Quarterly Financial Report Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3116) – This bill actively targets separating members of the Armed Forces to work as Customs and Border Protection officers. This bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ), was passed by both the House and the Senate in less than a week’s time, and was signed into law on Oct. 16. As part of its recruiting efforts, the Department of Homeland Security will engage in job assistance efforts under the military Transition Assistance Program; provide opportunities for local CBP field offices to partner with military bases in the region; minimize the time required to hire qualified applicants; and streamline interagency transfers of relevant background investigations and security clearances.

Summaries for the Gold Star Fathers Act of 2015 (S. 136) – Signed into law on Oct. 7, this bill amends a previous act that applied only to mothers. As a result, both mothers and fathers of Armed Services members who either lost their life or became permanently and totally disabled during their service will be regarded with preference for federal employment, if: (1) the spouse of such parent is totally and permanently disabled; or (2) such parent is unmarried or legally separated from his or her spouse when applying for employment. This act was introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) last January.

Adoptive Family Relief Act (S. 1300) – This bill amends current immigration law to waive or refund fees related to renewing or replacing a visa issued to an immigrant child lawfully adopted by a U.S. citizen if the original visa was unable to be used during the period of its validity due to factors beyond the control of the adopting parents. The bill has a retroactive date of March 27, 2013. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). It passed in the Senate in July, in the House in October, and was signed into law by the president on Oct. 16.

Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2015 (S. 139) – In an effort to find more clinical trial participants for rare diseases and conditions, this act will ensure the first $2,000 per year a patient receives for his participation will be not be counted against his eligibility for Supplemental Security (SSI) and Medicaid benefits. According to the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, clinical trial enrollment rates have dropped 20 percent since 2000. This is largely attributed to the lack of financial reimbursement to patients, as low-income people (less than $20,000 a year) are 44 percent less likely to participate in a clinical trial than higher-income patients. This bill, introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) last January and signed into law by the president in October, is designed to increase participation by under-represented groups in clinical trials.

STEM Education Act of 2015 (H.R. 1020) – Sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), this bill was signed into law on Oct. 7. It is designed to encourage greater engagement in the studies of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. The act will award competitive, merit-reviewed grants to support the development of innovative, out-of-school STEM learning environments and research that advances the field of informal STEM education. This funding includes grants to be used for National Science Foundation Master Teaching Fellowships to mathematics and science teachers who possess a bachelor’s degree in their field as well as elementary or secondary school computer science teachers.

National Forest Small Tracts Act Amendments Act of 2015 (H.R. 1214) – This bill passed in the House on Sept. 16 and goes to the Senate next for consideration. Sponsored by Rep. Mark Amodel (R-NV), the Act would allow the sale of small portions (parcels of 40 acres or less) of national parks land. The value of the land must be less than $500,000 and it must be deemed otherwise inaccessible, physically isolated or to have lost its “National Forest character.”

Western Oregon Tribal Fairness Act (H.R. 2791) – This bill would require that 17,519 acres of Federal lands be held in trust by the United States as part of the reservation for the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, and that 14,408 acres become part of the reservation for the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians – all located in Oregon. Sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), this bill passed in the House on Sept. 16 and goes to the Senate next for consideration.

Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 (H.R. 3134) – Sponsored by Diane Black (R-TN), this bill places a one-year moratorium on abortions other than those performed due to rape, incest or in which a physical condition would endanger the mother’s life if it is not performed.

This bill prohibits all funding to Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. or any of its affiliates or clinics unless they agree to the cessation, or monies will have to be repaid to the Department of Health and Human Services. This bill, which was assigned to a congressional committee back in July, is expected to be considered by the House in late September.

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 3504) – This bill would require any healthcare practitioner present during an abortion when the fetus is born alive (breathes or has a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles) to provide life-continuation care and ensure it is immediately admitted to a hospital. Failure to do so would make the healthcare provider subject to a criminal fine, up to five years in prison or both. Moreover, any practitioner who commits an overt act that kills a fetus born alive would be subject to criminal prosecution for murder. This bill presently has 98 cosponsors (97 Republicans, 1 Democrat). On Sept. 15, it was assigned to a congressional committee for review before possibly sending it on to the House or Senate.

To establish a research, development and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle and simple cycle power generation systems (H.R. 2961) – Written and sponsored by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), this bill requires the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy to carry out a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in power generation systems. It also aims to identify the technologies that will lead to gas turbine combined cycle efficiency of 65% or simple cycle efficiency of 50%. The bill was assigned to a congressional committee on July 7, 2015 and moved to the House docket for consideration in mid-September.

RAPID Act (H.R. 348)– This bill would streamline the regulatory review, environmental decision making and permitting process for environmental review of a project, such as (1) determining the range of alternatives to be considered in environmental review documents, and (2) developing a schedule and deadlines for completing the review. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA), is under consideration in the House.

Student Success Act (H.R. 5) – This education reform bill, sponsored by Rep. John Kline (R-MN) with bipartisan support, is designed to shift responsibility for student assessment and school accountability to individual states. Provisions of the Act include reducing or eliminating federal education oversight; creating a federal grant for states and school districts of which 10 percent would be directed to charter schools and similar programs; Title 1 funds for local education agencies serving a high percentage of low-income families; the ability for parents to opt their children out of state-issued tests; and the ability for states to withdraw from Common Core Standards. On July 8, the bill was passed in the House and moved to the Senate for consideration.

Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 (S. 1177) – Sponsored by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), this educational policy reform bill passed in the Senate on July 16 with bipartisan support and has moved to the House. This bill would expand state responsibility over schools and provide grants to charter schools. And while it would continue the federal test-based accountability system of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), it would give states the authority to act based on the results. It also includes a provision that would limit federal authority to create new regulations without Congressional approval.

Need-Based Educational Aid Act of 2015 (S. 1482) – This bill was enacted after being signed by the President on Aug. 6. The Act extends through 2022 the antitrust exemption of the Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994 that allows institutions of higher education that admit all students on a need-blind basis to enter agreements among themselves regarding the administration of need-based financial aid. However, this bill prohibits such institutions from exchanging student-provided data relating to assets, liabilities, income, expenses, the number of family members, and the number of the student’s siblings in college before awarding financial aid to any of the students. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA).

A bill to prohibit Federal funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (S. 1881) – Sponsored by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), this bill would have ended federal funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America or its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, or clinics. The 22-year old federally funded program came under fire recently when its practice of receiving payment in exchange for fetal tissue came under public scrutiny. However, the bill became provisionally dead on Aug. 3due to a failed “cloture” vote. A cloture vote in favor is a vote to end debate and move to a vote on the issue itself, while a vote against is a vote to prolong debate or to filibuster. The vote on the cloture motion was 53 against to 46 in favor, so failing to invoke cloture means the bill cannot move forward.

Drinking Water Protection Act (H.R. 212) – Sponsored by Rep. Robert Latta (R-OH), this bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a plan to evaluate and manage the risks to human health from drinking water contaminated with algal toxins in public water systems. This Act was signed into law by the President on Aug. 7.