forth requirements for transferring and reprogramming funds within specified HUD Administrative Support Office and Program Office Salaries and Expenses accounts. (Sec. 224) Permits the Disaster Housing Assistance Programs administered by HUD to be considered HUD programs for the purpose of income verification and matching. (Sec. 225) Requires HUD to take specified actions against owners who are receiving rental subsidies and do not maintain safe properties. (Sec. 226) Limits compensation for PHA officials and employees. (Sec. 227) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for the HUD doctoral dissertation research grant program. (Sec. 228) Requires HUD to notify Congress prior to announcing the recipients of grant awards. (Sec. 229) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to require or enforce the Physical Needs Assessment (PNA). (Sec. 230) Prohibits the FHA, Ginnie Mae, or HUD from using funds provided by this bill to finance mortgages for properties that have been subject to eminent domain. (Sec. 231) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this bill to terminate the status of a unit of general local government as a metropolitan city with respect to community development grants under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. (Sec. 232) Permits Office of Policy Development and Research funds for research, evaluation, and statistical purposes that are unexpended at the completion of a contract, grant or cooperative agreement to be used for additional research, subject to reprogramming requirements. (Sec. 233) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to pay a bonus to an employee who is subject to administrative discipline, including suspension from work. (Sec. 234) Permits HUD to consolidate funds used to manage disaster recovery grants. (Sec. 235) Permits HUD to use funds provided by this bill for Homeless Assistance Grants to award one-year grants to transition from one Continuum of Care program component to another. (The program awards project sponsors or unified funding agencies competitive grants focused on addressing the long-term housing and services needs of homeless individuals and families.) (Sec. 236) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to enforce Executive Order 13690 (Establishing a Federal Flood Risk Management Standard and a Process for Further Soliciting and Considering Stakeholder Input) and the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard until HUD submits to Congress: (1) a list of HUD programs impacted, (2) an analysis of the costs and benefits, and (3) a detailed nationwide floodplain map. (Sec. 237) Rescinds specified unobligated balances from HUD accounts, including: (1) Management and Administration, and (2) Program Office Salaries and Expenses. TITLE III--RELATED AGENCIES Provides FY2017 appropriations to: the Access Board, the Federal Maritime Commission, the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, the Surface Transportation Board, and U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. TITLE IV--GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS ACT Sets forth permissible and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts. (Sec. 401) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to compensate or pay the expenses of non-federal parties intervening in regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings funded in this bill. (Sec. 402) Prohibits transfers of funds to other appropriations or obligations beyond the current fiscal year, unless expressly permitted in this bill. (Sec. 403) Limits expenditures for consulting services to contracts where the expenditures are a matter of public record and available for public inspection, unless otherwise provided by law. (Sec. 404) Prohibits the use of funds provided by this bill for employee training not specifically related to the performance of official duties. (Sec. 405) Specifies procedures, restrictions, and reporting requirements for the reprogramming of funds provided by this bill. (Sec. 406) Permits up to 50% of unobligated balances remaining at the end of FY2017 from appropriations for salaries and expenses to remain available through FY2018, subject to congressional approval and reprogramming guidelines. (Sec. 407) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for any project that seeks to use eminent domain unless eminent domain is employed only for a public use. (Sec. 408) Prohibits the transfer of funds provided by this bill to a department, agency, or instrumentality of the U.S. government unless the transfer is pursuant to an appropriations Act. (Sec. 409) Prohibits the use of funds provided by this bill to permanently replace an employee intent on returning to his or her previous occupation after completing military service. (Sec. 410) Requires expenditures of funds provided by this bill to comply with the Buy American Act. (Sec. 411) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being made available to any person or entity that has been convicted of violating the Buy American Act. (Sec. 412) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to purchase first class or premium airline travel in violation of specified federal travel regulations. (Sec. 413) Prohibits the use of funds provided by this bill to approve a new foreign air carrier permit or exemption application if the approval would contravene U.S. law or specified provisions of the U.S.-E.U.-Iceland-Norway Air Transport Agreement. (Sec. 414) Restricts the number of employees that agencies funded in this bill may send to international conferences. (Sec. 415) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to purchase new light-duty vehicles, except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum- Federal Fleet Performance, which establishes requirements for purchasing alternative fueled vehicles. (Sec. 416) Limits Surface Transportation Board fees for the filing of rate or practice complaints. (Sec. 417) Rescinds unobligated balances of funds provided to specified accounts by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016. (Sec. 418) Establishes a spending reduction account for the amount by which spending proposed in this bill exceeds the subcommittee's allocation under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Specifies that the amount is $0. (Under the Rules of the House of Representatives, any savings included in the spending reduction account are not available for further appropriation during consideration of the bill.)

Welfare Reform and Upward Mobility Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2016

Welfare Reform and Upward Mobility Act This bill requires the President to include in the annual budget proposal the total level of means-tested welfare spending by the federal, state, and local governments for the most recent fiscal year for which such data is available, and estimated levels for the current and 10 ensuing fiscal years. For each of FY2018-FY2028 each state that receives means-tested welfare spending by the federal government shall report annually to the Congressional Budget Office on the total amount of such spending by the state for the fiscal year. The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended to define means-tested welfare spending as spending for any federal program designed specifically to give assistance or benefits exclusively to low-income Americans, including certain targeted community and economic development programs, unless they: are based on earned eligibility, are not need-based, are designed exclusively or primarily for veterans of military service, or offer universal or near universal eligibility to the working population and their dependents. The bill specifies federal cash assistance, medical, food, housing, energy, education training, child care, services, and community development programs deemed means-tested welfare spending, as well as federal programs that are not so deemed, including Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare, unemployment insurance, Social Security retirement and survivor benefits, and military service veterans programs. The refundable portion of certain tax credits shall also be means-tested welfare spending, as well as the refundable portion of the premium and out-of-pocket health care subsidies to be paid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 is amended to specify, as an additional purpose for the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP), promoting prosperous self-sufficiency, which means the ability of households to maintain an income above the poverty-level without services and benefits from the federal government. The bill revises work eligibility requirements under SNAP As a condition of receiving SNAP funds, a state agency shall operate a work activation program for adults with dependent children. Part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act is amended to create the work preparation program for TANF families. The bill eliminates separate participation rate requirements for two-parent families. A family with a child under age 6 shall be deemed to meet work participation requirements if any parent is engaged in work for at least 20 hours per week. No federal funds shall be made available to carry out any means-tested housing program, but states may receive grants to fund their own housing programs. The bill prohibits funding for abortions and for health benefits that cover abortion, including certain tax credits, except where the pregnancy results from rape or incest or in certain other health cases.

Bolster Accountability to Drive Government Efficiency and Reform Washington Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2016

Bolster Accountability to Drive Government Efficiency and Reform Washington Act of 2016 This bill establishes a Federal Real Property Reform Board to reduce the federal government's civilian real property inventory and operating costs by identifying federal land and buildings to dispose of, consolidate, redevelop, or operate more efficiently. A Federal Property Council must ensure implementation of property management strategies. The General Services Administration must establish a database of federal real property. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must submit to the Department Housing and Urban Development information about federal land or buildings that may be suitable for assistance to the homeless. Whistleblower protections are extended to employees of federal personal services contractors. Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act The OMB must publish a federal government program inventory that identifies authorizing statutes, performance assessments, finances, and beneficiaries for each federal government program for which there is more than $1 million in annual budget authority. Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act The bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Benefits) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to: (1) pay state or local governments for transcribing and transmitting death records to the SSA; and (2) provide cooperative arrangements with federal or state agencies for the use of SSA information regarding deceased individuals by agencies administering federally funded benefits, including carrying out tax administration or debt collection or investigating crimes. The bill amends the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012 to require the OMB to issue guidance to improve death record data matching among federal, state, and local governments. The SSA must submit a plan to improve the accuracy and completeness of its death data. Fraud Reduction and Data Analytics Act of 2016 The OMB must establish: (1) guidelines for federal agencies to establish financial and administrative controls to detect fraud and prevent improper payments, and (2) a working group to submit a plan for a federal interagency library of data analytics to facilitate fraud prevention and recovery. Getting Results through Enhanced Accountability and Transparency Act of 2016 The Government Accountability Office's (GAO's) annual report on its routine investigations to identify duplicative programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives must aggregate separately GAO estimates of related costs for instances of actual and potential unnecessary duplication and other potential cost savings and revenue collection. Chief operating officers, agencies' systemic operations reviews, and performance plans must consider improvements to coordination within and among agencies. The OMB's: (1) federal government performance plan must address management challenges concerning unnecessary duplication; and (2) priority goals for the government must include mission support for financial, human capital, information technology, procurement, and real estate management. Performance improvement officers must advise agencies on performance evaluation and risk management. The Performance Improvement Council must work to: (1) resolve government-wide issues relating to coordination and unnecessary duplication; (2) facilitate exchanges of performance improvement practices with states, local governments, and other nonfederal stakeholders; and (3) coordinate with interagency mission support councils. Administrative Leave Act of 2016 Agencies are: (1) prohibited from placing an employee in administrative leave for more than five consecutive days, and (2) required to record administrative leave separately from other types of leave. In lieu of administrative leave, agencies may place an employee in investigative or notice leave if the employee is under investigation or the target of an adverse action and if the continued presence of the employee in the workplace may pose a threat or cause loss of, or damage to, government property. An agency must consider other options, including reassigning the employee, allowing the employee to telework or take available leave, or treating the employee as absent without leave. Agencies may grant leave to employees who cannot report to work due to an act of God, a terrorist attack, or another condition that prevents them from safely traveling to or performing work at an approved location. Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2016 The Inspector General Act of 1978 is amended to establish procedures for: (1) the President to place inspectors general in a paid or unpaid nonduty status if their presence may pose a threat to others, result in damage to federal property, or jeopardize government interests; (2) inspectors general to subpoena the attendance and testimony of federal government contractors and grantees; (3) inspectors general to be exempt from procedures that require agreements between agencies for computerized comparisons of automated federal records systems; (4) the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) to mediate disputes involving multiple federal agencies; and (5) the CIGIE's Integrity Committee to consider allegations of wrongdoing against a Special Counsel or Deputy Special Counsel. The Attorney General or the Secretaries of Defense, the Treasury, Homeland Security, or Energy may prohibit inspectors general from accessing certain sensitive or national security information. Inspector General Mandates Reporting Act of 2016 The CIGIE must recommend modifications or repeals of inspectors general reporting requirements. GAO Mandates Revision Act of 2016 The bill eliminates or modifies various GAO reporting requirements. GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2016 The GAO may obtain federal agency records required to discharge its audit, evaluation, and investigative duties, including through bringing civil actions to require an agency to produce a record. Agency statements on actions taken or planned in response to GAO recommendations must be submitted to Congress and the GAO. Stop Wasteful Federal Bonuses Act of 2016 The bill prohibits a federal agency from awarding a bonus to any employee for five years after the end of a fiscal year in which the agency makes an adverse finding that the employee's conduct violated: (1) an agency policy for which the employee may be removed or suspended for at least 14 days, or (2) a law for which the employee may be imprisoned for more than one year. An agency must order an employee to repay a bonus awarded in any year in which such a finding is made. Eliminating Government-funded Oil-painting Act or the EGO Act The bill prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for an official portrait of a federal officer or employee, including the President, the Vice President, or a Member of Congress. Presidential Allowance Modernization Act of 2016 The bill allows former Presidents a lifetime annual annuity of $200,000 and an additional annual monetary allowance of $200,000, with annual cost-of-living increases, and reduces such allowance by the amount by which the former President's adjusted gross income in a taxable year exceeds $400,000. The annuity and allowance shall not be payable for any period during which a former President holds an appointive or elective federal position that pays more than a nominal rate. The annuity of a surviving spouse of a former President is increased to $100,000. Making Electronic Government Accountable By Yielding Tangible Efficiencies Act of 2016 or the MEGABYTE Act of 2016 The OMB must require the chief information officer of each executive agency to develop a comprehensive software licensing policy for software inventories, tracking, costs, management training, and life-cycle phases. Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act of 2016 Federal contracting officers soliciting civilian contract offers for the design and construction of public buildings, facilities, or works must use two-phase selection procedures when a project has a value of $750,000 or greater. The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council must amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to prohibit, as part of the two-phase selection procedure for awarding contracts for construction and design services, the use of a reverse auction, which is defined as a real-time auction conducted through an electronic medium among at least two offerors who compete by submitting bids with the ability to submit revised lower bids before the auction closes. Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2016 The bill directs federal agencies to give priority to a request for a transfer submitted by an employee if the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) grants a stay of a personnel action at the request of: (1) the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) if it determines the personnel action was a result of a prohibited personnel practice; or (2) an employee in probationary status who seeks corrective action. Federal employees with authority over personnel actions are prohibited from accessing the medical records of another employee or applicant in retaliation for protected disclosures or exercise of whistleblower rights. The bill establishes a process for the suspension or removal of federal supervisors who commit certain prohibited personnel actions against whistleblowers. Supervisors must be trained to respond to complaints alleging a violation of whistleblower protections. Agencies must refer employee suicides to the OSC if the employee made certain whistleblower disclosuresand a personnel action was taken against the employee. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must submit a plan to prevent unauthorized access to the medical records of VA employees. Office of Special Counsel Reauthorization Act of 2016 The bill amends the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 to reauthorize the OSC through FY2021. The bill extends to 45 days the period for the OSC to determine whether information it receives from an employee or applicant discloses: (1) a violation of a law, rule, or regulation; or (2) gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or substantial and specific danger to public health and safety. The OSC may petition the MSPB to order corrective action if an agency's investigation was in retaliation for certain employee disclosures or protected activities, even if no personnel action is taken. The MSPB may review appeals from a determination that an employee or applicant is ineligible for a sensitive position if the sensitive position does not require a security clearance or access to classified information. Whistleblower protections must be incorporated into: (1) supervisory employee job requirements, and (2) performance appraisals in the Senior Executive Service. The OSC must provide for inspectors general from other agencies to receive and investigate allegations of OSC wrongdoings.

All Kids Matter Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2016

All Kids Matter Act This bill amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to revise state plan requirements to require: the state to identify and provide appropriate prevention, intervention, and support services before placing a child in foster care as part of its reasonable efforts to preserve and reunify families; that all at-risk children, children in foster care, and children who have left foster care to return home through reunification or reinstatement of parental rights, or for kinship guardianship or adoption, be provided with a standard array of child welfare services; the state to submit, update, and revise as necessary a description of its activities and delivery mechanisms for achieving increased permanency for all infants, children, and youth. Payments to states shall incorporate: (1) an amount equal to the federal medical assistance percentage for the state under SSAct title XIX (Medicaid), and (2) a performance achievement payment. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall establish criteria for assessing state performance in order to award performance achievement payments to the states. States may elect an alternative allotment for specified administrative costs. Aid to Families with Dependent Children eligibility under SSAct title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) is removed from eligibility requirements under the Foster Care Maintenance Program. States may provide services to an individual age 18-21 who is pursing legal permanency through family reunification, permanent placement with a planned permanent living arrangement, or such other pathways to permanency as the state, in consultation with HHS, may specify. Eligibility for John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program services and education and training vouchers shall extend to youth who return home after attaining age 16. HHS, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Education shall jointly develop and disseminate to states permanency-supportive housing options.

Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017

United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2016

Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 Provides FY2017 appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) for military activities. Excludes military construction, military family housing, civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, and nuclear warheads, which are all considered in other appropriations bills. Provides appropriations to DOD for: Military Personnel; Operation and Maintenance; Procurement; Research, Development, Test and Evaluation; and Revolving and Management Funds. Provides appropriations for Other Department of Defense Programs, including: the Defense Health Program, Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction, Drug-Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, and the Office of the Inspector General. Provides appropriations for Related Agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System Fund and the Intelligence Community Management Account. Provides appropriations for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism. Rescinds specified unobligated balances from prior appropriations to DOD. Sets forth permissible and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.

Relating to consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2577) making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2016

Sets forth the rule for consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 2577 (Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017) in the House of Representatives.

Honoring the members of the United States Air Force who were casualties of the June 25, 1996, terrorist bombing of the United States Sector Khobar Towers military housing complex on Dhahran Air Base.

United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2016

Recognizes the service and sacrifice of the 19 Air Force members who were killed in the June 25, 1996, terrorist bombing of the United States Sector Khobar Towers military housing complex on Dhahran Air Base, Saudi Arabia. Extends sympathies to the families and friends of those killed. Acknowledges the anguish and resilience of the attack's survivors. Assures members of the Armed Forces and other U.S. agents serving in harm's way that their well-being will be given the highest priority. Declares that perpetrators of terrorist acts against members of the Armed Forces and U.S. agents or citizens will be brought to justice.

Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017

United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016

Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 Provides FY2017 appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) for military activities. Excludes military construction, military family housing, civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, and nuclear warheads, which are all considered in other appropriations bills. Provides appropriations to DOD for: Military Personnel; Operation and Maintenance; Procurement; Research, Development, Test and Evaluation; and Revolving and Management Funds. Provides appropriations for Other Department of Defense Programs, including: the Defense Health Program, Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction, Drug-Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, and the Office of the Inspector General. Provides appropriations for Related Agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System Fund and the Intelligence Community Management Account. Rescinds specified unobligated balances from prior appropriations to DOD. Sets forth permissible and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.

Seller Finance Enhancement Act

United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016

Seller Finance Enhancement Act This bill amends the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 to exempt from certain licensing and registration requirements any person (other than a depository institution) who: (1) originates not more than 24 residential mortgage loans in a 12-month period, and (2) only originates residential mortgage loans for property owned by that person. For determining whether a residential mortgage loan meets minimum standards, the Truth in Lending Act is amended to prohibit the application to loans originated by such a person certain Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guidelines and regulations relating to ratios of total monthly debt to monthly income. The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of the Treasury shall study: the number of homes bought for under $150,000 or 60% of the median home value in a given community, whichever is lower, in the United States by utilizing seller financing; the number of such homes sold by licensed mortgage brokers; the potential number of such homes which could be sold but are not, because seller financiers are unwilling, or from a practical standpoint unable, to comply with mortgage broker rules; and the potential benefit to home values and wealth creation if more homes are able to be sold utilizing seller finance.

Housing for Homeless Students Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016

Housing for Homeless Students Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to qualify low-income building units that provide housing for homeless students and veterans who are full-time students for the low-income housing tax credit. To qualify for the credit, the student must have been a homeless child or youth during any portion of the seven-year period prior to occupying the housing unit and the veteran must have been homeless for a similar five-year period.

A concurrent resolution honoring the members of the United States Air Force who were casualties of the June 25, 1996, terrorist bombing of the United States Sector Khobar Towers military housing complex on Dhahran Air Base.

United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016

Recognizes the service and sacrifice of the 19 Air Force members who were killed in the June 25, 1996, terrorist bombing of the United States Sector Khobar Towers military housing complex on Dhahran Air Base, Saudi Arabia. Extends sympathies to the families and friends of those killed. Acknowledges the anguish and resilience of the attack's survivors. Assures members of the Armed Forces and other U.S. agents serving in harm's way that their well-being will be given the highest priority. Declares that perpetrators of terrorist acts against members of the Armed Forces and U.S. agents or citizens will be brought to justice.

To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require the annual human rights reports to include information on the institutionalization of children and the subjection of children to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, unnecessary detention, and denial of the right to life, liberty, and the security of persons, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016

This bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require annual human rights reports to include information on the: institutionalization of children, including in orphanages and group homes, if such institutionalization can be avoided by reunifying such children with parents of origin or by adoptive placement; and related subjection of children to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, unnecessary detention, and denial of the right to life, liberty, and the security of persons.

Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016

Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the low-income housing tax credit, to: (1) expand the credit by increasing the state housing credit ceiling, (2) modify the cost-of-living adjustment required for the state housing credit ceiling, (3) establish a new average income test which may be used to determine if a low-income housing project qualifies for the credit, and (4) establish a minimum credit rate of 4% for certain new or existing buildings.

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.

Do No Harm Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2016

Do No Harm Act This bill makes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) inapplicable to federal laws (or implementations of laws) that: protect against discrimination or the promotion of equal opportunity, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, Executive Order 11246 (concerning equal employment opportunity), the Violence Against Women Act, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) rules entitled "Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity"; require employers to provide wages, other compensation, or benefits, including leave; protect collective activity in the workplace; protect against child labor, abuse, or exploitation; or provide for access to, information about, referrals for, provision of, or coverage for, any health care item or service. Under current law, RFRA prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest when using the least restrictive means. The bill makes RFRA inapplicable to: (1) terms requiring goods, services, functions, or activities to be performed or provided to beneficiaries of government contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or awards; or (2) denials of a person's full and equal enjoyment of a government-provided good, service, benefit, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation. To assert a RFRA claim or defense in a judicial proceeding, the government must be a party to the proceeding.

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.

Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2017

United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2016

Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2017 This bill directs the Department of State to: (1) submit to Congress a U.S. strategy and implementing plan for combating sexual exploitation and abuse in U.N. peacekeeping operations, and (2) designate a country as a "peacekeeping abuse country of concern" if indications are that personnel from its U.N. peacekeeping contingent have engaged in acts of sexual exploitation. The State Department may withhold specified assistance from a foreign security unit that has engaged in such acts. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) shall conduct a study of the formula and methods by which the U.N. assesses member states for financial support to peacekeeping operations. Not more than 85% of the annual U.S. contributions to the U.N., its agencies, or the Organization of American States may be obligated until the State Department certifies that specified whistle blower protections have been implemented. U.S. funding may not be made available for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) until the State Department certifies that UNHRC participation is in the U.S. national interest. Foreign Service administrative provisions are set forth, including provisions regarding: (1) overseas housing, (2) locally employed staff, (3) a lateral entry pilot program, (4) annuitant reemployment, (5) disciplinary action for unsatisfactory leadership during a security incident, (6) a personal services contractor pilot program, (7) limited appointments, and (8) diversity. The State Department may establish employee exchange programs with foreign government or international entities that permit employees to be assigned to a State Department position. The bill modifies the passport and visa fee structures. The State Department shall: (1) conduct a review of all human rights dialogues, and (2) provide each Tier 2 Watch List country with a copy of the annual Trafficking in Persons Report and information pertinent to such country's designation. The bill expresses: (1) the sense of Congress with respect to foreign cyber security threats, and (2) the sense of the Senate with respect to the release of internationally adopted children from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The State Department may authorize its uniformed guards to protect buildings and areas within the United States for which it provides protective services.

End Housing Subsidies for the Rich Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2016

End Housing Subsidies for the Rich Act of 2016 This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to revise eligibility requirements for assisted housing. If a public housing agency (PHA) determines that a tenant's income is greater than 120% of the area median income for two consecutive years, the PHA must terminate the family's tenancy within six months. Such a family may, however, continue to occupy the dwelling unit month-to-month if: the PHA charges the family the fair market rent, and there are no eligible families applying for housing assistance from the PHA for that month and the agency provides at least a 30-day public notice of the availability of such assistance. A PHA may not rent a dwelling unit to or assist families with net family assets exceeding $100,000 annually (adjusted for inflation) or an ownership interest in property that is suitable for occupancy. This restriction does not apply to victims of domestic violence, individuals using housing assistance for homeownership opportunities, or a family that is offering a property for sale. PHAs must require applicants to authorize financial institutions to disclose records necessary to determine eligibility for benefits.

A resolution supporting the United States solar energy industry in its effort to bring low-cost, clean, 21st-century solar technology into homes and businesses across the United States.

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2016

Expresses support for the solar energy industry in its effort to bring low-cost, clean, 21st-century solar technology into homes and businesses.

Senior Accessible Housing Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2016

Senior Accessible Housing Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to create a nonrefundable personal tax credit for senior citizens who modify their residences to enhance their ability to remain living safely, independently, and comfortably in the residences. The credit applies to up to $30,000 of the expenses that individuals who are at least 60 years old incur over their lifetime to make modifications to their residences, including: the installation of entrance and exit ramps, the widening of doorways, the installation of handrails or grab bars, the installation of non-slip flooring, and other modifications that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) includes on a list of modifications that would enhance the ability of the individuals to remain living safely, independently, and comfortably in their residences. The IRS must establish and maintain the list of acceptable modifications after consulting with the Department of Health and Human Services and receiving input from the public

Healthy Homes Tax Credit Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2016

Healthy Homes Tax Credit Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow new tax credits for 50% of: (1) lead hazard reduction activity costs, (2) radon hazard reduction activity costs, and (3) asbestos hazard reduction activity costs. These costs must be incurred with respect to an eligible dwelling and the credit for such costs is generally limited to $5,000 for any eligible dwelling in any taxable year, reduced by costs taken into account in previous taxable years. The bill defines an "eligible dwelling" generally as a dwelling unit that is: (1) placed in service before 1950; (2) located in the United States; and (3) a house, apartment, condominium, mobile home, boat, or similar property, but not a unit used exclusively as a hotel, motel, inn, or similar establishment.

THE FUTURE OF HOUSING IN AMERICA: A COMPARISON OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND UNITED STATES MODELS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING

United States · United States House of Representatives · 12 May 2016

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.

Preserving HUD's Multifamily Field Offices Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2016

Preserving HUD's Multifamily Field Offices Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from relocating to any core office of the Office of Multifamily Housing any asset management position (including any account executive, senior account executive, and troubled asset specialist position) that, as of this bill's enactment, is located at a non-core office of that Office. "Core office" is defined as a regional hub office located in Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Worth, New York City, or San Francisco. Upon the occurrence of a vacancy in any asset management position at any non-core office (including any vacancy in existence as of the date of enactment), HUD may newly hire an employee to fill that position only at the same non-core office.

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.

Homeowners Access to Visitability Enhancements (HAVE) Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2016

Homeowners Access to Visitability Enhancements (HAVE) Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to low-income families to assist them in obtaining residences that are visitable for individuals. A residence shall be "visitable" if it complies with the most current version of the visitability standards of the International Code Council/American National Standards Institute. Amounts from such grants may be used only for: acquiring a visitable residence that has never previously been occupied, constructing a visitable residence, and retrofitting or renovating an existing residence to make it visitable.

SIMARRA Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016

Stop Infant Mortality And Recidivism Reduction Act of 2016 or the SIMARRA Act This bill directs the Bureau of Prisons to establish a pilot program to allow incarcerated women who give birth and children born during such incarceration to reside together in a separate prison housing unit. It sets forth inmate eligibility criteria and program participation requirements.