US Congress Senate Bill 1695 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: Introduced on June 25 2015 - 25% progression, died in chamber
Action: 2015-06-25 - Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 137.
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides FY2016 appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and several related agencies. Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2016 TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Provides FY2016 appropriations for agencies and programs within the Department of Labor. Provides appropriations to the Employment and Training Administration for: Training and Employment Services, Job Corps, Community Service Employment for Older Americans, Federal Unemployment Benefits and Allowances, State Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Operations, Advances to the Unemployment Trust Fund and Other Funds, and Program Administration. Provides appropriations to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Provides appropriation to Labor for: the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Wage and Hour Division, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Provides appropriations for Departmental Management, including Salaries and Expenses, Veterans Employment and Training, IT Modernization, and the Office of Inspector General. (Sec. 101) Prohibits Job Corps funds provided by this bill from being used to pay individual salary and bonuses at a rate in excess of Executive Level II. (Sec. 102) Permits specified Labor funds to be transferred between accounts and sets forth requirements for the transfers. (Sec. 103) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for the procurement of goods and services utilizing forced or indentured child labor. (Sec. 104) Requires funds available under section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to be used only for competitive grants to train individuals over the age of 16 and not enrolled in school, in occupations and industries for which employers are using H-1B visas to hire foreign workers. Includes an exception for specified funds that are permitted to be used to process permanent foreign labor certifications under the Immigration and Nationality Act. (Sec. 105) Prohibits a recipient of Employment and Training Administration (ETA) funds from using the funds to pay the salary and bonuses of an individual at a rate in excess of Executive Level II, with an exception for vendors providing goods and services. Permits states to establish lower limits for salaries and bonuses. (Sec. 106) Permits the ETA to transfer funds provided for technical assistance services to grantees to Program Administration if the services will be more efficiently performed by federal employees. (Sec. 107) Limits the funds that may be reserved for evaluation of programs and activities and requires the Chief Evaluation Officer to submit a plan to Congress in advance of transferring funds to be used for evaluations. (Sec. 108) Exempts certain employees who are not employed by an insurance company and are adjusting or evaluating claims resulting from a major disaster from maximum hours provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 for two years after a state or federal declaration of a disaster or catastrophe. (Sec. 109) Permits Labor to select an entity to operate a Civilian Conservation Center on a competitive basis if the Center has had consistently low performance. (Sec. 110) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce provisions of a specified regulation regarding the circumstances under which an individual is considered a fiduciary with respect to retirement investment advice. (Sec. 111) Sets forth requirements for determining the prevailing wage for the H-2B program. (The program allows U.S. employers or U.S. agents who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary nonagricultural jobs.) (Sec. 112) Prohibits the use of funds provided by this bill to enforce the definition of corresponding employment or the three-fourths guarantee rule definition found in specified regulations for the H-2B program. Specifies the definition of temporary need that applies for the purpose of regulating admission of temporary workers under the H-2B program. (Sec. 113) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to implement specified regulations regarding audits of certification applications and required assisted recruitment with respect to the temporary employment of foreign workers in the United States under the H-2B program. (Sec. 114) Allows an employer in the seafood industry, upon Labor's approval of a petition for H-2B nonimmigrants (temporary nonagricultural workers), to bring the H-2B workers into the United States at any time during 120 days after the start date without filing another petition. Prohibits the employer, however, from bringing H-2B workers into the United States after 90 days following the start date unless the employer completes a new assessment of the local labor market and offers the job to an equally or better qualified U.S. worker. (Sec. 115) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for rules, standards, or policies related to occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica until specified requirements are met. Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2016 TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Provides FY2016 appropriations for agencies and programs within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Provides appropriations to the Health Resources and Services Administration for: Primary Health Care, the Health Work Force, Maternal and Child Health, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, Health Care Systems, Rural Health, Family Planning, Program Management, and the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Trust Fund. Provides appropriations to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) for: Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and Tuberculosis Prevention; Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Birth Defects, Developmental Disabilities, Disabilities and Health; Public Health Scientific Services; Environmental Health; Injury Prevention and Control; the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program; Global Health; Public Health Preparedness and Response; Buildings and Facilities; and CDC-Wide Activities and Program Support. Provides appropriations to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for: the National Cancer Institute; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; the National Institute of General Medical Sciences; the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; the National Eye Institute; the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; the National Institute on Aging; the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; the National Institute of Nursing Research; the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; the National Institute on Drug Abuse; the National Institute of Mental Health; the National Human Genome Research Institute; the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health; the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; the John E. Fogarty International Center; the National Center for Advancing Translational Services; the National Library of Medicine; the Office of the Director; and Buildings and Facilities. Provides appropriations to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for: Mental Health, Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Health Surveillance and Program Support. Provides appropriations to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Provides appropriations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for: Grants to States for Medicaid, Payments to Health Care Trust Funds, Program Management, and the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Account. Provides appropriations to the Administration for Children and Families for: Payments to States for Child Support Enforcement and Family Support Programs, Low Income Home Energy Assistance, Refugee and Entrant Assistance, Payment to States for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, the Social Services Block Grant, Children and Families Services Programs, Promoting Safe and Stable Families, and Payments for Foster Care and Permanency. Provides appropriations to the Administration for Community Living for Aging and Disability Services Programs. Provides appropriations to the Office of the Secretary for: General Departmental Management, the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the Office of Inspector General, the Office for Civil Rights, Retirement Pay and Medical Benefits for Commissioned Officers, and the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. (Sec. 201) Limit the funds provided by this title that may be used for official reception and representation expenses. (Sec. 202) Prohibits funds provided by this title from being used to pay the salary of an individual, through a grant or other extramural mechanism, in excess of Executive Level II. (Sec. 203) Restricts HHS's use of funds for program evaluation activities unless a report is submitted to Congress regarding the proposed use of the funds or the funds are specifically provided in this bill. (Sec. 204) Permits the transfer of specified Public Health Services Act (PHS Act) funds for the evaluation of programs funded in this title. (Sec. 205) Sets forth restrictions and requirements for the transfer of HHS funds between appropriations accounts. (Sec. 206) Revises the time frame in which HHS may terminate a Public Health Service loan repayment contract with an individual from 45 days before the end of the fiscal year in which the contract was entered to 60 days after the execution of a contract awarded in 2016. (Sec. 207) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for voluntary family planning grants and contracts unless the applicant certifies that it: (1) encourages family participation in the decision of minors to seek family planning services, and (2) provides counseling to minors on resisting attempts to coerce minors into engaging in sexual activities. (Sec. 208) Prohibits any provider of voluntary planning services under the PHS Act from being exempt from any state law requiring notifications or the reporting of child abuse, child molestation, sexual abuse, rape, or incest. (Sec. 209) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for the Medicare Advantage program if HHS denies participation to an otherwise eligible entity because it will not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or provide referrals for abortions. (Sec. 210) Prohibits funds provided by this title from being used to advocate or promote gun control. (Sec. 211) Limits the number of Public Health Service employees that may be assigned to assist in child survival activities and to work in AIDS programs through and with funds provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, or the World Health Organization. (Sec. 212) Permits HHS to exercise specified spending authority to carry out international health activities during FY2016. (Sec. 213) Permits the CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to transfer funds that are available for Individual Learning Accounts. (Sec. 214) Permits NIH, jointly with the Office of AIDS Research, to transfer specified HIV research funds among NIH institutes and centers if Congress is notified in advance. (Sec. 215) Requires: (1) the use of AIDS research funds be determined jointly by the NIH and the Office of AIDS Research, and (2) the funds to be allocated directly to the Office of AIDS Research for distribution that is consistent with the AIDS research plan. (Sec. 216) Permits the NIH to use specified funds to enter into certain transactions to carry out research in support of the NIH Common Fund. (The NIH Common Fund supports support cross-cutting, trans-NIH programs that require participation by at least two NIH Institutes or Centers or would otherwise benefit from strategic planning and coordination.) (Sec. 217) Limits the funds NIH may use for the alteration, repair, or improvement of facilities. (Sec. 218) Transfers specified funds provided to NIH for National Research Service Awards (NRSA) to the Health Resources and Services Administration to make NRSA awards for research in primary medical care and health service. (Sec. 219) Amends the PSA Act to modify requirements for the NIH's Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program. (Sec. 220) Amends the Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2008 to modify requirements for the HHS Nonrecurring Expenses Fund. (Sec. 221) Requires third party payments made to NIH for research organisms or substances to be retained and credited to the appropriations accounts of the NIH institutes and centers making the substance or organism available. Permits the funds to be available through FY2017. (Sec. 222) Permits the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to enter into multiyear contracts of up to 10 years for the purchase of research services or of security countermeasures, subject to specified requirements. (Sec. 223) Requires HHS to establish a publicly accessible website that provides details regarding expenditures from the Prevention and Public Health Fund established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). (Sec. 224) Transfers mandatory funds from the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by PPACA to accounts within HHS activities outlined under the heading ''Prevention and Public Health Fund'' in the reporting accompanying this bill. (Sec. 225) Requires the HHS budget justifications to include specified details regarding federal employees and contractors involved in activities related to PPACA. (Sec. 226) Requires HHS to include in the FY2017 budget specified details regarding: (1) the uses of funds by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for health insurance exchanges for each year since the enactment of PPACA, and (2) the proposed uses of the funds for FY2017. (Sec. 227) Requires HHS to provide Congress with detailed, monthly enrollment figures from the exchanges established under PPACA. (Sec. 228) Prohibits specified funds provided by this bill from being used for payments relating to the risk corridors program established by PPACA. (Sec. 229) Prohibits specified funds provided by this bill from being used for the state-based exchanges established under PPACA. (Sec. 230) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines unless the information and guidelines in the report are: (1) solely nutritional and dietary in nature, and (2) based only on a preponderance of nutritional and dietary scientific evidence without extraneous information. (Sec. 231) Rescinds specified unobligated balances from appropriations previously provided to the Health Resources and Services Administration. (Sec. 232) Rescinds specified unobligated balances from appropriations previously provided to the CDC for Individual Learning Accounts. (Sec. 233) Rescinds specified unobligated balances from appropriations previously provided to the Department of Health and Human Services--Administration for Children and Families--Refugee and Entrant Assistance account for the unaccompanied children program. Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2016 TITLE III--DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Provides appropriations for agencies and programs within the Department of Education (ED). Provides appropriations to ED for: Education for the Disadvantaged, Impact Aid, School Improvement Programs, Indian Education, Innovation and Improvement, Safe Schools and Citizenship Education, English Language Acquisition, Special Education, and Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research. Provides appropriations for Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities, including the American Printing House for the Blind, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and Gallaudet University. Provides Appropriations to ED for: Career, Technical, and Adult Education; Student Financial Assistance; Student Aid Administration; Higher Education; Howard University; the College Housing and Academic Facilities Loans Program; the Historically Black College and University Capital Financing Program Account; and the Institute of Education Sciences. Provides appropriations for Departmental Management, including Program Administration, the Office for Civil Rights, and the Office of Inspector General. (Sec. 301) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to transport teachers or students in order to: (1) overcome racial imbalance in any school, or (2) carry out a racial desegregation plan. (Sec. 302) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for the involuntary transportation of students other than to the school nearest to the student's home, except to transport students requiring special education in order to comply with title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Sec. 303) Prohibits the use of funds provided by this bill to prevent the implementation of programs of voluntary prayer and meditation in public schools. (Sec. 304) Permits ED to transfer certain funds between accounts, subject to specified restrictions and requirements. (Sec. 305) Permits the Outlying Areas (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands) to consolidate funds received under this bill under part A (Innovative Programs) of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. (Sec. 306) Amends the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 to permit the Republic of Palau to continue to receive certain federal funds. (Sec. 307) Permits ED to reserve specified funds for studies and evaluations of Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 programs funded by this bill. (Sec. 308) Permits certain institutions to continue to use endowment income for student scholarships, subject to specified limits and requirements. Applies this section until titles III and V of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) are reauthorized. (Sec. 309) Rescinds specified unobligated balances from discretionary funds previously provided for the Pell grant program. (Sec. 310) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for specified higher education regulations to define gainful employment, establish requirements for the state authorization of higher education programs, define credit hours, develop a college ratings system, and establish a teacher preparation program accountability system. Provides that the restrictions no longer apply after the HEA is reauthorized. (Sec. 311) Prohibits the use of funds provided by this bill to require or incentivize states, local educational agencies, or schools to adopt any specific instructional content, academic standards, academic assessments, curriculum, or program of instruction. (Sec. 312) Amends the HEA to modify the requirements for ED career pathway programs. TITLE IV--RELATED AGENCIES Provides appropriations for the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. Provides appropriations to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) for: Operating Expenses, Payment to the National Service Trust, Salaries and Expenses, and the Office of Inspector General. (Sec. 401) Requires the CNCS to make any significant changes to program requirements or policy through rulemaking. Prohibits CNCS employees from disclosing specified information during a grant selection process to any person that is not a CNCS employee or authorized to receive the information. (Sec. 402) Sets forth requirements for AmeriCorps programs receiving grants under the National Service Trust program. (Sec. 403) Requires certain donations made to the CNCS to be used to supplement and not supplant current programs and operations. (Sec. 404) Requires certain education awards at GI bill-eligible institutions to be limited to veterans. (Sec. 405) Permits state Commissions on National and Community Service established under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to receive criminal history record information. Provides appropriations for other related agencies, including: the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the National Council on Disability, and the National Labor Relations Board. (Sec. 406) Prohibits the National Labor Relations Board from using funds to provide employees with electronic voting to determine a collective bargaining representative. (Sec. 407) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to implement or enforce any rule amending specified regulations relating to the filing and processing of petitions pursuant to the representation of employees for the purposes of collective bargaining with their employer. (Sec. 408) Prohibits funds from being used for any change in the interpretation or application of a standard to determine whether entities are ''joint employers'' under the National Labor Relations Act. (Sec. 409) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to implement a new standard for initial bargaining unit determinations that conflicts with the standard articulated in the majority opinion in Wheeling Island Gaming Inc. and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Local 23. Provides appropriations to the National Mediation Board and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Provides appropriations to the Railroad Retirement Board for: the Dual Benefits Payments Account, Federal Payments to the Railroad Retirement Accounts, Administration, and the Office of Inspector General. Provides appropriations to the Social Security Administration (SSA) for: Payments to Social Security Trust Funds, the Supplemental Security Income Program, Administrative Expenses, and the Office of Inspector General. TITLE V--GENERAL PROVISIONS Sets forth required, permissible, restricted, and prohibited uses of funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts. (Sec. 501) Permits Labor, HHS, and ED to transfer certain unexpended balances to accounts to be used for the same purposes as the original appropriation. (Sec. 502) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from remaining available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless otherwise specified. (Sec. 503) Prohibits the use of funds provided by this bill for lobbying and related activities. (Sec. 504) Limits the official reception and representation expenses of Labor and ED. (Sec. 505) Requires grantees receiving federal funds provided by this bill to clearly state specified details regarding the federal funding and non-governmental funding sources in documents related to federally funded projects. (Sec. 506) Prohibits funds provided by this bill or in any trust fund which received funds in this bill from being used for: (1) abortions, or (2) health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. (Sec. 507) Provides an exception to the prohibition on funding for abortion if: (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest; or (2) a woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness that would place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. Bars the availability of funds to a federal agency or program, or to a state or local government, if it subjects any institutional or individual health care entity to discrimination on the basis that the health care entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions. (Sec. 508) Prohibit funds provided by this bill from being used for human embryo research and related activities. (Sec. 509) Limits the use of funds provided by this bill for promoting the legalization of controlled substances. Includes an exception when there is medical evidence of a therapeutic advantage to the use of the drug or federally sponsored clinical trials are being conducted to determine therapeutic advantage. (Sec. 510) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for regulations to provide a unique health identifiers for an individual (except in an individual's capacity as an employer or a health care provider), until legislation is enacted specifically approving the standard. (Sec. 511) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used to enter into or renew a contract with a contractor that has not submitted to Labor a required report annual report concerning employment of certain veterans. (Sec. 512) Prohibits the transfer of funds provided by this bill to any federal department, agency, or instrumentality, except pursuant to an appropriations Act. (Sec. 513) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used for libraries unless they are in compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act. (Sec. 514) Sets forth requirements, procedures, and restrictions for the reprogramming of funds. (Sec. 515) Prohibits the use of funds provided by this bill to: (1) require candidates for scientific advisory committee to disclose their political activities, or (2) disseminate information that is deliberately false or misleading. (Sec. 516) Requires departments and agencies funded in this bill to submit operating plans. (Sec. 517) Requires Labor, HHS, and ED to report to Congress on the number and amounts of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements awarded on a non-competitive basis. (Sec. 518) Prohibits the SSA from processing earnings for work performed under a fraudulent Social Security number if based on a conviction for a violation of specified provisions of the Social Security Act. (Sec. 519) Prohibits SSA from using funds provided by this bill to establish totalization arrangements between the U.S. Social Security system and the social security system of Mexico. (A totalization agreement coordinates the payment of Social Security taxes and benefits for workers who divide their careers between two countries.) (Sec. 520) Restricts the use of funds provided by this bill to purchase sterile needles or syringes for the hypodermic injection of any illegal drug. (Sec. 521) Requires computer networks of agencies funded by this bill to block pornography. (Sec. 522) Prohibits funds from being provided to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, allied organizations, or successors. (Sec. 523) Sets forth reporting requirements for spending on conferences. (Sec. 524) Requires agencies funded by this bill to clearly state within the text, audio, or video used for advertising or educational purposes, that the communication is printed, published, or produced and disseminated at U.S. taxpayer expense. (Sec. 525) Permits funds provided by this bill to be used to carry out up to 10 Performance Partnership Pilots that: (1) are designed to improve outcomes for disconnected youth; (2) include communities that have recently experienced civil unrest; and (3) involve federal programs targeted on disconnected youth, or designed to prevent youth from disconnecting from school or work, or that provide education, training, employment, and other related social services. (Sec. 526) Requires Labor, HHS, ED, and SSA to submit specified reports to Congress on the status of balances of appropriations. (Sec. 527) Amends the PHS Act to modify requirements that apply to compensation for work injuries of National Disaster Medical System employees. (Sec. 528) Prohibits funds provided by this bill from being used in contravention of ''public charge'' inadmissibility grounds present in the Immigration and Nationality Act. (Sec. 529) Rescinds funds previously provided for the Independent Payment Advisory Board. (Sec. 530) Rescinds funds previously provided for Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans under PPACA. (Sec. 531) Prohibits specified amounts in the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund from being obligated during the current fiscal year. (Sec. 532) Rescinds specified funds previously provided for the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Sec. 533) Rescinds specified unobligated balances previously provided to the Community Health Center Fund.

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Sen. Roy Blunt [R-MO]

Date	Chamber	Action
2015-06-25	Senate	Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 137.
2015-06-25	Senate	Committee on Appropriations. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Blunt. With written report No. 114-74.

HB3020 (Related) 2015-07-10 - Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 145.
SB2132 (Related) 2015-10-06 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 251.
HB2029 (Related) 2015-12-18 - Became Public Law No: 114-113. (TXT | PDF)

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1695/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s1695/BILLS-114s1695pcs.pdf