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Bill· HRH.R. 5884 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Don't Track Me Act - Declares that it is contrary to U.S. public policy to require the placement or use of any global positioning satellite (GPS), location, or distance tracking system to collect identities of vehicle owners by remote means. Prohibits the federal gasoline excise tax from being replaced or supplemented with any tax, fee, or fine based upon vehicle location or distance traveled that is determined by GPS, license plate reading cameras, or other methods of determining vehicle location, travel distance, or registration and identity data. Prohibits motor vehicles from being required to have certain devices that track or transmit location, distance, or driver identity information. Bars public funds from being used to study, implement, or require the use of any method of tracking or reporting vehicle movement or location for the purpose of taxes, user fees, traffic fines, accident investigation, or communication with other vehicles or infrastructure. Prohibits vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems for the purposes of recording or transmitting or storing for later retrieval location, registration, identity, or speed data. Allows such transmissions to be used only for momentary accident avoidance or anonymized traffic reporting. Bars federal agencies from requiring motor vehicles to have a "black box" accident data recorder that records vehicle data for longer than the last five minutes of vehicle operation. Prohibits such devices from: (1) recording audio, images, or video from inside the vehicle; or (2) broadcasting or transmitting any data except by a direct cable connection to a computer.
Bill· HRH.R. 5876 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Responsible Skies Act of 2014 - Amends the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 to require the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to prohibit the operator of an unmanned recreational aircraft (drone) from flying it: above 400 feet and within 5 miles of the perimeter of a commercial airport, or where it may be seen from the airport's perimeter.
Bill· HRH.R. 5868 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to make appropriate arrangements with the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council to study the cost and impact of rerouting freight rail traffic of hazardous material to avoid its transportation through urban areas.
Bill· HRH.R. 5857 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Infrastructure and Global Tax Competitiveness Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the taxation of earnings and profits of a deferred foreign income corporation, to: (1) make such earnings and profit subject to taxation in the last taxable year prior to January 1, 2015, (2) reduce the rate of tax on such earnings and profits by allowing an exemption of 75%, and (3) allow such corporations to elect to pay such tax in eight installments. Establishes the American Infrastructure Fund to provide assistance to states, local governments, and other public and private entities for investment in public infrastructure projects. Appropriates tax revenues from this Act to the Highway Trust Fund. Establishes the Highway Trust Fund Solvency Commission to propose recommendations and legislation for achieving long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. Establishes an 18-month deadline for the enactment of legislation that reforms the international tax system by eliminating the incentive to hold earnings in low-tax jurisdictions. Sets forth provisions for the reform of the international tax system (to be effective if reform legislation is not enacted by the 18-month deadline established by this Act), including provisions relating to subpart F income and insurance income, gains and losses from the sale or exchange of stock in controlled foreign corporations, limitations on the foreign tax credit, and the tax treatment of previously deferred foreign income.
Bill· HRH.R. 5848 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Early Warning Reporting System Improvement Act of 2014 - Revises early warning reporting requirements for manufacturers of motor vehicles regarding possible defects of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to require a manufacturer in cases where the defect has caused a fatality to provide certain additional information as part of its report to the Secretary. Requires that information to be publicly disclosed and entered into the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) early warning reporting database. Directs the Secretary to: (1) take specified actions to improve public accessibility to information on NHTSA's public vehicle safety databases; and (2) give public notice via the internet of all inspections or investigations conducted by the Secretary to enforce a motor vehicle safety requirement or order, or that are related to a motor vehicle accident due to a possible defect.
Bill· HRH.R. 5822 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2014
Developing Standards for Electronic Shipping Papers Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a Hazardous Materials Information Advisory Committee to develop voluntary standards and best practices for first responders and enforcement officials in the use of electronic shipping papers in the event of a hazardous material transportation incident. Defines the term "electronic shipping paper" as an electronic version of the physical shipping paper conveying the most current available hazard information and capable of being accessed instantaneously by emergency responders during such an incident.
Bill· HRH.R. 5813 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2014
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Improvement Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Administrator of the Maritime Administration to: accept a gift of money from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Association and Foundation, Inc. in order to renovate Melville Hall on the campus of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; and enter into a contract with the Foundation for the Hall's operation.
Bill· HRH.R. 5803 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2014
Requires the Department of the Interior to establish within the Empowering Insular Communities activity a team of technical, policy, and financial experts to: (1) develop an energy action plan addressing the energy needs of each of the insular areas (American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) and Freely Associated States (Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau); and (2) assist each of the insular areas and Freely Associated States in implementing the plan. Requires the plan to include: (1) recommendations to reduce reliance and expenditures on fuel shipped to the insular areas and Freely Associated States from ports outside the United States, to develop and utilize domestic fuel energy sources, and to improve performance of energy infrastructure and overall energy efficiency; (2) a schedule for implementation of the recommendations and identification and prioritization of specific projects; (3) a financial and engineering plan for implementing and sustaining projects; and (4) benchmarks for measuring progress toward implementation. Requires Interior to approve the plan before it is implemented. Extends the federal immigration law transition period for the Northern Mariana Islands through December 31, 2019, including the annual reduction of nonimmigrant workers who may be admitted during such period.
Bill· SS. 2983 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2014
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Improvement Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Administrator of the Maritime Administration to: accept a gift of money from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Association and Foundation, Inc. in order to renovate Melville Hall on the campus of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; and enter into a contract with the Foundation for the Hall's operation.
Bill· SS. 2986 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2014
Requires the Department of the Interior to establish within the Empowering Insular Communities activity a team of technical, policy, and financial experts to: (1) develop an energy action plan addressing the energy needs of each of the insular areas (American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) and Freely Associated States (Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau); and (2) assist each of the insular areas and Freely Associated States in implementing the plan. Requires the plan to include: (1) recommendations to reduce reliance and expenditures on fuel shipped to the insular areas and Freely Associated States from ports outside the United States, to develop and utilize domestic fuel energy sources, and to improve performance of energy infrastructure and overall energy efficiency; (2) a schedule for implementation of the recommendations and identification and prioritization of specific projects; (3) a financial and engineering plan for implementing and sustaining projects; and (4) benchmarks for measuring progress toward implementation. Requires Interior to approve the plan before it is implemented. Extends the federal immigration law transition period for the Northern Mariana Islands through December 31, 2019, including the annual reduction of nonimmigrant workers who may be admitted during such period.
Bill· SS. 2985 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2014
Designates the segment of Interstate Route 35 between milepost 133 at Forest Lake, Minnesota, and milepost 259 at Duluth, Minnesota, as the "James L. Oberstar Memorial Highway."
Bill· HRH.R. 5780 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2014
Protecting the Integrity of Medicare Act of 2014 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish cost-effective procedures to ensure that: (1) a Social Security account number (or any derivative) is not displayed, coded, or embedded on the Medicare card issued to an individual entitled to benefits under part A (Hospital Insurance) of SSA title XVIII (Medicare) or enrolled under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance); and (2) any other identifier displayed on such card is not identifiable as a Social Security account number (or any derivative). Directs the Secretary to establish procedures to ensure that Medicare payment is not made for items and services furnished to an individual incarcerated, deceased, or otherwise ineligible and not lawfully present in the United States. Directs the Secretary, if cost-effective and technologically viable, to consider appropriate measures to implement use of electronic Medicare beneficiary and provider cards. Extends the Medicare durable medical equipment (DME) face-to-face encounter documentation requirement to include physician assistants, practitioners, or specialists as well as physicians (as under current law). Requires each Medicare administrative contractor to establish an improper payment outreach and education program for service providers and suppliers in order to reduce improper Medicare payments. Requires the Secretary to develop a plan to revise the incentive program under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 to encourage greater participation by individuals to report fraud and abuse in the Medicare program. Directs the Secretary to require a claim for a covered Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drug for an individual enrolled in a prescription drug plan (PDP) or in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plan to include a valid prescriber National Provider Identifier. Gives Medicare beneficiaries the option to receive the Medicare Summary Notice (explanation of benefits) electronically. Directs the Secretary to: (1) apply competitive procedures to selection of a Medicare administrative contractor at least once every 10 years (currently once every 5 years); and (3) study and, as appropriate, specify incentives for states to work with the Secretary under the Medicare-Medicaid Data Match Program to protect the federal and state share of expenditures. Authorizes a PDP sponsor to establish a drug management program for at-risk beneficiaries. Directs the Secretary to authorize Medicare drug integrity contractors (MEDICs) to accept directly an individual's prescription and necessary medical records from pharmacies, prescription drug plans, and physicians in order for MEDICs to provide information relevant to determining whether the individual is an at-risk beneficiary. Directs the Secretary to issue a clarification or modification with respect to the application of the Common Rule (governing the protection of human subjects in research) to activities involving clinical data registries. Amends SSA title XI to eliminate civil monetary penalties for inducements to physicians to limit services that are not medically necessary. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on options for amending existing Medicare fraud and abuse laws and regulations to permit gainsharing or similar arrangements between physicians and hospitals that would otherwise be subject to penalties. Modifies the Medicare home health surety bond condition of participation requirement. Directs the Secretary to: (1) implement a process for medical review of spinal subluxation services by a chiropractor, and (2) develop educational and training programs to improve the ability of chiropractors to document services in a manner that demonstrates they are reasonable and necessary. Applies Medicare competitive bidding to vacuum erection systems, and requires the Secretary to phase-in a national mail order program for such devices. Requires the Secretary to: (1) revise the testing in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina of a model of prior authorization for repetitive scheduled non-emergent ambulance transport to cover specified additional states; and (2) apply the prior authorization program to all states. Directs the Secretary to submit a plan to Congress for including in the annual report of the Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) programs data on services (other than medical visits) paid under the physician fee schedule where the fee schedule amount exceeds $250 and where the error rate exceeds 20%.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 769 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2014
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the health care, energy, telecommunications, and other industry sectors should continue their sector-specific efforts to protect critical infrastructure and prevent information security and cybersecurity breaches (other than for research and development purposes).
Bill· HRH.R. 5769 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2014
Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 - Authorizes FY2015 appropriations for the Coast Guard and the Federal Maritime Commission. Authorizes end-of-year strength for active duty personnel and military training student loads. Amends policies related to Coast Guard personnel and their families, including education, housing, childcare, retirement, and orders to return to active duty for emergencies. Establishes reporting requirements, including requiring the Coast Guard to submit to Congress at specified times integrated major acquisition mission need statements and authorization requests for personnel and appropriations. Authorizes the Coast Guard to lease submerged lands and tidelands for periods longer than five years. Requires Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide prompt notice of marine casualties to state and tribal governments. Revises provisions concerning the National Response System and area contingency plans for the discharge of oil and hazardous substances, arctic marine transportation, ice breaking in the polar regions, vessel inspections, and distant water tuna fleet. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) procuring, decommissioning, and extending the life of certain cutters (vessels that are 65 feet or greater); (2) establishing a process for vessel traffic information services to use automatic identification systems to transmit safety information, and (3) prohibiting DHS from dismantling or disposing of infrastructure that supported the former LORAN system (long range radio aid to navigation system). Reauthorizes through FY2017 appropriations to MARAD for a program that provides assistance for small shipyards and maritime communities. Directs federal agencies that operate vessels to report drug test violations by employment applicants to the Coast Guard. Reauthorizes the Fishing Safety Grant Program through FY2017. Establishes the Abandoned Seafarers Fund. Requires DHS to issue an analysis of safety and environmental management system requirements for vessels engaged in Outer Continental Shelf activities prior to issuing the requirements. Extends for a year an exemption from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit requirements for certain discharges from vessels that are less than 79 feet in length or a fishing vessel. Requires the Department of Transportation to provide a national maritime strategy to Congress.
Bill· SS. 2961 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish within the Office of the Secretary the Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation (Office), headed by the Assistant Secretary for Intercity Transportation Planning. Requires the Office to be composed of: the Office of High-Speed Rail Policy, the Office of High-Speed Planning, and the Office of High-Speed Rail Operations and Safety. Requires the Assistant Secretary to oversee the planning, development, construction, financing, funding, and operation of high-speed rail in selected corridors throughout the United States. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress the results of a feasibility study that identifies and prioritizes corridors that offer the best opportunity to provide point-to-point high-speed intercity passenger rail service.
Bill· SS. 2952 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2014 - Establishes in the executive branch a Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. Directs the Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of the data inventory, data infrastructure, and statistical protocols related to federal policymaking and the statistical and programmatic agencies responsible for maintaining that data to: determine the optimal arrangement for which administrative data on federal programs and tax expenditures and related data series may be integrated and made available to facilitate program evaluation, policy-relevant research, and cost-benefit analyses by qualified researchers and institutions; make recommendations on how data infrastructure and protocols should be modified to best fulfill those objectives; and make recommendations on how best to incorporate outcomes measurement, institutionalize randomized controlled trials, and rigorous impact analysis into program design. Requires the Commission to consider if and how to create a clearinghouse for program and survey data. Terminates the Commission not later than 18 months after enactment of this Act.
Bill· SS. 2949 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act - Prescribes certain whistleblower incentives and protections for motor vehicle manufacturer, part supplier, or dealership employees or contractors who voluntarily provide the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) information relating to any motor vehicle defect, noncompliance, or any violation of any notification or reporting requirement which is likely to cause unreasonable risk of death or serious physical injury. Authorizes the Secretary to pay awards to one or more whistleblowers in an aggregate amount of up to 30% of total monetary sanctions collected pursuant to an administrative or judicial action resulting in aggregate monetary sanctions exceeding $1 million. Prohibits an award to any whistleblower who knowingly and willfully makes false representations. Subjects such a whistleblower to criminal penalties.
Bill· HRH.R. 5764 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2014 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to authorize the Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for FY2015-FY2019. Requires that the Initiative carry out programs and projects for Great Lakes protection and restoration. Directs the Initiative to prioritize programs and projects, including: (1) the remediation of toxic substances and areas of concern; (2) the prevention and control of invasive species and their impacts; (3) the protection and restoration of near-shore health and the prevention and mitigation of nonpoint source pollution (water pollution that comes from many diffuse sources, such as pollution on the ground picked up by rain or snow); and (4) habitat and wildlife protection and restoration. Prohibits funding made available to implement the Initiative from being used for any water infrastructure activity (other than a green infrastructure project that improves habitat and other ecosystem functions in the Great Lakes) for which funding is made available under the clean water or drinking water state revolving fund program. Requires federal agencies to maintain the base level of funding for their Great Lakes activities without regard to funding under the Initiative and identify new activities to support the environmental goals of the Initiative.
Bill· HRH.R. 5766 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
21st Century SCASDP Act - Revises certain criteria the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) must apply in selecting communities, or consortia of communities, with an underserved airport for participation in the Small Community Air Service Development Program.
Bill· HRH.R. 5755 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Safer American Streets Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), for FY2015 and subsequent fiscal years, to withhold 10% of a state's apportionment of specified federal-aid highway program funds for any state or municipal government that employs an automated traffic enforcement system on a federal-aid highway. Prohibits: the Mayor of the District of Columbia from using an automated traffic enforcement system to detect a moving infraction, and the use of any information obtained through such a system as proof of an infraction in an administrative adjudication. Repeals title IX of the Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Support Temporary Amendment Act of 1996 (relating to automated traffic enforcement in the District of Columbia).
Bill· HRH.R. 5754 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2014 - Establishes in the executive branch a Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. Directs the Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of the data inventory, data infrastructure, and statistical protocols related to federal policymaking and the statistical and programmatic agencies responsible for maintaining that data to: determine the optimal arrangement for which administrative data on federal programs and tax expenditures and related data series may be integrated and made available to facilitate program evaluation, policy-relevant research, and cost-benefit analyses by qualified researchers and institutions; make recommendations on how data infrastructure and protocols should be modified to best fulfill those objectives; and make recommendations on how best to incorporate outcomes measurement, institutionalize randomized controlled trials, and rigorous impact analysis into program design. Requires the Commission to consider if and how to create a clearinghouse for program and survey data. Terminates the Commission not later than 18 months after enactment of this Act.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 583 (113th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2014
Designates November 30, 2014, Drive Safer Sunday.
Bill· SS. 2934 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2014
Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit knowingly going upon any critical infrastructure used in or affecting interstate commerce to commit a criminal offense. Defines "critical infrastructure" as a vital physical system or asset, including a national monument, the incapacity or destruction of which would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, or national public health or safety.
Bill· HRH.R. 5709 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2014
Sanction Iran, Safeguard America Act of 2014 or the SISA Act - Amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012, and the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 to eliminate authority to waive sanctions relating to: transportation of crude oil from Iran; financial institutions that engage in certain transactions; the financial sector of Iran; persons that support or conduct certain transactions with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and other sanctioned persons; the sale, supply, or transfer of certain materials to or from Iran; the provision of underwriting services or insurance or reinsurance for activities or persons with respect to which sanctions have been imposed; and foreign financial institutions that facilitate financial transactions on behalf of specially designated nationals. Amends the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 to direct the President to prohibit any correspondent account or a payable-through account opened and maintained in the United States by a foreign financial institution that has knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant financial transaction, on or after July 31, 2012, for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum, petroleum products, or petrochemical products from Iran. Requires the imposition on violators of specified sanctions under the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996. Requires the President to block and prohibit all transactions in property and interests in property in or that enter the United States (or the possession or control of a U.S. person) of any person that has, on or after July 31, 2012, materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial support or related goods or services for the National Iranian Oil Company, the Naftiran Intertrade Company, or the Central Bank of Iran. Requires the President also to block and prohibit similar transactions involving the purchase or acquisition of U.S. bank notes or precious metals by the government of Iran. Amends the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 to direct the President to block and prohibit similar transactions involving any Iranian person included on the list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury. Directs the President to impose specified sanctions with respect to: (1) a person that has, on or after June 1, 2013, knowingly engaged in a significant financial transaction in connection with the automotive sector of Iran; (2) any related correspondent account or a payable-through account held by a foreign financial institution that has knowingly facilitated such a transaction; and (3) any foreign financial institution that has knowingly facilitated a significant financial transaction on behalf of any blocked person or specially designated Iranian national. Requires revision of the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require a certification from each prospective federal contractor that is part of the automotive sector of any foreign country, that the prospective contractor (and any person owned or controlled by it): (1) does not have a business relationship with the government of Iran; and (2) has not, in the previous 90 days, conducted any transaction with an Iranian person or any entity owned or controlled by one. Amends the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 to prohibit importation into the United States of refined petroleum products made using Iranian origin crude oil regardless of whether the crude oil was commingled with crude oil not of Iranian origin. Prohibits any regulatory exception to the prohibition on direct or indirect imports from Iran. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 with respect to sanctions on petroleum transactions. Directs the President to block and prohibit all activities or transactions that contribute materially, or pose a risk of material contribution, to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or the means to deliver them. Prohibits any obligation or expenditure of authorized appropriations for negotiations with Iran until a join resolution has been enacted making specified certifications.
Bill· HRH.R. 5712 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2014
DHS Private Sector Office Engagement Act of 2014 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to replace provisions directing the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to appoint a Special Assistant responsible for private sector matters with provisions establishing within DHS a Private Sector Office, to be headed by an Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Coordination. Establishes as the Office's mission to: (1) create and foster strategic engagement with the private sector to enhance the primary mission of DHS to protect the United States; and (2) conduct ongoing economic impact analysis to reduce the burden of DHS decisions, regulations, and initiatives on the private sector and the U.S. economy. Includes among the Assistant Secretary's responsibilities: to create a strategic plan for the Office; to advise the Secretary regarding the impact of DHS's policies, regulations, processes, and actions on the private sector; to analyze the economic impact of changes in homeland security policy; to determine actions needed to reduce associated homeland security burdens on the private sector; to foster strategic engagement with the private sector to improve homeland security; to promote to the private sector best practices regarding cyber security and critical infrastructure protection; to promote and develop public-private partnerships to provide for collaboration and mutual support to address homeland security challenges; and to collaborate with the Chief Human Capital Officer to facilitate the DHS Loaned Executive Program. Terminates the Office on December 31, 2018. Directs the Secretary to conduct an assessment of the Office concurrently with the next Quadrennial Homeland Security Review.
Bill· SS. 2924 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2014
Amends federal shipping law to extend through October 31, 2028, the exemption of certain vessels from the requirement that U.S. passenger vessels having berth or stateroom accommodations for at least 50 passengers be constructed of fire-retardant materials in order to be granted a certificate of inspection. Continues to apply this exemption only to vessels in operation before January 1, 1968, which operate only within the Boundary Line (the dividing point between inland waters and high seas). Requires the owner or managing operator of an exempt vessel to: notify crew members that the vessel does not comply with applicable fire safety standards due primarily to the wooden construction of passenger berthing areas, and make annual structural alterations to at least 10% of vessel areas that are not constructed of fire-retardant materials. Requires any noncombustible material requirements prescribed by the Coast Guard (with which an exempt vessel is still required to comply) to be consistent with the preservation of a vessel's historic integrity in areas carrying or accessible to passengers or generally visible to the public.
Bill· HRH.R. 5675 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2014
Standards Addressing Federal Transparency and Oversight With Evolving Recruitment Specifications Act or the SAFE TOWERS Act - Revises Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for the hiring of air traffic controllers. Directs the FAA Administrator to give preferential consideration in the hiring of air traffic controllers to: individuals who have successfully completed air traffic controller training and graduated from an institution participating in the FAA's Collegiate Training Initiative program, and have received a recommendation from the institution; and qualified individuals eligible for a veterans recruitment appointment or qualified eligible veterans who maintain aviation experience. Directs the Administrator to revise FAA hiring practices for air traffic controller applicants with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to eliminate the use of biographical assessments or other personality tests that unduly disqualify applicants. Changes from discretionary to mandatory the Administrator's authority to maintain the Collegiate Training Initiative program. Directs the Administrator to establish an Air Traffic Control Education and Training Advisory Committee. Requires the Administrator to take into consideration any locally developed training initiatives for air traffic controllers for use in establishing best practices nationwide.
Bill· SS. 2900 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Livable Communities Act of 2014 - Establishes in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) an Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC) to review and coordinate federal policies that: encourage locally directed comprehensive and integrated planning and development at the state, regional, and local levels, and coordinated public investments through development of comprehensive regional plans; and provide long-term affordable, accessible, energy-efficient, healthy and location-efficient housing choices for all people, particularly low-income families. Requires the OSHC Director to establish a program to make comprehensive planning grants and community challenge grants to units of general local government or Indian tribes to carry out projects meeting specified criteria. Authorizes the Secretary of HUD to make or guarantee (up to 75% of) loans to eligible governmental, corporate, or partnership borrowers for infrastructure development projects used to support transit-oriented development. Requires the Director of the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to lead the federal initiative to support healthy housing and eradicate housing-related health hazards. Requires the Secretary to study how sustainable building features in housing, such as energy efficiency, affect: (1) the quality of the indoor environment, (2) the prevalence of housing-related health hazards, and (3) the health of the occupants.
Bill· SS. 2891 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Innovation in Surface Transportation Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), in coordination with state transportation departments, to establish an innovation in surface transportation program. Requires states to make competitive grants for innovative surface transportation projects to eligible entities, including local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, tribal governments, private providers of public transportation, nonprofit transportation organizations, port authorities, joint power authorities, freight rail providers, and local rail authorities. Requires each state (including the governor and state department of transportation) to establish an innovation in surface transportation selection panel to formulate criteria for selecting projects. Requires a state to reserve certain percentages of federal funds apportioned for the national highway performance, the highway safety improvement, the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement, surface transportation, and transportation alternatives programs in order to fund related projects under state innovative surface transportation grants. Authorizes a state to reserve a specified percentage of apportioned funds to meet rural local government requests to support development of project applications.
Bill· SS. 2887 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Accessible Transportation for All Act - Requires owners or operators of a for-hire transportation company, taxi service, or transportation network company to provide accessible vehicles for hire by disabled individuals in need of transportation services. Prohibits discrimination against disabled individuals in the provision of for-hire transportation services. Requires the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to organize a national competition for U.S. automobile manufacturers to design one or more model accessible taxi vehicles and model accessible passenger cars. Establishes in the FTA an Accessible Taxi and For-Hire Transportation Board. Requires states to develop a strategic plan to increase the availability of accessible taxi vehicles, accessible vehicles for hire, and other accessible for-hire transportation options for people with disabilities. Directs the Administrator, in collaboration with the U.S. Access Board, to promulgate accessibility and service standards for accessible taxi vehicles and accessible vehicles for hire to ensure that they are fully accessible to, and usable by, passengers with disabilities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for expenditures incurred by a small business that is a qualified taxi company in purchasing or adapting a vehicle for use as an accessible taxi vehicle.
Bill· SS. 2872 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Promoting Healthy Minds for Safer Communities Act of 2014 - Title I: Strengthening and Improving Intervention Efforts - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program to award grants to states, political subdivisions, or nonprofit private entities for the expansion of mental health crisis assistance programs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed, and age appropriate. Requires a comprehensive school mental health program funded under this Act to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence. Makes only a partnership between a local educational agency and at least one community program or agency that is involved in mental health eligible for such funding. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with at least one relevant community-based entity that clearly states how school-employed mental health professionals will be utilized and the responsibilities of each partner; (2) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires grantees to comply with the health information privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures. Amends the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 to: (1) expand the assistance provided under such Act, and (2) reauthorize appropriations for FY2015-FY2019. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to establish or expand: (1) veterans treatment court programs, which involve collaboration among criminal justice, veterans, and mental health and substance abuse agencies to provide qualified veterans (preliminarily qualified offenders who were discharged from the armed forces under conditions other than dishonorable) with intensive judicial supervision and case management, treatment services, alternatives to incarceration, and other appropriate services, including housing, transportation, job training, education, and assistance in obtaining benefits; (2) peer to peer services or programs to assist such veterans in obtaining treatment, recovery, stabilization, or rehabilitation; (3) practices that identify and provide treatment, rehabilitation, legal, transitional, and other appropriate services to such veterans who have been incarcerated; and (4) training programs to teach criminal justice, law enforcement, corrections, mental health, and substance abuse personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving such veterans. Revises the definition of "preliminarily qualified offender" to include, for purposes of a veterans treatment court program, an adult or juvenile accused of an offense who has been diagnosed with, or manifests obvious signs of, mental illness or a substance abuse disorder or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorder. Removes a requirement that the adult or juvenile be accused of a nonviolent offense. Requires preliminarily qualified offenders to be unanimously approved for participation in a collaboration program by, when appropriate, the relevant prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, probation or corrections official, judge, and representative from the relevant mental health agency. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to enhance the capabilities of a correctional facility to: (1) identify and screen for mentally ill inmates; (2) plan and provide assessments of the clinical, medical, and social needs of inmates and appropriate treatment and services that address mental health and substance abuse needs; (3) develop, implement, and enhance post-release transition plans that coordinate services and public benefits, the availability of mental health care and substance abuse treatment services, alternatives to solitary confinement and segregated housing, and mental health screening and treatment for inmates placed in solitary confinement or segregated housing; and (4) train employees in identifying and responding to incidents involving inmates with mental health disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) award not more than six grants per year to applicants for the purpose of reducing the use of public services by mentally ill individuals who consume a significantly disproportionate quantity of public resources, and (2) make grants to provide support for programs that teach law enforcement personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving persons with such disorders. Directs the Attorney General to give priority in awarding grants for adult or juvenile collaboration programs to applications that: (1) propose interventions that have been shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism, and (2) use validated assessment tools to target preliminarily qualified offenders with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a need for treatment and services. Title II: Improving Mental Health Research - Directs the Secretary to expand research on self-directed and other-directed violence associated with mental illness. Title III: Understanding the Epidemic of Gun Violence - Requires the Secretary to expand: (1) the National Violent Death Reporting System to all 50 states, and (2) research and grants of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address gun violence. Authorizes FY2015-FY2019 appropriations for CDC research and grants. Title IV: Mental Health and Access to Firearms - Amends federal criminal code prohibitions on the sale, purchase, transport, or possession of firearms or ammunition to specify that prohibitions with respect to persons committed to a mental institution apply to persons committed on an involuntary inpatient or involuntary outpatient basis. Authorizes the Attorney General to reserve not more than 5% of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds for grants to states that: (1) give state and local law enforcement officers the authority to seize firearms or ammunition from an individual pursuant to a warrant, if there is probable cause to believe the individual poses an elevated risk of harm to himself or herself or to another individual; or (2) temporarily prohibit an individual involuntarily hospitalized for mental illness on an emergency basis from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Directs the Attorney General to establish a system for the prompt notification of state and local enforcement agencies when the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) notifies a licensed dealer that an individual attempting to obtain a firearm is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal or state law. Title V: Restoration - Amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to set forth procedures for persons adjudicated to have a mental disorder or committed to a mental institution to apply for relief (restoration of firearm ownership rights) after one year by submitting an opinion of a psychiatrist or licensed clinical psychologist in order to seek a determination by the adjudicating agency that the person no longer manifests the symptoms that elevate the risk of harm. Title VI: Submission of Mental Health Records to National Instant Criminal Background Check System - Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to report annually to Congress regarding the number of persons reported by each state to NICS who are prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm based on a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Reauthorizes the national criminal history improvement program for FY2015-FY2018. Requires the Attorney General to establish a four-year implementation plan for each state or Indian tribal government desiring a grant to improve the automation and transmittal to federal and state repositories of: (1) mental health records and criminal history dispositions, (2) records relevant to determining whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, (3) court orders, and (4) mental health adjudications or commitments. Requires each federal agency in possession of records relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under specified circumstances to make such records, updated at least quarterly, available to the Attorney General for use in NICS background checks. Directs HHS, under HIPAA, to allow states to make information concerning persons adjudicated as a mental defective or those committed to mental institutions available for NICS.
Bill· SS. 2858 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Toxics by Rail Accountability and Community Knowledge (TRACK) Act of 2014 - Requires railroad carriers found at fault for an unintended release of hazardous materials (hazmat) due to a railroad accident or incident during calendar year 2010 to: review periodically any post-accident public health assessments of hazmat-exposed individuals who could experience long-lasting or irreversible health effects; inform those individuals in a timely manner of any health information, including information on long-lasting or irreversible health consequences; and offer to renegotiate any legal settlements made to affected individuals in which additional information about potential for such consequences has been later disclosed in a post-accident public health assessment. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to prescribe regulations: requiring railroad carriers transporting hazmat to give first responders, emergency response officials, and law enforcement personnel accurate and current commodity flow data and assist with the development of emergency operations and hazmat response plans for railroad accidents or incidents; and establishing a procedure for railroad carriers to permit a train to pass a red signal at a moveable bridge. Requires the Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, to develop route safety and security risk assessment tools for short line and regional railroad carriers. Revises the railroad safety risk reduction program by requiring railroad carriers to develop a comprehensive program to improve safety by reducing the number and rates of accidents, incidents, injuries, and fatalities (as under current law) through the use of safety management systems and their associated key principles, analysis of operational incidents and accidents, and continuous evaluation and improvement programs. Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations requiring railroad carriers transporting hazmat to: give first responders, emergency response officials, and law enforcement personnel real-time information regarding hazmat on the train in the event of an incident, accident, or emergency; and develop a public education program for communities along railroad hazmat routes. Prescribes certain civil penalties for any railroad carrier that violates a requirement or regulation under this Act.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 570 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Designates October 17, 2014, as National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day to promote programs and activities that will lead to the greater use of cleaner, more efficient transportation that uses new sources of energy. Urges the people of the United States to: (1) increase the personal and commercial use of, and promote public sector adoption of, cleaner and more energy-efficient alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles; and (2) encourage the adoption of federal policies to advance and adopt alternative, advanced, and emerging vehicle and fuel technologies to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Bill· HRH.R. 5548 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Consortia-Led Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Networks Act - Directs the Department of Commerce to carry out a program to establish clean technology consortia to enhance U.S. economic, environmental, and energy security by promoting domestic development, manufacture, and deployment of clean technologies, production processes, or methodologies that: produce energy from renewable energy sources; transmit, distribute, or store energy more efficiently; enhance energy efficiency for buildings and industry; enable the development of a Smart Grid (an electric power system to maintain a reliable and secure electricity infrastructure that can meet future demand growth, including by deploying demand-side resources that enable consumers to reduce or shift their electricity usage during peak periods); produce an advanced or sustainable material with energy or energy efficiency applications; improve energy efficiency for transportation, including electric vehicles; or enhance water security through improved water management, conservation, distribution, or end use applications. Requires Commerce to award grants for the establishment and operation of consortia. Establishes the role of consortia, including promoting new innovative clean technologies, providing technical or financial assistance, and accelerating investment in and deployment of clean technologies through public-private partnerships.
Bill· HRH.R. 5664 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to modify the description of a high priority project funded under such Act in California by replacing "constructing Arbor Vitae street improvements, Inglewood" with "constructing Imperial Highway street improvements designated by the city of Inglewood."
Bill· HRH.R. 5654 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Vehicle Safety Improvement Act of 2014 - Revises and expands requirements relating to public disclosure by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of: (1) defects in motor vehicles or equipment, whether or not such defects are safety-related; and (2) noncompliance with vehicle safety standards. Requires: (1) public disclosure of early warning information submitted by vehicle manufactures unless exempt from disclosure by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), (2) public disclosure of summaries of NHTSA inquiries to manufacturers seeking additional information about fatal incidents, and (3) NHTSA to increase public accessibility to information on the vehicle safety databases of NHTSA and to issue a final rule requiring manufacturers to retain certain safety-related records for a 20-year period. Increases civil penalties for violations of federal motor vehicle safety requirements. Directs NHTSA to: (1) order notification and remediation of a defect or noncompliance, in motor vehicles or equipment, that presents an imminent hazard, and (2) issue a final rule to establish standards for reducing pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Authorizes NHTSA to enter into cooperative agreements and collaborative motor safety research and development agreements with foreign governments. Prohibits a car dealer from selling or leasing a used motor vehicle until: (1) the dealer clearly and conspicuously notifies the purchaser or lessee, in writing, of any notification of a defect or noncompliance that has not been remedied; and (2) the purchaser or lessee acknowledges receipt of such notice. Requires manufacturers who file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection (liquidation) to comply with their recall obligations (currently, this requirement applies only to manufacturers in Chapter 11 reorganization proceedings).
Bill· HRH.R. 5638 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Allows railroad employees to remain or go on duty for a period in excess of the limitations established under hours-of-service requirements to the extent necessary to clear a blockage of vehicular traffic at a grade crossing.
Bill· HRH.R. 5624 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Economy in Motion: The National Multimodal and Sustainable Freight Infrastructure Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) establish a Multimodal Freight Funding Formula Program to distribute funds to states, and a National Freight Infrastructure Competitive Grant Program to make grants to entities for projects, to improve the efficiency and reliability of freight movement in the United States; (2) establish a multimodal national freight network to accomplish the goals of the national freight policy, including increasing the productivity and efficiency of the national freight system and improving its safety, security, and resilience; (3) develop, maintain, and post on the public website of the Department of Transportation (DOT) a national freight strategic plan that includes an assessment of the condition and performance of the national freight system; and (4) develop and improve tools to support an outcome-oriented, performance-based approach to evaluate proposed freight-related and other transportation projects. Amends the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (or MAP-21) to: (1) expand the membership and duties of state freight advisory committees; and (2) require state freight plans to include strategies and goals to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, local air pollution, water runoff, and wildlife habitat loss. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose a 1% excise tax upon taxable ground transportation of property (i.e., transportation by freight rail or transportation by commercial motor vehicle for a distance of more than 50 miles), and (2) deposit such tax revenues into a Freight Trust Fund (established by this Act) to finance the Multimodal Freight Funding Formula Program and the National Freight Infrastructure Competitive Grant Program.
Bill· HRH.R. 5621 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Transit Accessibility Innovation Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to implement a transit accessibility innovation program by distributing competitive discretionary grants to public transit agencies for eligible projects in order to encourage public transit systems to take action to address deficiencies in service for individuals with disabilities. Directs the Secretary, for each fiscal year, to use 2% of funds made available under this Act to carry out activities to ensure that innovative practices, program models, and new service delivery options are collected, reviewed, and disseminated to other public transit agencies for replication in other communities. Directs the Secretary, for each fiscal year, also to use certain funds to carry out a transportation promotion pilot program to ensure that: (1) public transit agencies fulfill their requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and (2) individuals with disabilities have advocates to ensure greater opportunities for integration and access into transit systems. Requires the Secretary to make grants to: (1) agencies implementing a system established under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 that have demonstrated histories of transportation expertise or advocacy, and (2) nonprofit organizations that have also demonstrated such histories. Increases from 10% to 15% the limitation on the use of a recipient's annual formula apportionment for provision of nonfixed route paratransit transportation services in accordance with the ADA.
Bill· HRH.R. 5609 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Vessel Incidental Discharge Act - Sets forth provisions concerning standards for waste water discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel, including discharges of ballast water (water taken into the ship's ballast to maintain stability). Requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish and implement enforceable uniform national standards for the regulation of discharges from vessels into navigable waters and best management practices for discharges other than ballast water. Sets as the national standard the Coast Guard's 2012 "Standards for Living Organisms in Ships' Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters." Requires DHS to revise the ballast water performance standard so that those discharges will contain less than specified concentrations of living organisms, indicator microbes, and viruses if DHS finds that the standard would be feasible. Requires ballast water treatment technology to be certified by DHS. Prohibits DHS from certifying a technology that uses certain biocides (substances or organisms introduced into or produced by the technology to reduce or eliminate aquatic nuisance species). Sets forth exemptions from permit requirements, prohibitions of any other law, and discharge standards under this Act for specified discharges and vessels. Authorizes DHS to establish alternative programs for compliance with ballast water discharge regulations for specified vessels. Directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate standards for the reception of ballast water from a vessel into a reception facility and the disposal or treatment of the ballast water. Establishes this Act as the exclusive statutory authority for federal regulation of discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel to which this Act applies.
Bill· HRH.R. 5591 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Transportation Connections to Opportunity Act of 2014 - Requires the metropolitan transportation planning process to offer interested parties a reasonable opportunity to participate in the development and consideration of transportation scenarios in a metropolitan planning area. Includes as a national transportation goal an interconnected transportation system which connects people to jobs, schools, and other essential services through a multimodal network. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to establish a performance measure for use by metropolitan planning organizations in assessing the degree to which a transportation system provides multimodal connections to opportunity, particularly for transportation-disadvantaged populations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a pilot program in which not more than 10 metropolitan planning organizations develop and deploy measures and targets to improve multimodal connectivity and increase connections for populations with limited transportation options; (2) create and maintain data sets and analysis tools to assist metropolitan planning organizations, states, and the Department of Transportation (DOT) in carrying out performance management analyses; and (3) carry out a broadband infrastructure initiative to expand right-of-way use to accommodate broadband infrastructure (buried or aerial facilities that provide wired or wireless connections to enable users to send and receive data) and improve broadband access in unserved and underserved areas.
Bill· HRH.R. 5575 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Peaceful Learning Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to study railway noise in the United States. Requires the Secretary, by regulation, to: establish a single system of measuring railway noise that: (1) has a highly reliable relationship between projected railway noise exposure and surveyed reactions of individuals to noise, and (2) is applied uniformly in measuring railway noise near urbanized areas; establish a single system for determining the exposure of individuals to railway noise in urbanized areas; and determine, based on the study findings, minimum standards for railway noise levels on the property of a school located in an urbanized area. Requires each rail operator to submit to DOT a noise exposure map showing any areas of nonconforming railway noise levels (based on such standards) that: (1) adversely impact a school located in an urbanized area, and (2) are caused by operations of the rail operator. Authorizes a rail operator that submitted a noise exposure map to DOT also to submit a noise compatibility program. Authorizes the Secretary to incur obligations to make grants to specified entities for up to 80% of the costs of carrying out a project under an approved noise compatibility program. Bars admission of a noise exposure map and related information into evidence, or their use for any other purpose, in a civil action asking for relief for noise resulting from the operation of a fixed rail public transportation facility.
Bill· HRH.R. 5561 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Military Corridor Transportation Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, as amended, to declare as high priority corridors on the National Highway System as well as segments of the Interstate System: (1) U.S. Route 117/Interstate Route 795 from U.S. Route 70 in Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina, to Interstate Route 40 west of Faison, Sampson County, North Carolina; and (2) U.S. Route 70 from its intersection with Interstate Route 40 in Garner, Wake County, North Carolina, to the Port at Morehead City, Carteret County, North Carolina.
Bill· HRH.R. 5534 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2014 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize, revise, and increase funding for the drinking water state revolving fund (SRF) for FY2015-FY2017. (The Drinking Water SRF program awards capitalization grants to states, which in turn provide financial assistance to public water systems for infrastructure improvements.) Expands the list of activities for which the SRF may be used and revises the process for prioritizing applications for SRF funds. Sets forth requirements concerning SRF funded projects using goods produced in the United States and giving prevailing wages to laborers and mechanics. Revises requirements for state Intended Use Plans for SRF funds, in part by requiring the plans to list systems that are not in compliance with national primary drinking water regulation and reserve a specified amount of funding for assistance for disadvantaged communities. Raises the cap on SRF funding that may be used for projects in American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Repeals requirements for regulations on variance technologies. Repeals state authority to grant variances for compliance with a drinking water regulation requirement specifying a maximum contaminant level or treatment technique. Directs the EPA to: study the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in drinking water sources, establish requirements for electronic submission of compliance monitoring data by public water systems, collect data on best practices for administration of SRF programs, and implement a voluntary certification program for effective water loss and leak control technology. Reauthorizes a program to provide technical assistance to enable small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with applicable national primary drinking water regulations for FY2015-FY2019.
Bill· HRH.R. 5532 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Safer Trucks and Buses Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to ensure that covered motor carrier data is not made available to the public, and prohibits such data from being used in a civil action for damages resulting from an incident involving a motor carrier, until the Secretary submits a report certifying that recommendations required by this Act have been implemented. Defines "covered motor carrier data" as data generated with respect to a motor carrier under the Compliance, Safety, Accountability initiative of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Requires the Secretary to submit to Congress a report that contains recommendations on how to improve such initiative, including by ensuring that it: utilizes and generates only safety data and scores determined to be predictive of motor carrier accidents, appropriately addresses concerns relating to the age of utilized safety data, does not unfairly harm small motor carriers as a result of limited safety data availability, appropriately addresses differences between motor carriers transporting passengers and those transporting freight, generates safety data that allows individual motor carriers and their safety scores to be effectively compared, and utilizes accurate safety data. Establishes deadlines for such report, for implementation of such recommendations, and for certification of such implementation.
Bill· HRH.R. 5616 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Urban Agriculture Production Act - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish an urban agriculture outreach program to award grants to eligible entities for: (1) infrastructure, (2) land acquisition and conversion, (3) education and training, (4) assistance to farmers or ranchers in urban areas, and (5) other activities that support urban agricultural production. Defines "eligible entities" to include a community organization, a nonprofit organization, a municipality, a local educational agency, an institution of higher education, or other entity determined by the USDA. Requires the USDA to give preference to grants for activities in historically underserved communities. Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to expand the purpose and duties of the USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach to include activities on behalf of urban farmers or ranchers. Requires the USDA to award grants for scientific research on promoting and enhancing agricultural production in urban areas. Amends the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 to expand the Farmer's Market Promotion Program by adding loans and loan guarantees, expanding assistance for development of local food business enterprises, requiring that priority be given to grants that benefit urban areas, and providing additional funding. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to extend the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program and provide additional funding. Amends the Census of Agriculture Act of 1997 to require additional USDA reporting on farmers markets and agricultural production in urban areas.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 745 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a Contract with America should include a roadmap to restore American competitiveness by: simplifying the corporate tax structure with lower statutory rates and no loopholes; taxing overseas profits earned by American multinational companies only where they are earned; easing the immigration of highly skilled individuals; responsibly developing America's shale-gas and oil reserves; aggressively addressing distortions and abuses in the international trading system; improving American logistics, communications, and energy infrastructure; simplifying and streamlining federal regulation; and creating a sustainable federal budget, including entitlement reform.
Bill· SS. 2848 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2014
Small Airport Regulation Relief Act of 2014 - Prescribes a special rule to require the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) for FY2015-FY2017 to apportion amounts for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning and programs to sponsors of primary airports based on the number of passenger boardings at the airport during calendar year 2012 if it had: (1) fewer than 10,000 passenger boardings during the calendar year used to calculate the apportionment for FY2015-FY2017, and (2) 10,000 or more passenger boardings during calendar year 2012.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 560 (113th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2014
Designates September 2014 as School Bus Safety Month.
Bill· SS. 2823 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2014
North American Energy Infrastructure Act - Prohibits any person from constructing, connecting, operating, or maintaining a cross-border segment of an oil or natural gas pipeline or electric transmission facility at the national boundary of the United States for the import or export of oil, natural gas, or electricity to or from Canada or Mexico without obtaining a certificate of crossing under this Act. Requires the Secretary of State, with respect to oil pipelines, or the Secretary of Energy (DOE), with respect to electric transmission facilities, to issue a certificate of crossing for the cross-border segment within 120 days after final action is taken under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, unless it is not in U.S. public interest. Directs DOE, as a condition of issuing a certificate, to require that the cross-border segment be constructed, connected, operated, or maintained consistent with specified policies and standards. Amends the Natural Gas Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve within 30 days after receipt any application for the importation or exportation of natural gas to or from Canada or Mexico. Declares that no presidential permit shall be necessary for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of an oil or natural gas pipeline or electric transmission facility, including any cross-border segment.