SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Harold Hughes-Bill Emerson
Commission on Alcoholism Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the Harold Hughes-
Bill Emerson Commission on Alcoholism (in this Act referred to as the
``Commission'').

SEC. 3. DUTIES.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall carry out the following
duties:
            (1) Hold public hearings on selected areas of interest
        related to alcoholism.
            (2) Promote the development of a national consensus on
        policy issues related to alcoholism, which may include
        conducting a national opinion survey on attitudes toward the
        disease of alcoholism and its prevention.
            (3) Evaluate the interest of the provider and medical
        communities in new medications related to alcoholism and the
        barriers to the communities in obtaining such medications, and
        make recommendations regarding research on and the
        manufacturing and availability of such medications.
            (4) In conjunction with the National Institute on
        Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse and the advisory council of such
        Institute, conduct a study to identify the current state-of-
        the-art alcohol research, unmet alcohol research needs, and
        appropriate research funding in view of the size and scope of
        the alcoholism problem.
            (5) Evaluate and make recommendations regarding the
        education of physicians in American medical schools concerning
        alcoholism (including an examination of the requirements of
        accreditation of medical schools) and the certification of
        other individuals trained to provide alcoholism prevention and
        treatment services.
            (6) Evaluate and make recommendations regarding the
        availability, timing, and dissemination of research information
        to alcoholism prevention and treatment services administrators
        and providers, and the application of current research findings
        by these administrators and providers.
            (7) Make recommendations designed to reduce and prevent
        alcoholism which include recommendations concerning appropriate
        roles for the Federal, State, and local governments and the
        private sector, and concerning specific changes needed to
        Federal laws and Federal programs.
    (b) Reports.--Not later than two years after the date on which
amounts under section 8 are first made available for carrying out this
Act, the Commission shall submit to the President and the Congress a
report describing the findings made in studies under subsection (a).
The Commission may submit to the President and the Congress such
interim reports regarding the duties of the Commission under such
subsection as the Commission determines to be appropriate.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Composition.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of 12
        voting members appointed in accordance with paragraph (2), one
        ex officio voting member designated in paragraph (3), and such
        ex officio nonvoting members as may serve pursuant to paragraph
        (4).
            (2) Appointed members.--Members of the Commission shall be
        appointed in accordance with the following:
                    (A) The President shall appoint four individuals
                who are not officers or employees of the Federal
                Government. Such individuals shall be appointed from
                four of the following fields of expertise:
                            (i) An economist.
                            (ii) A biomedical or behavioral researcher
                        or clinician.
                            (iii) A person from the field of business.
                            (iv) A representative of the medical
                        schools.
                            (v) A health provider.
                    (B) The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall,
                after consultation with the majority and minority
                leaders of the Senate, appoint four individuals. Of
                such individuals--
                            (i) two shall be Senators;
                            (ii) one shall be an expert in alcoholism
                        prevention; and
                            (iii) one shall be an expert in alcoholism
                        treatment.
                    (C) The Speaker of the House of Representatives
                shall, after consultation with the majority and
                minority leaders of the House, appoint four
                individuals. Of such individuals--
                            (i) two shall be Members of the House;
                            (ii) one shall be a person with personal or
                        family experience with alcoholism; and
                            (iii) one shall be a marketing or
                        communications expert.
            (3) Voting ex officio member.--The Director of the National
        Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse shall serve as a
        voting ex officio member of the Commission.
            (4) Nonvoting ex officio members or advisors.--The
        Commission may request Federal officials to serve as nonvoting
        members of or advisors to the Commission, including but not
        limited to--
                    (A) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the
                designee of the Secretary;
                    (B) the Assistant Secretary of Health, Department
                of Defense, or the designee of the Assistant Secretary;
                    (C) the Secretary of Health and Human Services or
                the designee of the Secretary; and
                    (D) the Attorney General or the designee of the
                Attorney General.
    (b) Chair.-- The Commission shall designate a voting member of the
Commission to serve as the chair of the Commission.
    (c) Terms.--The term of a member of the Commission is the duration
of the Commission.
    (d) Vacancies.--
            (1) Authority of commission.--A vacancy in the membership
        of the Commission does not affect the power of the remaining
        members to carry out the duties under section 3.
            (2) Appointment of successors.--A vacancy in the membership
        of the Commission shall be filled in the manner in which the
        original appointment was made.
            (3) Incomplete term.--If a member of the Commission does
        not serve the full term applicable to the member, the
        individual appointed to fill the resulting vacancy shall be
        appointed for the remainder of the term of the predecessor of
        the individual.
    (e) Meetings.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall meet at the call of
        the Chair or a majority of the members, except that not less
        than two meetings shall be held each year for the duration of
        the Commission.
            (2) Quorum.--A quorum for meetings of the Commission is
        constituted by the presence of 7 members, except that a lesser
        number may conduct hearings under section 6(a).
    (f) Compensation; Reimbursement of Expenses.--
            (1) Compensation.--Members of the Commission may not
        receive compensation for service on the Commission, subject to
        paragraph (2).
            (2) Reimbursement.--Members of the Commission may, in
        accordance with chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, be
        reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other necessary
        expenses incurred in carrying out the duties of the Commission.

SEC. 5. STAFF AND CONSULTANTS.

    (a) Staff.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission may appoint and determine
        the compensation of such staff as may be necessary to carry out
        the duties of the Commission, including an executive director.
        Such appointments and compensation may be made without regard
        to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, that govern
        appointments in the competitive services, and the provisions of
        chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title that
        relate to classifications and the General Schedule pay rates.
            (2) Limitation.--Staff members appointed under paragraph
        (1) may not be compensated in excess of the maximum rate of
        basic pay payable for GS-15, except that the executive director
        may not be compensated in an amount exceeding the maximum rate
        of basic pay payable under the General Schedule for positions
        above GS-15.
    (b) Consultants.--The Commission may procure such temporary and
intermittent services of consultants under section 3109(b) of title 5,
United States Code, as the Commission may determine to be useful in
carrying out the duties under section 3. The Commission may not procure
services under this subsection at any rate in excess of the daily
equivalent of the maximum annual rate of basic pay payable under the
General Schedule for positions above GS-15. Consultants under this
subsection may, in accordance with chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other necessary
expenses incurred for activities carried out on behalf of the
Commission pursuant to section 3.

SEC. 6. POWERS.

    (a) In General.--For the purpose of carrying out the duties of the
Commission under section 3, the Commission may hold such hearings, sit
and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such
evidence as the Commission considers appropriate.
    (b) Obtaining Official Information.--Upon the request of the
Commission, the heads of Federal agencies shall furnish directly to the
Commission information necessary for the Commission to carry out the
duties under section 3.
    (c) Use of Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails
in the same manner and under the same conditions as Federal agencies.
    (d) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the
Commission on a reimbursable basis such administrative support,
including quarters for the Commission, as may be necessary for the
Commission to carry out the duties under section 3.
    (e) Acceptance of Gifts.--The Commission may accept cash and in-
kind contributions to the Commission for the purpose of carrying out
the activities of the Commission.

SEC. 7. DURATION OF COMMISSION.

    The Commission terminates upon the expiration of the 60-day period
beginning on the date on which the final report is submitted under
section 3(b).

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS.

    For the purpose of carrying out this Act, there is authorized to be
appropriated $3,000,000. Amounts appropriated under the preceding
sentence are available until the termination of the Commission under
section 7.

SEC. 9. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    Section 18 of Public Law 96-180 (93 Stat. 1306; 42 U.S.C. 4541
note) is repealed.

Summary: Harold Hughes-Bill Emerson Commission on Alcoholism Act - Establishes the Harold Hughes-Bill Emerson Commission on Alcoholism. Includes among the duties of the Commission: (1) promoting the development of a national consensus on policy issues related to alcoholism. (2) evaluating the interest of the provider and medical communities in new medications related to alcoholism and the barriers to the communities in obtaining such medications. (3) in conjunction with the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, conducting a study to identify the current state-of-the-art alcohol research, unmet alcohol research needs, and appropriate research funding in view of the size and scope of the alcoholism problem. (4) evaluating and making recommendations regarding the education of physicians in American medical schools concerning alcoholism and the certification of other individuals trained to provide alcoholism prevention and treatment services. And (5) making recommendations designed to reduce and prevent alcoholism, including recommendations concerning appropriate roles for the Federal, State, and local governments and the private sector and changes needed to Federal laws and programs. Requires the Commission to report to the President and the Congress on its findings. Authorizes appropriations.


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of
2007''.

SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF THE ANTITRUST LAWS TO INDEPENDENT PHARMACIES
              NEGOTIATING WITH HEALTH PLANS.

    (a) In General.--Any independent pharmacies who are engaged in
negotiations with a health plan regarding the terms of any contract
under which the pharmacies provide health care items or services for
which benefits are provided under such plan shall, in connection with
such negotiations, be entitled to the same treatment under the
antitrust laws as the treatment to which bargaining units which are
recognized under the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 151 et
seq.) are entitled in connection with activities described in section 7
of such Act (29 U.S.C. 157). Such a pharmacy shall, only in connection
with such negotiations, be treated as an employee engaged in concerted
activities and shall not be regarded as having the status of an
employer, independent contractor, managerial employee, or supervisor.
    (b) Protection for Good Faith Actions.--Actions taken in good faith
reliance on subsection (a) shall not be the subject under the antitrust
laws of criminal sanctions nor of any civil damages, fees, or penalties
beyond actual damages incurred.
    (c) No Change in National Labor Relations Act.--This section
applies only to independent pharmacies excluded from the National Labor
Relations Act. Nothing in this section shall be construed as changing
or amending any provision of the National Labor Relations Act, or as
affecting the status of any group of persons under that Act.
    (d) Effective Date.--The exemption provided in subsection (a) shall
apply to conduct occurring beginning on the date of the enactment of
this Act.
    (e) Limitation on Exemption.--Nothing in this section shall exempt
from the application of the antitrust laws any agreement or otherwise
unlawful conspiracy that excludes, limits the participation or
reimbursement of, or otherwise limits the scope of services to be
provided by any independent pharmacy or group of independent pharmacies
with respect to the performance of services that are within their scope
of practice as defined or permitted by relevant law or regulation.
    (f) No Effect on Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964.--Nothing in
this section shall be construed to affect the application of title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
    (g) No Application to Specified Federal Programs.--Nothing in this
section shall apply to negotiations between independent pharmacies and
health plans pertaining to benefits provided under any of the
following:
            (1) The Medicaid Program under title XIX of the Social
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
            (2) The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
        under title XXI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et
        seq.).
            (3) Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code (relating to
        medical and dental care for members of the uniformed services).
            (4) Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code (relating to
        Veterans' medical care).
            (5) Chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code (relating to
        the Federal employees' health benefits program).
            (6) The Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1601
        et seq.).
    (h) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Antitrust laws.--The term ``antitrust laws''--
                    (A) has the meaning given it in subsection (a) of
                the first section of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. 12(a)),
                except that such term includes section 5 of the Federal
                Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 45) to the extent such
                section 5 applies to unfair methods of competition; and
                    (B) includes any State law similar to the laws
                referred to in subparagraph (A).
            (2) Health plan and related terms.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``health plan''--
                            (i) means a group health plan or a health
                        insurance issuer that is offering health
                        insurance coverage;
                            (ii) includes a prescription drug plan
                        offered under part D of title XVIII of the
                        Social Security Act and a Medicare Advantage
                        plan offered under part C of such title; and
                            (iii) includes any entity  that contracts
                        with such a plan or issuer for the
                        administering of services under the plan or
                        coverage.
                    (B) Health insurance coverage; health insurance
                issuer.--The terms ``health insurance coverage'' and
                ``health insurance issuer'' have the meanings given
                such terms under paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively,
                of section 733(b) of the Employee Retirement Income
                Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1191b(b)).
                    (C) Group health plan.--The term ``group health
                plan'' has the meaning given that term in section
                733(a)(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security
                Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1191b(a)(1)).
            (3) Independent pharmacy.--The term ``independent
        pharmacy'' means a pharmacy which is not owned (or operated) by
        a publicly traded company. For purposes of the previous
        sentence, the term ``publicly traded company'' means a company
        that is an issuer within the meaning of section 2(a)(7) of the
        Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (15 U.S.C. 7201(a)(7)).

Summary: Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2007 - Entitles independent pharmacies negotiating contract terms with a health plan for the provision of health care items or services to the same treatment under the antitrust laws as the treatment to which bargaining units recognized under the National Labor Relations Act are entitled. Treats such a pharmacy as an employee engaged in concerted activities in connection with such negotiations. Exempts actions taken in good faith reliance on this Act from being subject to criminal sanctions or civil penalties beyond actual damages incurred. Prohibits: (1) exempting from the antitrust laws any agreement or otherwise unlawful conspiracy that excludes, limits the participation or reimbursement of, or otherwise limits the scope of services to be provided by any independent pharmacy or group of independent pharmacies with respect to the performance of services that are within their scope of practice as defined or permitted by relevant law or regulation. And (2) applying this Act to negotiations between independent pharmacies and health plans pertaining to federal health benefits.

A bill to ensure and foster continued patient safety and quality of care by making the antitrust laws apply to negotiations between groups of independent pharmacies and health plans and health insurance issuers (including health plans under parts C and D of the Medicare Program) in the same manner as such laws apply to protected activities under the National Labor Relations Act.


SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) As a Member of Congress from the Tenth Congressional
        District of Texas, as Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, Vice-
        President and President of the United States, Lyndon Baines
        Johnson's accomplishments in the fields of civil rights,
        education, and economic opportunity rank among the greatest
        achievements of the past half century.
            (2) As President, Lyndon Johnson proposed, championed, led
        to passage, and signed into law on August 6, 1965, the Voting
        Rights Act of 1965, which swept away barriers impeding millions
        of Americans from meaningful participation in American
        political life.
            (3) On July 30, 1965, President Johnson signed into law the
        Social Security Amendments Act of 1965, popularly known as
        Medicare, which has transformed the delivery of health care in
        the United States and which, along with Social Security,
        reduced the rate of poverty among the elderly from 28.5 percent
        in 1966 to 9.1 percent in 2012.
            (4) On July 2, 1964, President Johnson secured passage and
        signed into law the most sweeping civil rights legislation
        since Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which
        prohibits discrimination in employment, education, and public
        accommodations based on race, color, religion, or national
        origin.
            (5) On November 8, 1965, President Johnson signed into law
        the Higher Education Act, which provided need-based financial
        aid to students in the form of scholarships, work-study grants,
        and loans, and thus made higher education more accessible to
        populations of persons who were previously unable to attend
        college because of economic circumstances.
            (6) On October 3, 1965, President Johnson signed into law
        the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, which
        transformed the Nation's immigration system by abolishing the
        racially based quota system that had defined American
        immigration policy for four decades and replaced it with a
        policy whose central purpose was family reunification, with a
        preference for immigrants with specific skill sets.
            (7) According to Robert A. Caro, the preeminent biographer
        of Lyndon Baines Johnson, with the single exception of Lincoln,
        President Johnson was the greatest champion of the poor and
        underprivileged in the history of the Republic and was the
        President ``who wrote mercy and justice into the statute books
        by which America was governed''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make
appropriate arrangements for the posthumous award, on behalf of
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Lyndon Baines
Johnson in recognition of his contributions to the Nation, including
passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Social Security
Amendments Act (Medicare) of 1965, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the
Higher Education Act of 1965, and the Immigration and Naturalization
Act of 1965.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in
this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable
emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal
        under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the
        Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, where it will be
        available for display as appropriate and available for
        research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of the Congress
        that the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum should make
        the gold medal awarded pursuant to this Act available for
        display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations
        associated with Lyndon Baines Johnson.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.

SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this Act are
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States
Code.
    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.

Summary: This bill directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Lyndon Baines Johnson in recognition of his contributions to the nation, including passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Social Security Amendments Act (Medicare) of 1965, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Higher Education Act of 1965, and the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965. Requires such medal to be given to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum following its award, where it will be available for display and research.

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th President of the United States whose visionary leadership secured passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, Social Security Amendments Act (Medicare) of 1965, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Higher Education Act of 1965, and Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965.


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Internship Improvement
Act''.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 31 of title 5, United
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 3111 the following:
``Sec. 3111a. Federal internship programs
    ``(a) Internship Coordinator.--The head of each agency operating an
internship program shall appoint an individual within such agency to
serve as an internship coordinator.
    ``(b) Online Information.--
            ``(1) Agencies.--The Office of Personnel Management shall
        make publicly available on the Internet--
                    ``(A) the name and contact information of the
                internship coordinator for each agency; and
                    ``(B) information regarding application procedures
                and deadlines for each internship program.
            ``(2) Office of personnel management.--The Office of
        Personnel Management shall make publicly available on the
        Internet links to the websites where the information described
        in paragraph (1) is displayed.
    ``(c) Centralized Database.--The Office shall establish and
maintain a centralized electronic database that contains the names,
contact information, and relevant skills of individuals who have
completed or are nearing completion of an internship program and are
currently seeking full-time Federal employment.
    ``(d) Exit Interview Requirement.--The agency operating an
internship program shall conduct an exit interview, and administer a
survey (which shall be in conformance with such guidelines or
requirements as the Office shall establish to ensure uniformity across
agencies), with each intern who completes such program.
    ``(e) Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--The head of each agency operating an
        internship program shall annually submit to the Office a report
        assessing such internship program.
            ``(2) Contents.--Each report required under paragraph (1)
        for an agency shall include, for the 1-year period ending on
        September 1 of the year in which the report is submitted--
                    ``(A) the number of interns who participated in an
                internship program at such agency;
                    ``(B) information regarding the demographic
                characteristics of interns at such agency, including
                educational background;
                    ``(C) a description of the steps taken by such
                agency to increase the percentage of interns who are
                offered permanent Federal jobs and the percentage of
                interns who accept the offers of such jobs, and any
                barriers encountered;
                    ``(D) a description of activities engaged in by
                such agency to recruit new interns, including locations
                and methods;
                    ``(E) a description of the diversity of work roles
                offered within internship programs at such agency;
                    ``(F) a description of the mentorship portion of
                such internship programs; and
                    ``(G) a summary of exit interviews conducted and
                surveys administered by such agency with respect to
                interns upon their completion of an internship program
                at such agency.
            ``(3) Submission.--Each report required under paragraph (1)
        shall be submitted to the Office between September 1 and
        September 30 of each year. Not later than December 30 of each
        year, the Office shall submit to Congress a report summarizing
        the information submitted to the Office in accordance with
        paragraph (1) for such year.
    ``(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) the term `internship program' means--
                    ``(A) a volunteer service program under section
                3111(b);
                    ``(B) the Student Educational Employment Program
                (hereinafter `SCEP'), as established under section
                213.3202 of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations
                (as in effect on January 1, 2009); and
                    ``(C) a program operated by a nongovernment
                organization for the purpose of providing paid
                internships in agencies pursuant to a written agreement
                comparable to an SCEP agreement under section
                213.3202(b)(12) of title 5 of the Code of Federal
                Regulations (as in effect on January 1, 2009);
            ``(2) the term `intern' means an individual participating
        in an internship program; and
            ``(3) the term `agency' means an Executive agency.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 31 of
title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 3111 the following:

``3111a. Federal internship programs.''.

Summary: Federal Internship Improvement Act - Directs the head of each federal agency operating an internship program to appoint an internship coordinator within the agency. Directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to make publicly available on the Internet: (1) the coordinator's name and contact information and information regarding application procedures and deadlines for the program, and (2) links to the websites where such information is displayed. Requires OPM to establish a centralized electronic database that contains the names, contact information, and relevant skills of individuals who have completed or are nearing completion of an internship program and are currently seeking full-time federal employment. Requires the agency operating an internship program to conduct an exit interview, and administer a survey, with each intern who completes the program.

To improve Federal internships by expanding the conversion rate of Federal interns to full-time employees, establish consistent tracking mechanisms among Executive agencies for internship programs, and accelerate adoption of internship best management practices by Executive agencies.


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rail-Highway Grade Crossing Safety
Act of 1994''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) there are approximately 170,000 public and 110,000
        private at-grade rail-highway crossings in the United States;
            (2) during 1993, there were nearly 4,900 accidents at these
        crossings;
            (3) it is necessary to improve safety at our Nation's rail-
        highway crossings and along rail rights-of-way;
            (4) there are insufficient public funds to provide for the
        installation of warning systems that are automatically
        activated by approaching trains at all public crossings;
            (5) many of the Nation's public rail-highway crossings are
        unnecessary and should be closed;
            (6) rail-highway crossing consolidation will reduce the
        potential for rail-highway crossing collisions and will allow
        States to concentrate on improving safety at the remaining
        crossings;
            (7) incentives are needed to encourage State and local
        governments to increase the consolidation of rail-highway
        crossings; and
            (8) increased funding must be provided to educate motorists
        in their responsibilities at crossings in order to realize the
        full benefits from the public investment in rail-highway
        crossing warning systems.

SEC. 3. RAIL-HIGHWAY GRADE CROSSING CLOSING PROGRAM.

    (a) Increased Federal Share.--Section 120(c) of title 23, United
States Code, is amended by inserting ``rail-highway crossing
closures,'' after ``vanpooling,''.
    (b) Incentive Funds; Benefits and Costs Analyses.--Section 130 of
title 23, United States Code, is amended by redesignating subsection
(h) as subsection (j) and inserting after subsection (g) the following:
    ``(h) Incentive Funds for Closing Crossings.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), any State,
        after adopting a policy requiring the review of the need for
        all new public at-grade rail-highway crossings, may, in its
        discretion, use the funds authorized under this section to
        provide an incentive payment to a local jurisdiction upon the
        permanent closing by the jurisdiction of a public at-grade
        crossing.
            ``(2) Conditions.--The incentive payments authorized by
        paragraph (1) of this subsection may be in amounts of not to
        exceed $7,500: Provided, That the funds are matched by an equal
        payment from the railroad owning the tracks on which the
        crossing is located.
            ``(3) Use of funds.--The local jurisdiction receiving funds
        under this subsection shall use the Federal funds portion of
        the incentive payment for transportation safety improvements
        only.
    ``(i) Public Benefits and Costs Analyses.--Not later than 18 months
after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall
establish guidelines to enable States to determine the public benefits
and costs resulting from any new rail-highway grade crossings.''.

SEC. 4. OPERATION LIFESAVER.

    Section 104(d)(1) of title 23, United States Code, is amended to
read as follows:
            ``(1) Operation lifesaver.--Before making an apportionment
        of funds under subsection (b)(3) for a fiscal year, the
        Secretary shall set aside $500,000 of the funds authorized to
        be appropriated for the surface transportation program for such
        fiscal year for carrying out a public information and education
        program to help prevent and reduce motor vehicle accidents,
        injuries, and fatalities, to improve driver performance at
        railway-highway crossings, and to help prevent trespassing on
        rail rights-of-way and the resulting injuries and fatalities.
        Expenditure of any funds in excess of $300,000 shall be
        contingent upon receipt of matching funds from nonpublic
        sources.''.

SEC. 5. GRADE CROSSING CORRIDOR SAFETY INCENTIVE PROGRAM.

    (a) Funding of Program.--Section 104(d) of title 23, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Grade crossing corridor safety incentive program.--
        Before making an apportionment of funds under subsection (b)(3)
        for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall set aside $15,000,000 of
        the funds authorized to be appropriated for the surface
        transportation program for such fiscal year to carry out a
        program to provide a financial incentive to States that review
        and implement grade crossing safety improvements on a corridor
        basis in accordance with section 130(k).''.
    (b) Establishment of Program.--Section 130 of title 23, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Grade Crossing Corridor Safety Incentive Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a program
        to provide an additional financial incentive to States that
        review and implement grade crossing safety improvements on a
        corridor basis. Such financial incentive would be in addition
        to those funds available in accordance with the preceding
        subsections.
            ``(2) Project approval.--Funds authorized to be
        appropriated to carry out this subsection shall be available
        for obligation at the discretion of the Secretary. The
        Secretary shall issue investment criteria for approving
        projects under this section.
            ``(3) Applicability of other provisions.--All provisions of
        this chapter, other than provisions relating to apportionment
        formulas and Federal share, shall apply to funds made available
        to carry out this subsection, except as determined by the
        Secretary to be inconsistent with this subsection. Funds
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section shall
        remain available until expended.''.

Summary: Rail-Highway Grade Crossing Safety Act of 1994 - Includes rail-highway crossing closures among the safety projects for which an increased Federal share of construction costs apply. Authorizes any State, after adopting a policy requiring the review of the need for all new public at-grade rail-highway crossings, to use certain authorized funds to provide an incentive payment to a local jurisdiction upon the permanent closing by the jurisdiction of a public at-grade crossing, provided that such payments may not exceed $7,500 and that the funds are matched by an equal payment from the railroad owning the tracks on which the crossing is located. Directs the local jurisdiction receiving funds to use the Federal funds portion of the incentive payment for transportation safety improvements only. Directs the Secretary to establish guidelines to enable States to determine the public benefits and costs resulting from any new rail-highway grade crossings. Revises provisions regarding Operation Lifesaver to require the Secretary of Transportation to set aside $500,000 of funds authorized to be appropriated for the surface transportation program (STP) for a given fiscal year for carrying out a public information and education program to help prevent and reduce motor vehicle accidents, injuries, and fatalities, to improve driver performance at railway-highway crossings, and to help prevent trespassing on rail rights-of-way and resulting injuries and fatalities. Directs that expenditure of any funds in excess of $300,000 be contingent upon receipt of matching funds from nonpublic sources. Requires the Secretary to: (1) set aside $15 million of funds authorized to be appropriated for the STP for a given fiscal year to carry out a program to provide a financial incentive to States that review and implement grade crossing safety improvements on a corridor basis, and (2) issue investment criteria for approving projects.


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Hate Crimes Hotline Act of
2016''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Nationwide, the number of hate groups in the United
        States increased by 14 percent in 2015 according to the
        Southern Poverty Law Center.
            (2) According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, of
        the hate crimes in 2015, 59.2 percent of the offenses were
        racially motived, 19.4 percent were motivated by anti-LGBT
        animus, and 19.7 percent targeted religion.
            (3) In 2015, according to the Federal Bureau of
        Investigation, 4,482 individuals were victims of crimes against
        persons, and 57.5 percent of these individuals were victims of
        assault.
            (4) According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an
        average of more than 250,000 people a year are victims of hate
        crimes, but most incidents are not reported.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL HATE CRIME HOTLINE AND HATE CRIME INFORMATION AND
              ASSISTANCE WEBSITE.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General may award one or more grants
to private, nonprofit entities--
            (1) to provide for the establishment and operation of a
        national, toll-free telephone hotline to provide information
        and assistance to victims of hate crimes (hereafter in this
        section referred to as the ``national hate crime hotline'');
        and
            (2) to provide for the establishment and operation of a
        highly secure Internet website to provide that information and
        assistance to such victims (hereafter in this section referred
        to as the ``hate crime information and assistance website'').
    (b) Duration.--A grant under this section may extend over a period
of not more than 5 years.
    (c) Annual Approval.--The provision of payments under a grant
awarded under this section shall be subject to annual approval by the
Attorney General and subject to the availability of appropriations for
each fiscal year to make the payments.
    (d) Hotline Activities.--An entity that receives a grant under this
section for activities described, in whole or in part, in subsection
(a)(1) shall use funds made available through the grant to establish
and operate a national hate crime hotline. In establishing and
operating the hotline, the entity shall--
            (1) contract with a carrier for the use of a toll-free
        telephone line;
            (2) employ, train (including technology training), and
        supervise personnel to answer incoming calls and provide
        counseling and referral services to callers on a 24-hour-a-day
        basis;
            (3) assemble and maintain a current database of information
        relating to services for victims of hate crimes to which
        callers throughout the United States may be referred;
            (4) publicize the national hate crime hotline to potential
        users throughout the United States; and
            (5) be prohibited from asking hotline callers about their
        citizenship status.
    (e) Secure Website Activities.--
            (1) In general.--An entity that receives a grant under this
        section for activities described, in whole or in part, in
        subsection (a)(2) shall use funds made available through the
        grant to provide grants for startup and operational costs
        associated with establishing and operating a hate crime
        information and assistance website.
            (2) Availability.--The hate crime information and
        assistance website shall be available to the entity operating
        the national hate crime hotline.
            (3) Information.--The hate crime information and assistance
        website shall provide accurate information that describes the
        services available to victims of hate crimes, including health
        care and mental health services, social services,
        transportation, and other relevant services.
            (4) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
        construed to require any shelter or service provider, whether
        public or private, to be linked to the hate crime information
        and assistance website or to provide information to the
        recipient of the grant described in paragraph (1) or to the
        website.
    (f) Application.--The Attorney General may not award a grant under
this section unless the Attorney General approves an application for
such grant. To be approved by the Attorney General under this
subsection an application shall--
            (1) contain such agreements, assurances, and information,
        be in such form, and be submitted in such manner, as the
        Attorney General shall prescribe through notice in the Federal
        Register;
            (2) in the case of an application for a grant to carry out
        activities described in subsection (a)(1), include a complete
        description of the applicant's plan for the operation of a
        national hate crime hotline, including descriptions of--
                    (A) the training program for hotline personnel,
                including technology training to ensure that all
                persons affiliated with the hotline are able to
                effectively operate any technological systems used by
                the hotline;
                    (B) the hiring criteria for hotline personnel;
                    (C) the methods for the creation, maintenance, and
                updating of a resource database;
                    (D) a plan for publicizing the availability of the
                hotline;
                    (E) a plan for providing service to non-English
                speaking callers, including service through hotline
                personnel who speak Spanish; and
                    (F) a plan for facilitating access to the hotline
                by persons with hearing impairments;
            (3) in the case of an application for a grant to carry out
        activities described in subsection (a)(2)--
                    (A) include a complete description of the
                applicant's plan for the development, operation,
                maintenance, and updating of information and resources
                of the hate crime information and assistance website;
                    (B) include a certification that the applicant will
                implement a high level security system to ensure the
                confidentiality of the website, taking into
                consideration the safety of hate crime victims; and
                    (C) include an assurance that, after the third year
                of the website project, the recipient of the grant will
                develop a plan to secure other public or private
                funding resources to ensure the continued operation and
                maintenance of the website;
            (4) demonstrate that the applicant has recognized expertise
        in the area of hate crimes and a record of high quality service
        to victims of hate crimes, including a demonstration of support
        from advocacy groups;
            (5) demonstrate that the applicant has a commitment to
        diversity, and to the provision of services to ethnic, racial,
        religious, and non-English speaking minorities, in addition to
        older individuals, individuals with disabilities, and
        individuals of various gender, gender identity, and sexual
        orientation; and
            (6) contain such other information as the Attorney General
        may require.
    (g) Hate Crime Defined.--For purposes of this Act, the term ``hate
crime'' means a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a
victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the
object of the crime, because of the actual or perceived race, color,
religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity,
disability, sexual orientation, perceived sexual identification, or
perceived gender identity of any person.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
        carry out this section $3,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2017
        through 2021.
            (2) Website.--Of the amounts appropriated pursuant to
        paragraph (1) for a year, not less than 10 percent shall be
        used for purposes of carrying out subsection (a)(2).
            (3) Availability.--Funds authorized to be appropriated
        under paragraph (1) may remain available until expended.

SEC. 4. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General may award grants to eligible
State and local law enforcement entities for educational and training
programs on solving hate crimes (as defined in section 1(g)) and
establishing community dialogues with groups whose members are at-risk
of being victims of such hate crimes.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a), a State or local law enforcement entity must be in
compliance with reporting requirements applicable to such entity
pursuant to the Hate Crimes Statistics Act (28 U.S.C. 534 note).
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are necessary for
fiscal year 2017 and each succeeding fiscal year.

SEC. 5. LOCAL RESOURCES TO COMBAT HATE CRIMES GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General shall establish a grant
program within the Office for Victims of Crime in the Office of Justice
Programs, under which the Attorney General may award grants to local
community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and faith-based
organizations to establish or expand local programs and activities that
serve targeted areas and that provide legal, health (including physical
and mental health), and other support services to victims of hate
crimes (as defined in section 1(g)). Grant funds may be used for
activities including hiring counselors and providing training,
resources, language support services, and information to such victims.
    (b) Targeted Area Defined.--For purposes of this section, the term
``targeted area'' means an area with a demonstrated lack of resources,
as determined by the Attorney General, for victims of hate crimes.
    (c) Funding Restriction.--None of the funds from a grant made under
this section may be used--
            (1) by an organization that discriminates against an
        individual on the basis of religion; or
            (2) for purposes of promoting religious beliefs or views.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are necessary for
fiscal year 2017 and each succeeding fiscal year.

Summary: National Hate Crimes Hotline Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to: (1) private, nonprofit entities to establish and operate a national, toll-free telephone hotline and an Internet website to assist victims of hate crimes. And (2) state and local law enforcement entities for educational and training programs on solving hate crimes and establishing dialogues with members of at-risk communities. Additionally, the bill directs DOJ to establish a grant program for local organizations to establish or expand programs that provide services to victims of hate crimes.


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Lifelong Improvements in Food and
Exercise (LIFE) Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Currently, 64.5 percent of adults in the United States,
        age 20 years and older, are overweight and 30.5 percent of them
        are obese.
            (2) Data from two National Health and Nutrition Examination
        Surveys show that among adults aged 20-74 years the prevalence
        of obesity increased from 15.0 percent in the 1976-1980 survey
        to 32.9 percent in the 2003-2004 survey.
            (3) 50 percent of women aged 20 to 74 are overweight or
        obese in the United States according to the National Women's
        Health Information Center.
            (4) In 2003-04, of children and adolescents 2-19 years of
        age more than 12,500,000 (or 17.1 percent) were overweight, and
        of adults more than 66,000,000 (or 32.2 percent) were obese.
        Almost 5 percent of adults were extremely obese.
            (5) The percentage of children who are overweight has more
        than doubled, and among adolescents the rates have more than
        tripled, since 1980 increasing from 5 percent to 17.1 percent.
            (6) More than 50 percent of adults in the United States do
        not get enough physical activity and national data have shown
        an increase in the calorie consumption of adults.
            (7) About two-thirds of young people in grades 9-12 are not
        engaged in recommended levels of physical activity. Daily
        participation in high school physical education classes dropped
        from 42 percent in 1991 to 33 percent in 2005.
            (8) The rising rates of obesity portend greater disease and
        health conditions including hypertension, high total
        cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke,
        gallbladder disease, osteoporosis, sleep apnea, and respiratory
        problems, and some cancers, such as endometrial, breast, and
        colon cancer.
            (9) Many underlying factors have been linked to the
        increase in obesity, such as increasing portion sizes, eating
        out more often, increased consumption of sugar-sweetened
        drinks, increasing television, computer, and electronic gaming
        time, changing labor markets, and fear of crime, which prevents
        outdoor exercise.
            (10) Chronic diseases account for 1.7 million, or 70
        percent, of all deaths in the United States each year. Although
        chronic diseases are among the most common and costly health
        problems, they are also among the most preventable. Adopting a
        healthy lifestyle such as eating nutritious foods and engaging
        in physical activity, can prevent or control the devastating
        effects of these diseases. Although chronic diseases are among
        the most common and costly health problems, they are also among
        the most preventable.
            (11) According to the Surgeon General's Call to Action to
        Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, the cost of
        obesity in the United States in 2000 was more than $117
        billion.

SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN PREVALENCE OF OBESITY; PROGRAM FOR LIFELONG
              IMPROVEMENTS IN FOOD AND EXERCISE.

    Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 317S the following
section:

                  ``reduction in prevalence of obesity

    ``Sec. 317T.  (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall carry
out a national program to conduct and support activities regarding
individuals who are overweight or obese in order to make progress
toward the goal of significantly reducing the number of cases of
obesity among individuals in the United States.
    ``(b) Certain Activities.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
Secretary shall (directly or through grants or contracts) carry out the
following with respect to individuals who are overweight:
            ``(1) Activities to train health professionals to recognize
        that patients are overweight and to recommend prevention
        activities regarding such condition, including educating
        patients on the relationship between such condition and
        cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other health conditions,
        and on proper nutrition and regular physical activities.
            ``(2) Activities to educate the public with respect to the
        condition of being overweight, including the development of a
        strategy for a public awareness campaign.
            ``(3) The development and demonstration of intervention
        strategies for use at worksites and in community settings such
        as hospitals and community health centers.
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000
for fiscal year 2009, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the
fiscal years 2010 through 2013.''.

Summary: Lifelong Improvements in Food and Exercise (LIFE) Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to carry out a national program to conduct and support activities regarding individuals who are overweight or obese in order to make progress toward the goal of significantly reducing obesity in the United States. Requires such activities to include: (1) training health professionals, (2) educating the public. And (3) developing and demonstrating intervention strategies for use at worksites and in community settings.

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national program to conduct and support activities toward the goal of significantly reducing the number of cases of overweight and obesity among individuals in the United States.


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Computer Crime Enforcement Act''.

SEC. 2. STATE GRANT PROGRAM FOR TRAINING AND PROSECUTION OF COMPUTER
              CRIMES.

    (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of amounts provided in
advance in appropriations Acts, the Office of Justice Programs shall
make a grant to each State, which shall be used by the State, in
conjunction with units of local government, State and local courts,
other States, or combinations thereof, to--
            (1) assist State and local law enforcement in enforcing
        State and local criminal laws relating to computer crime;
            (2) assist State and local law enforcement in educating the
        public to prevent and identify computer crime;
            (3) assist in educating and training State and local law
        enforcement officers and prosecutors to conduct investigations
        and forensic analyses of evidence and prosecutions of computer
        crime;
            (4) assist State and local law enforcement officers and
        prosecutors in acquiring computer and other equipment to
        conduct investigations and forensic analysis of evidence of
        computer crimes; and
            (5) facilitate and promote the sharing of Federal law
        enforcement expertise and information about the investigation,
        analysis, and prosecution of computer crimes with State and
        local law enforcement officers and prosecutors, including the
        use of multijurisdictional task forces.
    (b) Use of Grant Amounts.--Grants under this section may be used to
establish and develop programs to--
            (1) assist State and local law enforcement in enforcing
        State and local criminal laws relating to computer crime;
            (2) assist State and local law enforcement in educating the
        public to prevent and identify computer crime;
            (3) educate and train State and local law enforcement
        officers and prosecutors to conduct investigations and forensic
        analyses of evidence and prosecutions of computer crime;
            (4) assist State and local law enforcement officers and
        prosecutors in acquiring computer and other equipment to
        conduct investigations and forensic analysis of evidence of
        computer crimes; and
            (5) facilitate and promote the sharing of Federal law
        enforcement expertise and information about the investigation,
        analysis, and prosecution of computer crimes with State and
        local law enforcement officers and prosecutors, including the
        use of multijurisdictional task forces.
    (c) Assurances.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, a State shall provide assurances to the Attorney General that
the State--
            (1) has in effect laws that penalize computer crime, such
        as penal laws prohibiting--
                    (A) fraudulent schemes executed by means of a
                computer system or network;
                    (B) the unlawful damaging, destroying, altering,
                deleting, removing of computer software, or data
                contained in a computer, computer system, computer
                program, or computer network; or
                    (C) the unlawful interference with the operation of
                or denial of access to a computer, computer program,
                computer system, or computer network;
            (2) an assessment of the State and local resource needs,
        including criminal justice resources being devoted to the
        investigation and enforcement of computer crime laws; and
            (3) a plan for coordinating the programs funded under this
        section with other federally funded technical assistant and
        training programs, including directly funded local programs
        such as the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant program
        (described under the heading ``Violent Crime Reduction
        Programs, State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance'' of the
        Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and
        Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 (Public Law 105-
        119)).
    (d) Matching Funds.--The Federal share of a grant received under
this section may not exceed 90 percent of the costs of a program or
proposal funded under this section unless the Attorney General waives,
wholly or in part, the requirements of this subsection.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
        carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years
        2000 through 2003.
            (2) Limitations.--Of the amount made available to carry out
        this section in any fiscal year not more than 3 percent may be
        used by the Attorney General for salaries and administrative
        expenses.
            (3) Minimum amount.--Unless all eligible applications
        submitted by any State or unit of local government within such
        State for a grant under this section have been funded, such
        State, together with grantees within the State (other than
        Indian tribes), shall be allocated in each fiscal year under
        this section not less than 0.75 percent of the total amount
        appropriated in the fiscal year for grants pursuant to this
        section, except that the United States Virgin Islands, American
        Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands each shall be
        allocated 0.25 percent.
    (f) Grants to Indian Tribes.--Notwithstanding any other provision
of this section, the Attorney General may use amounts made available
under this section to make grants to Indian tribes for use in
accordance with this section.

Summary: Computer Crime Enforcement Act - Directs the Office of Justice Programs to make a grant to each State, subject to the availability of appropriations, which shall be used to: (1) assist State and local law enforcement agencies in enforcing State and local criminal laws relating, and in educating the public to prevent and identify, computer crime. (2) assist in educating and training State and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors to conduct investigations and forensic analyses of evidence and prosecutions of computer crime. (3) assist State and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors in acquiring computer and other equipment to conduct investigations and forensic analysis of evidence of computer crimes. And (4) facilitate and promote the sharing of Federal law enforcement expertise and information about the investigation, analysis, and prosecution of computer crimes with State and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors, including the use of multi-jurisdictional task forces. Requires a State, to be eligible to receive a grant, to provide assurances to the Attorney General that the State has: (1) in effect laws that penalize computer crime. (2) made an assessment of the State and local resource needs. And (3) a plan for coordinating the programs funded under this Act with other federally funded technical assistant and training programs. Sets the Federal cost share at up to 90 percent, subject to a waiver. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Attorney General to use amounts made available under this Act for grants to Indian tribes.

Computer Crime Enforcement Act


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Foreign-Held Debt Transparency and
Threat Assessment Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following:
                    (A) The Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
                on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Finance, and the
                Committee on the Budget of the Senate.
                    (B) The Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
                on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Ways and Means,
                and the Committee on the Budget of the House of
                Representatives.
            (2) Debt instruments of the united states.--The term ``debt
        instruments of the United States'' means all bills, notes, and
        bonds issued or guaranteed by the United States or by an entity
        of the United States Government, including any Government-
        sponsored enterprise.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) On March 16, 2006, the United States Senate debated and
        then narrowly passed legislation, H.J. Res. 47, to increase the
        statutory limit on the public debt of the United States. In a
        statement published in the Congressional Record, then-Senator
        Barack Obama opposed the legislation and stated, ``The fact
        that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit
        is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S.
        Government can't pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now
        depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries
        to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies.''. Then-
        Senator Obama went on to say that ``Increasing America's debt
        weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means
        that `the buck stops here'. Instead, Washington is shifting the
        burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and
        grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of
        leadership. Americans deserve better.''.
            (2) On February 25, 2010, United States Secretary of State,
        Hillary Rodham Clinton, urged members of Congress to address
        the Federal budget deficit: ``We have to address this deficit
        and the debt of the United States as a matter of national
        security, not only as a matter of economics. I do not like to
        be in a position where the United States is a debtor nation to
        the extent that we are.''. The Secretary went on to say that
        reliance on foreign creditors has hit the United States
        ``ability to protect our security, to manage difficult problems
        and to show the leadership that we deserve.''.
            (3) On February 16, 2011, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of
        the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the Committee on
        Armed Services of the Senate: ``Indeed, I believe that our debt
        is the greatest threat to our national security. If we as a
        country do not address our fiscal imbalances in the near-term,
        our national power will erode, and the costs to our ability to
        maintain and sustain influence could be great.''.
            (4) The Department of the Treasury borrows from the private
        economy by selling securities, including Treasury bills, notes,
        and bonds, in order to finance the Federal budget deficit. This
        additional borrowing to finance the deficit adds to the Federal
        debt.
            (5) The Federal debt stands at more than
        $14,345,000,000,000.
            (6) According to a report issued by the Department of the
        Treasury on May 16, 2011, entitled ``Major Foreign Holders of
        Treasury Securities'', foreign holdings of United States
        Treasury securities stood at more than $3,175,000,000,000 at
        the end of March 2011. The People's Republic of China was the
        single largest holder with holdings of more than
        $1,144,000,000,000.
            (7) Despite efforts by the Department of the Treasury to
        identify the nationality of the ultimate holders of United
        States securities, including United States Treasury securities,
        data pertaining to foreign holders of these securities may
        still fail to reflect the true nationality of the foreign
        entities involved. For example, another Department of the
        Treasury report, issued on February 28, 2011, entitled
        ``Preliminary Report on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Securities At
        End-June 2010'', assigns $732,000,000,000 worth of United
        States securities to the Cayman Islands, a British overseas
        territory with a population of only 55,000 people. The Cayman
        Islands is not itself a large investor in United States
        securities; rather, it is a major international financial
        center and is routinely used as a place to invest funds from
        elsewhere.
            (8) On February 25, 2010, Simon Johnson, an economics
        professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a
        former chief economist for the International Monetary Fund,
        testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review
        Commission that United States Treasury data understate Chinese
        holdings of United States Government debt and ``do not reveal
        the ultimate country of ownership when debt instruments are
        held through an intermediary in another jurisdiction.''. He
        stated that ``a great deal'' of the United Kingdom's increase
        in United States Treasury securities last year ``may be due to
        China placing offshore dollars in London-based banks'', which
        are then used to purchase United States Treasury securities.
            (9) On February 25, 2010, Dr. Eswar Prasad, an economist at
        Cornell University, testified before the U.S.-China Economic
        and Security Review Commission that the amount of United States
        debt held by the People's Republic of China is much higher than
        United States Treasury data indicate. In his revised testimony,
        Dr. Prasad went on to explain that China is probably currently
        holding more than $1,300,000,000,000 in United States Treasury
        securities.
            (10) According to a February 3, 2009, report by the
        Heritage Foundation, entitled ``Chinese Foreign Investment:
        Insist on Transparency'', the State Administration of Foreign
        Exchange (SAFE) of the People's Republic of China, the
        government body that purchases foreign securities, is the
        single largest global investor and the largest foreign investor
        in the United States.
            (11) According to a September 2008 Council on Foreign
        Relations report entitled ``Sovereign Wealth and Sovereign
        Power,'' ``. . . political might is often linked to financial
        might, and a debtor's capacity to project military power hinges
        on the support of its creditors . . . The United States' main
        sources of financing are not allies.''. The report goes on to
        argue that, ``the United States' current reliance on other
        governments for financing represents an underappreciated
        strategic vulnerability.''.
            (12) In recent years, Chinese military officials have
        publicized the potential use of United States Treasury
        securities as a means of influencing United States policy and
        deterring specific United States actions. On February 8, 2010,
        retired People's Liberation Army (PLA) Major General Luo Yuan,
        from the PLA Academy of Military Science, stated in an
        interview with state-controlled media that China could attack
        the United States ``by oblique means and stealthy feints'', in
        retaliation for United States arms sales to Taiwan. He went on
        to say, ``Our retaliation should not be restricted to merely
        military matters, and we should adopt a strategic package of
        counterpunches covering politics, military affairs, diplomacy
        and economics to treat both the symptoms and root cause of this
        disease. For example, we could sanction them using economic
        means, such as dumping some U.S. government bonds.''.
            (13) The PLA has also referenced the concept of nonmilitary
        aspects of deterrence in written statements. A PLA textbook,
        ``The Science of Military Strategy'', observes that there are
        various forms of deterrence, including economic and
        technological, all of which need to be developed and
        consciously strengthened in order to maximize effect. These
        forms will only work ``with the determination and volition of
        employment of the force, and by dangling the word of deterrence
        over the rival's head in case of necessity.''.
            (14) According to a May 16, 2011, report by ABC News, a
        congressional delegation of 10 United States Senators visited
        China in April 2011, and met with Chinese government officials.
        The news report indicates that, during one meeting, the
        Senators were reprimanded by a Chinese official regarding the
        mounting United States Federal debt.
            (15) A February 7, 2010, report by Defense News suggests
        that China's extensive holdings of United States Government
        securities have already directly influenced United States
        national security policy. According to an unnamed Pentagon
        official, Obama Administration officials softened a draft of a
        key national security document in order to avoid ``harsh
        words'' that ``might upset Chinese officials at a time when the
        United States and China are economically intertwined.''. The
        news report indicates that these officials ``deleted several
        passages and softened others about China's military buildup''.
        This critical document, the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review,
        provides an assessment of long-term threats and challenges for
        the Nation and is intended to guide military programs, plans,
        and budgets in the coming decades.
            (16) The United States Government pays China a substantial
        amount of interest on China's $1,144,000,000,000 in holdings of
        United States Government debt, and this enhances China's
        ability to fund its own military programs.
            (17) According to a March 4, 2011, report by Xinhua, the
        official press agency of the government of the People's
        Republic of China, China plans to increase its 2011 military
        budget by 12.7 percent to 601,000,000,000 yuan (the equivalent
        of $91,500,000,000). This increase is in addition to China's
        2010 increase in its military budget of 7.5 percent.
            (18) According to the Department of Defense's (DoD) 2010
        report entitled ``Military and Security Developments Involving
        the People's Republic of China,'' the DoD estimates China's
        actual total military-related spending for 2009 to be over
        $150,000,000,000.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the growing Federal debt of the United States has the
        potential to jeopardize the national security and economic
        stability of the United States;
            (2) the increasing dependence of the United States on
        foreign creditors has the potential to make the United States
        vulnerable to undue influence by certain foreign creditors in
        national security and economic policymaking;
            (3) the People's Republic of China is the largest foreign
        creditor of the United States, in terms of its overall holdings
        of debt instruments of the United States;
            (4) the current level of transparency in the scope and
        extent of foreign holdings of debt instruments of the United
        States is inadequate and needs to be improved, particularly
        regarding the holdings of the People's Republic of China;
            (5) through the People's Republic of China's large holdings
        of debt instruments of the United States, China has become a
        super creditor of the United States;
            (6) under certain circumstances, the holdings of the
        People's Republic of China could give China a tool with which
        China can try to manipulate the domestic and foreign
        policymaking of the United States, including the United States
        relationship with Taiwan;
            (7) under certain circumstances, if the People's Republic
        of China were to be displeased with a given United States
        policy or action, China could attempt to destabilize the United
        States economy by rapidly divesting large portions of China's
        holdings of debt instruments of the United States; and
            (8) the People's Republic of China's expansive holdings of
        such debt instruments of the United States could potentially
        pose a direct threat to the United States economy and to United
        States national security. This potential threat is a
        significant issue that warrants further analysis and
        evaluation.

SEC. 5. QUARTERLY REPORT ON RISKS POSED BY FOREIGN HOLDINGS OF DEBT
              INSTRUMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) Quarterly Report.--Not later than March 31, June 30, September
30, and December 31 of each year, the President shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on the risks posed by
foreign holdings of debt instruments of the United States, in both
classified and unclassified form.
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--Each report submitted under this
section shall include the following:
            (1) The most recent data available on foreign holdings of
        debt instruments of the United States, which data shall not be
        older than the date that is 7 months preceding the date of the
        report.
            (2) The country of domicile of all foreign creditors who
        hold debt instruments of the United States.
            (3) The total amount of debt instruments of the United
        States that are held by the foreign creditors, broken out by
        the creditors' country of domicile and by public, quasi-public,
        and private creditors.
            (4) For each foreign country listed in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) an analysis of the country's purpose in holding
                debt instruments of the United States and long-term
                intentions with regard to such debt instruments;
                    (B) an analysis of the current and foreseeable
                risks to the long-term national security and economic
                stability of the United States posed by each country's
                holdings of debt instruments of the United States; and
                    (C) a specific determination of whether the level
                of risk identified under subparagraph (B) is acceptable
                or unacceptable.
    (c) Public Availability.--The President shall make each report
required by subsection (a) available, in its unclassified form, to the
public by posting it on the Internet in a conspicuous manner and
location.

SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT ON RISKS POSED BY THE FEDERAL DEBT OF THE UNITED
              STATES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than December 31 of each year, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on the risks to the
United States posed by the Federal debt of the United States.
    (b) Content of Report.--Each report submitted under this section
shall include the following:
            (1) An analysis of the current and foreseeable risks to the
        long-term national security and economic stability of the
        United States posed by the Federal debt of the United States.
            (2) A specific determination of whether the levels of risk
        identified under paragraph (1) are sustainable.
            (3) If the determination under paragraph (2) is that the
        levels of risk are unsustainable, specific recommendations for
        reducing the levels of risk to sustainable levels, in a manner
        that results in a reduction in Federal spending.

SEC. 7. CORRECTIVE ACTION TO ADDRESS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNSUSTAINABLE
              RISKS TO UNITED STATES NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMIC
              STABILITY.

    In any case in which the President determines under section
5(b)(4)(C) that a foreign country's holdings of debt instruments of the
United States pose an unacceptable risk to the long-term national
security or economic stability of the United States, the President
shall, within 30 days of the determination--
            (1) formulate a plan of action to reduce the risk level to
        an acceptable and sustainable level, in a manner that results
        in a reduction in Federal spending;
            (2) submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
        report on the plan of action that includes a timeline for the
        implementation of the plan and recommendations for any
        legislative action that would be required to fully implement
        the plan; and
            (3) move expeditiously to implement the plan in order to
        protect the long-term national security and economic stability
        of the United States.

Summary: Foreign-Held Debt Transparency and Threat Assessment Act - Expresses the sense of Congress about the growing federal debt of the United States, the increasing US dependence on foreign creditors like the People's Republic of China, whose holdings could give China a tool with which to manipulate US policymaking and pose a direct threat to the national economy and national security. Directs the President to report quarterly to certain congressional committees on the risks posed by foreign holdings of US debt instruments, and make such report public on the Internet. Directs the President to formulate, report to the appropriate congressional committees, and implement a plan of action to reduce an unsustainable level of risk to an acceptable and sustainable level, in a manner that results in a reduction in federal spending, in any case in which the President makes specified determinations that a foreign country's holdings of US debt instruments pose an unacceptable risk to long-term national security or economic stability of the United States.

A bill to increase transparency regarding debt instruments of the United States held by foreign governments, to assess the risks to the United States of such holdings, and for other purposes.


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``African Free Trade Initiative Act''.

SEC. 2. FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS WITH SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRIES.

    (a) Plan Requirements and Reporting.--Section 116 of the African
Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3723) is amended by striking
subsections (b) and (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(b) Plan Requirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--The President shall develop a plan for
        the purpose of negotiating and entering into one or more free
        trade agreements with all sub-Saharan African countries. The
        plan shall identify the 15 countries or groups of countries
        that are most ready for a free trade agreement with the United
        States.
            ``(2) Elements of plan.--The plan required by paragraph (1)
        shall include, for each sub-Saharan African country, the
        following:
                    ``(A) The steps such sub-Saharan African country
                needs to be equipped and ready to enter into a free
                trade agreement with the United States, including the
                development of a bilateral investment treaty.
                    ``(B) Milestones for accomplishing each step
                identified in subparagraph (A) for each sub-Saharan
                African country, with the goal of establishing a free
                trade agreement with each sub-Saharan African country
                not later than 10 years after the date of the enactment
                of the African Free Trade Initiative Act.
                    ``(C) A description of the resources required to
                assist each sub-Saharan African country in
                accomplishing each milestone described in subparagraph
                (B).
                    ``(D) The extent to which steps described in
                subparagraph (A), the milestones described in
                subparagraph (B), and resources described in
                subparagraph (C) may be accomplished through regional
                or subregional organizations in sub-Saharan Africa,
                including the East African Community, the Economic
                Community of West African States, the Common Market for
                Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Economic Community
                of Central African States.
                    ``(E) Procedures to ensure the following:
                            ``(i) Adequate consultation with Congress
                        and the private sector during the negotiations.
                            ``(ii) Consultation with Congress regarding
                        all matters relating to implementation of the
                        agreement or agreements.
                            ``(iii) Approval by Congress of the
                        agreement or agreements.
                            ``(iv) Adequate consultations with the
                        relevant African governments and African
                        regional and subregional intergovernmental
                        organizations during the negotiation of the
                        agreement or agreements.
    ``(c) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than 12 months after the
date of the enactment of the African Free Trade Initiative Act, the
President shall prepare and transmit to Congress a report containing
the plan developed pursuant to subsection (b).''.
    (b) Millennium Challenge Compacts.--After the date of the enactment
of this Act, the United States Trade Representative and Administrator
of the United States Agency for International Development shall consult
and coordinate with the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium
Challenge Corporation regarding countries that have entered into a
Millennium Challenge Compact pursuant to section 609 of the Millennium
Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7708) that have been declared eligible
to enter into such a Compact for the purpose of developing and carrying
out the plan required by subsection (b) of section 116 of the African
Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3723), as amended by subsection
(a).

SEC. 3. COORDINATION OF USAID WITH FREE TRADE AGREEMENT POLICY.

    (a) Authorization of Funds.--Funds made available after the date of
enactment of this Act to the United States Agency for International
Development under section 496 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2293) may be used in consultation with the United States Trade
Representative--
            (1) to carry out subsection (b) of section 116 of the
        African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3723), as amended
        by section 2(a), including for the deployment of resources in
        individual eligible countries to assist such country in the
        development of institutional capacities to carry out such
        subsection (b); and
            (2) to coordinate the efforts of the United States to
        establish free trade agreements in accordance with the policy
        set out in subsection (a) of such section 116.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible country.--The term ``eligible country'' means
        a sub-Saharan African country that receives--
                    (A) benefits under the African Growth and
                Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.); and
                    (B) funding from the United States Agency for
                International Development.
            (2) Sub-saharan african country.--The term ``sub-Saharan
        African country'' has the meaning given that term in section
        107 of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3706).

Summary: African Free Trade Initiative Act This bill amends the African Growth and Opportunity Act to revise certain plan and reporting requirements relating to the President's negotiating and entering into free trade agreements with interested beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries. The President shall develop a plan for negotiating and entering into one or more free trade agreements with 15 of the sub-Saharan African countries that are most ready for a free trade agreement with the United States. The United States Trade Representative and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) shall coordinate with the Millennium Challenge Corporation regarding countries with shared development objectives that have entered into a Millennium Challenge Compact in order to develop and carry out such plans. USAID long-term development assistance funds for sub-Saharan Africa may be used to: carry out plans, including deployment of resources in individual eligible sub-Saharan African countries to assist them in the development of institutional capacities to carry out those plans. And coordinate US efforts to establish free trade agreements in order to increase trade between the United States and sub-Saharan African countries, as well as investment in those countries.

African Free Trade Initiative Act


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Life Insurance Opportunity
Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL PERIOD FOR CERTAIN VETERANS TO CONVERT LIFE INSURANCE
              POLICIES FROM SGLI TO VGLI.

    (a) In General.--Section 1977(g) of title 38, United States Code,
to read as follows:
    ``(g)(1)(A) Any person whose Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance
was continued in force after termination of duty or discharge from
service under the law as in effect prior to the date on which the
Veterans' Group Life Insurance program (provided for under section 1977
of this title) became effective, and whose coverage under
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance terminated less than four years
prior to such date, shall be eligible within one year from the
effective date of the Veterans' Group Life Insurance program to apply
for and be granted Veterans' Group Life Insurance in an amount equal to
the amount of the insured's Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance which
was not converted to an individual policy under prior law.
    ``(B) Veterans' Group Life Insurance issued under subparagraph (A)
shall be issued for a term period equal to five years, less the time
elapsing between the termination of the applicant's Servicemembers'
Group Life Insurance and the effective date on which the Veterans'
Group Life Insurance program became effective.
    ``(2)(A) Any person, on or after the date of the enactment of this
paragraph, who did not convert coverage under Servicemembers' Group
Life Insurance to coverage under this section within the period after
separation provided for under section 1968(a) of this title may,
subject to the succeeding provisions of this subsection, apply for
(within the 20-month period beginning on the last day of such period of
separation) and be granted coverage under this section in an amount
equal to the amount of the insured's Servicemembers' Group Life
Insurance which was not converted to coverage under this section.
    ``(B) any person, on or after the date of the enactment of this
paragraph, who did not convert coverage under Servicemembers' Group
Life Insurance to coverage under this section and whose coverage under
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance terminated during the 5-year
period beginning on the date of the expiration of the period of duty or
travel under section 1967(b) or 1968(a) of this title may, subject to
the succeeding provisions of this subsection, apply for (within the 90-
day period beginning on the later of such date of enactment or the end
of such 5-year period to) and be granted coverage under this section in
an amount equal to the amount of the insured's Servicemembers' Group
Life Insurance which was not converted to an individual policy under
prior law.
    ``(C) Veterans' Group Life Insurance issued under this paragraph
shall be issued for a term period equal to five years.
    ``(3) Veterans' Group Life Insurance under this subsection shall
only be issued upon application to the administrative office
established under section 1966(b) of this title, payment of the
required premium, and proof of good health satisfactory to that office,
which proof shall be submitted at the applicant's own expense.
    ``(4)(A) Any person who cannot meet the good health requirements
for insurance under this subsection solely because of a service-
connected disability shall have such disability waived.
    ``(B) For each month for which any eligible veteran, whose service-
connected disabilities are waived, is insured under this subsection
there shall be contributed to the insurer or insurers issuing the
policy or policies from the appropriation `Compensation and Pensions,
Department of Veterans Affairs' an amount necessary to cover the cost
of the insurance in excess of the premiums established for eligible
veterans, including the cost of the excess mortality attributable to
such veteran's service-connected disabilities.
    ``(5) The Secretary may establish, as the Secretary may determine
to be necessary according to sound actuarial principles, a separate
premium, age groupings for premium purposes, accounting, and reserves,
for persons granted insurance under this subsection different from
those established for other persons granted insurance under this
section.
    ``(6) Appropriations to carry out the purpose of this section are
hereby authorized.''.
    (b) Notice.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide
for notice to any member of the uniformed services who purchased a
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance policy under subchapter III of
chapter 19 of such title, and who did not convert such policy to a
Veterans' Group Life Insurance policy under section 1977(g) of such
title, of the opportunities under paragraph (2) of such section, as
added by subsection (a), to become insured under a Veterans' Group Life
Insurance policy during the periods described in such subsection.
    (c) Effective Dates.--(1) Subparagraph (A) of section 1977(g)(2) of
such title, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to a
termination of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance policies under
subchapter III of title 38, United States Code, occurring on or after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (2) Subparagraph (B) of such section, as added by subsection (a),
shall apply with respect to such a termination occurring on or after
the date that is four years before the date of the date of the
enactment of this Act.

Summary: Veterans Life Insurance Opportunity Act of 1998 - Amends Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) provisions to allow any person whose Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) was continued after termination of duty or discharge from military service before the date on which VGLI became effective, and whose coverage under SGLI terminated less than four years prior to such effective date, to apply for VGLI coverage within one year from the effective date of VGLI, in an amount equal to the insured's SGLI amount which was not converted to an individual policy under prior law. Provides a coverage period of five years, less the time elapsed between SGLI termination and the effective date of VGLI. Allows such insurance conversion for certain other individuals who did not convert SGLI coverage. Requires a person who cannot meet the good health requirements for VGLI coverage solely because of a service-connected disability to have such disability waived. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide due notice to eligible individuals of the opportunity for such conversion.