116 HR 8881 IH: Driving for Opportunity Act of 2020
U.S. House of Representatives
2020-12-04
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I
116th CONGRESS2d Session
H. R. 8881
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 4, 2020
Ms. Scanlon (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Reschenthaler, and Ms. Moore) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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

A BILL
To provide grants to States that do not suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew a driver’s license of a person or refuse to renew a registration of a motor vehicle for failure to pay a civil or criminal fine or fee, and for other purposes.

1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Driving for Opportunity Act of 2020. 2.FindingsCongress finds the following:
(1)Driving a vehicle is an essential aspect of the daily lives of most people in the United States. (2)Driving is often required to access jobs and healthcare, take care of family, get groceries, and fulfill other basic responsibilities.
(3)In many small cities, towns, and rural areas that do not have public transportation and ridesharing alternatives, driving is often the only realistic means of transportation. (4)Even in cities with public transportation and ridesharing options, individuals vulnerable to infection during the COVID–19 pandemic and those complying with public health guidance regarding social distancing are increasingly reliant on driving as their primary means of transportation for essential travel.
(5)In the United States, millions of Americans have had their driver’s licenses suspended for unpaid court fines and fees. (6)A person whose driver’s license is suspended or revoked for unpaid fines and fees will often find it more difficult to earn a living and therefore pay the debt owed to the government.
(7)The barrier to employment posed by driver’s license suspensions and revocations for unpaid fines and fees is especially problematic during the COVID–19 pandemic, when the unemployment rate is the highest it has been since the Great Depression. (8)Drunk and dangerous driving are some of the leading causes of death and serious bodily injury in the United States, and promoting safety on the roads is a legitimate, necessary, and core governmental function. Suspending a license for unsafe driving conduct presents different considerations than suspending a license for unpaid fines and fees. Suspending a license for unsafe driving is an appropriate tool to protect public safety. Policymakers also may consider alternatives to suspension of a license for unsafe driving such as ignition interlock device programs.
(9)According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every year on average, over 34,000 people are killed and 2,400,000 more people are injured in motor vehicle crashes. Some of the major causes of these crashes include speeding, impaired driving, and distracted driving. Nearly half of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes are unrestrained. The societal harm caused by motor vehicle crashes has been valued at $836 billion annually. The enactment of, enforcement of, and education regarding traffic laws are key to addressing unsafe behavior and promoting public safety. (10)However, most driver’s license suspensions are not based on the need to protect public safety.
(11)In the State of Florida, 1,100,000 residents received a suspension notice for unpaid fines and fees in 2017 alone. (12)Between 2010 and 2017, all but 3 States increased the amount of fines and fees for civil and criminal violations.
(13)In the United States, 40 percent of all driver’s license suspensions are issued for conduct that was unrelated to driving. (14)In 2015, the State of Washington calculated that State troopers spent 70,848 hours dealing with license suspensions for non-driving offenses.
(15)The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators estimated that arresting a person for driving with a suspended license can take 9 hours of an officer’s time, including waiting for a tow truck, transporting an individual to jail, filling out paperwork, making a court appearance, and other administrative duties and accordingly Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste called non-driving suspensions a drain on the system as a whole. (16)The Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles determined that suspending driver’s licenses for offenses unrelated to driving consumed 8,566 hours per year of staff time in the Department.
(17)Many States impose a significant fee for reinstating a suspended driver’s license, such as Alabama, where the fee is $275. (18)Driving on a suspended license is one of the most common criminal charges in jurisdictions across the country.
(19)Seventy-five percent of those with suspended licenses report continuing to drive. (20)It is more likely that those people are also driving without insurance due to the costs and restrictions associated with obtaining auto insurance on a suspended license, thereby placing a greater financial burden on other drivers when a driver with a suspended license causes an accident.
(21)The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators has concluded the following: Drivers who have been suspended for social non-conformance-related offenses are often trapped within the system. Some cannot afford to pay the original fines, and may lose their ability to legally get to and from work as a result of the suspension. Many make the decision to drive while suspended. The suspension results in increased financial obligations through new requirements such as reinstatement fees, court costs, and other penalties. While there is a clear societal interest in keeping those who are unfit to drive off the roads, broadly restricting licenses for violations unrelated to an individual’s ability to drive safely may do more harm than good. This is especially true in areas of the country that lack alternative means of transportation. For those individuals, a valid driver license can be a means to survive. Local communities, employers, and employees all experience negative consequences as a result of social non-conformity suspensions, including unemployment, lower wages, fewer employment opportunities and hiring choices, and increased insurance costs.. (22)A report by the Harvard Law School Criminal Justice Policy Program concluded the following: The suspension of a driver’s or professional license is one of the most pervasive poverty traps for poor people assessed a fine that they cannot afford to pay. The practice is widespread. Nearly 40 percent of license suspensions nationwide stem from unpaid fines, missed child support payments, and drug offenses—not from unsafe or intoxicated driving or failing to obtain automotive insurance. Suspension of a driver’s or professional licenses is hugely counterproductive; it punishes non-payment by taking away a person’s means for making a living. License suspension programs are also expensive for States to run and they distract law enforcement efforts from priorities related to public safety. License suspensions may also be unconstitutional if the license was suspended before the judge determined the defendant had the ability to pay the criminal justice debt..
3.Grants for driver’s licenses reinstatement programs
(a)In generalSubpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10151 et seq.) is amended— (1)in section 501(a) (34 U.S.C. 10152(a)), by adding at the end the following:

(3)Grants for driver’s license reinstatement programs
(A)In generalIn addition to grants made under paragraph (1), the Attorney General may make grants to States described in subparagraph (B) to cover costs incurred by the State to reinstate driver’s licenses previously suspended for unpaid fines and fees. (B)States describedA State described in this subparagraph is a State that—
(i)does not have in effect any State or local law that permits— (I)the suspension or revocation of, or refusal to renew, a driver’s license of an individual based on the individual’s failure to pay a civil or criminal fine or fee; or
(II)the refusal to renew the registration of a motor vehicle based on the owner’s failure to pay a civil or criminal fine or fee; and (ii)during the 3-year period ending on the date on which the State applies for or receives a grant under this paragraph, has repealed a State or local law that permitted the suspension or revocation of, or refusal to renew, driver’s licenses or the registration of a motor vehicle based on the failure to pay civil or criminal fines or fees.
(C)CriteriaThe Attorney General shall award grants under this section to eligible States that submit a plan to reinstate driver’s licenses previously suspended for unpaid fines and fees— (i)to maximize the number of individuals with suspended driver’s licenses eligible to have driving privileges reinstated or regained;
(ii)to provide assistance to individuals living in areas where public transportation options are limited; and (iii)to ease the burden on States where the State or local law described in subparagraph (B) was in effect during the 3-year period ending on the date on which a State applies for a grant under this paragraph in accordance with section 502.
(D)AmountEach grant awarded under this paragraph shall be not greater than 5 percent of the amount allocated to the State in accordance with the formula established under section 505. (E)ReportNot later than 1 year after the date on which a grant is made to a State under this paragraph, the State shall submit to the Attorney General a report that describes the program implemented under subparagraph (A), including with respect to—
(i)the population served by the program; (ii)the number of driver’s licenses reinstated under the program; and
(iii)all costs to the State of the program, including how the grants under this paragraph were spent to defray such costs.; and (2)in section 508—
(A)by striking There and inserting (a) In General.—There; and (B)by adding at the end the following:

(b)Driver’s license reinstatement programsThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 501(a)(3) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.. (b)Repeal (1)In generalSection 159 of title 23, United States Code, is repealed.
(2)Clerical amendmentThe analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 159. 4.GAO study (a)StudyThe Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study of the implementation of the grant program in paragraph (3) of section 501(a) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10152(a)), as added by section 3(a) of this Act, that—
(1)includes what is known about the effect of repealing State laws, in selected States, that had permitted the suspension or revocation of, or refusal to renew, driver’s licenses or the registration of a motor vehicle based on the failure to pay civil or criminal fines or fees, including such factors, to the extent information is available, as— (A)the collection of fines and fees;
(B)the usage of law enforcement resources; (C)economic mobility and unemployment;
(D)rates of enforcement of traffic safety laws through the tracking of number of summonses and violations issued (including those related to automated enforcement technologies); (E)the use of suspensions for public safety-related reasons (including reckless driving, speeding, and driving under the influence);
(F)safety-critical traffic events (including in localities with automated enforcement programs); (G)the rates of license suspensions and proportion of unlicensed drivers;
(H)racial and geographic disparities; and (I)administrative costs (including costs associated with the collection of fines and fees and with the reinstatement of driver’s licenses); and
(2)includes what is known about— (A)existing alternatives to driver’s license suspension as methods of enforcement and collection of unpaid fines and fees; and
(B)existing alternatives to traditional driver’s license suspension for certain kinds of unsafe driving, including models that allow drivers to continue to drive legally while pursuing driver improvement opportunities. (b)ReportNot later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the study required under subsection (a).


		III
		111th CONGRESS
		1st Session
		H. CON. RES. 179
		IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED
		  STATES

			September 8, 2009
			Received

		CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
		Providing for a joint session of Congress
		  to receive a message from the President.

		That the two Houses of Congress assemble in
			 the Hall of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, at
			 8:00 p.m., for the purpose of receiving such
			 communication as the President of the United States shall be pleased to make to
			 them.

			Passed the House of
			 Representatives September 8, 2009.
			Lorraine C. Miller,
			Clerk.


116 HR 5198 IH: Patients’ Right to Know Their Medication Act of 2019
U.S. House of Representatives
2019-11-20
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I116th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 5198IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESNovember 20, 2019Mr. Golden (for himself and Mr. Carter of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and CommerceA BILLTo amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act regarding the patient medication information
			 required to be included in the labeling of prescription drugs, and for
			 other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Patients’ Right to Know Their Medication Act of 2019. 2.FindingsCongress finds the following:
 (1)Prescription medications are important to the health and well-being of the American public. (2)According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48.9 percent of Americans used at least one prescription drug in the past 30 days.
 (3)The utilization of prescription drugs can subject patients to adverse drug events; therefore, patient safety is of the utmost importance.
 (4)Studies indicate that paper format patient medication information (PMI) can help protect patients and prevent the majority of costly adverse drug events.
 (5)In addition to bolstering patient safety, the mandatory use of a standardized PMI provided to all patients in nonhospital settings could reduce costs associated with emergency room visits and hospital admissions related to adverse drug events by $14.6 to $26.2 billion dollars annually.
 (6)Many patients cannot access electronic versions of PMI, thereby necessitating a paper option. (7)The Government Accountability Office found that relying on electronic labeling as a complete substitute for paper labeling could adversely impact public health.
 (8)A congressionally mandated paper PMI is needed because no standardized PMI in a single page, paper copy, proven patient-friendly format is currently available to patients or required by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.).
			3.Patient medication information for prescription drugs
 (a)In generalChapter V of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 351 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 505F (21 U.S.C. 355g) the following:

					505G.Patient medication information for prescription drugs
 (a)In generalThe Secretary shall issue regulations on the patient medication information that is required to be in the printed labeling of drugs subject to section 503(b)(1), including regulations regarding the authorship, content, format, color, printing, and dissemination requirements for such patient medication information. The Secretary shall issue final regulations pursuant to the preceding sentence not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section.
 (b)ContentThe regulations promulgated under subsection (a) shall require that the patient medication information with respect to a drug—
 (1)be scientifically accurate, include relevant patient safety information, and be approved by the Secretary;
 (2)include understandable plain language, and include graphics and pictures when applicable, and be provided in a consistent, standardized format and color for all drug products, and not be promotional in tone or content, and contain at least—
 (A)the established name of the drug (or, if the drug is a biological product, the proper name of the biological product) and the national drug code for the drug;
 (B)indications for use approved by the Food and Drug Administration; (C)general directions for proper use;
 (D)contraindications, warnings, precautions, the most frequently occurring adverse reactions, and adverse reactions that are important for other reasons (such as because they are serious), especially with respect to certain subpopulations such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly;
 (E)measures patients may be able to take, if any, to reduce the side effects and risks of the drug; (F)information about when a patient should contact his or her health care professional;
 (G)instructions not to share medications, and, if applicable, key storage requirements and recommendations relating to proper disposal of any unused portion of the drug;
 (H)known clinically important interactions with other drugs, food, and other substances; (I)a statement of whether sufficient data are available concerning the use of the drug in specified subpopulations, such as women, pregnant women, lactating women, women and men of reproductive age, and pediatric, geriatric, racial, and ethnic minority groups;
 (J)the name of the manufacturer and a toll-free telephone number for consumers to contact the manufacturer of the drug; and
 (K)a current link to Form FDA 3500B for voluntary reporting for consumers of adverse events, product problems, and product use errors (or any successor form); and
 (3)be provided to a patient or agent of a patient in a printed format with each prescription dispensed, such that a drug labeled for distribution shall be accompanied by printed labeling physically on or within the packaging from which the drug is to be dispensed, in an adequate supply of printed patient medication information to accommodate prescriptions dispensed therefrom.
 (c)Timeliness, consistency, accuracy, and effectivenessThe regulations promulgated under subsection (a) shall— (1)provide for timely reviews, approvals, and updates of patient medication information as new drugs and new information become available;
 (2)provide for updates when appropriate to help communicate information that is shared by similar products or drugs within classes of medication to avoid patient confusion and harm;
 (3)include specifications for language, graphics, format, color, and pictures required by subsection (b)(2), to be developed based upon documented patient research with one or more actual drug products that demonstrates improved patient learning and understanding of safe and effective medication use; and
 (4)be based on a demonstrated causal connection between the enhanced patient medication information required by the regulations and improved patient medication adherence and compliance for the purpose of reducing the cost of health care and improving desired medical outcomes..
 (b)Misbranding offenseSection 502 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 352) is amended by adding at the end the following:

 (ee)If it is a drug subject to section 503(b)(1) and patient medication information is not provided in accordance with section 505G..


110 HR 7034 IH: Citizen’s Accessibility Election

U.S. House of Representatives
2008-09-24
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

		I
		110th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. R. 7034
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			September 24, 2008
			Mr. Larson of
			 Connecticut introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
			 Committee on House
			 Administration

		A BILL
		To change the date for regularly scheduled general
		  elections for Federal office to both the Saturday and Sunday after the first
		  Friday in November, and for other purposes.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the
			 Citizen’s Accessibility Election
			 Act.
		2.Change in
			 congressional election day to Saturday and Sunday; Establishment of Uniform
			 Period for Operation of Polling PlacesSection 25 of the Revised Statutes of the
			 United States (2 U.S.C. 7) is amended to read as follows:

				25.(a)The first Saturday and
				Sunday after the first Friday in November, in every even numbered year, are
				established as the days for the election, in each of the States and Territories
				of the United States, of Representatives and Delegates to the Congress
				commencing on the 3d day of January thereafter.
					(b)On the days for election described in
				subsection (a), the period of operation of the polling places in each State and
				territory (other than Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, and Guam) shall be the
				6-hour period beginning with noon Eastern time.
					.
		3.Change in
			 Presidential election day to Saturday and Sunday; Establishment of Uniform
			 Period for Operation of Polling Places
			(a)Presidential
			 Elections on Saturday and SundaySection 1 of title 3, United States Code,
			 is amended by striking Tuesday next after the first Monday and
			 inserting first Saturday and Sunday after the first
			 Friday.
			(b)Uniform Period
			 for Operation of Polling PlacesSection 1 of such title is
			 amended—
				(1)by the striking
			 The electors and inserting (a)
			 Day of Appointment of
			 Electors.—The electors; and
				(2)by adding at the
			 end the following new subsection:

						(b)Period for
				Operation of Polling PlacesOn the days for the appointment of electors
				described in subsection (a), the period of operation of the polling places in
				each State (other than Alaska and Hawaii) shall be the 6-hour period beginning
				with noon Eastern time.
						.
				4.Effective
			 DateThe amendments made by
			 this Act shall apply with respect to regularly scheduled general elections for
			 Federal office beginning with the elections held in November 2012.


		IIB
		112th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. R. 3158
		IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED
		  STATES

			August 2, 2012
			Received; read twice and referred to the
			 Committee on Environment and Public
			 Works

		AN ACT
		To direct the Administrator of the
		  Environmental Protection Agency to change the Spill Prevention, Control, and
		  Countermeasure rule with respect to certain farms.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the
			 Farmers Undertake Environmental Land
			 Stewardship Act or the FUELS Act.
		2.Applicability of Spill
			 Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule
			(a)In
			 generalThe Administrator, in
			 implementing the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule with
			 respect to any farm, shall—
				(1)require
			 certification of compliance with such rule by—
					(A)a professional
			 engineer for a farm with—
						(i)an
			 individual tank with an aboveground storage capacity greater than 10,000
			 gallons;
						(ii)an
			 aggregate aboveground storage capacity greater than or equal to 42,000 gallons;
			 or
						(iii)a
			 history that includes a spill, as determined by the Administrator; or
						(B)the owner or
			 operator of the farm (via self-certification) for a farm with—
						(i)an aggregate aboveground storage capacity
			 greater than 10,000 gallons but less than 42,000 gallons; and
						(ii)no history of spills, as determined by the
			 Administrator; and
						(2)exempt from all
			 requirements of such rule any farm—
					(A)with an aggregate aboveground storage
			 capacity of less than or equal to 10,000 gallons; and
					(B)no history of spills, as determined by the
			 Administrator.
					(b)Calculation of
			 aggregate aboveground storage capacityFor the purposes of subsection (a), the
			 aggregate aboveground storage capacity of a farm excludes all containers on
			 separate parcels that have a capacity that is less than 1,320 gallons.
			3.DefinitionsIn this Act, the following terms
			 apply:
			(1)AdministratorThe term Administrator means
			 the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
			(2)FarmThe
			 term farm has the meaning given such term in
			 section
			 112.2 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations.
			(3)GallonThe
			 term gallon refers to a United States liquid gallon.
			(4)Spill
			 Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure ruleThe term
			 Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule means the
			 regulation promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency under part 112 of
			 title 40, Code of Federal Regulations.

			Passed the House of
			 Representatives August 1, 2012.
			Karen L. Haas,
			Clerk.