Bill > S1695

This bill, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016, provides funding for these departments and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and includes various provisions to guide the use of these funds. Key provisions include limitations on salaries and bonuses for certain individuals, restrictions on the procurement of goods produced with forced or indentured child labor, and specific allocations for job training programs, including those for individuals over 16 not currently enrolled in school who are training for occupations where employers use H1B visas to hire foreign workers. The bill also addresses the determination of prevailing wages for the H2B visa program, modifies rules for H2B nonimmigrants in the seafood industry, and places conditions on the implementation of certain regulations related to occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Furthermore, it appropriates significant funds for various health programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including those for primary health care, health workforce development, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, and research institutes like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), while also including provisions related to Medicare and Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For the Department of Education, the bill allocates funds for programs such as education for disadvantaged students, impact aid for federally affected schools, school improvement initiatives, special education, and student financial assistance, while also prohibiting certain actions related to curriculum control and the implementation of specific regulations. Finally, the bill includes general provisions that govern the use of appropriated funds, prohibit certain activities like lobbying and the use of funds for abortions (with specific exceptions), and outline reporting requirements for the agencies.