		III
		110th CONGRESS
		1st Session
		S. RES. 241
		IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

			June 20, 2007
			Mr. Brown submitted the
			 following resolution; which was referred to the
			 Committee on
			 Finance

		RESOLUTION
		Expressing the sense of the Senate that the
		  United States should reaffirm the commitments of the United States to the 2001
		  Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health and to pursuing trade
		  policies that promote access to affordable medicines.

		Whereas the World Trade Organization (WTO) administers and
			 enforces the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
			 (in this preamble referred to as the TRIPS Agreement) to
			 safeguard access to essential drugs;
		Whereas, in 1999, the World Health Assembly, by consensus
			 including the United States, adopted Resolution 52.19 on the World Health
			 Organization’s Revised Drug Strategy, which expressed concern about the
			 situation in which one third of the world's population has no guaranteed access
			 to essential drugs, [and] in which new world trade agreements may have a
			 negative impact on local manufacturing capacity and the access to and prices of
			 pharmaceuticals in developing countries, and urged member states to
			 ensure that public health rather than commercial interests have primacy
			 in pharmaceutical and health policies and to review their options under
			 the TRIPS Agreement;
		Whereas, in 2001, the member states of the WTO, by
			 consensus including the United States, adopted the Doha Declaration on the
			 TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, in which member states agreed that
			 intellectual property protection is important for the development of new
			 medicines, but also expressed concerns about its effects on
			 prices;
		Whereas the Doha Declaration further states that the TRIPS
			 Agreement can and should be interpreted and implemented in a manner
			 supportive of WTO Members’ right to protect public health and, in particular,
			 to promote access to medicines for all;
		Whereas Article 31 of the TRIPS Agreement allows each
			 member state the flexibility to issue compulsory licences which permit the use
			 of the subject matter of a patent, and gives member states broad latitude for
			 such use;
		Whereas the World Health Organization’s 2006 Report of the
			 Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health
			 emphasized the need for innovation in medical technologies and access to such
			 innovation, and the report also—
			(1)states that the
			 Doha Declaration clarifies the right of governments to use compulsory licensing
			 as a means of resolving tensions that may arise between public health and the
			 protection of intellectual property rights, and to determine the grounds for
			 using compulsory licensing;
			(2)recommends that
			 developing countries provide for the use of compulsory licensing provisions in
			 legislation as one means to facilitate access to affordable medicines through
			 import or local production;
			(3)recommends that
			 bilateral trade agreements not seek to impose obligations to protect
			 intellectual property rights that are greater than those required under the
			 TRIPS Agreement, because such obligations could potentially reduce access to
			 medicines in developing countries; and
			(4)recommends that
			 developing countries should not impose restrictions for the use of, or reliance
			 on, data from pharmaceutical development tests in ways that would exclude fair
			 competition or impede the use of flexibilities built into the TRIPS Agreement,
			 unless such a restriction is required for public health reasons;
			Whereas the Governments of Thailand and Brazil have issued
			 compulsory licenses to gain access to less expensive versions of
			 second-generation anti-retroviral drugs in order to treat a much larger number
			 of HIV/AIDS patients;
		Whereas the Government of the United States has recognized
			 the right of the Government of Thailand to issue compulsory licenses in
			 accordance with the laws of Thailand and the obligations of the Government of
			 Thailand as a member of the WTO;
		Whereas the 2007 Special 301 Report, the
			 annual review of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement
			 conducted by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, elevated
			 Thailand to the Priority Watch List, pursuant to section 182 of the Trade Act
			 of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2242), for reasons including indications of a
			 weakening of respect for patents, as the Thai Government announced decisions to
			 issue compulsory licenses for several patented pharmaceutical
			 products;
		Whereas the 2007 Special 301 Report singled
			 out Brazil for having at times indicated consideration of the use of
			 compulsory licensing on patented pharmaceutical products;
		Whereas the 2007 Special 301 Report cited
			 21 developing countries for inadequate intellectual property
			 rights protections on pharmaceutical test data;
		Whereas the United States Trade Representative has
			 negotiated or is seeking to complete several bilateral or regional trade
			 agreements with developing countries that contain further obligations to
			 protect intellectual property rights, including—
			(1)limitations on
			 the grounds for issuing compulsory licenses;
			(2)requirements that
			 countries adopt periods of data exclusivity on the scientific evidence used to
			 determine that drugs are safe and effective, which either delays the timely
			 entry of generic drugs into the market or forces competitors producing generic
			 drugs to invest in costly, time-consuming, and redundant clinical trials,
			 including trials that violate ethical rules concerning the repetition of
			 experiments on humans;
			(3)extensions of
			 patent terms beyond 20 years;
			(4)linkage between
			 drug registration and assertions of patent protection, so that agencies
			 responsible for the regulation of drugs are prohibited from granting marketing
			 approval to a generic version of a medicine if the product is covered by a
			 patent; and
			(5)obligations to
			 extend patent protection to minor improvements in, or new uses of, older
			 products; and
			Whereas the United States is a user of flexibilities
			 provided in the TRIPS Agreement, including the use of involuntary
			 authorizations to use the subject matter of patents in a number of important
			 sectors, including medical devices, software, and automobile manufacturing:
			 Now, therefore, be it

		That it is the sense of the Senate
			 that the United States should—
			(1)honor the
			 commitments the United States made in the 2001 World Trade Organization Doha
			 Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which allows member
			 states of the World Trade Organization to use to the full the
			 flexibilities in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspect of Intellectual Property
			 Rights (in this resolution referred to as the TRIPS Agreement)
			 to protect public health and, in particular, to promote access to
			 medicines for all, including the issuance of compulsory licenses on
			 grounds determined by member states;
			(2)not place
			 countries on the Special 301 Priority Watch List under section
			 182 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2242) for exercising the flexibilities
			 on public health provided for in the TRIPS Agreement, such as issuing
			 compulsory licenses to obtain access to generic medicines in accordance with
			 the Doha Declaration;
			(3)not ask trading
			 partners who are developing nations to adopt measures to protect intellectual
			 property rights that relate to public health in excess of protections required
			 in the TRIPS Agreement; and
			(4)support new
			 global norms for promoting medical research and development that seek to
			 provide a sustainable basis for a needs-driven essential health agenda.


115 HR 5705 IH: Postal Operations To be Unbiased and Sensible (POTUS) Act of 2018
U.S. House of Representatives
2018-05-08
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
		115th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. R. 5705
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			May 8, 2018
			Mr. Donovan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

		A BILL
		 To require each post office of the United States Postal Service to display the official portrait
			 of the President and the Vice President.

		1.Short title
 This Act may be cited as the Postal Operations To be Unbiased and Sensible (POTUS) Act of 2018. 2.Display of official portraits of the President and Vice President at USPS facilities (a)In generalThe Postmaster General of the United States shall issue such rules or regulations as are necessary to require each post office of the United States Postal Service to display the official portrait of the incumbent President and Vice President in accordance with the following:
 (1)The official portraits of the President and Vice President shall be displayed side-by-side with the President on the left of the Vice President.
 (2)Such portraits shall be equal in size and displayed at the same height. (b)Official portrait definedIn this section, the term official portrait means a photograph released by the White House and produced by the Government Publishing Office for purposes of display in Federal facilities.


116 HR 4128 IH: Map Improvement Act of 2019
U.S. House of Representatives
2019-07-30
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. 4128IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESJuly 30, 2019Mr. Luján (for himself, Mr. Bilirakis, and Mr. Michael F. Doyle of Pennsylvania)  introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and CommerceA BILLTo improve the collection and aggregation of fixed and mobile broadband internet service coverage
			 data, and for other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Map Improvement Act of 2019. 2.DefinitionsIn this Act:
 (1)Assistant SecretaryThe term Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. (2)Broadband internet serviceThe term broadband internet service—
 (A)means mass-market retail service by wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to and receive data from all or substantially all internet endpoints, including any capabilities that are incidental to and enable the operation of the communications service;
 (B)includes any service that the Commission finds to be providing a functional equivalent of the service described in subparagraph (A) or that is used to evade the protections set forth in part 8 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto; and
 (C)does not include dial-up internet service. (3)CommissionThe term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.
 (4)End userThe term end user means any individual or entity that uses a broadband internet service. (5)Fixed broadband internet serviceThe term fixed broadband internet service means—
 (A)a broadband internet service that serves end users primarily at fixed endpoints using stationary equipment; and
 (B)includes fixed wireless services, including fixed unlicensed wireless services, and fixed satellite services.
 (6)GISThe term GIS means geographic information systems. (7)Mobile broadband internet serviceThe term mobile broadband internet service shall have the meaning given such term by the Commission for purposes of this Act.
 (8)StateThe term State means each State of the United States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe.
			3.Collection and mapping of fixed and mobile broadband internet service coverage
			(a)Standardized methodology rule
 (1)In generalNot later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary, shall promulgate a final rule to establish a standardized methodology for collecting and mapping accurate fixed broadband internet service and mobile broadband internet service coverage data in the United States, which shall—
 (A)ensure that coverage data for fixed broadband internet service and mobile broadband internet service is collected in a standardized, consistent, and robust manner;
 (B)improve the validity and reliability of coverage data; (C)increase the efficiency of coverage data collection;
 (D)contain standard definitions for different speed tiers, such as the 2G, 3G, 4G, and 4G LTE tiers and the equivalent for fixed broadband internet service;
 (E)ensure that the collection and validation process occurs on a regular basis; and (F)establish a standardized ongoing validation process and public feedback mechanism that will allow for consumers, State and local officials, and broadband internet service providers to submit data to the Commission to verify coverage data from broadband internet service providers and challenge any aspects of such data believed to be inaccurate.
 (2)ConsiderationsIn promulgating the rule required under paragraph (1), the Commission shall consider— (A)coordinating with the Postmaster General, the heads of other Federal agencies that operate delivery fleet vehicles, and the Director of the Bureau of the Census for assistance with data collection and the feasibility of using more granular address level data; and
 (B)creating 1 centralized national map with multiple layers, including a layer each for fixed broadband internet service and mobile broadband internet service, which may be used in determining eligibility for all Federal broadband internet service grant, loan, and subsidy programs.
 (3)Establishment of OfficeThe Commission shall establish an Office of Broadband Data Collection and Mapping within the Commission to serve as the central point of collection, aggregation, and validation of data collected under the standardized methodology established under this subsection.
				(b)Technical assistance program
 (1)In generalThe Assistant Secretary shall establish a technical assistance program under which the Assistant Secretary shall provide grants to State and local entities, such as regional planning organizations, to—
 (A)assist such entities with mapping and the development of a GIS-based map of existing fixed broadband internet service and mobile broadband internet service; and
 (B)assess current broadband internet service adoption rates and advertised broadband internet service pricing in the community.
 (2)Use of fundsFunds received under this subsection— (A)shall be used to—
 (i)carry out the activities described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1); and (ii)participate in the standardized ongoing validation process and public feedback mechanism described in subsection (a)(1)(F); and
 (B)may be used to purchase GIS software and for technical assistance with that software. (3)Other uses for GIS softwareA grantee may use GIS software acquired using funds received under this subsection for other purposes in addition to broadband internet service mapping.


115 HRES 252 IH: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the challenges posed to long-term stability in Lebanon by the conflict in Syria and supporting the establishment of safe zones in Syria.
U.S. House of Representatives
2017-04-06
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.

IV115th CONGRESS1st SessionH. RES. 252IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESApril 6, 2017Mr. LaHood (for himself, Ms. Kaptur, and Mr. Abraham) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign AffairsRESOLUTIONExpressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the challenges posed to long-term stability
			 in Lebanon by the conflict in Syria and supporting the establishment of
			 safe zones in Syria.

 Whereas the security and stability of Lebanon, a pluralistic democracy in the Middle East, is in the interest of the United States and its allies in the region;
 Whereas over the past 10 years, the United States has provided robust assistance to Lebanon, including training and equipment for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF);
 Whereas the integrity and effectiveness of the LAF in its struggle against the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and affiliates advances a vital United States national security interest;
 Whereas the conflict in Syria poses a significant threat to stability in Lebanon as a result of violent attacks against Lebanese citizens perpetrated by combatants active in Syria and a massive influx of refugees fleeing the conflict area;
 Whereas the people of Lebanon have shown great willingness in receiving more than 1,500,000 refugees from Syria, even as Lebanon struggles to accommodate a refugee population equal to one-quarter of its native population;
 Whereas Lebanon is hosting more refugees proportionally than any country in the world; Whereas the refugee crisis has further depressed the economy of Lebanon, which has a national debt of approximately 140 percent of the gross domestic product and economic growth rates lower than potential;
 Whereas the LAF has been called into direct conflict with ISIS after attacks carried out in Lebanon;
 Whereas the unique political constitution of Lebanon hinges on the distinct demographic and social equilibrium of the country;
 Whereas the constitution of Lebanon is further undermined by undue foreign influence, particularly by the Islamic Republic of Iran through its terrorist proxy Hezbollah;
 Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon and stresses the importance of full control over Lebanon by the Government of Lebanon;
 Whereas Hezbollah continues to violate Resolution 1701, including by replenishing its stock of rockets and missiles in South Lebanon;
 Whereas the prolongation of the conflict in Syria has the potential to upset the precarious social and political balance in Lebanon;
 Whereas ending the conflict in Syria is in the national security and humanitarian interests of the United States;
 Whereas 11,000,000 Syrians have fled their homes since the war there started in 2011, with 5,000,000 Syrian refugees in the region and a roughly equivalent number internally displaced persons in the country; and
 Whereas Syrians will continue to be displaced unless they are protected from the ongoing violence: Now, therefore, be it

 That the House of Representatives— (1)recognizes the importance of United States and its international assistance to the people of Lebanon in order to build the capacity for Lebanon to provide services and security for Lebanese citizens, particularly to curb the influence of Hezbollah;
 (2)encourages continued coordination between the Secretary of State, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and humanitarian organizations to ensure refugees from the conflict in Syria, including those in Lebanon, are supported in ways as to mitigate any potentially destabilizing effects on their host countries;
 (3)supports the establishment of secure, dignified, and sustainable safe zones in Syria and in the surrounding region in which Syrian nationals displaced from their homeland can await firm settlement, such as repatriation or potential third-country resettlement;
 (4)recognizes the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as the sole institution entrusted with the defense of the sovereignty of Lebanon and supports strengthening United States partnerships with the LAF, particularly through the global coalition to defeat the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS);
 (5)supports the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006); and (6)recognizes that it is in the interests of the United States to support negotiations to end the conflict in Syria, which would allow for the eventual return of the millions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and other countries around the world back to Syria.


115 S862 IS: American Apprenticeship Act
U.S. Senate
2017-04-06
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.

II115th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 862IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESApril 6 (legislative day, April 4), 2017Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsA BILLTo establish and strengthen projects that defray the cost of related instruction associated with
			 pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, and for other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the American Apprenticeship Act.
		2.Pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs
 (a)DefinitionsIn this Act: (1)ApprenticeshipThe term apprenticeship means an apprenticeship registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the National Apprenticeship Act; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
 (2)Postsecondary educational institutionThe term postsecondary educational institution means an institution of higher education, as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002).
 (3)Pre-apprenticeshipThe term pre-apprenticeship, used with respect to a program, means an initiative or set of strategies that— (A)is designed to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in an apprenticeship program;
 (B)is carried out by a sponsor described in paragraph (6)(B) that has a documented partnership with one or more sponsors of apprenticeship programs; and
 (C)includes each of the following: (i)Training (including a curriculum for the training), aligned with industry standards related to apprenticeships, and reviewed and approved annually by sponsors of the apprenticeships within the documented partnership, that will prepare individuals by teaching the skills and competencies needed to enter one or more apprenticeship programs.
 (ii)Provision of hands-on training and theoretical education to individuals that— (I)is carried out in a manner that includes proper observation of supervision and safety protocols; and
 (II)is carried out in a manner that does not displace a paid employee. (iii)A formal agreement with a sponsor of an apprenticeship program that would enable participants who successfully complete the pre-apprenticeship program to enter directly into the apprenticeship program (if a place in the program is available and if the participant meets the qualifications of the apprenticeship program), and includes agreements concerning earning credit recognized by a postsecondary educational institution for skills and competencies acquired during the pre-apprenticeship program.
 (4)Related instructionThe term related instruction means an organized and systematic form of instruction designed to provide an apprentice with the knowledge of the theoretical and technical subjects related to the occupation of the apprentice or the instruction needed to prepare an individual to enter and succeed in an apprenticeship program.
 (5)SecretaryThe term Secretary means the Secretary of Labor. (6)SponsorThe term sponsor means—
 (A)with respect to an apprenticeship program, an employer, joint labor-management partnership, trade association, professional association, labor organization, or other entity, that administers the apprenticeship program; and
 (B)with respect to a pre-apprenticeship program, a local educational agency, a secondary school, an area career and technical education school, a State board, a local board, or a community-based organization, with responsibility for the pre-apprenticeship program.
 (7)Workforce innovation and opportunity act definitionsThe terms area career and technical education school, community-based organization, individual with a barrier to employment, local board, local educational agency, secondary school, and State board have the meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
				(b)Grants for tuition assistance
 (1)In generalThe Secretary may make grants to States on a competitive basis to assist the States in, and pay for the Federal share of the cost of, carrying out projects that defray the cost of related instruction associated with pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.
 (2)ApplicationTo be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary for such a project at such time, in such manner, and containing a strategic plan that contains such information as the Secretary may require, including—
 (A)information identifying the State agency that will administer the grant as determined by the Governor of the State;
 (B)a description of strategies that the State entity will use to collaborate with key industry representatives, State agencies, postsecondary educational institutions, labor-management entities, and other relevant partners to launch or expand pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships;
 (C)a description of how the State entity will— (i)coordinate activities carried out under this subsection with activities carried out under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) to support pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships;
 (ii)leverage funds provided under the Acts specified in clause (i) to support pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships; and
 (iii)utilize, and encourage individual participants in programs supported under this subsection to utilize, available Federal and State financial assistance, including assistance available under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), education assistance benefits available to veterans, and Federal Pell Grants available under section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a), prior to using assistance made available under this Act;
 (D)a description of strategies to elevate apprenticeships as a workforce solution in both traditional and nontraditional industries, such as information technology, health care, advanced manufacturing, construction trades, transportation, and other industries determined to be high-demand by the State board for the State;
 (E)a description of activities that the State entity will carry out to build awareness about the economic potential of apprenticeships;
 (F)a description that outlines how the State entity will increase opportunities for pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships among members of minority groups, youth, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and individuals with barriers to employment;
 (G)information describing— (i)how the State entity will meet performance measures, and comply with an evaluation system and reporting requirements, established by the Secretary under paragraph (6); and
 (ii)at the election of the State, any State performance measures and goals that the State will use to measure the effectiveness of the project; and
 (H)in the case of a State that has already received a grant under this subsection for a project, information indicating that the State met the performance measures with respect to the project.
 (3)Application Review ProcessA joint team of employees from the Department of Labor and the Department of Education shall— (A)review such an application; and
 (B)make recommendations to the Secretary regarding approval of the application. (4)Use of fundsA State that receives a grant under this subsection shall use the funds made available through the grant to defray any of the following costs of related instruction:
 (A)Tuition and fees. (B)Cost of textbooks, equipment, curriculum development, and other required educational materials.
 (C)Costs of any other item or service determined by the State to be necessary. (5)Administrative costsThe State may use not more than 10 percent of the grant funds for administrative costs relating to carrying out the project described in paragraph (1).
 (6)Performance and evaluationThe Secretary, after consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall— (A)establish performance measures based on indicators set by the Administrator of the Office of Apprenticeship of the Department of Labor; and
 (B)establish an evaluation system aligned with the performance measures, and reporting requirements for the program carried out under this subsection.
					(c)Federal share
 (1)In generalThe Federal share of the cost described in subsection (b)(1) shall be not less than 20 percent and not more than 50 percent.
 (2)Non-Federal shareThe State may make the non-Federal share available— (A)in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services; and
 (B)directly or through donations from public or private entities. (d)ReportThe Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress, not later than September 30, 2022, a report—
 (1)detailing the results of the evaluation described in subsection (b)(6)(B); and (2)analyzing the extent to which States have used grant funds effectively under this section.
 (e)Policy of the United StatesIt is the policy of the United States that funds made available under this section should be used to supplement and not supplant other funds available under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) and other Federal and State funds available to the State to support workforce development programs.
 3.Identifying in-demand occupationsThe Secretary shall— (1)identify in-demand occupations nationally and regionally that lack the use of apprenticeships;
 (2)analyze the use of the apprenticeship model in those identified in-demand occupations; and (3)prepare and submit to States and Congress a report that contains the analysis described in paragraph (2).
 4.Authorization of appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023.