America's FOCUS Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-1360
Sponsor: Rep. Fattah, Chaka [D-PA-2]
Introduced: 2015-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Child care and development
Civil actions and liability
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Government trust funds
Health programs administration and funding
Law enforcement administration and funding
Medical research
Research administration and funding
Research and development
Science and engineering education

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: 

America's Fund for Future Opportunities and Outcomes in the United States Act of 2015 or the America's FOCUS Act of 2015

 
Establishes a separate account in the U.S. Treasury to be known as the America's FOCUS Fund, into which shall be deposited: (1) revenue generated by civil and criminal fines and penalties for violations or alleged violations of federal law; (2) revenue generated by legal settlements reached between corporations and the federal government for violations or alleged violations of federal law; and (3) gifts, bequests, or donations to the Fund from private entities or individuals.
 
Requires that, of the total revenue in the Fund: (1) up to 33% be used to award grants for youth mentoring and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; (2) up to 33% be used to award grants for justice reinvestment; (3) up to 33% be used to award grants and prizes for innovations in medical research and development; and (4) the remaining revenue be used to reduce the federal budget deficit or, if there is no deficit, to reduce the federal debt.
 
Directs the Secretary of Education to award the grants for youth mentoring programs, and the Associate Administrator for Education for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to award the grants for STEM education programs, to: (1) national non-profit, community-based organizations with at least two years of experience in administering such programs; and (2) state or local governments.
 
Requires that, of the funds available for justice reinvestment, the Department of Justice (DOJ): (1) award 50% to state and local governments for justice reinvestment projects, (2) use up to 25% of the funds to support federal justice reinvestment projects, and (3) allocate up to 25% of the funds to grant programs established under the Second Chance Act within DOJ.
 
Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health to use the revenue designated for medical innovation to fund entities that conduct innovative medical research and development. Authorizes the Director to use up to 15% of those funds to award monetary prizes to entities that have used their own funding and research facilities to produce innovative results.
 
Requires that the grant funds be used to supplement, not supplant, other federal, state, and local funds designated to carry out those activities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
action_date: 2015-04-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2015-04-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
action_date: 2015-03-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Science, Space, and Technology, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Science, Space, and Technology, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Science, Space, and Technology, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Science, Space, and Technology, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Science, Space, and Technology, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-13
text: Introduced in House