zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Safety for Americans from Nuclear Weapons Testing Act - Deems the resumption of underground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site or the use of any other location for such testing to be a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment for which a separate environmental impact statement is required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Outlines information required to be included in such statement, including: (1) the possibility of radiation containment failure and the effects of such failure; (2) possible long-term effects on the water table from underground radiation leakage; and (3) information with respect to categories of weapons subject to testing.Prohibits the United States from resuming any such testing unless authorized by a law enacted after the enactment of this Act.Requires: (1) advance (seven days) public notice of each test; (2) prompt notice of each release of radiation resulting from a test; and (3) a study by the National Academy of Sciences on the safety and health of citizens in the vicinity of the Site. Establishes a Nevada Test Site Citizens Review Board to address environmental, health, and safety issues related to nuclear testing at the Site.Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to institutions of higher education to acquire and operate for ten years radiation detection equipment and sensors.Directs the Secretary of Energy, through the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to monitor any radiation released into the atmosphere as a result of such testing. Requires: (1) DOE radiation containment assessment; and (2) public notice of monitoring data.Requires the: (1) Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make a grant to establish the National Center for the Study of Radiation and Human Health; and (2) Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study of individuals exposed to nuclear weapons tests.

Date: 2009-03-16
Topic: Defense (Hazardous Waste)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include the states of Idaho and Montana among affected areas for purposes of payments to individuals with certain medical conditions who were exposed to fallout emitted during the U.S. government's atmospheric nuclear tests.

Date: 2009-06-24
Topic: Defense (Hazardous Waste)
Subject: Law
Examination of Exposures to Environmental Hazards During Military Service and Health Care for Camp Lejeune and Atsugi Naval Air Facility Veterans and their Families Act of 2010 - (Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to jointly establish the Advisory Board on Military Exposures (Board) to provide expert advice to DOD and VA on matters relating to exposures of current and former members of the Armed Forces (members) and their dependents to environmental hazards on military installations. (Sec. 4) Requires the Board to: (1) consider and study cases of such exposure; (2) evaluate submitted exposure claims; and (3) recommend to such Secretaries that either a claim is insufficient to warrant further consideration or is sufficient to warrant health care or compensation. Authorizes the Board to convene a science panel to consider exposure claims and report results to the Board. (Sec. 5) Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) to provide to such members and dependents the health care benefits recommended by the Board. (Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to: (1) compile a list of individuals exposed to environmental hazards at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, during the period in which the water was contaminated with volatile organic compounds, including known and probable human carcinogens; and (2) report to the congressional defense and appropriations committees on the compilation of such list. (Sec. 7) Requires the Secretary to: (1) compile a list of individuals exposed to environmental hazards at Atsugi Naval Air Facility, Japan, during the period in which the air was contaminated due to an incinerator; and (2) report to the above committees on the compilation of such list. (Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary to report annually to such committees on health care and other benefits provided under this Act. (Sec. 10) Authorizes appropriations.

Date: 2010-05-17
Topic: Defense (Hazardous Waste)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Depleted Uranium Screening and Testing Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to: (1) establish procedures for the predeployment notification to members of the Armed Forces of any known or likely use of depleted uranium in a theater of operations and any health risks associated with exposure to depleted uranium; (2) provide for training deploying members on the safe handling of depleted uranium contamination; (3) carry out a program to identify individuals exposed to depleted uranium during active service in the Armed Forces; (4) provide such individuals with bioassay testing and notification of test results; and (5) identify specified depleted uranium exposure events. Requires the Secretary of each military department to establish procedures for collecting, tracking, and maintaining information on the health status of individuals tested under this Act to assess long-term health consequences of exposure to depleted uranium. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct an independent review of bioassay types and contamination thresholds for purposes of required testing. Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to provide appropriate treatment for any illness of an individual resulting from depleted uranium contamination or exposure. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a survey of radioisotope identification equipment used by the Department of Defense (DOD) to assess the capability of DOD facilities to identify concentrations of different radioisotopes in naturally occurring levels of uranium and to report survey findings to Congress.

Date: 2011-01-07
Topic: Defense (Hazardous Waste)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Military Environmental Responsibility Act - Requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and defense-related agencies (the Department of Energy [DOE], the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC], the Office of Naval Nuclear Reactors, and any others as designated by the President) to fully comply with designated federal and state environmental laws, including those related to public health and safety, to the same extent as any other entities subject to such laws. Waives any immunity of the United States with respect to such laws as applied to DOD and any defense-related agency. Provides for administrative enforcement actions. Requires the Secretary of Defense, for each weapon system for which congressional budget justification is required, to ensure that all development and procurement decisions comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Repeals prohibitions: (1) on the use of certain military appropriation accounts for the payment of fines and penalties for environmental noncompliance; and (2) forbidding the use of defense funds to conduct treatment, storage, or disposal activities at sites designated under the Formerly Utilized Site Remedial Action Program.

Date: 2011-01-19
Topic: Defense (Hazardous Waste)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Safety for Americans from Nuclear Weapons Testing Act - Deems each of the following actions undertaken by a federal agency to be a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment for which a detailed environmental impact statement is required in conformance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969: (1) any action having as a purpose the resumption of testing of one or more nuclear weapons (including other nuclear explosive devices producing a nuclear yield) at the Nevada National Security Site; or (2) use of any other location for such testing. Outlines information required to be included in such statement, including: (1) the possibility of radiation containment failure and the effects of such failure; (2) possible long-term effects on the water table from underground radiation leakage; and (3) information with respect to certain kiloton categories of weapons. Prohibits the United States from resuming any such testing unless authorized by a law enacted after the enactment of this Act. Requires: (1) advance public notice of each test by the President; (2) notice of each release of radiation beyond the boundaries of the Nevada National Security Site by the Secretary of Energy within one hour of detection of such radiation; and (3) public meetings in southern Utah, Arizona, and Nevada after each test to discuss test results. Directs the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on the safety and health of citizens in the vicinity of the Nevada National Security Site. Directs the Secretary to establish a Nevada National Security Site Citizens Review Board. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to institutions of higher education to acquire and operate, for ten years, radiation detection equipment and sensors. Directs the Secretary of Energy, through the Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to monitor the nature and extent of any radiation released into the atmosphere as a result of such testing. Requires: (1) DOE radiation containment assessment; and (2) public notice of monitoring data. Requires the: (1) Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make a grant to establish the National Center for the Study of Radiation and Human Health; and (2) Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study of individuals exposed to nuclear weapons tests. Deems any reference to the Nevada Test Site in any law to be a reference to the Nevada National Security Site.

Date: 2011-04-12
Topic: Defense (Hazardous Waste)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) establish and maintain an open pit burn registry for members of the Armed Forces deployed in a contingency operation in Iraq or Afghanistan who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals and fumes caused by open burn pits used for disposing solid waste, (2) include in such registry information necessary to ascertain and monitor the health effects of such exposure, (3) develop a public information campaign to inform eligible individuals about the registry, and (4) periodically notify such individuals of significant developments in the study and treatment of conditions associated with such exposure. Requires the Secretary to: (1) contract with an independent scientific organization to develop a report assessing the effectiveness of actions taken to collect and maintain information on the health effects of such exposure, and (2) submit the completed report to Congress.

Date: 2011-11-03
Topic: Defense (Hazardous Waste)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Insular Areas Act of 2011 - Amends the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 to direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE), beginning on January 1, 2012, to periodically conduct (not less frequently than every four years): (1) a visual study of the concrete exterior of the Cactus Crater containment structure on Runit Island, and (2) a radiochemical analysis of the groundwater surrounding and in such structure. Requires the Secretary to submit to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources a report containing a description of the results of the study and analysis and a determination of any significant change in the health risks to the people of Enewetak (atoll in Marshall Islands) from the contaminants within such structure. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to make funds available to DOE to conduct such analyses. Amends the federal judicial code to allow the temporary assignment of a magistrate or territorial judge as a judge of any duly constituted court of the freely associated compact states. Amends the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 to: (1) require increases in the minimum wage in American Samoa to be made on a triennial basis (currently, increases are made annually); (2) disallow any increase in 2012, 2013, and 2014; and (3) delay the subsequent reports of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the impact of minimum wage increases until April 1, 2014, and every three years thereafter (currently, April 1, 2013, and every two years thereafter).

Date: 2011-12-16
Topic: Defense (Hazardous Waste)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Mohave County Radiation Compensation Act of 2013 - Amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include the county of Mohave, Arizona, among affected areas for purposes of payments to individuals with certain medical conditions who were exposed to fallout emitted during the U.S. government's atmospheric nuclear tests.

Date: 2013-01-25
Topic: Defense (Hazardous Waste)
Subject: Law
Downwinders Compensation Act of 2015

This bill amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to expand eligibility for restitution relating to atmospheric nuclear testing to individuals who were present, during the periods of testing, in any part of Clark County, Nevada, or any part of any county in Arizona that has a part north of the Grand Canyon.

Date: 2015-07-29
Topic: Defense (Hazardous Waste)
Subject: Law
Rural Economic Investment Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income interest received by a bank or savings association that is insured under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act on a loan secured by agricultural real estate or by a leasehold mortgage on agricultural real estate (real property used for agricultural production or certain single family rural residences).

Date: 2007-01-12
Topic: Housing (Rural Housing)
Subject: Taxation
Rural Housing Improvement Act of 2010 - Amends the Housing Act of 1949 and the Doug Bereuter Section 502 Single Family Housing Loan Guarantee Act to increase from up to 1% to at least 3% but not more than 4% the guarantee fee on loans for housing and buildings on adequate farms, as determined sufficient by the Secretary of Agriculture to cover the costs of such guaranteed loans. Amends the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 2001 to repeal the maximum limit on the loan guarantee fee of 2%. Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to authorize the Secretary to guarantee such loans in aggregate amounts of up to $8 billion for FY2010, in addition to such guaranteed loans authorized in other Acts for FY2010.

Date: 2010-04-13
Topic: Housing (Rural Housing)
Subject: Housing and community development
Rural Housing Preservation and Stabilization Act of 2010 - Amends the Housing Act of 1949 and the Doug Bereuter Section 502 Single Family Housing Loan Guarantee Act to increase from up to 1% to up to 4% the guarantee fee on loans for housing and buildings on adequate farms. Amends the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 2001 to repeal the maximum limit on the loan guarantee fee of 2%. Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to authorize the Secretary to guarantee such loans in aggregate amounts of up to $30 billion for FY2010. Declares that the budgetary effects of this Act, in order to comply with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled "Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation" for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives, provided that such statement has been submitted before the vote on passage.

Date: 2010-04-14
Topic: Housing (Rural Housing)
Subject: Housing and community development
Rural Physician Pipeline Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a program to make grants to accredited schools of allopathic or osteopathic medicine to: (1) assist such schools in recruiting students most likely to practice medicine in underserved rural communities; (2) provide rural-focused training and experience; and (3) increase the number of recent allopathic and osteopathic medical school graduates who practice in underserved rural communities. Requires the Secretary to convene a Rural Training Program Symposium to: (1) develop best practices for such schools; and (2) establish a network of medical schools that have developed or will develop rural training programs.

Date: 2009-08-06
Topic: Housing (Rural Housing)
Subject: Health
Rural Housing Preservation Act of 2011 - Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to revise the requirements for consideration as rural areas with respect to assistance for farm housing. States that any area classified as "rural" or a "rural area" before October 1, 1990, and determined not to be "rural" or a "rural area" as a result of data received from or after the 1990, 2000, or 2010 (currently, only the 1990 or 2000) decennial census shall continue to be so classified until the receipt of data from the decennial census in the year 2020 (currently, 2010), if, as under current law, such area has a population of between 10,000 and 25,000, is rural in character, and has a serious lack of mortgage credit for lower and moderate-income families.

Date: 2011-01-12
Topic: Housing (Rural Housing)
Subject: Housing and community development
Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to suspend the limitation on the period for which borrowers are eligible for loan guarantee assistance through December 31, 2013.

Date: 2011-04-07
Topic: Housing (Rural Housing)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Rural Housing Preservation Act of 2013 - Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to revise the requirements for consideration as rural areas with respect to assistance for farm housing.

 States that any area classified as "rural" or a "rural area" before October 1, 1990, and determined not to be "rural" or a "rural area" as a result of data received from or after the 1990, 2000, or 2010 (currently, only the 1990 or 2000) decennial census shall continue to be so classified until the receipt of data from the decennial census in the year 2020 (currently, 2010), if, as under current law, such area has a population of between 10,000 and 25,000, is rural in character, and has a serious lack of mortgage credit for lower and moderate-income families.

Date: 2013-02-27
Topic: Housing (Rural Housing)
Subject: Housing and community development
Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act - Directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish an application process under which a person who lives or does business in a state may apply to have an area in the state identified as a rural area if it has not yet been so designated by the CFPB for purposes of federal consumer financial law.

 Prescribes criteria for the CFPB to consider when evaluating the application. Requires the CFPB to: (1) grant or deny the application within 90 days after the public comment period ends; and (3) publish the grant or denial in the Federal Register, including an explanation of the factors upon which the CFPB relied in making its determination.

Sunsets this Act two years after its date of enactment.

Date: 2013-07-11
Topic: Housing (Rural Housing)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Fair Pay Restoration Act - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to declare that an unlawful employment practice occurs when a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted, when an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice, or when an individual is affected by application of the decision or practice, including each time compensation is paid. Accrues liability, and allows an aggrieved person to obtain relief including recovery of back pay for up to two years preceding the filing of the charge, where the unlawful employment practice that has occurred during the charge filing period is similar or related to a practice that occurred outside the charge filing period. Applies certain amendments made by this Act to claims of compensation discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to declare that an unlawful practice occurs when a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted, when a person becomes subject to the decision or other practice, or when a person is affected by the decision or practice, including each time compensation is paid.

Date: 2007-07-20
Topic: Civil Rights (Age Discrimination)
Subject: Civil rights and liberties, minority issues
Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act - Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to declare that a plaintiff establishes an unlawful employment practice if the plaintiff demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that: (1) an impermissible factor or authority was a motivating factor for the practice complained of, even if other factors also motivated that practice; or (2) the practice complained of would not have occurred in the absence of an impermissible factor. Specifies the types of: (1) evidence that a plaintiff may utilize; and (2) relief and damages available to a successful plaintiff.

Date: 2009-10-06
Topic: Civil Rights (Age Discrimination)
Subject: Labor and employment
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to declare that an unlawful employment practice occurs when: (1) a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted; (2) an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice; or (3) an individual is affected by application of the decision or practice, including each time wages, benefits, or other compensation is paid. Allows liability to accrue, and allows an aggrieved person to obtain relief, including recovery of back pay, for up to two years preceding the filing of the charge, where the unlawful employment practices that have occurred during the charge filing period are similar or related to practices that occurred outside the time for filing a charge. Applies the preceding provisions to claims of compensation discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to declare that an unlawful practice occurs when a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted, when a person becomes subject to the decision or other practice, or when a person is affected by the decision or practice, including each time wages, benefits, or other compensation is paid.

Date: 2009-01-08
Topic: Civil Rights (Age Discrimination)
Subject: Civil rights and liberties, minority issues
Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act - Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to specify that an unlawful employment practice is established when the complaining party demonstrates that age or participation in investigations, proceedings, or litigation under such Act was a motivating factor for any practice, even though other factors also motivated the practice (thereby allowing what are commonly known as "mixed motive" claims). Permits a complaining party to rely on any type or form of admissible evidence, which need only be sufficient for a reasonable trier of fact to find that an unlawful practice occurred. Declares that a complaining party shall not be required to demonstrate that age or retaliation was the sole cause of a practice (thereby rejecting the Supreme Court decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., which requires a complainant to prove that age was the "but-for" cause for the employer's decision). Authorizes the court, on a claim in which an individual demonstrates that age was a motivating factor for any employment practice and in which a respondent demonstrates that the same action would have been taken in the absence of the impermissible motivating factor, to grant declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and attorney's fees and costs directly attributable only to the pursuit of a claim. Prohibits the court in such an instance from awarding damages or issuing an order requiring any admission, reinstatement, hiring, promotion, or payment. Applies the same standard of proof to other employment discrimination and retaliation claims, including claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and similar laws concerning federal employees.

Date: 2012-03-13
Topic: Civil Rights (Age Discrimination)
Subject: Labor and employment
Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act - Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to specify that an unlawful employment practice is established when the complaining party demonstrates that age or participation in investigations, proceedings, or litigation under such Act was a motivating factor for any practice, even though other factors also motivated the practice (thereby allowing what are commonly known as "mixed motive" claims).

Permits a complaining party to rely on any type or form of admissible evidence, which need only be sufficient for a reasonable trier of fact to find that an unlawful practice occurred. Declares that a complaining party shall not be required to demonstrate that age or retaliation was the sole cause of a practice (thereby rejecting the Supreme Court decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., which requires a complainant to prove that age was the "but-for" cause for the employer's decision).

Authorizes the court, on a claim in which an individual demonstrates that age was a motivating factor for any employment practice and in which a respondent demonstrates that the same action would have been taken in the absence of the impermissible motivating factor, to grant declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and attorney's fees and costs directly attributable only to the pursuit of a claim. Prohibits the court in such an instance from awarding damages or issuing an order requiring any admission, reinstatement, hiring, promotion, or payment.

Applies the same standard of proof to other employment discrimination and retaliation claims, including claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and similar laws concerning federal employees.

Date: 2013-07-30
Topic: Civil Rights (Age Discrimination)
Subject: Labor and employment
Retirement Security Preservation Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to nondiscrimination requirements for tax-exempt employee pension, profit-sharing, and stock bonus plans, to include protections for older, longer service participants in such plans, including the grandfathering of such participants under defined benefit plans.

Date: 2014-09-18
Topic: Civil Rights (Age Discrimination)
Subject: Labor and employment
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to provide for full benefits for disabled widows and widowers without regard to age or any previous reduction in OASDI benefits.

Declares that there shall be no reduction in the widow's or widower's insurance benefit of an individual for any month in which such individual is under a disability.

Date: 2015-06-15
Topic: Civil Rights (Age Discrimination)
Subject: Social welfare
Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act  

This bill amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to specify that an unlawful employment practice is established when the complaining party demonstrates that age or participation in investigations, proceedings, or litigation under such Act was a motivating factor for any unlawful employment practice, even though other factors also motivated the practice (thereby allowing what are commonly known as "mixed motive" claims).

The bill: (1) permits a complaining party to rely on any type or form of admissible evidence, which need only be sufficient for a reasonable trier of fact to find that an unlawful practice occurred; and (2) declares that a complaining party shall not be required to demonstrate that age or retaliation was the sole cause of a practice (thereby rejecting the Supreme Court decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., which requires a complainant to prove that age was the "but-for" cause for the employer's decision).

The bill: (1) authorizes a court, in a claim in which an individual demonstrates that age was a motivating factor for any employment practice and in which a respondent demonstrates that the same action would have been taken in the absence of the impermissible motivating factor, to grant declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and attorney's fees and costs directly attributable only to the pursuit of a claim; and (2) prohibits a court in such an instance from awarding damages or issuing an order requiring any admission, reinstatement, hiring, promotion, or payment.

The bill applies the same standard of proof to other employment discrimination and retaliation claims, including claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and similar laws concerning federal employees.

Date: 2016-06-24
Topic: Civil Rights (Age Discrimination)
Subject: Labor and employment
Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act  

This bill amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to specify that an unlawful employment practice is established when the complaining party demonstrates that age or participation in investigations, proceedings, or litigation under such Act was a motivating factor for any unlawful employment practice, even though other factors also motivated the practice (thereby allowing what are commonly known as "mixed motive" claims).

The bill: (1) permits a complaining party to rely on any type or form of admissible evidence, which need only be sufficient for a reasonable trier of fact to find that an unlawful practice occurred; and (2) declares that a complaining party shall not be required to demonstrate that age or retaliation was the sole cause of a practice (thereby rejecting the Supreme Court decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., which requires a complainant to prove that age was the "but-for" cause for the employer's decision).

The bill: (1) authorizes a court, in a claim in which an individual demonstrates that age was a motivating factor for any employment practice and in which a respondent demonstrates that the same action would have been taken in the absence of the impermissible motivating factor, to grant declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and attorney's fees and costs directly attributable only to the pursuit of a claim; and (2) prohibits a court in such an instance from awarding damages or issuing an order requiring any admission, reinstatement, hiring, promotion, or payment.

The bill applies the same standard of proof to other employment discrimination and retaliation claims, including claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and similar laws concerning federal employees.

Date: 2015-10-08
Topic: Civil Rights (Age Discrimination)
Subject: Labor and employment
Authorizes the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to convert an employee serving under an overseas limited appointment for at least two years of current continuous service, whose service is rated at least fully successful throughout that time, to a permanent appointment in the competitive service. Directs the United States to: (1) indemnify and hold such individual whose appointment is converted harmless from any claim arising from any event, act, or omission that arises from the exercise of such individual's official duties; and (2) provide to such individual (including any dependents) services and monetary payments which are equivalent to those provided to other CBP employees in similar positions in the same country of assignment and for which such individual was not eligible by reason of such individual's overseas limited appointment. Directs the Commissioner to implement such a conversion in a manner that: (1) meets the operational needs of the CBP; and (2) is not disruptive to the employees affected. Provides that: (1) nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect the pay of any individual for services performed before the date of his or her conversion; and (2) the authority of the Commissioner to convert an employee under this Act shall terminate two years after enactment.

Date: 2009-03-16
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Czar Accountability and Reform (CZAR) Act of 2009 - Prohibits appropriated funds from being used to pay salaries or expenses of any task force, council, or similar office established by or at the direction of the President, if the head of such entity: (1) is appointed (on other than an interim basis) without the Senate's advice and consent; (2) is excepted from the competitive service by reason of the confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character of the position; and (3) performs or delegates functions that would otherwise be performed or delegated by an individual appointed by the President with the Senate's advice and consent.

Date: 2009-07-15
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Representation for Farmers Act - Amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to modify the provision governing the composition of the membership of the Science Advisory Board to provide for the appointment of up to three Board members based on a recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA).

Date: 2011-03-15
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Environmental protection
National Nurse Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the position of National Nurse for Public Health within the Office of the Surgeon General. Includes among the duties of such position providing leadership and coordination of Public Health Service nursing professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and other agencies of the Public Health Service, conducting media campaigns, and providing guidance and leadership for activities that will increase public safety and emergency preparedness. Requires the National Nurse for Public Health to: (1) participate in identification of national health priorities, (2) encourage volunteerism of nurses and strengthen the relationship between government agencies and health-related national organizations, and (3) promote the dissemination of evidence-based practice in educating the public on health promotion and disease prevention activities.

Date: 2011-03-16
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Health
Responsible Consumer Financial Protection Regulations Act of 2011 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, (title X of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act), to replace the position of Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection with a five-member Commission composed of the Vice Chairman for Supervision of the Federal Reserve System and four additional members appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among individuals who should want to protect service members and their families who are sacrificing their lives for this country from abusive financial practices. Prohibits Commission members from engaging in any other business, vocation, or employment. Requires one member of the Commission to exercise primary responsibility for the Bureau's oversight activities pertaining to protecting consumers, with a focus on consumers who are older, minorities, youth, or veterans, from unfair, deceptive, and abusive lending practices. Prohibits the Chair of the Commission from making requests for estimates related to appropriations without prior Commission approval.

Date: 2011-03-16
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Requires the probationary period before an appointment in the competitive civil service or an inital appointment as a supervisor or manager becomes final to be not less than two years.  Retains existing probationary requirements for preference eligible individuals (i.e., veterans) initially appointed to positions that exist 180 days after the enactment of this Act. Requires the head of each agency to ensure that: (1) announcements of vacant positions and offers of appointment clearly state the terms and conditions of the probationary period, (2) individuals who are required to complete probationary periods receive timely notice of performance requirements, and (3) certification of successful completion of a probationary period is made. Revises the definition of "employee" for purposes of adverse action provisions to mean: (1) an individual who has completed not less than two years (currently, one year) of competitive federal service, or (2) an member of the excepted service who has completed not less than two years of current continuous service in the same or a similar position in an executive agency.

Date: 2011-04-08
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Health and Human Services Hiree Clarification Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to state that provisions authorizing the appointment of special consultants or authorizing individual scientists to receive fellowships do not authorize the designation, appointment, or employment of any special consultant, fellow, or other employee by an agency outside of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Date: 2011-08-02
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Health
Modifies the Coast Guard Academy cadet nomination process by requiring that half of each incoming class be composed of cadets nominated by: (1) the Vice President or, if there is no Vice President, the President pro tempore of the Senate; (2) a Senator; (3) a Member of the House of Representatives; and (4) the various delegates to Congress, including a Resident Commissioner and Resident Representative. Entitles each Senator, House Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, and Resident Representative to nominate three persons each year. Requires nominees to be citizens or nationals of the United States and meet any minimum requirements established by the Secretary of the respective department in which the Coast Guard is operating. Directs the Superintendent of the Academy to furnish any Member of Congress, upon written request, the name of the nominating authority responsible for the nomination of any named or identified person for appointment to the Academy.

Date: 2011-12-15
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Transportation and public works
Federal Prisons Accountability Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to be appointed by the President (currently, by the Attorney General), with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Date: 2012-04-25
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to create a new term of service for the office of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which shall begin on or after August 3, 2011, and continue until September 4, 2013. Makes the incumbent Director on the date of enactment of this Act eligible to be appointed for such new term but only for such new term. Prohibits such incumbent from serving as Director after September 4, 2013. Exempts such incumbent from the prohibition against a Director serving more than one 10-year term.

Date: 2011-05-26
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Federal Prisons Accountability Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to be appointed by the President (currently, by the Attorney General), with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Date: 2012-03-07
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Amends the National Security Agency Act of 1959 and the Inspector General Act of 1978 to require the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Inspector General of NSA to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Date: 2013-10-30
Topic: Government Operations (Appointments)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Catching Operational Vulnerabilities by Ensuring Random Testing Act of 2009 or the COVERT Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to make sure that advance notice of a covert test of a transportation security system is not provided to any individual (including any security screener) before completion of the test, except: (1) that such information may be provided to certain federal, state, and local government employees, officers, and contractors (including military personnel); and (2) an individual conducting such a test may disclose his or her status if a security screener or other non-covered employee identifies such tester as a potential threat. Requires the head of each covert testing office to make sure that a covert testing person or group is accompanied by a cover team to monitor the test and confirm the identity of personnel involved. States, however, that a cover team is not required to be present during a test of the screening of persons or baggage at an aviation security checkpoint if the test: (1) is approved by the Federal Security Director for the airport; and (2) is administered under an aviation screening assessment program of the Department of Homeland Security. Directs the Secretary to study the impact of implementing covert testing procedures under this Act on the Department's efforts to improve transportation security.

Date: 2009-05-18
Topic: Civil Rights (Anti-Government)
Subject: Transportation and public works
FLORICH Act or the Founding Legacies of Reserve Integral Combat-training Heroes Act of 2015

This bill makes eligible for burial in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, any member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who dies while on inactive-duty training during a mission in which a member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty also dies.

Date: 2015-06-23
Topic: Education (Reserve Forces)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Defense Against Digital Theft Act 

This bill directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to provide individuals who have been affected by a breach of personnel records in a database network maintained by the Department of the Interior or OPM with complimentary identity protection coverage that: (1) is not less comprehensive than the complimentary identity protection coverage provided before the enactment date of this Act, (2) is effective for a period of not less than 10 years, and (3) includes not less than $5 million in identity theft insurance.

The bill requires OPM to: (1) issue regulations to ensure that affected individuals whose credit scores have been negatively impacted by a data breach are not disqualified from access to classified information solely on the basis of a compromised credit score, and (2) establish a task force to develop specific recommendations on mitigating adverse consequences relating to data breaches.

Date: 2015-07-29
Topic: Government Operations (Right to Privacy)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Flood Insurance Rate Increase Suspension Act of 2016

This bill bars from taking effect for a 12-month period any increases in mandatory chargeable risk premium rates for flood insurance coverage under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968.

Beginning upon the expiration of the 12-month period, the increases in chargeable risk premium rates shall be made on a yearly basis.

Date: 2016-03-23
Topic: Labor (Disaster Relief)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Advancing Targeted Therapies for Rare Diseases Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to permit the Food and Drug Administration to allow the sponsor of a new drug or biological product for the treatment of a rare, serious condition to rely upon information submitted for an approved medication that uses the same technology. For a sponsor to be eligible to rely upon submitted information: (1) the sponsor must have developed, or have a right of reference to, the relied upon information; and (2) the new medication must use nucleic acids (e.g., DNA) or similar chemicals, or must affect a disease-causing product of a mutated gene (e.g., the protein that causes cystic fibrosis).

Date: 2015-09-15
Topic: Civil Rights (Drug Industry)
Subject: Health