In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

Ex Input:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine 
Support Act of 2017'' or the ``VETS Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. LICENSURE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVIDING TREATMENT VIA TELEMEDICINE.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 1730A the following new section:
``Sec. 1730B. Licensure of health care professionals providing 
              treatment via telemedicine
    ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any provision of law regarding 
the licensure of health care professionals, a covered health care 
professional may practice the health care profession of the health care 
professional at any location in any State, regardless of where the 
covered health care professional or the patient is located, if the 
covered health care professional is using telemedicine to provide 
treatment to an individual under this chapter.
    ``(b) Property of Federal Government.--Subsection (a) shall apply 
to a covered health care professional providing treatment to a patient 
regardless of whether the covered health care professional or patient 
is located in a facility owned by the Federal Government during such 
treatment.
    ``(c) Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed to 
remove, limit, or otherwise affect any obligation of a covered health 
care professional under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et 
seq.).
    ``(d) Covered Health Care Professional Defined.--In this section, 
the term `covered health care professional' means a health care 
professional who--
            ``(1) is an employee of the Department appointed under the 
        authority under sections 7306, 7401, 7405, 7406, or 7408 of 
        this title, or title 5;
            ``(2) is authorized by the Secretary to provide health care 
        under this chapter;
            ``(3) is required to adhere to all quality standards 
        relating to the provision of telemedicine in accordance with 
        applicable policies of the Department; and
            ``(4) has an active, current, full, and unrestricted 
        license, registration, or certification in a State to practice 
        the health care profession of the health care professional.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 17 of such title is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 1730A the following new item:

``1730B. Licensure of health care professionals providing treatment via 
                            telemedicine.''.
    (c) Report on Telemedicine.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the effectiveness of the use of 
        telemedicine by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include an assessment of the following:
                    (A) The satisfaction of veterans with telemedicine 
                furnished by the Department.
                    (B) The satisfaction of health care providers in 
                providing telemedicine furnished by the Department.
                    (C) The effect of telemedicine furnished by the 
                Department on the following:
                            (i) The ability of veterans to access 
                        health care, whether from the Department or 
                        from non-Department health care providers.
                            (ii) The frequency of use by veterans of 
                        telemedicine.
                            (iii) The productivity of health care 
                        providers.
                            (iv) Wait times for an appointment for the 
                        receipt of health care from the Department.
                            (v) The reduction, if any, in the use by 
                        veterans of in-person services at Department 
                        facilities and non-Department facilities.
                    (D) The types of appointments for the receipt of 
                telemedicine furnished by the Department that were 
                provided during the 1-year period preceding the 
                submittal of the report.
                    (E) The number of appointments for the receipt of 
                telemedicine furnished by the Department that were 
                requested during such period, disaggregated by Veterans 
                Integrated Service Network.
                    (F) Savings by the Department, if any, including 
                travel costs, of furnishing health care 


              

                through the use of telemedicine during such period.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 7, 2017.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.

Ex Output:
.  Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act of 2017 or the VETS Act of 2017  (Sec. 2) This bill allows a licensed health care professional of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to practice his or her profession using telemedicine at any location in any state regardless of where the professional or patient is located if the covered health care professional is using telemedicine to provide VA medical or health services.   Such authority shall apply to a covered health care professional regardless of whether the covered health care professional or patient is located in a federally-owned facility.   The bill defines &quot;covered health care professional&quot; as a health care professional who: (1) is a VA employee appointed under specified VA authorities or under the civil service; (2) is authorized by the VA to provide health care; (3) is required to adhere to all telemedicine quality standards; and (4) has an active, current, full, and unrestricted state license, registration, or certification for such health care profession. The VA shall report to Congress on the effectiveness of the VA's use of telemedicine.


Ex Input:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Captive Primate Safety Act''.

SEC. 2. ADDITION OF NONHUMAN PRIMATES TO DEFINITION OF PROHIBITED 
              WILDLIFE SPECIES.

    Section 2(g) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 
3371(g)) is amended by inserting before the period at the end ``or any 
nonhuman primate''.

SEC. 3. CAPTIVE WILDLIFE AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Prohibited Acts.--Section 3 of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 
(16 U.S.C. 3372) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
                        ``or'' after the semicolon;
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking 
                        ``; or'' and inserting a semicolon; and
                            (iii) by striking subparagraph (C); and
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``or subsection 
                (e)'' before the period; and
            (2) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and 
                (5) as paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (6) respectively;
                    (B) by striking ``(e)'' and all that follows 
                through ``Subsection (a)(2)(C) does not apply'' in 
                paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
    ``(e) Captive Wildlife Offense.--
            ``(1) In general.--It is unlawful for any person to import, 
        export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in 
        interstate or foreign commerce any live animal of any 
        prohibited wildlife species.
            ``(2) Limitation on application.--This subsection--
                    ``(A) does not apply to a person transporting a 
                nonhuman primate to or from a veterinarian who is 
                licensed to practice veterinary medicine within the 
                United States, solely for the purpose of providing 
                veterinary care to the nonhuman primate, if--
                            ``(i) the person transporting the nonhuman 
                        primate carries written documentation issued by 
                        the veterinarian, including the appointment 
                        date and location;
                            ``(ii) the nonhuman primate is transported 
                        in a secure enclosure appropriate for that 
                        species of primate;
                            ``(iii) the nonhuman primate has no contact 
                        with any other animals or members of the 
                        public, other than the veterinarian and other 
                        authorized medical personnel providing 
                        veterinary care; and
                            ``(iv) such transportation and provision of 
                        veterinary care is in accordance with all 
                        otherwise applicable State and local laws, 
                        regulations, permits, and health certificates;
                    ``(B) does not apply to a person transporting a 
                nonhuman primate to a legally designated caregiver for 
                the nonhuman primate as a result of the death of the 
                preceding owner of the nonhuman primate, if--
                            ``(i) the person transporting the nonhuman 
                        primate is carrying legal documentation to 
                        support the need for transporting the nonhuman 
                        primate to the legally designated caregiver;
                            ``(ii) the nonhuman primate is transported 
                        in a secure enclosure appropriate for the 
                        species;
                            ``(iii) the nonhuman primate has no contact 
                        with any other animals or members of the public 
                        while being transported to the legally 
                        designated caregiver; and
                            ``(iv) all applicable State and local 
                        restrictions on such transport, and all 
                        applicable State and local requirements for 
                        permits or health certificates, are complied 
                        with;
                    ``(C) does not apply to a person transporting a 
                nonhuman primate solely for the purpose of assisting an 
                individual who is permanently disabled with a severe 
                mobility impairment, if--
                            ``(i) the nonhuman primate is a single 
                        animal of the genus Cebus;
                            ``(ii) the nonhuman primate was obtained 
                        from, and trained at, a licensed nonprofit 
                        organization described in section 501(c)(3) of 
                        the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 the nonprofit 
                        tax status of which was obtained--
                                    ``(I) before July 18, 2008; and
                                    ``(II) on the basis that the 
                                mission of the organization is to 
                                improve the quality of life of severely 
                                mobility-impaired individuals;
                            ``(iii) the person transporting the 
                        nonhuman primate is a specially trained 
                        employee or agent of a nonprofit organization 
                        described in clause (ii) that is transporting 
                        the nonhuman primate to or from a designated 
                        individual who is permanently disabled with a 
                        severe mobility impairment, or to or from a 
                        licensed foster care home providing specialty 
                        training of the nonhuman primate solely for 
                        purposes of assisting an individual who is 
                        permanently disabled with severe mobility 
                        impairment;
                            ``(iv) the person transporting the nonhuman 
                        primate carries documentation from the 
                        applicable nonprofit organization that includes 
                        the name of the designated individual referred 
                        to in clause (iii);
                            ``(v) the nonhuman primate is transported 
                        in a secure enclosure that is appropriate for 
                        that species;
                            ``(vi) the nonhuman primate has no contact 
                        with any animal or member of the public, other 
                        than the designated individual referred to in 
                        clause (iii); and
                            ``(vii) the transportation of the nonhuman 
                        primate is in compliance with--
                                    ``(I) all applicable State and 
                                local restrictions regarding the 
                                transport; and
                                    ``(II) all applicable State and 
                                local requirements regarding permits or 
                                health certificates; and
                    ``(D) does not apply'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2) (as added by subparagraph 
                (B))--
                            (i) by striking ``a'' before ``prohibited'' 
                        and inserting ``any'';
                            (ii) by striking ``(3)'' and inserting 
                        ``(4)''; and
                            (iii) by striking ``(2)'' and inserting 
                        ``(3)'';
                    (D) in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A))--
                            (i) in subparagraph (C)--
                                    (I) in clauses (ii) and (iii), by 
                                striking ``animals listed in section 
                                2(g)'' each place it appears and 
                                inserting ``prohibited wildlife 
                                species''; and
                                    (II) in clause (iv), by striking 
                                ``animals'' and inserting ``prohibited 
                                wildlife species''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
                        ``animal'' each place it appears and inserting 
                        ``prohibited wildlife species'';
                    (E) in paragraph (4) (as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A)), by striking ``(2)'' and inserting 
                ``(3)''; and
                    (F) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A))--
                            (i) by striking ``subsection (a)(2)(C)'' 
                        and inserting ``this subsection''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``2004 through 2008'' and 
                        inserting ``2011 through 2015''.
    (b) Civil Penalties.--Section 4(a) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 
1981 (16 U.S.C. 3373(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``(e),'' after 
        ``subsections (b), (d),''; and
            (2) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, (e),'' after 
        ``subsection (d)''.
    (c) Criminal Penalties.--Section 4(d) of the Lacey Act Amendments 
of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3373(d)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraphs (1)(A) and (1)(B) and in the first 
        sentence of paragraph (2), by inserting ``(e),'' after 
        ``subsections (b), (d),'' each place it appears; and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, (e),'' after 
        ``subsection (d)''.
    (d) Effective Date; Regulations.--
            (1) Effective date.--Subsections (a) through (c), and the 
        amendments made by those subsections, shall take effect on the 
        earlier of--
                    (A) the date of promulgation of regulations under 
                paragraph (2); and
                    (B) the expiration of the period referred to in 
                paragraph (2).
            (2) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
        promulgate regulations implementing the amendments made by this 
        section.

SEC. 4. APPLICABILITY PROVISION AMENDMENT.

    Section 3 of the Captive Wildlife Safety Act (117 Stat. 2871; 
Public Law 108-191) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``(a) In General.--
        Section 3'' and inserting ``Section 3''; and
            (2) by striking subsection (b).

SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

    Section 7(a) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 
3376(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) The Secretary shall, in consultation with other 
        relevant Federal and State agencies, promulgate regulations to 
        implement section 3(e).''.

Ex Output:
Captive Primate Safety Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add nonhuman primates to the definition of "prohibited wildlife species" for purposes of the prohibition against the sale or purchase of such species in interstate or foreign commerce.

Makes it unlawful for a person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase a live animal of any prohibited wildlife species in interstate or foreign commerce (i.e., for pet trade purposes). Sets forth exceptions to such prohibition, including, under certain conditions, for: (1) transporting a nonhuman primate to or from a veterinarian, (2) transporting a nonhuman primate to a legally designated caregiver as a result of the death of the preceding owner, and (3) transporting a single primate of the genus Cebus that was obtained from and trained by a charitable organization to assist a permanently disabled individual with a severe mobility impairment.

Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of the requirements of this Act. Extends the authorization of appropriations to carry out such prohibition for FY2011-FY2015.


Ex Input:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Mercury Pollution Reduction Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) mercury and mercury compounds are highly toxic to 
        humans, ecosystems, and wildlife;
            (2) as many as 10 percent of women in the United States of 
        childbearing age have mercury in their bloodstreams at a level 
        that could pose risks to their unborn babies, and hundreds of 
        thousands of children born annually in the United States are at 
        risk of neurological problems relating to mercury exposure in 
        utero;
            (3) the most significant source of mercury exposure to 
        people in the United States is ingestion of mercury-
        contaminated fish;
            (4) the long-term solution to mercury pollution is to 
        minimize global mercury use and releases of mercury to 
        eventually achieve reduced contamination levels in the 
        environment, rather than reducing fish consumption, since 
        uncontaminated fish represents a critical and healthy source of 
        nutrition for people worldwide;
            (5) mercury pollution is a transboundary pollutant that--
                    (A) is deposited locally, regionally, and globally; 
                and
                    (B) affects bodies of water near industrial areas, 
                such as the Great Lakes, as well as bodies of water in 
                remote areas, such as the Arctic Circle;
            (6) of the approximately 30 plants in the United States 
        that produce chlorine, only 7 use the obsolete ``mercury cell'' 
        chlor-alkali process, and 4 have not yet committed to phasing 
        out mercury use;
            (7)(A) less than 5 percent of the total quantity of 
        chlorine and caustic soda produced in the United States comes 
        from the chlor-alkali plants described in paragraph (6) that 
        use the mercury cell chlor-alkali process;
            (B) cost-effective alternatives are available and in use in 
        the remaining 95 percent of chlorine and caustic soda 
        production; and
            (C) other countries, including Japan, have already banned 
        the mercury cell chlor-alkali process;
            (8) the chlor-alkali industry acknowledges that--
                    (A) mercury can contaminate products manufactured 
                at mercury cell facilities; and
                    (B) the use of some of those products results in 
                the direct and indirect release of mercury;
            (9) despite those quantities of mercury known to have been 
        used or to be in use, neither the chlor-alkali industry nor the 
        Environmental Protection Agency is able--
                    (A) to adequately account for the disposition of 
                the mercury used at those facilities; or
                    (B) to accurately estimate current mercury 
                emissions; and
            (10) it is critically important that the United States work 
        aggressively toward the minimization of supply, demand, and 
        releases of mercury, both domestically and internationally.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    Congress declares that the United States should develop policies 
and programs that will--
            (1) reduce mercury use and emissions within the United 
        States;
            (2) reduce mercury releases from the reservoir of mercury 
        currently in use or circulation within the United States; and
            (3) reduce exposures to mercury, particularly exposures of 
        women of childbearing age and young children.

SEC. 4. USE OF MERCURY IN CHLORINE AND CAUSTIC SODA MANUFACTURING.

    (a) In General.--Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 
U.S.C. 2601 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 6 the 
following:

``SEC. 6A. USE OF MERCURY IN CHLORINE AND CAUSTIC SODA MANUFACTURING.

    ``(a) Definition of Chlor-alkali Facility.--In this section, the 
term `chlor-alkali facility' means a facility used for the manufacture 
of chlorine or caustic soda using a mercury cell process.
    ``(b) Prohibition.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
        subsection, it shall be unlawful to manufacture chlorine or 
        caustic soda using mercury cells at any facility in the United 
        States.
            ``(2) Notice.--The owner or operator of any existing chlor-
        alkali facility shall notify the Administrator no later than 
        June 30, 2012, whether it will--
                    ``(A) replace its chlor-alkali facility with a new 
                manufacturing facility that does not use mercury; or
                    ``(B) cease operations.
            ``(3) Closure.--A chlor-alkali facility for which a closure 
        notice is filed under paragraph (2)(B) shall cease 
        manufacturing chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells no 
        later than June 30, 2013.
            ``(4) Replacement.--A chlor-alkali facility for which a 
        replacement notice is filed under paragraph (2)(A) may continue 
        to manufacture chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells 
        until all of the permitting, financing, engineering, and 
        construction of a non-mercury replacement facility is complete, 
        or June 30, 2015, whichever is earlier.
    ``(c) Export Ban.--Effective on the date of the enactment of this 
section, the export of any elemental mercury or the sale of elemental 
mercury for purposes of export, including compounds and mixtures 
containing elemental mercury, by the owner or operator of a chlor-
alkali facility is prohibited.
    ``(d) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section affects the 
ability of the owner or operator of any chlor-alkali facility to store 
elemental mercury in accordance with section 5(g)(2) of the Mercury 
Export Ban Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 6939f).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) The table of contents of the Toxic 
Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 note) is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 6 the following:

``Sec. 6A. Use of mercury in chlorine and caustic soda 
                            manufacturing.''.
    (2) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 15 of such Act are each 
amended by striking ``or 6'' and inserting ``, 6 or 6A''.

Ex Output:

Mercury Pollution Reduction Act - Declares that the United States should develop policies and programs that will reduce: (1) mercury use and emissions; (2) mercury releases from the reservoir of mercury currently in use or circulation; and (3) exposures to mercury, particularly of women of childbearing age and young children.

Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit: (1) the manufacture of chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells at any facility in the United States; and (2) the export of any elemental mercury or the sale of elemental mercury for purposes of export, including compounds and mixtures containing elemental mercury, by the owner or operator of a chlor-alkali facility.

Requires the owner or operator of any existing chlor-alkali facility to notify the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) no later than June 30, 2012, on whether the owner or operator will replace its chlor-alkali facility with a new manufacturing facility that does not use mercury or cease operations. Requires a chlor-alkali facility for which a closure notice is filed to cease manufacturing chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells no later than June 30, 2013. Authorizes a chlor-alkali facility for which a replacement notice is filed to continue to manufacture chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells until all of the permitting, financing, engineering, and construction of a non-mercury replacement facility is complete or June 30, 2015, whichever is earlier.

Provides that this Act does not affect the ability of the owner or operator of any chlor-alkali facility to store elemental mercury in accordance with the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008.