hyperdemocracy/usc-textversion huggingface dataset:
One Hundred Fourteenth Congress of the United States of America 2d Session Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, the fourth day of January, two thousand and sixteen S. 2683 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES AN ACT To include disabled veteran leave in the personnel management system of the Federal Aviation Administration.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Federal Aviation Administration Veteran Transition Improvement Act of 2016 . 2. Inclusion of disabled veteran leave in Federal Aviation Administration per­son­nel management system (a) In general Section 40122(g)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon; (2) in subparagraph (I)(iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (J) subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, section 6329, relating to disabled veteran leave. . (b) Certification of leave Section 40122(g) of such title is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: (4) Certification of disabled veteran leave In order to verify that leave credited to an employee pursuant to paragraph (2)(J) is used for treating a service-connected disability, that employee shall, notwithstanding section 6329(c) of title 5, submit to the Assistant Administrator for Human Resource Management of the Federal Aviation Administration certification, in such form and manner as the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may prescribe, that the employee used that leave for purposes of being furnished treatment for that disability by a health care provider. . (c) Application The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to any employee of the Federal Aviation Administration hired on or after the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) Policies and procedures Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall prescribe policies and procedures to carry out the amendments made by this section that are comparable, to the maximum extent practicable, to the regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management under section 6329 of title 5, United States Code.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate
114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2683 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES AN ACT To include disabled veteran leave in the personnel management system of the Federal Aviation Administration.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Federal Aviation Administration Veteran Transition Improvement Act of 2016 . 2. Inclusion of disabled veteran leave in Federal Aviation Administration per­son­nel management system (a) In general Section 40122(g)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon; (2) in subparagraph (I)(iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (J) subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, section 6329, relating to disabled veteran leave. . (b) Certification of leave Section 40122(g) of such title is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: (4) Certification of disabled veteran leave In order to verify that leave credited to an employee pursuant to paragraph (2)(J) is used for treating a service-connected disability, that employee shall, notwithstanding section 6329(c) of title 5, submit to the Assistant Administrator for Human Resource Management of the Federal Aviation Administration certification, in such form and manner as the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may prescribe, that the employee used that leave for purposes of being furnished treatment for that disability by a health care provider. . (c) Application The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to any employee of the Federal Aviation Administration hired on or after the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) Policies and procedures Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall prescribe policies and procedures to carry out the amendments made by this section that are comparable, to the maximum extent practicable, to the regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management under section 6329 of title 5, United States Code.

Passed the Senate September 22, 2016. Secretary
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2683 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 15, 2016 Ms. Hirono (for herself and Mrs. Fischer ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To include disabled veteran leave in the personnel management system of the Federal Aviation Administration.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Federal Aviation Administration Veteran Transition Improvement Act of 2016 . 2. Inclusion of disabled veteran leave in Federal Aviation Administration per­son­nel management system (a) In general Section 40122(g)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon; (2) in subparagraph (I)(iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (J) subject to paragraph (4), section 6329, relating to disabled veteran leave. . (b) Certification of leave Section 40122(g) of such title is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: (4) Certification of disabled veteran leave In order to verify that leave credited to an employee pursuant to paragraph (2)(J) is used for treating a service-connected disability, that employee shall, notwithstanding section 6329(c) of title 5, submit to the Assistant Administrator for Human Resource Management of the Federal Aviation Administration certification, in such form and manner as the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may prescribe, that the employee used that leave for purposes of being furnished treatment for that disability by a health care provider. . (c) Application The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to any employee of the Federal Aviation Administration hired on or after the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) Policies and procedures Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall prescribe policies and procedures to carry out the amendments made by this section that are comparable, to the maximum extent practicable, to the regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management under section 6329 of title 5, United States Code.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2684 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 15, 2016 Mr. Inhofe introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To provide for the operation of unmanned aircraft systems by owners and operators of critical infrastructure.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the UAVs for Energy Infrastructure Act . 2. Operation of unmanned aircraft systems by owners and operators of critical infrastructure (a) In general Subtitle B of title III of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 ( Public Law 112–95 ; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note) is amended by adding at the end the following: 337. Operation of unmanned aircraft systems by owners and operators of critical infrastructure (a) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Transportation shall establish a process pursuant to which a covered person may operate an unmanned aircraft system to conduct activities described in subsection (b)— (1) beyond the visual line of sight of the individual operating the unmanned aircraft system; and (2) without any restriction on the time of the operation. (b) Activities described The activities described in this subsection that a covered person may use an unmanned aircraft system to conduct are the following: (1) Activities for which compliance with current law can be accomplished by the use of manned aircraft, including— (A) conducting activities to ensure compliance with Federal or State regulatory, permit, or other requirements, including to conduct surveys associated with applications for permits for new pipeline construction or maintenance or rehabilitation of existing pipelines; and (B) conducting activities relating to ensuring compliance with the requirements of part 192 or 195 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. (2) Activities to inspect, repair, or respond to critical infrastructure, including to respond to a pipeline incident, or in response to or preparation for a natural disaster, man-made disaster, severe weather event, or other incident beyond the control of the covered person that may cause material damage to such infrastructure. (3) Activities not described in paragraph (1) or (2) if the covered person notifies the local Flight Standards District Office before the operation of the unmanned aircraft system. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered person The term covered person means a person that— (A) owns or operates a pipeline or other critical infrastructure; (B) is an agent of a person described in subparagraph (A); or (C) is the sponsor of a pipeline project. (2) Critical infrastructure The term critical infrastructure has the meaning given that term in section 2339D of title 18, United States Code. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of contents for the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 336 the following: Sec. 337. Operation of unmanned aircraft systems by owners and operators of critical infrastructure. .
II Calendar No. 394 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2686 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 15, 2016 Mr. Alexander (for himself, Mr. McConnell , Mr. Isakson , Ms. Ayotte , Mr. Barrasso , Mr. Blunt , Mr. Boozman , Mr. Burr , Mrs. Capito , Mr. Cassidy , Mr. Coats , Mr. Cochran , Ms. Collins , Mr. Corker , Mr. Cornyn , Mr. Cotton , Mr. Crapo , Mr. Cruz , Mr. Daines , Mr. Enzi , Mrs. Fischer , Mr. Flake , Mr. Gardner , Mr. Graham , Mr. Hatch , Mr. Heller , Mr. Inhofe , Mr. Johnson , Mr. Kirk , Mr. Lankford , Mr. Lee , Mr. McCain , Mr. Moran , Mr. Perdue , Mr. Risch , Mr. Roberts , Mr. Rounds , Mr. Rubio , Mr. Scott , Mr. Sessions , Mr. Shelby , Mr. Thune , Mr. Tillis , Mr. Vitter , and Mr. Wicker ) introduced the following bill; which was read the first time March 16, 2016 Read the second time and placed on the calendar A BILL To clarify the treatment of two or more employers as joint employers under the National Labor Relations Act.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act . 2. Treatment of joint employers Section 2(2) of the National Labor Relations Act ( 29 U.S.C. 152(2) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, two or more employers may be considered joint employers for purposes of this Act only if each shares and exercises control over essential terms and conditions of employment and such control over these matters is actual, direct, and immediate. .

March 16, 2016 Read the second time and placed on the calendar
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2687 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 15, 2016 Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Alexander , Mr. Bennet , Mr. Hatch , Mrs. Murray , and Ms. Collins ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to improve plans of safe care for infants affected by illegal substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms, or a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act . 2. State plans Section 106(b)(2)(B)(iii) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2)(B) ) is amended by striking clause (iii) and inserting the following: (iii) policies and procedures that require— (I) the development of a plan of safe care for an infant born and identified as being affected by illegal substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms or a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; and (II) the development and implementation by the State of monitoring systems regarding the plan of safe care to— (aa) ensure the safety and well-being of children; (bb) address the health, including mental health, needs of the child and family involved; and (cc) determine whether local entities are capable of providing referrals to and delivery of appropriate services for the child and family; . 3. Data reports (a) In general Section 106(d) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5106a(d) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (18) The number of infants for whom a plan of safe care, as referred to in subsection (b)(2)(B)(iii), was developed. . (b) Rule of Construction In section 802(b)(2) of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 ( Public Law 114–22 ; 129 Stat 264), the reference to adding at the end shall be considered to refer to inserting after paragraph (16) . 4. Monitoring Section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5106a ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (g) Monitoring The Secretary shall conduct monitoring of States to ensure that each State is meeting the requirements of subsection (b)(2)(B)(iii) to improve outcomes among children who are most at risk for child abuse and neglect. . 5. Best practices for plans of safe care Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall issue guidance to States regarding the requirements and best practices for the development and implementation of plans of safe care, as referred to in section 106(b)(2)(B)(iii) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2)(B)(iii) ). In developing the guidance, the Secretary shall seek and take into consideration input from all appropriate offices within the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the National Institutes of Health, and from the Department of Education.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2688 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 16, 2016 Mrs. Ernst (for herself and Mr. Grassley ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 615 6th Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as the Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker Post Office Building .

1. Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker Post Office Building (a) Designation The facility of the United States Postal Service located at 615 6th Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, shall be known and designated as the Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker Post Office Building . (b) References Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker Post Office Building .
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2694 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 16, 2016 Mr. Toomey (for himself, Mr. Inhofe , Ms. Ayotte , and Mr. Blunt ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To ensure America's law enforcement officers have access to lifesaving equipment needed to defend themselves and civilians from attacks by terrorists and violent criminals.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Lifesaving Gear for Police Act . 2. State and local law enforcement access to lifesaving Federal equipment (a) Unenforceability of certain regulations unless enacted into law (1) In general No regulation, rule, guidance, policy, or recommendations issued on or after May 15, 2015, that limits the sale or donation of property of the Federal Government, including excess property of the Department of Defense, to State and local agencies for law enforcement activities (whether pursuant to section 2576a of title 10, United States Code, or any other provision of law, or as a condition on the use of Federal funds) shall have any force or effect after the date of the enactment of this Act unless enacted into law by Congress. (2) Prohibition on use of funds To enforce regulations No agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government may use any Federal funds, fees, or resources to implement or carry out a regulation, rule, guidance, policy, or recommendation issued as described in subsection (a) that is not enacted into law by Congress. (b) Return or reissue of equipment recalled or seized pursuant to regulations Any property recalled or seized on or after May 15, 2015, pursuant to a regulation, rule, guidance, policy, or recommendation issued as described in subsection (a) shall be returned, replaced, or re-issued to the agency from which recalled or seized, at no cost to such agency, as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2695 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 16, 2016 Mr. Paul introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To permit voluntary economic activity.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Anti-Trust Freedom Act of 2016 . 2. Voluntary economic coordination by individuals The Sherman Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1 et seq. ), the Clayton Act ( 15 U.S.C. 12 et seq. ), and section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act ( 15 U.S.C. 45 ) shall not be construed to prohibit, ban, or otherwise extend to any voluntary economic coordination, cooperation, agreement, or other association, compact, contract, or covenant entered into by or between any individual or group of individuals.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2698 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 16, 2016 Mr. Thune (for himself and Mr. Johnson ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude certain health arrangements from the excise tax on employer-sponsored health coverage.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Preserving Consumer Health Accounts Act of 2016 . 2. Exclusion of certain health arrangements from employer-sponsored excise tax (a) In general Subparagraph (B) of section 4980I(d)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking the period at the end of clause (iii) and inserting , or and by adding at the end the following new clause: (iv) any amounts contributed to an Archer MSA under section 106(b), a health savings account under section 106(d), or a health flexible spending arrangement— (I) by an employee, or (II) by an employer through salary reduction contributions. . (b) Conforming amendments (1) Section 4980I(d)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking shall be equal to the sum of and all that follows and inserting shall be equal to the amount determined under subparagraph (A) with respect to any reimbursement under the arrangement in excess of any employer contributions under any salary reduction election under the arrangement. . (2) Section 4980I(d)(2)(C) of such Code is amended by inserting (determined without regard to any employer contributions under any salary reduction election under the arrangement) before the period at the end. (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2019.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2699 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 16, 2016 Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Cardin , Ms. Mikulski , and Mr. Brown ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To increase the rates of pay under the General Schedule and other statutory pay systems and for prevailing rate employees by 5.3 percent, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act of 2016 or the FAIR Act . 2. Adjustment to rates of pay (a) Statutory pay systems The adjustment in rates of basic pay for employees under the statutory pay systems (as defined in section 5302 of title 5, United States Code) that takes effect in fiscal year 2017 under section 5303 of title 5, United States Code, shall be an increase of 5.3 percent, and such adjustments shall be effective as of the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2017. (b) Prevailing rate employees The adjustment in rates of basic pay for the statutory pay systems that take place in fiscal year 2017 under sections 5344 and 5348 of title 5, United States Code, shall be equal to the percentage adjustment received by employees in the same location whose rates of basic pay are adjusted pursuant to the statutory pay systems under subsection (a) of this section and 5304 of title 5, United States Code. Prevailing rate employees at locations where there are no employees whose pay is increased pursuant to sections 5303 and 5304 of title 5 and prevailing rate employees described in section 5343(a)(5) of title 5, United States Code, shall be considered to be located in the pay locality designated as Rest of US pursuant to section 5304 of title 5, United States Code, for purposes of this subsection.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2702 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mr. Burr (for himself and Mr. Casey ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals with disabilities to save additional amounts in their ABLE accounts above the current annual maximum contribution if they work and earn income.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the ABLE to Work Act of 2016 . 2. Increased contributions to ABLE accounts from compensation of individuals with disabilities (a) In general Section 529A(b)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended to read as follows: (B) except in the case of contributions under subsection (c)(1)(C), if such contribution to an ABLE account would result in aggregate contributions from all contributors to the ABLE account for the taxable year exceeding the sum of— (i) the amount in effect under section 2503(b) for the calendar year in which the taxable year begins, plus (ii) in the case of a designated beneficiary described in paragraph (7), the lesser of— (I) compensation (as defined in section 414(s)) of the designated beneficiary for the taxable year, or (II) an amount equal to the poverty line for a one-person household, as determined for the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the taxable year begins. . (b) Eligible designated beneficiary Section 529A(b) of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following: (7) Special rules related to contribution limit For purposes of paragraph (2)(B)— (A) Designated beneficiary A designated beneficiary described in this paragraph is an employee (including an employee within the meaning of section 401(c)) with respect to whom no contribution is made to— (i) a defined contribution plan (within the meaning of section 414(i)), (ii) an annuity contract described in section 403(b), and (iii) an eligible deferred compensation plan described in section 457(b) of the employee for the taxable year. (B) Poverty line The term poverty line has the meaning given such term by section 673 of the Community Services Block Grant Act ( 42 U.S.C. 9902 ). . (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act. 3. Allowance of saver’s credit for ABLE contributions by account holder (a) In general Section 25B(d)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking and at the end of subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C) and inserting , and , and by inserting at the end the following: (D) the amount of contributions by such individual to the ABLE account (within the meaning of section 529A) of which such individual is the designated beneficiary. . (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2703 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Burr ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow rollovers between 529 programs and ABLE accounts.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the ABLE Financial Planning Act . 2. Rollovers to ABLE programs from 529 programs (a) In general Clause (i) of section 529(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking or at the end of subclause (I), by striking the period at the end of subclause (II) and inserting , or , and by adding at the end the following: (III) to an ABLE account (as defined in section 529A(e)(6)) of the designated beneficiary or a member of the family of the designated beneficiary. Subclause (III) shall not apply to so much of a distribution which, when added to all other contributions made to the ABLE account for the taxable year, exceeds the limitation under section 529A(b)(2)(B). . (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to distributions after the date of the enactment of this Act. 3. Rollovers to 529 programs from ABLE accounts (a) In general Clause (i) of section 529A(c)(1)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended— (1) by striking such payment or distribution, into another and inserting such payment or distribution— (I) into another , (2) by striking the period at the end and inserting , or , and (3) by adding at the end the following new clause: (II) to a qualified tuition program (as defined in section 529(b)) for the benefit of the same designated beneficiary or a member of the family of such designated beneficiary. . (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to distributions after the date of the enactment of this Act.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2704 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Burr ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the age requirement with respect to eligibility for qualified ABLE programs.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the ABLE Age Adjustment Act . 2. Modification of age requirement for qualified ABLE programs (a) In general Section 529A(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking age 26 each place it appears in paragraph (1)(A) and (2)(A)(i)(II) and inserting age 46 . (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2705 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Markey , Mr. Merkley , Mr. Carper , and Mr. Wyden ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To authorize Federal agencies to establish prize competitions for innovation or adaptation management development relating to coral reef ecosystems and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Coral Reef Sustainability Through Innovation Act of 2016 . 2. Prize competitions to promote innovation in coral reef research and conservation The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 ( 16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ) is amended— (1) by redesignating sections 208, 209, and 210 ( 16 U.S.C. 6407 , 6408, and 6409) as sections 209, 210, and 211, respectively; and (2) by inserting after section 207 the following: 208. Coral reef prize competitions (a) In general The head of any Federal agency with a representative serving on the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force established under Executive Order 13089 issued on June 11, 1998 ( 16 U.S.C. 6401 note) may, either individually or in cooperation with one or more agencies, carry out a program to award prizes competitively under section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 ( 15 U.S.C. 3719 ). (b) Purposes Any program carried out under this section shall be for the purpose of stimulating innovation to advance the ability of the United States to understand, research, or monitor coral reef ecosystems, or to develop management or adaptation options to preserve, sustain, and restore coral reef ecosystems. (c) Priority programs Priority shall be given to establish programs under this section that address communities, environments, or industries that are in distress due to the decline or degradation of coral reef ecosystems, including— (1) scientific research and monitoring that furthers the understanding of causes behind coral reef decline and degradation and the generally slow recovery following disturbances, including ocean acidification and its impacts on coral reproduction; (2) the development of monitoring or management options for communities or industries that are experiencing significant financial hardship; (3) the development of adaptation options to alleviate economic harm and job loss caused by damage to coral reef ecosystems; (4) the development of measures to help vulnerable communities or industries, with an emphasis on rural communities and businesses; and (5) the development of adaptation and management options for impacted tourism industries. .
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2709 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mrs. McCaskill introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To require the posting online of certain government contracts.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Contractor Accountability and Transparency Act of 2016 . 2. Requirement to post government contracts online (a) In general Division C of subtitle I of title 41, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 4713. Requirement to post contracts online (a) In general The head of each executive agency shall post each covered contract entered into by that agency on a publicly available website in a searchable format. (b) Exclusion of certain information Contracts containing national security sensitive or classified information or trade secrets or other proprietary information may be redacted as determined appropriate by the head of the contracting agency. (c) Covered contracts In this section, the term covered contract means a contract for the procurement of property or services with a value greater than the simplified acquisition threshold. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections for division C of subtitle I of title 41, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 4712 the following new item: 4713. Requirement to post contracts online. .
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2713 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mr. Alexander introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To provide for the implementation of a Precision Medicine Initiative.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Advancing Precision Medicine Act of 2016 . 2. Precision medicine initiative (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the Secretary ) is encouraged to establish and carry out an initiative, to be known as the Precision Medicine Initiative , to augment efforts to address disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. (b) Components The Initiative described under subsection (a) may include— (1) developing a network of scientists to assist in carrying out the purposes of the Initiative; (2) developing new approaches for addressing scientific, medical, public health, and regulatory science issues; (3) applying genomic technologies to provide data on the molecular basis of disease; (4) collecting information voluntarily provided by a diverse cohort of individuals that can be used to better understand health and disease; and (5) other activities determined appropriate by the Secretary to advance the goals of the Initiative. (c) Authority of the Secretary In carrying out this section, the Secretary may— (1) coordinate with the Secretary of Energy, private industry, and others determined appropriate by the Secretary to identify and address the advanced supercomputing needs for the Initiative described under subsection (a); (2) develop and utilize public-private partnerships; and (3) leverage existing data sources. (d) Requirements In the implementation of the Initiative under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— (1) ensure the collaboration of the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; (2) comply with existing laws and regulations for the protection of human subjects involved in research, including the protection of participant privacy; (3) implement policies and mechanisms for appropriate secure data sharing across systems that include protections for privacy and security of data; and (4) consider the diversity of the cohort to ensure inclusion of a broad range of participants, including consideration of biological, social, and other determinants of health that contribute to health disparities.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2714 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mrs. McCaskill introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To vest responsibility for Inspector General duties for the National Background Investigations Bureau of the Office of Personnel Management in the Inspector General of the Department of Defense.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Security Clearance Oversight and Accountability Act . 2. Responsibility of Inspector General of the Department of Defense for the National Background Investigations Bureau of the Office of Personnel Management (a) In general The Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall exercise the duties and responsibilities of an Inspector General under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) with respect to the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB) of the Office of Personnel Management, rather than the Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management. (b) Conforming amendments (1) Responsibility of DoD IG Section 8(c)(2) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 is amended by inserting and the National Background Investigations Bureau of the Office of Personnel Management after the Department of Defense (including the military departments) . (2) Termination of responsibility of OPM IG Section 11(2) of such Act is amended by inserting (other than the National Background Investigations Bureau) after the Office of Personnel Management .
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2716 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mr. Reed (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein , and Mr. Whitehouse ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs A BILL To update the oil and gas and mining industry guides of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

1. SEC industry guides (a) Definition In this section, the term Commission means the Securities and Exchange Commission. (b) Updates to industry guides Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall— (1) update— (A) the industry guides described in subsections (d) and (g) of section 229.801 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations and section 229.802(g) of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations; and (B) subpart 229.1200 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations; and (2) in making the updates required under paragraph (1), work with the Investor Advisory Committee, which shall— (A) solicit and consider public input on appropriate disclosures to include; and (B) submit specific recommendations to the Commission. (c) Enforcement If the Commission fails to meet the deadline under subsection (b), the Chairman of the Commission shall provide a report to and testify before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives explaining why the Commission failed to meet the deadline.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2724 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mr. Hatch (for himself, Mr. Grassley , Mr. Lee , Mr. Lankford , Mr. Flake , Mr. Tillis , Mr. Cruz , Mr. Sasse , Mr. Cornyn , Mr. Sullivan , Mr. Inhofe , and Mr. Perdue ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 5, United States Code, with respect to the judicial review of agency interpretations of statutory and regulatory provisions.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016 . 2. Judicial review of statutory and regulatory interpretations Section 706 of title 5, United States Code, is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking all relevant questions of law, interpret constitutional and statutory provisions and inserting de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions and rules .
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2732 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mr. Sullivan (for himself and Ms. Murkowski ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to exempt Indian tribes from compensatory mitigation requirements in connection with certain discharges of dredged or fill material, and for other purposes.

1. Exemption from compensatory mitigation requirements (a) In general Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1344 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (u) Indian tribes (1) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Indian land The term Indian land means land owned by, operated by, or otherwise belonging to an Indian tribe. (B) Indian tribe The term Indian tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 450b ). (C) Permitted activity The term permitted activity means a discharge of dredged or fill material for which a permit is issued under this section. (2) Exemption from compensatory mitigation requirements Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an Indian tribe that applies for a permit for a permitted activity to be conducted on Indian land shall not be required to provide any form of compensatory mitigation as a condition of the permit. (3) Evaluation of Indian tribe permit application In evaluating a permit application submitted by an Indian tribe to carry out a permitted activity on Indian land, the Secretary may not take into account the nonavailability of compensatory mitigation under the exemption provided by paragraph (2). (4) Situations in which an Indian tribe ceases to maintain permitted activity If an Indian tribe described in paragraph (2) ceases to maintain the permitted activity on Indian land or seeks to abandon the permitted activity without a good faith transfer, the Indian tribe shall obtain a permit modification from the Secretary, which may require restoration and rehabilitation of the area. (5) Effect The exemption described in paragraph (2) shall not affect the applicability of any other requirement under this Act to an Indian tribe or Indian land, including any requirement to avoid and minimize adverse impacts to wetlands, streams, and other aquatic resources. . (b) Applicability The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to permits issued under section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1344 ) after the date of enactment of this Act.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2733 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mr. Flake (for himself, Mr. Gardner , and Mr. Lee ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To ensure that venue in patents cases is fair and proper, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Venue Equity and Non-Uniformity Elimination Act of 2016 . 2. Venue (a) Amendment Section 1400 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: (b) Notwithstanding subsections (b) and (c) of section 1391, any civil action for patent infringement or any action for a declaratory judgment that a patent is invalid or not infringed may be brought only in a judicial district— (1) where the defendant has its principal place of business or is incorporated; (2) where the defendant has committed an act of infringement of a patent in suit and has a regular and established physical facility that gives rise to the act of infringement; (3) where the defendant has agreed or consented to be sued in the instant action; (4) where an inventor named on the patent in suit conducted research or development that led to the application for the patent in suit; (5) where a party has a regular and established physical facility that such party controls and operates, not primarily for the purpose of creating venue, and has— (A) engaged in management of significant research and development of an invention claimed in a patent in suit prior to the effective filing date of the patent; (B) manufactured a tangible product that is alleged to embody an invention claimed in a patent in suit; or (C) implemented a manufacturing process for a tangible good in which the process is alleged to embody an invention claimed in a patent in suit; or (6) in the case of a foreign defendant that does not meet the requirements of paragraph (1) or (2), in accordance with section 1391(c)(3). . (b) Mandamus relief For the purpose of determining whether relief may issue under section 1651 of title 28, United States Code, a clearly and indisputably erroneous denial of a motion under section 1406(a) of such title to dismiss or transfer a case on the basis of section 1400(b) of such title shall be deemed to cause irremediable interim harm. (c) Teleworkers The dwelling or residence of an employee or contractor of a defendant who works at such dwelling or residence shall not constitute a regular and established physical facility of the defendant for purposes of section 1400(b)(2) of title 28, United States Code, as added by subsection(a).
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2734 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mr. Murphy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the exclusion of gain or loss from the sale or exchange of certain brownfield sites from unrelated business taxable income, and to extend expensing of environmental remediation costs.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Creating Livable Environments And New Usable Property Act or the CLEAN UP Act . 2. Extension of exclusion of gain or loss on sale or exchange of certain brown­field sites from unrelated business taxable income (a) In general Section 512(b)(19)(K) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking December 31, 2009 and inserting December 31, 2019 . (b) Effective date The amendment made by this section shall apply to any gain or loss on the sale, exchange, or other disposition of any property acquired by the taxpayer after December 31, 2015. 3. Extension of expensing of environmental remediation costs (a) In general Section 198(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking December 31, 2011 and inserting December 31, 2019 . (b) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to expenditures paid or incurred after December 31, 2015.
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2735 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Mr. Schumer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To strengthen the enforcement of explosive materials prohibitions, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protect America from Homemade Explosives Act . 2. Explosive materials prohibitions (a) Amendments to title 18 Chapter 40 of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in section 841(d), by inserting black powder substitutes, smokeless powder, after black powder, ; and (2) in section 845(a)— (A) in paragraph (4), by striking and components thereof and inserting and components for use in small arms ammunition, excluding smokeless powder in quantities exceeding 50 pounds; ; and (B) in paragraph (5), by striking black powder in quantities and inserting black powder and black powder substitutes in aggregate quantities . (b) Amendment to title 26 Section 5861 of title 26, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following: (f) to make, or attempt to make, a firearm in violation of the provisions of this chapter; or .
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2740 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 4, 2016 Mr. Kirk (for himself, Mr. Inhofe , Mr. Gardner , Mr. Moran , Mr. Lankford , and Mr. Hatch ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To prohibit the transfer or release of individuals detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to state sponsors of terrorism.

1. Prohibition on transfer or release of individuals detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to certain countries (a) Prohibition No amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise available for the Department of Defense may be used to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to a country specified in subsection (b) of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee who— (1) is not a United States citizen or a member of the Armed Forces of the United States; and (2) is or was held on or after January 20, 2009, at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department of Defense. (b) Countries A country specified in this subsection is as follows: (1) Libya (2) Somalia. (3) Yemen. (4) A country that is a state sponsor of terrorism. (c) State sponsor of terrorism defined In this section, the term state sponsor of terrorism has the meaning given that term in section 301(13) of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 ( 22 U.S.C. 8451(13) ).
II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2741 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 4, 2016 Mr. Brown introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to permit the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and the Secretary of Labor to elect not to recoup benefits overpayments.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Keep Estimated Extra Payments Act . 2. Authority to elect not to recoup benefits overpayments Section 4022B of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ( 29 U.S.C. 1322b ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (c) Authority To elect not To recoup benefits overpayments The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and the Secretary of Labor may elect not to recoup benefits overpayments made to a participant under this title. .