Bills passed in Congress, May 2013

The following are the bills the House and Senate passed last month. The bills were passed by voice vote except where indicated. Roll call votes for the House are found here, and for the Senate here. The descriptions of bills are essentially taken verbatim from the Congressional Record Daily Digest (Index).

SENATE 8 bills, 522 pages

Marketplace Fairness Act: By 69 yeas to 27 nays (Vote No. 113), Senate passed S. 743, to restore States’ sovereign rights to enforce State and local sales and use tax laws, 14 pages

National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins: Senate passed H.R. 1071, to specify the size of the precious-metal blanks that will be used in the production of the National Baseball Hall of Fame commemorative coins. 2 pages

Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Reauthorization Act: Senate passed S. 622, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to reauthorize user fee programs relating to new animal drugs and generic new animal drugs. 66 pages

Congressional Gold Medal: Senate passed H.R. 360, to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley to commemorate the lives they lost 50 years ago in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, where these 4 little Black girls’ ultimate sacrifice served as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. 5 pages  

Water Resources Development Act: By 83 yeas to 14 nays (Vote No. 124), Senate passed S. 601, to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct various projects for improvements to rivers and harbors of the United States, 410 pages

Freedom to Fish Act: Senate passed S. 982, to prohibit the Corps of Engineers from taking certain actions to establish a restricted area prohibiting public access to waters downstream of a dam. 6 pages

Congressional Gold Medal: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs was discharged from further consideration of S. 309, to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the Civil Air Patrol, and the bill was then passed, 16 pages
 
Stolen Valor Act: Senate passed H.R. 258, to amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to fraudulent representations about having received military decorations or medals. 3 pages

HOUSE 25 bills, 196 pages

Vietnam Veterans Donor Acknowledgment Act of 2013: H.R. 588, to provide for donor contribution acknowledgments to be displayed at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 398 yeas to 2 nays, Roll No. 129; 6 pages

Black Hills Cemetery Act: H.R. 291, to provide for the conveyance of certain cemeteries that are located on National Forest System land in Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 390 yeas to 2 nays, Roll No. 130; 6 pages

Pascua Yaqui Tribe Trust Land Act: H.R. 507, to provide for the conveyance of certain land inholdings owned by the United States to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 401 yeas to 2 nays, Roll No. 131. 6 pages

Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013: The House passed H.R. 1406, to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide compensatory time for employees in the private sector, by a recorded vote of 223 ayes to 204 noes, Roll No. 137. 10 pages

Full Faith and Credit Act: The House passed H.R. 807, to require that the Government prioritize all obligations on the debt held by the public in the event that the debt limit is reached, by a yea-and-nay vote of 221 yeas to 207 nays, Roll No. 142. 6 pages

National Blue Alert Act of 2013: H.R. 180, amended, to encourage, enhance, and integrate Blue Alert plans throughout the United States in order to disseminate information when a law enforcement officer is seriously injured or killed in the line of duty, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 406 yeas to 2 nays, Roll No. 144; 12 pages

Affirming the policy of the United States regarding Internet governance: H.R. 1580, to affirm the policy of the United States regarding Internet governance, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 413 yeas with none voting “nay”, Roll No. 145; 6 pages

Amending a provision of the Securities Act of 1933 directing the Securities and Exchange Commission to add a particular class of securities to those exempted under such Act to provide a deadline for such action: H.R. 701, amended, to amend a provision of the Securities Act of 1933 directing the Securities and Exchange Commission to add a particular class of securities to those exempted under such Act to provide a deadline for such action, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 416 yeas to 6 nays, Roll No. 148; 4 pages

Homes for Heroes Act of 2013: H.R. 384, amended, to establish the position of Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 420 yeas to 3 nays, Roll No. 149; 8 pages

Hill Creek Cultural Preservation and Energy Development Act: H.R. 356, to clarify authority granted under the Act entitled “An Act to define the exterior boundary of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation in the State of Utah, and for other purposes”; 6 pages

Amending the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to modify the Pilot Project offices of the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project: H.R. 767, amended, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to modify the Pilot Project offices of the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 415 yeas to 1 nay, Roll No. 147; 4 pages

Amending Public Law 93-435 with respect to the Northern Mariana Islands, providing parity D449with Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa: H.R. 573, to amend Public Law 93-435 with respect to the Northern Mariana Islands, providing parity with Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. 4 pages  

Repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation D459Act of 2010: The House passed H.R. 45, to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, by a yea-and-nay vote of 229 yeas to 195 nays, Roll No. 154. 4 pages

SEC Regulatory Accountability Act: The House passed H.R. 1062, to improve the consideration by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the costs and benefits of its regulations and orders, by a recorded vote of 235 ayes to 161 noes, Roll No. 160. 12 pages

Stolen Valor Act of 2013: H.R. 258, to amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to fraudulent representations about having received military declarations or medals, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 390 yeas to 3 nays, Roll No. 161 6 pages

Nuclear Terrorism Conventions Implementation and Safety of Maritime Navigation Act of 2013: H.R. 1073, to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for protection of maritime navigation and prevention of nuclear terrorism, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 390 yeas to 3 nays, Roll No. 162. 36 pages

Improving Job Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2013: H.R. 1412, amended, to improve and increase the availability of on-job training and apprenticeship programs carried out by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 416 yeas with none voting “nay”, Roll No. 164; 6 pages

American Heroes COLA Act: H.R. 570, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-living adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans; 6 pages

Granting the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Special Service Force, in recognition of its superior service during World War D479II: H.R. 324, amended, to grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Special Service Force, in recognition of its superior service during World War II, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 415 yeas with none voting “nay”, Roll No. 165; 7 pages

Helping Heroes Fly Act: H.R. 1344, amended, to amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to provide expedited air passenger screening to severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 413 yeas with none voting “nay”, Roll No. 166; 5 pages

Freedom to Fish Act: S. 982, to prohibit the Corps of Engineers from taking certain actions to establish a restricted area prohibiting public access to waters downstream of a dam; 6 pages

Northern Route Approval Act: The House passed H.R. 3, to approve the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Keystone XL pipeline, by a recorded vote of 241 ayes to 175 noes with 1 answering “present”, Roll No. 179. 12 pages

Improving Postsecondary Education Data for Students Act: H.R. 1949, amended, to direct the Secretary of Education to convene the Advisory Committee on Improving Postsecondary Education Data to conduct a study on improvements to postsecondary education transparency at the Federal level. 12 pages

Resolving Environmental and Grid Reliability Conflicts Act of 2013: H.R. 271, to clarify that compliance with an emergency order under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act may not be considered a violation of any Federal, State, or local environmental law or regulation. 6 pages

Smarter Solutions for Students Act: The House passed H.R. 1911, to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish interest rates for new loans made on or after July 1, 2013, by a recorded vote of 221 ayes to 198 noes, Roll No. 183.