The following are the bills the House and Senate passed in last month. The bills were passed by voice vote except where indicated. Roll call votes for the House are found here, and for theSenate here. The descriptions of bills are essentially taken verbatim from the Congressional Record Daily Digest (Index).
SENATE 4 pages, 130 pages
Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act: By a unanimous vote of 99 yeas (Vote No. 50), Senate passed H.R. 203, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for the conduct of annual evaluations of mental health care and suicide prevention programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to require a pilot program on loan repayment for psychiatrists who agree to serve in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 20 pages
Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution and Improvement Act: By a unanimous vote of 98 yeas (Vote No. 55), Senate passed S. 295, to amend section 2259 of title 18, United States Code, 10 pages
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act : By 68 yeas to 31 nays (Vote No. 62), Senate passed H.R. 240, making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, 96 pages
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act: Senate passed H.R. 33, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that emergency services volunteers are not taken into account as employees under the shared responsibility requirements contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 4 pages
HOUSE 19 bills, 338 pages
Medical Preparedness Allowable Use Act: H.R. 361, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to codify authority under existing grant guidance authorizing use of Urban Area Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Grant Program funding for enhancing medical preparedness, medical surge capacity, and mass prophylaxis capabilities, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 377 yeas to 2 nays, Roll No. 51; 4 pages
Awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March: H.R. 431, to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March in March of 1965, which served as a catalyst for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 420 yeas with none voting “nay'', Roll No. 76. 8 pages
Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act: The House passed S. 1, to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, by a yea-and-nay vote of 270 yeas to 152 nays, Roll No. 75. 36 pages
Fighting Hunger Incentive Act of 2015: The House passed H.R. 644, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend and expand the charitable deduction for contributions of food inventory, by a yea-and-nay vote of 279 yeas to 137 nays, Roll No. 80. 12 pages
DHS Interoperable Communications Act: H.R. 615, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security to take administrative action to achieve and maintain interoperable communications capabilities among the components of the Department of Homeland Security, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 379 yeas with none voting “nay'', Roll No. 52; 8 pages
Social Media Working Group Act of 2015: H.R. 623, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Department of Homeland Security to establish a social media working group, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 328 yeas to 51 nays, Roll No. 53. 8 pages
Repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: The House passed H.R. 596, 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 recorded vote of 239 ayes to 186 noes, Roll No. 58. 6 pages
Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015: The House passed H.R. 50, to provide for additional safeguards with respect to imposing Federal mandates, by a recorded vote of 250 ayes to 173 noes, Roll No. 64. 20 pages
Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015: The House passed H.R. 527, to amend chapter 6 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Regulatory Flexibility Act), to ensure complete analysis of potential impacts on small entities of rules, by a recorded vote of 260 ayes to 163 noes, Roll No. 68. 34 pages
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2015: H.R. 810, to authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; 130 pages
TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2015: H.R. 719, to require the Transportation Security Administration to conform to existing Federal law and regulations regarding criminal investigator positions, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 414 yeas with none voting “nay'', Roll No. 69; 8 pages
Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015: H.R. 720, to improve intergovernmental planning for and communication during security incidents at domestic airports, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 411 yeas to 1 nay, Roll No. 70; 8 pages
Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act: H.R. 710, to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare a comprehensive security assessment of the transportation security card program. 8 pages
America's Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2015: The House passed H.R. 636, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend increased expensing limitations, by a recorded vote of 272 ayes to 142 noes, Roll No. 82. 8 pages
Drinking Water Protection Act: H.R. 212, amended, to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide for the assessment and management of the risk of cyanotoxins in drinking water, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 375 yeas to 37 nays, Roll No. 84; 8 pages
Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act of 2015: H.R. 734, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to consolidate the reporting obligations of the Federal Communications Commission in order to improve congressional oversight and reduce reporting burdens, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 411 yeas with none voting “nay'', Roll No. 85. 12 pages
Amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve 529 plans: The House passed H.R. 529, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve 529 plans, by a recorded vote of 401 ayes to 20 noes, Roll No. 90. 8 pages
STEM Education Act of 2015: H.R. 1020, to define STEM education to include computer science, and to support existing STEM education programs at the National Science Foundation, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 412 yeas to 8 nays, Roll No. 88. K 6 pages
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act: Concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 33, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that emergency services volunteers are not taken into account as employees under the shared responsibility requirements contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, by a 2/3 recorded vote of 357 ayes to 60 noes, Roll No. 106. 6 pages