Army Rangers: In September 2015, the Senate passed S. Res. 257, a resolution congratulating Captain Kristen Griest and First Lieutenant Shaye Haver on becoming the first women to earn the Army Ranger tab.
Breast Cancer: Congress approved the Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act (P.L. 114-99) (December 2015).
Child Health Insurance: In April 2015, Congress approved the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act (P.L. 114-10). The measure reauthorizes the Children’s Health Insurance Program through 2017.
Domestic Violence: The Senate approved, by unanimous consent, S. Res. 293, a resolution recognizing National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October 2015).
Education: Congress approved the conference report for Every Student Succeeds Act (P.L. 114-95) (December 2015). The measure would reauthorize and amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (P.L. 107-110), commonly known as No Child Left Behind.
Family Support: Congress approved the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act (P.L. 114-10) (April 2015). The legislation reauthorizes the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program.
Health: The Senate approved a resolution, S. Res. 242, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health (September 2015).
Congress approved the Protecting Our Infants Act (P.L. 114-91) in November 2015.
Human Trafficking: The Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 60) to observe National Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Month (January 2015).
Congress approved the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (P.L. 114-22) (May 2015). The measure incorporates provisions from the Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act (H.R. 350), the Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act (H.R. 398), a bill to improve the response to victims of child sex trafficking (H.R. 246), the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation (SAVE) Act (H.R.
285), the Rape Survivor Child Custody Act (H.R. 1257), the Survivors of Human Trafficking Empowerment Act (H.R. 500), the Enhancing Services for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth Trafficking Act (H.R. 468), the Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act (H.R. 469), and the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act (H.R. 159), among others bills.
International: In May 2015, the Senate approved a resolution (S. Res. 97) supporting the goals of International Women’s Day.
Congress approved the Girls Count Act (P.L. 114-24) (June 2015).
In December 2015, the Senate passed a resolution condemning the ongoing sexual violence against women and children perpetrated by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militants (S. Res. 310).
Military: Congress approved the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735). The bill contains provisions to address military sexual assault, family support, and education. President Obama vetoed this legislation (October 2015).
Following President Obama’s veto of H.R. 1735, Congress approved a revised version of the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 114-92) in November 2015. While the updated bill retains the provisions to address military sexual assault, family support, and education, it reflects new spending limits established in the Bipartisan Budget Act (P.L. 114-74).
Ovarian Cancer: In August 2015, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, S. Res. 228, a resolution designating September 2015 as “National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.”
Reproductive Health: Congress approved the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act (P.L. 114-10) (April 2015). The bill reauthorizes the Personal Responsibility Education Program, which funds comprehensive sex education, and the federal abstinence education program.
Small Business: The Senate approved S. Res. 225, a resolution honoring the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) on its 40th anniversary (July 2015).
The Senate approved S. Res. 280, a resolution recognizing October as National Women’s Small Business Month (October 2015).
Stalking: The Senate approved a resolution (S. Res. 59) to designate January as National Stalking Awareness Month (January 2015).
Tax Policy: Congress approved the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act (P.L. 114-113), which would extend and make permanent several tax provisions, including provisions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (December 2015).
Abortion: The House approved the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act (H.R. 7) (January 2015).
In May 2015, the House approved the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36).
The House approved H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, and H.R. 3504, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (September 2015).
The House passed the Women’s Public Health and Safety Act (H.R. 3495), which would give states the discretion to withhold Medicaid funding for medical claims from health care providers that perform abortions (October 2015).
As part of the FY2016 budget reconciliation package, the Senate approved its version of H.R. 3762, the Restoring American’s Health Care Freedom Reconciliation Act, which includes provisions to impose a one-year moratorium on federal payments to entities that perform abortions (December 2015). The House approved its version of the legislation in October 2015.
Breast Cancer: The House passed the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 2722) (July 2015).
Child Support: The House approved the Child Support Assistance Act (H.R. 2091) (October 2015).
Employment: The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved S. 2206, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Act (November 2015).
Food Security: The House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the Global Food Security Act (H.R. 1567) (April 2015). The measure would authorize a strategy to address global poverty and hunger among women and children.
Health: The House passed the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 6) (July 2015). The bill would authorize funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.
The House approved the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act (H.R. 1344) and the Protecting Our Infants Act (H.R. 1462) (September 2015).
As part of the FY2016 budget reconciliation package, the Senate approved H.R. 3762, the Restoring American’s Health Care Freedom Reconciliation Act. The legislation would cut the federal deficit, in part, by repealing key portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) (P.L. 111-148) and the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which was established in the ACA. The measure also would increase funding for community health centers by $235 million (December 2015). The House approved its version of H.R. 3762 in October 2015.
Human Trafficking: In January 2015, the House passed several bills to address human trafficking: the Human Trafficking Prioritization Act (H.R. 514); the International Megan’s Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking Act (H.R. 515); the Human Trafficking Prevention Act (H.R. 357); and the Human Trafficking Detection Act (H.R. 460). In May 2015, several additional bills previously passed by the House were incorporated into P.L. 114-22, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Stop Exploitation through Trafficking Act (S. 166) (February 2015).
In February 2015, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the End of Modern Slavery and Trafficking Initiative Act (S. 553).
The House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the Trafficking Prevention in Foreign Affairs Contracting Act (H.R. 400) (February 2015).
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the Human Trafficking Detection Act (H.R. 460) (May 2015).
The Senate approved the International Megan’s Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking Act (H.R. 515) (December 2015).
International: The Senate passed S. 1632, a bill to require a regional strategy to address the threat posed by Boko Haram. The group is widely recognized as a terrorist organization and is responsible for kidnapping nearly 300 girls from a school in Chibok in northeast Nigeria (September 2015).
Juvenile Justice: The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (S. 1169). The measure contains provisions to address the needs of incarcerated girls (July 2015).
Maternal Health: The Senate Finance Committee passed the Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act (S. 466) (June 2015).
Military Spouses: In February 2015, the Senate Finance Committee approved a bill to create a military spouse job continuity credit (S. 920).
Pornography: The Senate approved the Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act (S. 295) (February 2015).
In March 2015, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed Eliminating Pornography from Agencies Act (H.R. 901).
Reproductive Health: The House passed H.J. Res. 43, a resolution disapproving the action of the DC Council in approving the Reproductive Health Nondiscrimination Amendment Act (April 2015).
Small Business: In October 2015, the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee approved
S. 2126, the Women’s Small Business Ownership Act.
STEM: The House approved the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1806) (May 2015). The bill includes provisions to increase the number of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers in federal government.
Veterans: The House approved the Ruth Moore Act (H.R. 1607). The measure would extend mental health benefits to survivors of military sexual assault (July 2015).
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee approved H.R. 1575, a bill to provide counseling services for women veterans recently separated from the Armed Forces (May 2015).
The House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health approved H.R. 2257, a bill to improve reproductive treatments for certain disabled veterans, and H.R. 627, a bill to expand the Department of Veterans Affairs’ definition of homeless veterans to include those homeless as a result of domestic violence (May 2015).
In July 2015, the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health passed H.R. 423, the Newborn Care Improvement Act.
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee approved H.R. 2915, the Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act (September 2015).
Violence Against Women: In July 2015, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee passed the Securing Urgent Resources Vital to Indian Victims Empowerment (SURVIVE) Act (S. 1704). The bill contains provisions to provide services to victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault.
In November 2015, the Senate approved the Pro bono Work to Empower and Represent (POWER) Act (S. 2280). The bill would promote pro bono legal services as a way to assist survivors of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
