The Independent View: Weekly Congress Update May 22-26, 2017

Senate Nominations

The Senate will vote Monday on the Nomination of Iowa Governor Gov. Terry Branstad to be the Ambassador to China. While he is expected to be Confirmed by a large margin, the Majority was forced to file Cloture on the Vote, rather than just proceeding through Unanimous Consent.

The Senate will also vote on the Nomination of former Bush Official John Sullivan to be Deputy Secretary of State.

In the House:

H.R. 467: VA Scheduling Accountability Act, Sponsor: Rep. Jackie Walorski [R, IN-21. This Bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that each VA Medical Facility annually Certifies that it is in full Compliance with all Provisions of Law and Regulations relating to Scheduling Appointments for Veterans Hospital Care and Medical Services. The VA may not Waive any applicable Provision of such Laws or Regulations. If unable to make such Certification, the Facility shall provide the VA with an Explanation of Noncompliance and a Description of Compliance Actions being taken. If a Facility does not make a Certification for any year, each Covered Official may not receive specified Awards or Bonuses during the subsequent year. A Covered Official is the: (1) Director, (2) Chief of Staff, (3) Associate Director, (4) Associate Director for Patient Care, and (5) Deputy Chief of Staff. The VA shall ensure that its Directives and Policies apply to, and are implemented by, each VA Office or Facility in a Standardized manner, including at the Local Level.

H.R. 624: Social Security Fraud Prevention Act, Sponsor: Rep. David Valadao [R, CA-21]. The Bill would Prohibit Federal Agencies from including Social Security Account Numbers on any Documents sent by Mail unless the Agency determines that Inclusion of the Number is necessary. There are many Federal Laws and Regulations that deal with the Protection of Sensitive information including the Federal Information Security Management Act, the Privacy Act of 1974, and a 2007 Memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget on Safeguarding against and responding to the Breach of Personally Identifiable Information. Because of those Laws and Rules, Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expects that most Agencies are working to Limit the Amount of Personally Identifiable information that they Collect and Disseminate. As a consequence, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 624 would have No significant Cost over the next five years.

H.R. 695: Child Protection Improvements Act of 2017, Sponsor: Rep. Adam Schiff [D, CA-28]. The Bill would Require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a Program to allow Organizations that provide Services to Youth, the Elderly, and the Disabled to obtain Information from Criminal Background Checks in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Fingerprint Database.

H.R. 883: Targeting Child Predators Act of 2017, Sponsor: Rep. Ron DeSantis [R, FL-6]. The Bill would Amend the current process for issuing Nondisclosure Requirements for Subpoenas in certain Cases of Child Exploitation.

H.R. 953: Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2017, Sponsor: Rep. Bob Gibbs [R, OH-7]. The Bill Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly known as the Clean Water Act, to Prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or a State from Requiring a Permit under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) for a Discharge of a Pesticide from a Point Source into Navigable Waters if the Discharge is approved under FIFRA. Point Source Pollution is Waste Discharged from a Distinct place, such as a Pipe, Channel, or Tunnel. The Bill establishes Exemptions from this Prohibition.

H.R. 1005: To Amend Title 38, United States Code, to Improve the Provision of Adult Day Health Care Services for Veterans. Sponsor: Rep. Lee Zeldin[R, NY-1]. This Bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into an Agreement or a Contract with each State Home to Pay for Adult Day Health Care for a Veteran Eligible for, but Not Receiving, Nursing Home Care. The Veteran must need such Care specifically for a Service-Connected Disability or the Veteran must have a service-Connected Disability rated 70% or more. Payment under each Agreement or Contract between the VA and a State Home must equal 65% of the Payment that the VA would otherwise Pay to the State Home if the Veteran were receiving Nursing Home Care.

H.R. 1162: No Hero Left Untreated Act, Sponsor: Rep. Stephen Knight [R, CA-25]. The Bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a One-Year Pilot Program to provide Access to Magnetic EEG/EKG-guided Resonance Therapy to Treat Veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, Military Sexual Trauma, Chronic Pain, or Opiate Addiction. The VA shall: (1) carry out the Program at up to two VA Facilities, and (2) provide Access to such Therapy to more than 50 Veterans.

H.R. 1188: Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Rep. James Sensenbrenner [R, WI-5]. The Bill would Authorize the Appropriation of $80 million annually over the 2018-2022 period for Department of Justice (DOJ) Activities related to the Registration of Sex Offenders.

H.R. 1293: To Amend Title 5, United States Code, to Require that the Office of Personnel Management Submit an Annual Report to Congress relating to the Use of Official Time by Federal Employees, Sponsor: Rep. Dennis Ross [R, FL-15].

H.R. 1329: Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2017, Sponsor: Rep. Mike Bost [R, IL-12]. The Bill will Increase, effective as of December 1, 2017, the Rates of Compensation for Veterans with service-Connected Disabilities and the Rates of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for the Survivors of certain Disabled Veterans, to amend Title 38, United States Code, to Improve the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, to Improve the Processing of Claims by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1370: Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act, Sponsor: Rep. Michael McCaul [R, TX-10]. The Bill would Amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to Require the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue Department of Homeland Security-wide Guidance and Develop Training programs as part of the Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1545: VA Prescription Data Accountability Act, Sponsor: Rep. Ann Kuster [D, NH-2]. This Bill will Amend Title 38, United States Code, to clarify the Authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Disclose certain Patient Information to State Controlled Substance Monitoring Programs, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1625: Targeted Rewards for the Global Eradication of Human Trafficking (TARGET) Act, Sponsor: Rep. Edward Royce [R, CA-39]. The Bill would include severe Forms of Trafficking in Persons within the definition of Transnational Organized Vrime for purposes of the Rewards Program of the Department of State.

H.R. 1725: Quicker Veterans Benefits Delivery Act, Sponsor: Rep. Timothy Walz [D, MN-1]. This Bill requires Current Law authorizes, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to accept, for purposes of Establishing a Claim for Veterans Disability Benefits, a Report of a Medical Examination Administered by a Private Physician without requiring Confirmation by a Veterans Health Administration Physician if the Report is sufficiently complete, defined as Competent, Credible, Probative, and Containing such Information as required to make a Decision on the Claim for which the Report is provided. The VA is required to Submit: (1) a Report on the Progress of the VA's Acceptable Clinical Evidence Initiative in Reducing the necessity for In-Person Disability Examinations, and (2) an Annual Report for each VA Regional Office regarding Claims for which Private Medical Evidence was determined to be unacceptable.

H.R. 1761: Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act, Sponsor: Rep. Mike Johnson [R, LA-4]. The Bill would make it a Crime to Knowingly Consent to the Visual Depiction, or Live Transmission, of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct.

H.R. 1808: Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017, Sponsor: Rep. Brett Guthrie [R, KY-2]. The Bill would make several Changes to the Laws that Govern the use of Funds provided to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a Nonprofit Organization Funded mostly by the Department of Justice.

H.R. 1809: Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017, Sponsor: Rep. Jason Lewis [R, MN-2]. The Bill would Authorize the Appropriation of about $1.6 billion over the 2018-2022 period for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to operate Programs to Reduce Juvenile Justice Delinquency, Assist Runaway and Homeless Youths, and Locate Missing Children.

H.R. 1842: Strengthening Children’s Safety Act of 2017, Sponsor: Rep. John Ratcliffe [R, TX-4]. The Bill would include State Crimes of Violence as grounds for an Enhanced Penalty when Sex Offenders Fail to Register or Report certain information as required by Federal law.

H.R. 1862: Global Child Protection Act of 2017, Sponsor: Rep. Martha Roby[R, AL-2]. The Bill would broaden the coverage of current Laws relating to Unlawful Sexual Conduct with Minors.

H.R. 1973: Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act, Sponsor: Rep. Susan Brooks [R, IN-5]. The Bill would provide Training to Prosecutors on Investigating and Processing Cases with a Trauma-informed and Victim-centered Approach, and encourage States to Provide Appropriate Services to Victims of Trafficking. It calls for Reports on the Implementation of State Safe Harbor Provisions and on how to Improve Mandatory Restitution Procedures for Victims of Trafficking in Federal Courts.

H.R. 2052 PRIVATE Act Protecting the Rights of IndiViduals Against Technological Exploitation Act, Sponsor: Rep. Martha McSally [R, AZ-2]. The Bill would Amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice to Prohibit the wrongful Broadcast or Distribution of Intimate Visual Images.

H.R. 2288: Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act, Sponsor: Rep. Mike Bost [R, IL-12]. This Bill would Amend Title 38, United States Code, to Reform the Rights and Processes relating to Appeals of Decisions Regarding Claims for Benefits under the Laws Administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

H.R. 2473: Put Trafficking Victims First Act, Sponsor: Rep. Ann Wagner [R, MO-2]. The Bill would provide Training to Prosecutors on Investigating and Processing Cases with a Trauma-informed and Victim-centered approach, and encourage States to Provide Appropriate services to Victims of Trafficking. It calls for Reports on the Implementation of State Safe Harbor Provisions and on how to Improve Mandatory Restitution Procedures for Victims of Trafficking in Federal Courts.