115 HR 5977 IH: Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2018-05-25
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.

I115th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 5977IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESMay 25, 2018Ms. Kelly of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and CommerceA BILLTo improve Federal efforts with respect to the prevention of maternal mortality, and for other
			 purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act or the MOMMA’s Act. 2.FindingsCongress finds the following:
 (1)Every year, across the United States, four million women give birth, about 700 women suffer fatal complications during pregnancy, while giving birth, or during the postpartum period, and 65,000 women suffer near-fatal, partum-related complications.
 (2)The maternal mortality rate is often used as a proxy to measure the overall health of a population. While the infant mortality rate in the United States has reached its lowest point, the risk of death for women in the United States during pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period is higher than such risk in any all other developed nations. The estimated maternal mortality rate (per 100,000 live births) for the 48 contiguous States and Washington DC increased from 18.8 percent in 2000 to 23.8 percent in 2014 to 26.6 percent in 2018. This estimated rate is on par with such rate for underdeveloped nations such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
 (3)International studies estimate the 2015 U.S. maternal mortality rate as 26.4 per 100,000 live births, which is almost twice the 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) estimation of 14 per 100,000 live births.
 (4)It is estimated that almost half of all maternal mortalities in the United States are preventable. (5)African-American women experience maternal-related deaths at three to four times the rate of non-Hispanic White women.
 (6)The findings described in paragraphs (1) through (5) are of major concern to researchers, academicians, and epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); providers across the obstetrical continuum represented by organizations such as the Preeclampsia Foundation; the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses; the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative; Black Women’s Health Imperative; the National Birth Equity Collaborative; Black Mamas Matter Alliance; the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives; and the American College of Nurse Midwives.
 (7)According to the CDC, the maternal mortality rate varies drastically for women by race and ethnicity. There are 12.7 deaths per 100,000 live births for White women, 43.5 deaths per 100,000 live births for African-American women, and 14.4 deaths per 100,000 live births for women of other ethnicities. While maternal mortality disparately impacts African-American women, the phenomenon traverses race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational background, and geography.
 (8)Hemorrhage, cardiovascular and coronary conditions, cardiomyopathy, infection, embolism, mental health conditions, preeclampsia and eclampsia, infection or sepsis, and anesthesia complications are the predominant causes of maternal-related deaths and complications. Such conditions are largely preventable or manageable.
 (9)The United States has not been able to submit a formal maternal mortality rate to international data repositories since 2007. Thus, no official maternal mortality rate exists for the Nation. There can be no maternal mortality rate without streamlining maternal mortality-related data from the State level and extrapolating such data to the Federal level.
 (10)In the United States, death reporting and analysis is a State function rather than a Federal process. States report all deaths—including maternal deaths—on a semi-voluntary basis, without standardization across States. While the CDC has the capacity and system for collecting death-related data based on death certificates, these data are not sufficiently reported by States in an organized and standard format across States such that the CDC is able to identify causes of maternal death and best practices for the prevention of such death.
 (11)Vital registration systems often underestimate maternal mortality and are insufficient data sources from which to derive a full scope of medical and social determinant factors contributing to maternal deaths. While the addition of pregnancy checkboxes on death certificates since 2003 have likely improved States’ abilities to identify pregnancy-related deaths, they are not generally completed by obstetrical providers or persons trained to recognize pregnancy-related mortality. Thus, these vital forms may be missing information or may capture inconsistent data. Due to varying maternal mortality-related analyses, lack of reliability, and granularity in data, current maternal mortality informatics do not fully encapsulate the myriad medical and socially determinant factors that contribute to such high maternal mortality rates within the United States compared to other developed nations. Non-standardization of data and lack of data sharing across States and between Federal entities, health networks, and research institutions keep the Nation in the dark about ways to prevent maternal deaths.
 (12)Having reliable and valid State data aggregated at the Federal level are critical to the Nation’s ability to quell surges in maternal death and imperative for researchers to identify long-lasting interventions.
 (13)Leaders in maternal wellness highly recommend that maternal deaths be investigated at the State level first. Then, have data regarding maternal deaths be standardized across States, streamlined, de-identified, and sent once a year to a federally supervised database, managed by a Federal agency at the discretion of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Such data standardization and collection would be similar in operation and effect to the National Program of Cancer Registries housed at the CDC and akin to the Confidential Enquiry in Maternal Deaths Programme in the United Kingdom. Such a maternal mortality and morbidities registry and surveillance would help providers, academicians, lawmakers, and the public to address questions concerning the types of, causes of, and best practices to thwart, pregnancy-related or pregnancy-associated mortalities and morbidities.
 (14)The United Nations’ Millennium Development Goal 5a aimed to reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality rate, yet this metric has not been achieved. In fact, the maternal mortality rate in the United States has been estimated to have more than doubled between 2000 and 2014. Yet, because national data are not fully available, the United States does not have an official maternal mortality rate.
 (15)Many States have struggled to establish or maintain Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRC). On the State level, MMRCs have lagged because States have not had the resources to mount local reviews. State-level reviews are necessary as only the State departments of health have the authority to request medical records, autopsy reports, and police reports critical to the function of the MMRC.
 (16)The United Kingdom regards maternal deaths as a health systems failure and a national committee of obstetrics experts review each maternal death or near-fatal childbirth complication. Such committee also establishes the predominant course of maternal-related deaths from conditions such as preeclampsia. Consequently, the United Kingdom has been able to reduce their incidences of preeclampsia to less than one in 10,000 women—its lowest rate since 1952.
 (17)The United States has no comparable, coordinated Federal process by which to review cases of maternal mortality, systems failures, or best practices. Many States have active MMRCs and leverage their work to impact maternal wellness. For example, the State of California has worked extensively with their State health departments, health and hospital systems, and research collaborative organizations, including the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative and the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, to establish MMRCs, wherein they have determined the most prevalent causes of maternal mortality and recorded and shared data with providers and researchers, who have developed and implemented safety bundles and care protocols related to preeclampsia, maternal hemorrhage, and the like. In this way, the State of California has been able to leverage its maternal mortality review board system, generate data, and apply those data to effect changes in maternal care-related protocol. To date, the State of California has stymied its maternal mortality rate, which is now comparable to the low rates of the United Kingdom.
 (18)Hospitals and health systems across the United States lack standardization of emergency obstetrical protocols before, during, and after delivery. Consequently, many providers are delayed in recognizing critical signs indicating maternal distress that quickly escalate into fatal or near-fatal incidences. Moreover, any attempt to address an obstetrical emergency that does not take into account both clinical and public health approaches falls woefully under the mark of excellent care delivery. State-based maternal quality collaborative organizations, including the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIMs) and California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, have formed obstetrical protocols, tool kits, and other resources to improve system care and response as they relate to maternal complications and warning signs for such conditions as maternal hemorrhage, hypertension, and preeclampsia. State perinatal quality collaboratives are working to identify health care processes that need to be improved and use the best available methods to make those changes as quickly as possible, while the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health is working with States and health systems to align national, State, and hospital level quality improvement efforts through the creation and dissemination of maternal safety bundles to improve overall maternal health outcomes.
 (19)The CDC reports that more than half of all maternal deaths occur in the immediate postpartum period—between 42 days up to a full year—whereas more than one-third of pregnancy-related or pregnancy-associated deaths occur while a person is still pregnant. Yet, for pregnant women, Medicaid coverage lapses at the end of the month on which the 60th postpartum day lands.
 (20)A growing body of evidence-based research has shown the correlation between the stress associated with one’s race—the stress of racism—and one’s birthing outcomes. The stress of sex and race discrimination and institutional racism has been demonstrated to contribute to a higher risk of maternal mortality, irrespective of one’s gestational age, maternal age, socioeconomic status, or individual-level health risk factors, including poverty, limited access to prenatal care, and poor physical and mental health (although these are not nominal factors). African-American women remain the most at risk for pregnancy-associated or pregnancy-related causes of death. When it comes to preeclampsia, for example—which is related to obesity—African-American women of normal weight remain the most at risk of dying during the perinatal period compared to non-African-American obese women.
 (21)The rising U.S. maternal mortality rate is predominantly driven by the disproportionately high rates of African-American maternal mortality.
 (22)African-American women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy or maternal-related distress than are White women, yielding one of the greatest and most disconcerting racial disparities in public health.
 (23)Compared to women from other racial and ethnic demographics, African-American women across the socioeconomic spectrum experience prolonged, unrelenting stress related to racial and gender discrimination, contributing to higher rates of maternal mortality, giving birth to low-weight babies, and experiencing pre-term birth. Racism is a risk-factor for these aforementioned experiences. This cumulative stress often extends across the life course and is situated in everyday spaces where African-American women establish livelihood. Structural barriers, lack of access to care, and genetic predispositions to health vulnerabilities exacerbate African-American women’s likelihood to experience poor or fatal birthing outcomes, but do not fully account for the great disparity.
 (24)African-American women are twice as likely to experience postpartum depression, and disproportionately higher rates of preeclampsia compared to White women.
 (25)Racism is deeply ingrained in United States systems, including in health care delivery systems between patients and providers, often resulting in disparate treatment for pain, irreverence for cultural norms with respect to health, and dismissiveness. Research has demonstrated that patients respond more warmly and adhere to medical treatment plans at a higher degree with providers of the same race or ethnicity or with providers with great ability to exercise empathy. However, the provider pool is not primed with many people of color, nor are providers (whether student-doctors in training or licensed practitioners) consistently required to undergo implicit bias, cultural competency, or empathy training on a consistent, on-going basis.
			3.Improving Federal efforts with respect to prevention of maternal mortality
 (a)Technical assistance for States with respect to reporting maternal mortalityNot later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (referred to in this section as the Director) shall provide technical assistance to States that elect to report on maternal mortality for the purpose of encouraging uniformity in the reporting of such data and to encourage the sharing of such data among the respective States.
 (b)Best practices relating to prevention of maternal mortalityNot later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue best practices to State maternal mortality review committees on how best to identify, review, and prevent maternal mortality. In issuing such best practices, the Director shall take into account any data made available by States relating to maternal mortality.
			(c)Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Grant Program
 (1)In generalNot later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Associate Administrator of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall establish a grant program to be known as the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Grant Program (referred to in this subsection as AIM) under which the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of directing widespread adoption and implementation of maternal safety bundles through collaborative State-based teams and collecting and analyzing process, structure, and outcome data to drive continuous improvement in the implementation of such safety bundles by such State-based teams with the ultimate goal of eliminating preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the United States.
 (2)Eligible entitiesIn order to be eligible for a grant under paragraph (1), an entity shall— (A)submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require; and
 (B)demonstrate in such application that the entity is an interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder national organization with a national data-driven maternal safety and quality improvement initiative based on implementation approaches that have been proven to improve maternal safety and outcomes in the United States.
 (3)Use of fundsAn eligible entity that receives a grant under paragraph (1) shall use such grant funds— (A)to develop and implement, through a robust, multi-stakeholder process, maternal safety bundles to assist States and health care systems in aligning national, State, and hospital-level quality improvement efforts to improve maternal health outcomes, specifically the reduction of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity;
 (B)to ensure, in developing and implementing maternal safety bundles under subparagraph (A), that such maternal safety bundles—
 (i)satisfy the quality improvement needs of a State or health care system by factoring in the results and findings of relevant data reviews, such as reviews conducted by a State maternal mortality review committee; and
 (ii)address topics such as— (I)obstetric hemorrhage;
 (II)maternal mental health; (III)the maternal venous system;
 (IV)obstetric care for women with opioid use disorder; (V)postpartum care basics for maternal safety;
 (VI)reduction of peripartum racial and ethnic disparities; (VII)reduction of primary caesarean birth;
 (VIII)severe hypertension in pregnancy; (IX)severe maternal morbidity reviews;
 (X)support after a several maternal morbidity event; and (XI)thromboembolism; and
 (C)to provide ongoing technical assistance at the national and State levels to support implementation of maternal safety bundles under subparagraph (A).
 (4)Maternal safety bundle definedFor purposes of this subsection, the term maternal safety bundle means standardized, evidence-informed processes to improve variation in response to maternal care. (5)Authorization of appropriationsFor purposes of carrying out this subsection, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.
				(d)Expansion of Medicaid and CHIP coverage for pregnant and postpartum women
 (1)Extending Medicaid coverage for pregnant and postpartum womenSection 1902 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a) is amended— (A)in subsection (e)—
 (i)in paragraph (5), by striking 60-day and inserting one-year; and (ii)in paragraph (6), by striking 60-day and inserting one-year; and
 (B)in subsection (l)(1)(A), by striking 60-day and inserting one-year. (2)Extending Medicaid coverage for lawful residentsSection 1903(v)(4)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(v)(4)(A)) is amended by striking 60-day and inserting one-year.
 (3)Extending CHIP coverage for pregnant and postpartum womenSection 2112(d)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397ll(d)(2)(A)) is amended by striking 60-day and inserting one-year. (4)Maintenance of effort (A)MedicaidSection 1902(l) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(l)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

							(5)
 (A)Subject to subparagraph (B), during the period that begins on the date of enactment of this paragraph and ends on the date that is five years after such date of enactment, as a condition for receiving any Federal payments under section 1903(a) for calendar quarters occurring during such period, a State, including a State described in paragraph (4)(B) that elects to meet the requirement of subsection (a)(10)(A)(i)(IV), shall not have in effect, with respect to women who are eligible for medical assistance because of such subsection (a)(10)(A)(i)(IV) or section 1903(v)(4)(A)(i), eligibility standards, methodologies, or procedures under the State plan (or a waiver of such plan) that are more restrictive than the eligibility standards, methodologies, or procedures, respectively, under such plan (or waiver) that are in effect on the date of enactment of this paragraph.
 (B)A State’s determination of income in accordance with subsection (e)(14) shall not be considered to be eligibility standards, methodologies, or procedures that are more restrictive than the standards, methodologies, or procedures in effect under the State plan (or a waiver of such plan) on the date of enactment of this paragraph for purposes of determining compliance with the requirement of subparagraph (A)..
 (B)CHIPSection 2105(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397ee(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

 (4)In eligibility standards for targeted low-income pregnant womenDuring the period that begins on the date of enactment of this paragraph and ends on the date that is five years after such date of enactment, as a condition of receiving payments under subsection (a) and section 1903(a), a State that elects to provide pregnancy-related assistance to targeted low-income pregnant women (as defined in section 2112(d)), or women who are eligible for such assistance through the application of section 1903(v)(4)(A)(i) under section 2107(e)(1), shall not have in effect, with respect to such women, eligibility standards, methodologies, or procedures under the State child health plan (or a waiver of such plan) that are more restrictive than the eligibility standards, methodologies, or procedures, respectively, under such plan (or waiver) that are in effect on the date of enactment of this paragraph..
					(5)Effective date
 (A)In generalExcept as otherwise provided and subject to subparagraph (B), the amendments made by this subsection shall take effect with respect to eligibility determinations made with respect to a State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act or a State child health plan under title XXI of such Act on or after the date that is one year after the date of enactment of this Act.
 (B)Exception for State legislationIn the case of a State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act or a State child health plan under title XXI of such Act that the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines requires State legislation in order for the respective plan to meet any requirement imposed by amendments made by this subsection, the respective plan shall not be regarded as failing to comply with the requirements of such title solely on the basis of its failure to meet such an additional requirement before the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning after the close of the first regular session of the State legislature that begins after the date of enactment of this Act. For purposes of the previous sentence, in the case of a State that has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the session shall be considered to be a separate regular session of the State legislature.
 (e)Regional centers of excellencePart P of title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

					399V–7.Regional centers of excellence addressing implicit bias and cultural competency in patient-provider
			 interactions education
 (a)In generalNot later than one year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary, in consultation with such other agency heads as the Secretary determines appropriate, shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, award cooperative agreements for the establishment or support of regional centers of excellence addressing implicit bias and cultural competency in patient-provider interactions education for the purpose of enhancing and improving how health care professionals are educated in implicit bias and delivering culturally competent health care.
 (b)EligibilityTo be eligible to receive a cooperative agreement under subsection (a), an entity shall— (1)be an entity specified by the Secretary that provides educational opportunities for students in a health care profession, which may include a health system, teaching hospital, birthing center, community health center, physician’s office, medical school, school of public health, or any other health professional school or a program at an institution of higher education focused on the prevention, treatment, or recovery of health conditions that contribute to maternal mortality and the prevention of maternal mortality;
 (2)demonstrate community engagement and participation through community partners such as mental health counselors and social workers; and
 (3)provide to the Secretary such information, at such time and in such manner, as the Secretary may require.
 (c)DiversityIn awarding a cooperative agreement under subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into account any regional differences among eligible entities and make an effort to ensure geographic diversity among award recipients.
						(d)Dissemination of information
 (1)Public availabilityThe Secretary shall make publicly available on the Internet website of the Department of Health and Human Services information submitted to the Secretary under subsection (b)(3).
 (2)EvaluationThe Secretary shall evaluate each regional center of excellence established or supported pursuant to subsection (a) and disseminate the findings resulting from each such evaluation to the appropriate public and private entities.
 (e)Maternal mortality definedIn this section, the term maternal mortality means death that occurs to a woman during pregnancy or within the one-year period following the end of such pregnancy.
 (f)Authorization of appropriationsFor purposes of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023..
 (f)DefinitionsIn this section: (1)Maternal mortalityThe term maternal mortality means death that occurs to a woman during pregnancy or within the one-year period following the end of such pregnancy.
 (2)Severe maternal morbidityThe term severe maternal morbidity includes unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant short-term or long-term consequences to a woman’s health.


110 HRES 955 RH: Waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of

U.S. House of Representatives
2008-02-06
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.

		IV
		House Calendar No. 184
		110th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. RES. 955
		[Report No. 110–522]
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			February 6, 2008
			Ms. Slaughter, from
			 the Committee on Rules,
			 reported the following resolution; which was referred to the House Calendar and
			 ordered to be printed

		RESOLUTION
		Waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of
		  rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from
		  the Committee on Rules.

		That the requirement of clause 6(a)
			 of rule XIII for a two-thirds vote to consider a report from the Committee on
			 Rules on the same day it is presented to the House is waived with respect to
			 any resolution reported on the legislative day of Thursday, February 7, 2008,
			 relating to a bill to provide economic stimulus.

		February 6, 2008
		Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
		  printed


114 S875 IS: Workplace Advancement Act
U.S. Senate
2015-03-26
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.

II114th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 875IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMarch 26, 2015Mrs. Fischer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsA BILLTo amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to strengthen equal pay requirements.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Workplace Advancement Act.
 2.FindingsCongress makes the following findings: (1)In 1963, Congress passed on a bipartisan basis the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages for equal work performed by employees for employers engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce.
 (2)Following the passage of such Act, in 1964, Congress passed on a bipartisan basis the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
 (3)Since the passage of both the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, women have made significant strides, both in the workforce and in their educational pursuits.
 (4)Currently, according to a Prudential Research Study, 60 percent of women are the primary earners in their households and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that 47 percent of women are members of the workforce.
 (5)According to the Department of Education, women receive 57 percent of all college degrees, a 33 percent increase from 1970.
 (6)Women hold the majority of positions in the 5 fastest growing fields, and women are more likely than men to work in professional and related occupations.
 (7)Despite this significant progress, surveys suggest there is a concern among American women that gender-based pay discrimination still exists.
 (8)Over the last 15 years, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has received on average 2,400 complaints annually alleging gender-based pay discrimination. This represents two to three percent of charges filed with the Commission during the same time period. Even though the Commission determines that no discrimination occurred in a majority of these complaints, the extent to which these allegations continue underscores there is still progress to be made.
 (9)A number of factors contribute to differences in total compensation, including variations in occupation, education, hours worked, institutional knowledge, and other business reasons and personal choices that shape career paths and earning potential.
 3.Prohibition on wage discriminationPursuant to Federal law in effect on the date of enactment of this Act: (1)In generalNo employer shall discriminate, within any establishment in which employees are employed by the employer, between employees on the basis of sex by paying wages to employees in such establishment at a rate less than the rate at which the employer pays wages to employees of the opposite sex in such establishment for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions, except where such payment is made pursuant to—
 (A)a seniority system; (B)a merit system;
 (C)a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; or (D)a differential based on any other factor other than sex.
 (2)LimitationAn employer who is paying a wage rate differential in violation of this section shall not, in order to comply with the provisions of this section, reduce the wage rate of any employee.
 (3)NoticeEvery employer, employment agency, and labor organization, as the case may be, shall post and keep posted in conspicuous places upon its premises where notices to employees, applicants for employment, and members are customarily posted, a notice to be prepared or approved by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that sets forth excerpts from, or summaries of, the pertinent provisions of this Act (including the amendments made by this Act) and of title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), and information pertinent to the filing of a complaint.
 4.Enhanced enforcement of Equal Pay Act requirementsSection 15(a) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 215(a)) is amended—
 (1)in paragraph (5), by striking the period and inserting ; or; and (2)by adding at the end the following:

 (6)to discharge or in any other manner retaliate against any employee because such employee has inquired about, discussed, or disclosed comparative compensation information for the purpose of determining whether the employer is compensating an employee in a manner that provides equal pay for equal work, except that this paragraph shall not apply to instances in which an employee who has access to the wage information of other employees as a part of such employee’s job functions discloses the wages of such other employees to an individual who does not otherwise have access to such information, unless such disclosure is in response to a charge or complaint or in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action under section 6(d), including an investigation conducted by the employee.
					Nothing in paragraph (6) shall be construed to limit the rights of an employee provided under any
			 other provision of law..


115 SRES 304 IS: Expressing the sense of the Senate that entrepreneurship on the part of minority women-owned businesses should be fully supported and encouraged.
U.S. Senate
2017-10-25
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.

III115th CONGRESS1st SessionS. RES. 304IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESOctober 25, 2017Ms. Duckworth (for herself and Ms. Hirono) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsRESOLUTIONExpressing the sense of the Senate that entrepreneurship on the part of minority women-owned
			 businesses should be fully supported and encouraged.

 Whereas the number of women-owned small businesses increased by 3,500,000 from 2007 to 2016; Whereas, for every 10 women-owned businesses launched since 2007, 8 were started by women of color;
 Whereas women are now majority owners of 38 percent of all businesses in the United States; Whereas there are currently almost 5,000,000 minority women-owned small businesses;
 Whereas minority women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States; Whereas African-American women own fully 49 percent of all African-American-owned businesses;
 Whereas Latina-owned firms employ 550,400 workers; Whereas there are currently 922,700 Asian-American women-owned small businesses;
 Whereas Native American and Alaska Native women-owned small businesses generated $10,500,000,000 in revenues; and
 Whereas the number of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women-owned small businesses more than doubled between 2007 and 2016: Now, therefore, be it

 That it is the sense of the Senate that— (1)October has been designated National Women's Small Business Month by the Small Business Administration;
 (2)minority women often work in low-paying jobs in the traditional workforce, which means the gender salary gap, child care expenses, and a lack of paid family leave impact women of color more severely than other populations, and expanding access to opportunities for entrepreneurship can help women of color get ahead economically, serve their communities, and care for their families;
 (3)minority women entrepreneurs are paving the way for women-owned businesses; (4)minority women entrepreneurs are an important segment of the domestic economy of the United States as well as the global economy; and
 (5)in order to sustain the economy of the United States, Congress must fully support and encourage the growth of minority women-owned businesses.


117 HR 1109 IH: Department of State Student Internship Program Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2021-02-18
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.

I117th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 1109IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFebruary 18, 2021Mr. Castro of Texas (for himself, Mr. Zeldin, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Bass, Mr. Sires, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Carson, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Velázquez, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Meng, Mr. Jones, Ms. Titus, Mr. Khanna, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Payne, Ms. Lee of California, and Ms. Tlaib) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign AffairsA BILLTo establish the Department of State Student Internship Program as a paid internship program to provide students with the opportunity to learn about a career in diplomacy and foreign affairs, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Department of State Student Internship Program Act.2.Department of State student internship program(a)In generalThe Secretary of State shall establish the Department of State Student Internship Program (in this section referred to as the Program) to offer internship opportunities at the Department of State to eligible students to raise awareness of the essential role of diplomacy in the conduct of United States foreign policy and the realization of United States foreign policy objectives.(b)EligibilityTo be eligible to participate in the Program, an applicant shall—(1)be enrolled, not less than half-time, at—(A)an institution of higher education (as such term is defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)); or(B)an institution of higher education based outside the United States, as determined by the Secretary of State;(2)be able to receive and hold an appropriate security clearance; and(3)satisfy such other criteria as established by the Secretary.(c)SelectionThe Secretary of State shall establish selection criteria for students to be admitted into the Program that includes the following:(1)Demonstrable interest in a career in foreign affairs.(2)Academic performance.(3)Such other criteria as determined by the Secretary.(d)OutreachThe Secretary of State shall advertise the Program widely, including on the internet, through the Department of State’s Diplomats in Residence program, and through other outreach and recruiting initiatives targeting undergraduate and graduate students. The Secretary shall actively recruit people belonging to traditionally under represented groups, including by conducting targeted outreach at minority serving institutions (as such term is described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a))) to promote diversity.(e)Compensation(1)In generalStudents participating in the Program shall be paid at least—(A)the amount specified in section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)); or(B)the minimum wage of the jurisdiction in which the internship is located, whichever is greatest.(2)Housing assistance(A)AbroadThe Secretary of State shall provide housing to a student participating in the Program whose permanent address is within the United States if the location of the internship in which such student is participating is outside the United States.(B)DomesticThe Secretary of State is authorized to provide housing to a student participating in the Program whose permanent address is within the United States if the location of the internship in which such student is participating is more than 50 miles away from such student’s permanent address.(3)Travel assistanceThe Secretary of State shall provide a student participating in the Program whose permanent address is within the United States financial assistance to cover the costs of travel once to and once from the location of the internship in which such student is participating, including travel by air, train, bus, or other transit as appropriate, if the location of such internship is—(A)more than 50 miles from such student’s permanent address; or(B)outside the United States.(f)Working with institutions of higher educationThe Secretary of State is authorized to enter into agreements with institutions of higher education to structure internships to ensure such internships satisfy criteria for academic programs in which participants in such internships are enrolled.(g)Transition period(1)In generalNot later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall transition all unpaid internship programs of the Department of State, to the maximum extent practicable and excluding internships not administered by the Department, to internship programs that offer compensation, such as the Program and the Foreign Service Internship Program.(2)Waiver authorityThe Secretary of State may waive the transition requirement under paragraph (1) for a period of not more than one year if the Secretary of State—(A)determines that such a waiver is necessary; and(B)submits to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report providing a justification for such a waiver.(h)ReportsNot later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually by January 31 thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report that includes the following:(1)Information regarding the number of students, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, institution of higher learning, home State, State where each student graduated from high school, and disability status, who applied to the Program, were offered a position, and participated.(2)Information on the number of security clearance investigations started and the timeline for such investigations, including whether such investigations were completed or if, and when, an interim security clearance was granted.(3)Information on expenditures on the Program.(4)Information regarding the Department of State’s compliance with subsection (g) as applicable.(i)Voluntary participation(1)In generalNothing in this section may be construed to compel any student to participate in the collection of data or divulge any personal information described in subsection (h). Students shall be informed that their participation in the data collection contemplated by such subsection is voluntary.(2)Privacy protectionAny data collected under this section shall be subject to the relevant privacy protection statutes and regulations applicable to Federal employees.(j)Diversity definedIn this section, the term diversity means those classes of persons protected under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).


IV
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 697
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

July 31, 2009

RESOLUTION
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3269) to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide shareholders with an advisory vote on executive compensation and to prevent perverse incentives in the compensation practices of financial institutions.

That upon the adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 3269) to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide shareholders with an advisory vote on executive compensation and to prevent perverse incentives in the compensation practices of financial institutions. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Financial Services now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions of the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services; (2) the amendment printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, if offered by Representative Frank of Massachusetts or his designee, which shall be considered as read, shall be separately debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question; (3) the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the report of the Committee on Rules, if offered by Representative Garrett of New Jersey or his designee, which shall be considered as read, and shall be separately debatable for 30 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent; and (4) one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
2.All points of order against amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI.
3.During consideration of an amendment printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, the Chair may postpone the question of adoption as though under clause 8 of rule XX.
4.In the engrossment of H.R. 3269, the Clerk is authorized to make technical and conforming changes to amendatory instructions.

Lorraine C. Miller,Clerk.


117 HR 2634 IH: Local Infrastructure Financing Tools Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2021-04-16
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.

I117th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 2634IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESApril 16, 2021Ms. Sewell introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and MeansA BILLTo amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit for American infrastructure bonds, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Local Infrastructure Financing Tools Act, or the LIFT Act. 2.Credit to issuer for certain infrastructure bonds(a)In generalSubchapter B of chapter 65 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:6431A.Credit allowed to issuer for American infrastructure bonds(a)In generalIn the case of an American infrastructure bond, the issuer of such bond shall be allowed a credit with respect to each interest payment under such bond which shall be payable by the Secretary as provided in subsection (b).(b)Payment of credit(1)In generalThe Secretary shall pay (contemporaneously with each date on which interest is so payable) to the issuer of such bond (or to any person who makes such interest payments on behalf of such issuer) an amount equal to the applicable percentage of such interest so payable.(2)Applicable percentageFor purposes of this subsection, except as provided in subsection (d), the applicable percentage with respect to any bond shall be determined under the following table:In the case of a bond issuedThe applicable during calendar year:percentage is:2020 through 2024 42%2025 38%202634%2027 and thereafter30%.(3)Limitation(A)In generalThe amount of any interest payment taken into account under paragraph (1) with respect to a bond for any payment date shall not exceed the amount of interest which would have been payable under such bond on such date if such interest were determined at the rate which the Secretary estimates will permit the issuance of American infrastructure bonds with a specified maturity or redemption date without discount and without additional interest cost.(B)Date of rate determination with respect to bondSuch rate with respect to any American infrastructure bond shall be determined as of the first day on which there is a binding, written contract for the sale or exchange of the bond.(c)American infrastructure bond(1)In generalFor purposes of this section, the term American infrastructure bond means any bond (other than a private activity bond) issued as part of an issue if—(A)100 percent of the available project proceeds of such issue are to be used for capital expenditures or operations and maintenance expenditures in connection with property the acquisition, construction, or improvement of which would be a capital expenditure,(B)the interest on such bond would (but for this section) be excludable from gross income under section 103,(C)the issue price has not more than a de minimis amount (determined under rules similar to the rules of section 1273(a)(3)) of premium over the stated principal amount of the bond, and(D)prior to the issuance of such bond, the issuer makes an irrevocable election to have this section apply.(2)Applicable rulesFor purposes of applying paragraph (1)—(A)Not treated as federally guaranteedFor purposes of section 149(b), an American infrastructure bond shall not be treated as federally guaranteed by reason of the credit allowed under this section.(B)Application of arbitrage rulesFor purposes of section 148, the yield on an American infrastructure bond shall be reduced by the credit allowed under this section.(d)Definition and special rulesFor purposes of this section—(1)Interest includible in gross incomeFor purposes of this title, interest on any American infrastructure bond shall be includible in gross income.(2)Available project proceedsThe term available project proceeds means—(A)the excess of—(i)the proceeds from the sale of an issue, over(ii)the sum of—(I)issuance costs financed by the issue (the extent that such costs do not exceed 2 percent of such proceeds), and(II)amounts in a reasonably required reserve (within the meaning of section 150(a)(3)) with respect to such issue), and(B)the proceeds from any investment of the excess described in clause (i).(3)Current refundings allowed(A)In generalIn the case of a bond issued to refund an American infrastructure bond, such refunding bond shall be treated as an American infrastructure bond for purposes of this section if—(i) the average maturity date of the issue of which the refunding bond is a part is not later than the average maturity date of the bonds to be refunded by such issue,(ii)the amount of the refunding bond does not exceed the outstanding amount of the refunded bond,(iii)the refunded bond is redeemed not later than 90 days after the date of the issuance of the refunding bond, and(iv)the refunded bond was issued more than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this section.(B)Applicable percentage limitationThe applicable percentage with respect to any bond to which subparagraph (A) applies shall be 30 percent.(C)Determination of average maturityFor purposes of subparagraph (A)(i), average maturity shall be determined in accordance with section 147(b)(2)(A).(D)Application of Davis-Bacon Act requirements with respect to American infrastructure bondsSubchapter IV of chapter 31 of the title 40, United States Code, shall apply to projects financed with the proceeds of American infrastructure bonds.(e)RegulationsThe Secretary may prescribe such regulations and other guidance as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out this section..(b)Conforming amendments(1)Section 1324(b)(2) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking or 6431 and inserting 6431, or 6431A. (2)The table of sections for subchapter B of chapter 65 is amended by adding at the end the following new item:Sec. 6431A. Credit allowed to issuer for American infrastructure bonds..(c)Effective dateThe amendments made by this section shall apply to bonds issued more than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.3.Advance refunding bonds(a)In generalSection 149(d) is amended—(1)by striking to advance refund another bond. in paragraph (1) and inserting as part of an issue described in paragraph (2), (3), or (4).,(2)by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (5) and (7), respectively,(3)by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraphs:(2)Certain private activity bondsAn issue is described in this paragraph if any bond (issued as part of such issue) is issued to advance refund a private activity bond (other than a qualified 501(c)(3) bond).(3)Other bonds(A)In generalAn issue is described in this paragraph if any bond (issued as part of such issue), hereinafter in this paragraph referred to as the refunding bond, is issued to advance refund a bond unless—(i)the refunding bond is only—(I)the first advance refunding of the original bond if the original bond is issued after 1985, or(II)the first or second advance refunding of the original bond if the original bond was issued before 1986,(ii)in the case of refunded bonds issued before 1986, the refunded bond is redeemed not later than the earliest date on which such bond may be redeemed at par or at a premium of 3 percent or less,(iii)in the case of refunded bonds issued after 1985, the refunded bond is redeemed not later than the earliest date on which such bond may be redeemed,(iv)the initial temporary period under section 148(c) ends—(I)with respect to the proceeds of the refunding bond not later than 30 days after the date of issue of such bond, and(II)with respect to the proceeds of the refunded bond on the date of issue of the refunding bond, and(v)in the case of refunded bonds to which section 148(e) did not apply, on and after the date of issue of the refunding bond, the amount of proceeds of the refunded bond invested in higher yielding investments (as defined in section 148(b)) which are nonpurpose investments (as defined in section 148(f)(6)(A)) does not exceed—(I)the amount so invested as part of a reasonably required reserve or replacement fund or during an allowable temporary period, and(II)the amount which is equal to the lesser of 5 percent of the proceeds of the issue of which the refunded bond is a part or $100,000 (to the extent such amount is allocable to the refunded bond).(B)Special rules for redemptions(i)Issuer must redeem only if debt service savingsClause (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (A) shall apply only if the issuer may realize present value debt service savings (determined without regard to administrative expenses) in connection with the issue of which the refunding bond is a part.(ii)Redemptions not required before 90th dayFor purposes of clauses (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (A), the earliest date referred to in such clauses shall not be earlier than the 90th day after the date of issuance of the refunding bond.(4)Abusive transactions prohibitedAn issue is described in this paragraph if any bond (issued as part of such issue) is issued to advance refund another bond and a device is employed in connection with the issuance of such issue to obtain a material financial advantage (based on arbitrage) apart from savings attributable to lower interest rates., and(4)by inserting after paragraph (5) (as so redesignated) the following new paragraph:(6)Special rules for purposes of paragraph (3)For purposes of paragraph (3), bonds issued before October 22, 1986, shall be taken into account under subparagraph (A)(i) thereof except—(A)a refunding which occurred before 1986 shall be treated as an advance refunding only if the refunding bond was issued more than 180 days before the redemption of the refunded bond, and(B)a bond issued before 1986, shall be treated as advance refunded no more than once before March 15, 1986..(b)Conforming amendmentSection 148(f)(4)(C) is amended by redesignating clauses (xiv) through (xvi) as clauses (xv) to (xvii), respectively, and by inserting after clause (xiii) the following new clause:(xiv)Determination of initial temporary periodFor purposes of this subparagraph, the end of the initial section temporary period shall be determined without regard to section 149(d)(3)(A)(iv)..(c)Effective dateThe amendments made by this section shall apply to advance refunding bonds issued more than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.4.Permanent modification of small issuer exception to tax-exempt interest expense allocation rules for financial institutions(a)Permanent increase in limitationSubparagraphs (C)(i), (D)(i), and (D)(iii)(II) of section 265(b)(3) are each amended by striking $10,000,000 and inserting $30,000,000.(b)Permanent modification of other special rulesSection 265(b)(3) is amended—(1)by redesignating clauses (iv), (v), and (vi) of subparagraph (G) as clauses (ii), (iii), and (iv), respectively, and moving such clauses to the end of subparagraph (H) (as added by paragraph (2)), and(2)by striking so much of subparagraph (G) as precedes such clauses and inserting the following:(G)Qualified 501(c)(3) bonds treated as issued by exempt organizationIn the case of a qualified 501(c)(3) bond (as defined in section 145), this paragraph shall be applied by treating the 501(c)(3) organization for whose benefit such bond was issued as the issuer.(H)Special rule for qualified financings(i)In generalIn the case of a qualified financing issue—(I)subparagraph (F) shall not apply, and(II)any obligation issued as a part of such issue shall be treated as a qualified tax-exempt obligation if the requirements of this paragraph are met with respect to each qualified portion of the issue (determined by treating each qualified portion as a separate issue which is issued by the qualified borrower with respect to which such portion relates)..(c)Inflation adjustmentSection 265(b)(3), as amended by subsection (b), is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:(I)Inflation adjustmentIn the case of any calendar year after 2020, the $30,000,000 amounts contained in subparagraphs (C)(i), (D)(i), and (D)(iii)(II) shall each be increased by an amount equal to—(i)such dollar amount, multiplied by(ii)the cost-of-living adjustment determined under section 1(f)(3) for such calendar year, determined by substituting calendar year 2019 for calendar year 2016 in subparagraph (A)(ii) thereof.Any increase determined under the preceding sentence shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $100,000..(d)Effective dateThe amendments made by this section shall apply to obligations issued after the date of the enactment of this Act.


IV
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 274
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

May 24, 2011

RESOLUTION
Electing a Member to a certain standing committee of the House of Representatives.

That the following named Member be, and is hereby, elected to the following standing committee of the House of Representatives:

Committee on Education and the Workforce:Mr. Goodlatte, to rank immediately after Ms. Foxx.

Karen L. Haas,Clerk.


109 HR 5933 IH: Business Travel Facilitation Act of

U.S. House of Representatives
2006-07-27
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
		109th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. R. 5933
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			July 27, 2006
			Mr. Feeney (for
			 himself and Mr. Meeks of New York)
			 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
			 Committee on the
			 Judiciary

		A BILL
		To provide for the admission to the United States of
		  nonimmigrant business facilitation visitors.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the
			 Business Travel Facilitation Act of
			 2006.
		2.Business
			 facilitation visitorsSection
			 214 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184) is amended by adding
			 at the end the following:

				(s)Business
				facilitation visitors
					(1)In
				generalFor purposes of section 101(a)(15)(B), the term
				visiting the United States temporarily for business includes
				visiting the United States temporarily as a business facilitation visitor, as
				defined in paragraph (2).
					(2)Definition of
				business facilitation visitorFor purposes of this subsection, a
				business facilitation visitor is an alien who is visiting the United States
				temporarily to—
						(A)provide services
				pursuant to a qualifying services contract, as defined in paragraph (7);
				or
						(B)(i)provide management or
				technical training to; or
							(ii)receive management or technical
				training from personnel of a United States entity.
							(3)Conditions
						(A)In
				generalNo alien may be admitted or provided status as a business
				facilitation visitor unless—
							(i)the alien is a
				national of a country that the Secretary of Homeland Security has certified as
				having entered into arrangements with the United States to combat fraud in the
				application for visas to the United States through the use of measures such as
				machine readable passports and biometric technology; and
							(ii)the consular
				officer to whom the alien applies for a visa under the provisions of section
				101(a)(15)(B) determines, based on evidence provided by the alien, that the
				conditions described in this paragraph have been met.
							(B)Conditions with
				respect to provision of servicesIn the case of the provision of
				services as described in paragraph (2)(A), the conditions described in this
				paragraph are that—
							(i)all
				of the alien’s remuneration and expenses related to the provision of such
				services will be paid by the alien’s employer; and
							(ii)the alien is
				qualified to provide such services, as demonstrated by the alien’s possession
				of—
								(I)expert knowledge
				of the entity’s technology or operations on the basis of technical training or
				experience; and
								(II)all licenses or
				other authorizations required to provide the services in the United
				States.
								(C)Conditions with
				respect to provision or receipt of management or technical
				trainingIn the case of the provision or receipt of management or
				technical training as described in paragraph (2)(B), the conditions described
				in this paragraph are that—
							(i)the alien is an
				employee of a firm, corporation, or other legal entity that—
								(I)is affiliated
				through ownership or control with the United States entity whose personnel will
				be providing or receiving the training;
								(II)has entered into
				a joint venture or similar agreement with the United States entity; or
								(III)has purchased, or is considering
				purchasing, goods or services from, or has sold goods or services to, the
				United States entity, and the training is related to such purchase or
				sale;
								(ii)all of the
				alien’s remuneration and expenses related to the provision or receipt of such
				training will be paid by the alien’s employer;
							(iii)in
				the case of an alien seeking to provide management training, the alien
				has—
								(I)at least 5 years
				of experience directly related to management or management training; and
								(II)detailed
				knowledge of the business operations of the alien’s employer; and
								(iv)in the case of an
				alien seeking to receive management training, the alien holds, or will hold
				within 1 year of completing the training, a management level position within
				the alien’s employer.
							(4)Period of
				authorized admission
						(A)Business
				facilitation visitors providing servicesThe period of authorized
				admission for an alien admitted as a business facilitation visitor providing
				professional services as described in paragraph (2)(A) shall not exceed 1 year.
				However, the Secretary of Homeland Security may grant such alien a single
				extension of not more than 6 months if the Secretary determines, based on
				evidence provided by the alien, that—
							(i)there has been an
				unforeseen delay in completing the provision of services described in the
				qualifying services contract; and
							(ii)replacing the
				alien with another provider of professional services would further delay or
				otherwise inhibit fulfillment of the terms of the contract.
							(B)Business
				facilitation visitors providing or receiving management or technical
				trainingThe period of authorized admission for an alien admitted
				as a business facilitation visitor providing or receiving management or
				technical training, as described in paragraph (2)(B), may not exceed 1
				year.
						(5)No change of
				statusNotwithstanding any other provision of this Act, an alien
				admitted as a business facilitation visitor shall not be eligible for a change
				of nonimmigrant status or for an adjustment from nonimmigrant to immigrant
				status during the alien’s stay in the United States.
					(6)Authorization to
				counter pattern of fraudIf the Secretary of Homeland Security
				finds that nationals of a country have engaged in a pattern of fraud involving
				visa applications or other immigration matters, the Secretary may prohibit such
				nationals from admission to the United States as business facilitation visitors
				for such period of time as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
					(7)Definition of
				qualifying services contractFor purposes of this subsection, a
				qualifying services contract is a contract between a foreign provider of
				professional services and a United States entity, the terms of which
				include—
						(A)the time period
				during which the alien will be required to be present in the United States in
				order to fulfill the terms of the contract;
						(B)the duties to be
				performed by the alien in the United States;
						(C)provisions stating
				that—
							(i)the alien’s
				remuneration and expenses will be paid by the foreign provider;
							(ii)the United States
				entity will provide the alien with working conditions comparable to those of
				similarly situated providers of professional services to the entity and
				consistent with the applicable requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (29
				U.S.C. 201 et seq.); and
							(iii)the alien
				possesses the credentials necessary to provide the services covered by the
				contract, including any licenses or other authorizations required to provide
				the services in the United States; and
							(D)a provision
				stating the respective responsibilities of the foreign provider for ensuring
				the alien’s—
							(i)compliance with
				the terms of the alien’s admission to the United States; and
							(ii)return to the
				alien’s home country at the conclusion of the period for which the alien is
				admitted.
							.


		I
		112th CONGRESS
		1st Session
		H. R. 2670
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			July 27, 2011
			Mr. Brooks (for
			 himself, Mr. Burton of Indiana,
			 Mr. Carter,
			 Mr. Palazzo, and
			 Mr. Woodall) introduced the following
			 bill; which was referred to the Committee
			 on the Judiciary

		A BILL
		To provide that States and local governments may pass
		  laws that identify illegal aliens, deter illegal aliens from entering the
		  United States, apprehend illegal aliens, or encourage or otherwise cause
		  illegal aliens to leave the United States, and for other
		  purposes.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the
			 Jobs for Americans Act of
			 2011.
		2.FindingsThe Congress finds as follows:
			(1)The security of
			 the United States and its citizens is dependent on the ability of the United
			 States to regulate the immigration of aliens into the United States.
			(2)The economic
			 disparity between the United States and other countries is a prime factor in
			 the desire of aliens to enter the United States illegally.
			(3)Federal law
			 prohibits the employment of illegal aliens in the United States. Nonetheless,
			 illegal aliens routinely find employment within the United States.
			(4)Employment of
			 illegal aliens in the United States undermines our system of lawful
			 immigration, undermines job opportunities for American workers, undermines the
			 wages for many American workers, and increases the number of Americans who are
			 dependent on Federal and State programs for monetary assistance.
			(5)The laws,
			 regulations, policies, and efforts of the United States concerning illegal
			 aliens have been insufficient to stop or adequately stem the flow of illegal
			 aliens into the United States.
			(6)The United States
			 welcomes the assistance of State, county, and municipal governments in the
			 effort to identify illegal aliens, deter illegal aliens from entering the
			 United States, apprehend illegal aliens, and encourage or otherwise cause
			 illegal aliens to leave the United States.
			(7)States, counties,
			 and municipal governments have inherent authority to investigate, identify,
			 apprehend, arrest, detain, or transfer illegal aliens to the United States and
			 to assist the United States in the enforcement of the immigration laws of the
			 United States. This State, county, and municipal authority has never been
			 displaced or preempted by Congress.
			(8)The Attorney
			 General should not use taxpayer funds to sue States, counties, or municipal
			 governments that enact their own illegal immigration legislation because of the
			 failure of the United States to adequately act on this issue.
			(9)State, county, and
			 municipal governments should be supported for taking actions to discourage
			 illegal immigration.
			3.Empowering State
			 and local governments to help the Federal Government stop illegal
			 aliens
			(a)Limited
			 preemption of State and local laws
				(1)In
			 generalStates, and political subdivisions of States, are
			 authorized to enact and enforce laws that help identify illegal aliens, deter
			 illegal aliens from entering the United States, apprehend illegal aliens, or
			 encourage or otherwise cause illegal aliens to leave the United States. States,
			 and political subdivisions of States, may not enact or enforce laws that are
			 inconsistent with Federal statutes that define the lawful status of persons who
			 are in the United States.
				(2)ConstructionThis
			 subsection shall be broadly construed to permit and empower State and political
			 subdivisions of States to address illegal alien issues within their
			 jurisdictions.
				(3)DefinitionFor
			 purposes of this subsection, the term illegal alien means an alien
			 unlawfully present in the United States, as defined by Federal law.
				(b)Nonpreemption of
			 State and local laws on aiding and abetting illegal
			 aliensNeither the provisions of this section, nor any other law,
			 preempt any State or local law imposing civil or criminal sanctions upon
			 persons who knowingly aid or abet, in any way, the presence of an illegal alien
			 within the borders of the United States.
			(c)Unlawful
			 employment of aliensSection 274A(h)(2) of the Immigration and
			 Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a(h)(2)) is amended to read as follows:

					(2)NonpreemptionNeither
				the provisions of this section, nor any other law, preempt any State or local
				law imposing civil or criminal sanctions upon persons who knowingly employ,
				recruit, or refer for a fee for employment, an unauthorized
				alien.
					.
			(d)ImmunityNo
			 person or entity shall be civilly or criminally liable for taking an action, or
			 failing to take an action, if such action or inaction was undertaken in good
			 faith to comply with a law described in subsection (a)(1) or (b).


115 HR 6815 IH: Military Learning for Credit Act of 2018
U.S. House of Representatives
2018-09-13
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.

I115th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 6815IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESSeptember 13, 2018Mr. Lamb (for himself and Ms. Stefanik) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' AffairsA BILLTo authorize the use of veterans educational assistance for examinations and assessments to receive
			 credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning, and for
			 other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Military Learning for Credit Act of 2018. 2.Authority for use of veterans educational assistance for examinations and assessments to receive credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning (a)In generalAn individual who is entitled to veterans educational assistance may use such assistance to cover the costs of covered examinations and assessments to receive credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning for approved programs of education.
 (b)Veterans educational assistanceFor purposes of this section, veterans educational assistance is educational assistance available to veterans and other eligible individuals under the provisions of law as follows:
 (1)Chapters 30, 32, 33, 34, and 35 of title 38, United States Code. (2)Any other provision of law providing educational assistance to a veteran, or to another individual in connection with the service of a veteran in the Armed Forces.
 (c)Limitation on amount usableThe total amount of veterans educational assistance that may be used for the costs of a covered examination or assessment under subsection (a) may not exceed the lesser of—
 (1)the amount charged for the examination or assessment by the entity administering the examination or assessment; or
 (2)$500. (d)Charge against entitlement (1)In generalThe number of months (or fraction thereof) of entitlement charged an individual under the applicable provision of law specified in subsection (b) for use of veterans educational assistance for costs of covered examinations and assessments under this section shall be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing—
 (A)the cost of the examination or assessment (as determined pursuant to subsection (c)); by (B)the monthly rate of veterans educational assistance to which the individual is entitled under such provision of law at the time of the examination or assessment.
 (2)Rule of constructionA charge against entitlement to educational assistance under a law administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in order to receive assistance under this section shall not be construed to affect entitlement to educational assistance under a law administered by the Secretary of Defense, including entitlement to educational assistance under the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Program.
 (e)DefinitionsIn this section: (1)The term approved program of education means a program of education approved for use of veterans educational assistance pursuant to chapter 35 or 36 of title 38, United States Code, or another applicable provision of law.
 (2)The term covered examinations and assessments means the following: (A)A DANTES Subject Standardized Test Program (DSST) examination.
 (B)A College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examination. (C)The National Career Readiness Certificate examination.
 (D)Any other examination of a similar nature to an exam specified in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) specified by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for purposes of this section.
 (E)An assessment by an institution of higher learning of a portfolio or written narrative by a student with supporting documentation that demonstrates prior military training or learning.
 (3)The term institution of higher learning has the meaning given such term in section 3452(f) of title 38, United States Code.