There are two metrics used involving U.S. Congressional activity: (1) sponsorship of bills and (2) cosponsorship of bills. Here are the parameters around both Congressional metrics:
1) Both bills and resolutions were considered (referred hereafter collectively as “bills”).
2) All bills sponsored or cosponsored by the presidential candidates were considered.
3) All bills about abortion (from all angles) were excluded. (Candidates’ records on abortion are easily accessible and widely reported.)
4) All bills that would, in their sponsors’ or cosponsors’ minds, specifically and actively contribute to child advocacy and victim/survivor advocacy were included. This means that I included bills that I personally believe actually harmed children or victims/survivors. For example, I included bills that rose out of the “war against autism” movement — all of which were opposed by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Though I agree with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, I am nonetheless including the bills because the bill’s sponsors and cosponsors believed they were specifically and actively contributing to child advocacy. As another example: I included all types of “education reform” bills, regardless of personal opinion, if their stated purpose was to help children.
5) Since all the presidential candidates that served in Congress either served at different time periods or for different durations, the most accurate time average seemed to be the following: the most recent and full three years that the candidate served in Congress. For Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Bernie Sanders, this was 2013-2015. For Hillary Clinton, this was 2006-2008. For John Kasich, this was 1997-1999.
6) To find all bills that purported to specifically and actively contribute to child advocacy and victim/survivor advocacy during the aforementioned time periods and durations, I used GovTrack.us and Congress.gov to find all bills sponsored or cosponsored by the respective candidates. Bills were included if they were relevant to one of the following categories: child care, development, education, and safety; child abuse; children’s rights; domestic violence; elder abuse; physical abuse; safety measures in general such as background checks and mandatory reporting; sexual abuse; trafficking (all kinds).
7) Candidates’ voting records were excluded. There are two reasons for this: (1) the vast majority of bills that did pass all passed with unanimous consent, thus specific votes were not recorded; and (2) the vast majority of bills that did not pass never made it far enough to face a general vote. Thus for the purposes of this metric, voting records are not reliable indicators of candidates’ active and specific advocacy for children and abuse victims/survivors.
8) I determined the highest and lowest performers by the number of child and victim/survivor advocacy bills; however, I also include the percentage of advocacy bills in relation to total bills for those that prefer that.
Results:
Hillary Clinton (2006-2008)
2008
Summary: This bill directs the Attorney General to: (1) require sex offenders to provide to the National Sex Offender Registry all Internet identifiers (i.e., email addresses and other designations used for self-identification or routing in Internet communication or posting) used by such offenders; (2) specify requirements for keeping Internet identifier information current; (3) exempt Internet identifiers provided by a sex offender from public disclosure; and (4) establish procedures to notify sex offenders of changes in requirements for providing Internet identifier information.
S.1738 – PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008
Summary: This bill directs the Attorney General to create and implement a National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction
S.1577 – Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act
Summary: This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to identify efficient, effective, and economical procedures for long-term care (LTC) facilities or providers to conduct background checks on prospective direct patient access employees on a nationwide basis.
S.1070 – Elder Justice Act of 2008
Summary: This bill amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish an Elder Justice program under title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services), establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC), establishes the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation, and directs the Secretary to promulgate guidelines to assist researchers working in the area of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, with issues relating to human subject protection.
S.3155 – Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008
Summary: This bill adds as a purpose of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA) the support of a continuum of programs (including delinquency prevention, intervention, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and aftercare) to address the needs of at-risk youth and youth who come into contact with the justice system.
S.3495 – Protect Pregnant Women and Children from Dangerous Lead Exposures Act of 2008
Summary: This bill requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), no later than April 30, 2009, to use the best available science to: (1) promulgate a final rule revising EPA’s lead-based paint hazard standard promulgated under the Toxic Substances Control Act to a more protective level that safeguards the health of pregnant women and children; and (2) require the use of a lead dust cleaning clearance methodology that ensures lead dust levels meet such revised standard.
S.3277 – Children’s Budget Act
Summary: This bill requires the President’s annual budget to Congress to include a detailed, separate analysis for the prior fiscal year, the current fiscal year, the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted, and the ensuing fiscal year identifying the amounts of gross and net appropriations or obligational authority and outlays directed to children and children’s programs within the United States and territories.
S.3040 – Kid-Safe Chemicals Act of 2008
Summary: This bill establishes an Interagency Science Advisory Board on Children’s Health and Toxic Substances.
S.Res.565 – A resolution designating May 15, 2008 as Military Kids Day
Summary: This resolution: recognizes the daily sacrifices made by, and expresses gratitude toward, families across the country and the world in support of members of the U.S. Armed Forces; supports efforts of the Armed Forces YMCA and the many other organizations that work to assist U.S. military families; designates May 15, 2008, as Military Kids Day in the United States and at U.S. military installations throughout the world.
S.2928 – BPA-Free Kids Act of 2008
Summary: This bill: treats as a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act any consumer product that contains a detectable amount of bisphenol A (commonly known as BPA) and that is designed for or intended for use by, or care of, a child seven years of age or younger; permits state laws that provide equal or greater protection; requires a study on the health effects of BPA exposure in all age groups and in pregnant women.
S.1858 – Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants to eligible entities to: (1) provide screening, counseling, or health care services to newborns and children having or at risk for heritable disorders; (2) provide education and training in newborn screening and congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders to health care professionals and newborn screening laboratory personnel; (3) develop and deliver educational programs about newborn screening, counseling, testing, follow-up, treatment, and specialty services to parents, families, and patient advocacy and support groups; and (4) establish, maintain, and operate a system to assess and coordinate treatment relating to congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders.
S.Res.528 – A resolution designating April 25, 2008, as “Global Youth Service Day”
Summary: This resolution recognizes and commends the significant contributions of the youth of the United States and encourages the cultivation of a civic bond among young people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their communities, and the nation.
S.1418 – United States Commitment to Global Child Survival Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance to improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries, including activities relating to: (1) newborn care and treatment; (2) childhood illness and immunization services; (3) child and maternal nutrition; (4) maternity and obstetric services; (5) safe water, hygiene, and environmental toxins such as lead; (6) health services and health information systems; and (7) HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and child spacing.
S.Res.500 – A resolution honoring military children during “National Month of the Military Child”
Summary: This resolution joins the Secretary of Defense in honoring the children of members of the Armed Forces and recognizes that they share in the burden of protecting the nation, urges the people of the United States to join the military community in observing April as National Month of the Military Child, and recognizes with great appreciation the contributions of private sector organizations in providing resources and assistance to military families and their communities.
S.2771 – White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 Act
Summary: This bill directs the President to call a White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 to: (1) encourage improvements in each state and local child welfare system; and (2) develop recommendations for actions to implement express policy regarding federal, state, and local programs.
2007
S.911 – Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to enhance, expand, and intensify pediatric cancer research, including therapeutically applicable research to generate effective treatments, pediatric preclinical testing, and pediatric clinical trials through National Cancer Institute-supported pediatric cancer clinical trials groups and their member institutions.
Summary: This resolution supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month, recognizes that every child should have a permanent and loving family, and encourages the citizens of the United States to consider adoption during the month of November and all throughout the year.
Summary: This resolution supports the goals and ideals of “Lights On Afterschool!,” a national celebration of after-school programs.
S.2279 – International Violence Against Women Act of 2007
Summary: This bill: amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish in the Department of State the Office of Women’s Global Initiatives (which shall replace the Office of International Women’s Issues) to coordinate U.S. government efforts respecting international women’s issues; establishes within the Department an Advisory Commission on International Violence Against Women; directs the President to develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent violence against women and girls; directs the Coordinator of the Women’s Global Initiatives to ensure that foreign assistance programs incorporate measures to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls; provides that U.S. training of foreign military and police forces incorporates training on prevention of violence against women and girls.
Summary: This bill bans as a hazardous substance within the meaning of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act any children’s product containing more than the specified amounts of lead and defines the term “children’s product” to mean any consumer product marketed for use by children under age six, or whose substantial use by children under age six is foreseeable.
S.774 – Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2007
Summary: This bill authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States before his or her sixteenth birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma; and (5) from the age of 16 and older, has never been under a final order of exclusion, deportation, or removal.
S.1105 – Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007
Summary: This bill authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under federal law or a felony under state, local, or Indian tribal laws; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim or is a violation of state, local, or tribal hate crime laws.
S.1998 – International Child Marriage Prevention and Protection Act of 2007
Summary: This bill requires the Secretary of State to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce the incidences of child marriage by further integrating this issue into U.S. development efforts, requires the Secretary to report to Congress on such strategy and on child marriage and related U.S. assistance programs, and authorizes the President to provide assistance for programs to reduce the incidences of child marriage and promote the empowerment of girls, including support for the treatment and reduction of fistula in countries with high rates of such surgery.
S.1981 – No Child Left Inside Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, as a prerequisite to receiving implementation grants, to develop environmental literacy plans, approved by the Secretary of Education, for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) that include environmental education standards and teacher training, and authorizes the use of grants to states out of the Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund for activities incorporating field-based learning, service learning, and outdoor experiential learning into the curricula and instruction.
Summary: This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a Pediatric Early Literacy program under which the Secretary of Education awards matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of three-part models through which: (1) health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer them recommendations and strategies for doing so; (2) health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five-years a new, developmentally appropriate children’s book to take home and keep; and (3) volunteers reading to children in health care facility waiting areas show parents the techniques and pleasures of reading aloud to children.
S.1512 – Foster Care Continuing Opportunities Act
Summary: This bill amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to give states the option for youth to elect to remain in foster care after attaining age 18 until attaining age 19, 20, or 21.
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to: (1) states to provide to women who have recently given birth and their families, before such women leave their birthing centers, education concerning postpartum depression, postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, and postpartum psychosis and to screen new mothers for such postpartum conditions during their first year of postnatal checkup visits; and (2) public or nonprofit private entities to provide for the delivery of essential services to individuals with such postpartum conditions and their families.
S.1332 – Mental Health in Schools Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to expand the program to provide grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to develop ways to assist children in dealing with violence to include assisting local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including providing comprehensive services and supports and incorporating strategies of positive behavioral interventions and supports.
S.1337 – Children’s Mental Health Parity Act
Summary: This bill amends title XXI (State Children’s Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to require a state child health plan to ensure that the financial requirements and treatment limitations applicable to mental health or substance abuse benefits are no more restrictive than (have parity with) those applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan.
S.1306 – Lead Free Toys Act of 2007
Summary: This bill directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to prescribe regulations classifying any children’s product containing lead to be a banned hazardous substance within the meaning of the Hazardous Substances Act.
Summary: This resolution designates the third week of April 2007 as National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week and commends those organizations that are: (1) working to increase awareness of the danger of shaking young children, (2) educating parents and caregivers on how they can help protect children from injuries caused by abusive shaking, and (3) helping families cope with the challenges of child-rearing and other stresses in their lives.
S.Res.164 – A resolution designating the week beginning April 22, 2007, as “Week of the Young Child”
Summary: This resolution urges U.S. citizens to recognize the importance of comprehensive early childhood education programs.
S.1159 – IDEA Full Funding Act
Summary: This bill amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to reauthorize part B programs of education of all children with disabilities.
S.1156 – Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Amendments of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to make changes to provisions in regard to market exclusivity for pediatric drug studies on new drugs or already approved drugs, including to: (1) require that appropriate labeling changes are timely made; and (2) prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from extending the period of market exclusivity later than nine months prior to the expiration of such period. It also requires the Secretary to order the labeling of a drug to include information about the result of a pediatric study whether such study does or does not demonstrate that the drug is safe and effective.
S.Res.158 – A resolution designating April 20, 2007, as “National and Global Youth Service Day”
Summary: This resolution recognizes and commends the significant contributions of the youth of the United States and encourages the cultivation of a common civic bond between young people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their communities, and the Nation.
S.948 – Children and Media Research Advancement Act
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to enter into a contract with the National Academy of Science or another appropriate entity to: (1) review, synthesize, and report on research regarding the roles and impact of electronic media (including television, motion pictures, DVD’s, interactive video games, digital music, the Internet, and cell phones) and exposures to such media on youth in core areas of development; and (2) establish research priorities regarding such issues.
S.912 – America’s Better Classroom Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for investment in qualified public school modernization bonds, defined to include: (1) bonds for the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of a public school facility or for the acquisition of land for such facility (qualified school construction bonds); (2) bonds to finance certain academic programs below the postsecondary level in empowerment zones or enterprise communities (qualified zone academy bonds); and (3) bonds for the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of certain Indian tribal schools (qualified tribal school modernization bonds).
Summary: This bill requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to provide a minimum paid sick leave and employment benefits of: (1) seven days annually for those who work at least 30 hours per week; and (2) a prorated annual amount for those who work less than 30 but at least 20 hours a week, or less than 1,500 but at least 1,000 hours per year. This bill allows employees to use such leave to meet their own medical needs or to care for the medical needs of certain family members.
S.830 – Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act of 2007
Summary: This bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for demonstration projects to promote pediatric device development and includes as a duty of the Office of Pediatric Therapeutics increasing pediatric access to medical devices.
Summary: This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act with respect to payment rates for meals and meal supplements provided by service institutions under summer food service programs for children.
S.803 – Child Support Protection Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to repeal a provision that prohibited federal matching funds to a state for expenditures from federal amounts paid to the state for child support and establishment of paternity to carry out an agreement for services of the Federal Parent Locator Service.
Summary: This resolution calls on people and groups to promote awareness of, and volunteer involvement in, the Safe Place program (which offers young people in early stages of crisis safe places where trained volunteers are available to counsel and advise them).
S.771 – Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to revise the definition of “food of minimal nutritional value,” the sale of which in areas where school meals are sold or eaten is prohibited as a condition for federal funding of school lunch and breakfast programs. This bill requires the Secretary, when revising such definition, to consider the recommendations of authoritative scientific organizations and evidence concerning the relationship between diet and health.
S.667 – Education Begins at Home Act
Summary: This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, to make: (1) grants to states for programs of early childhood home visitation; and (2) competitive grants to local educational agencies and other eligible applicants for early home visitation for families with English language learners.
S.634 – Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Associate Administrator of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to awards grants to eligible entities to: (1) provide education and training in newborn screening and congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders to health care professionals and newborn screening laboratory personnel; (2) develop educational programs about newborn screening for parents, families, and patient advocacy and support groups; and (3) establish operate a system to assess and coordinate treatment relating to congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders.
Summary: This bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to state health departments for work in partnership with community-based coalitions to plan and implement model communities of play that: (1) increase the physical spaces and places available for physical activity; (2) increase the opportunities for children and families to participate in quality play and the number of children and families participating in quality play; and (3) increase knowledge and awareness about the importance of individuals achieving 60 minutes of recommended physical activity every day.
S.600 – School-Based Health Clinic Establishment Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for the cost of operating school-based health clinics (SBHCs) to provide comprehensive primary health services during school hours to children and adolescents by health professionals.
S.578 – Protecting Children’s Health in Schools Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children’s Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish requirements for providing and receiving reimbursement for school-based health care for children, including children with special needs, and the related administrative and transportation costs covered under Medicaid.
S.519 – Securing Adolescents From Exploitation-Online Act of 2007
Summary: This bill amends the federal criminal code to expand the reporting requirements of electronic communication and remote computing service providers with respect to violations of child sexual exploitation and pornography laws, authorizes appropriations for grants to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and authorizes courts to order monitoring of Internet use by a convicted sex offender as a condition for such offender’s supervised release.
S.Res.24 – A resolution designating January 2007 as “National Stalking Awareness Month”
Summary: This resolution urges national and community organizations, businesses, and the media to promote, through observation of National Stalking Awareness Month, awareness of the crime of stalking.
Summary: This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit a group health plan or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan from terminating the coverage of a dependent child due to a medically necessary leave of absence from a postsecondary educational institution that causes the child to lose full-time status before the date that is the earlier of: (1) one year after the first day of the leave of absence; or (2) the date on which such coverage would otherwise terminate under the terms of the plan. Requires documentation and a certification by a physician.
S.382 – Keeping Families Together Act
Summary: This bill mends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award competitive matching grants to states to establish systems of care to treat and provide services to all children who are in the custody of the state or at-risk of entering into the custody of the state for the purpose of receiving mental health services.
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) expand and coordinate CDC activities on preterm labor and delivery and infant mortality; (2) conduct ongoing epidemiological studies on the relationship between prematurity, birth defects, and developmental disabilities; and (3) establish systems for the collection of maternal-infant clinical biomedical information to link with the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.
2006
S.3651 – International Child Marriage Prevention and Assistance Act of 2006
Summary: This bill requires the Secretary of State to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce the incidences of child marriage by further integrating this issue into U.S. development efforts, requires the Secretary to report to Congress on such strategy and on child marriage and related U.S. assistance programs, and authorizes the President to provide assistance for programs to reduce the incidences of child marriage and promote the empowerment of girls, including support for the treatment and reduction of fistula in countries with high rates of such surgery.
S.4098 – Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act of 2006
Summary: This bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for demonstration projects to promote pediatric device development and includes as a duty of the Office of Pediatric Therapeutics increasing pediatric access to medical devices.
S.4033 – Kindergarten Plus Act of 2006
Summary: This bill authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) to provide Kindergarten Plus (K+) programs of voluntary full days of kindergarten during the summer before and the summer after the traditional kindergarten school year determined by the state.
Summary: This bill establishes within the Office of the Secretary an Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC) to make recommendations for coordination of activities of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and other relevant federal, state, local, and private agencies and entities relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and other crimes against elders.
S.921 – Pathways for All Students to Succeed Act
Summary: This bill authorizes the Secretary of Education to establish a program that will provide grants to State educational agencies (SEAs), and direct grants or subgrants through SEAs to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs), to establish literacy and mathematics skills programs to improve overall reading, writing, and mathematics performance among students in middle school and secondary school.
S.3705 – Protecting Children’s Health in Schools Act of 2006
Summary: This bill amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children’s Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish requirements for providing and receiving reimbursement for school-based health care for children, including children with special needs, and the related administrative and transportation costs covered under Medicaid.
S.3656 – HIV Prevention Youth Act
Summary: This bill expresses the sense of Congress that sexually active young people who live in a country where HIV infection is spreading through the general population, rather than being confined to specific populations should be: (1) considered at high risk of contracting HIV infection; and (2) provided with the knowledge, skill-building programs, and tools to protect themselves from HIV infection.
S.2999 – Safe and Timely Interstate Placement of Foster Children Act of 2006
Summary: This bill amends the definition of “case review system” to: (1) increase the required frequency of state caseworker visits to a child who is placed in foster care outside the state in which the child’s parents reside; (2) require a child’s health and education record to be supplied to the child at no cost when he/she leaves foster care by reason of having attained the age of majority under state law; and (3) provide for a foster parent’s right (currently, opportunity) to be heard in any proceeding (currently, review or hearing) respecting their foster child.
S.2828 – Student Bill of Rights
Summary: This bill directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each state’s public school system provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life and allows students or parents aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in federal district courts.
S.1086 – Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act
Summary: This bill directs the Attorney General to establish guidelines for states’ sex offender registration programs to be known collectively as the Jacob Wetterling, Megan Nicole Kanka, and Pam Lychner Sex Offender Registration and Notification Program.
S.2663 – Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2006
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Associate Administrator of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to awards grants to eligible entities to: (1) provide education and training in newborn screening and congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders to health care professionals and newborn screening laboratory personnel; (2) develop educational programs about newborn screening for parents, families, and patient advocacy and support groups; and (3) establish operate a system to assess and coordinate treatment relating to congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders.
Summary: This resolution designates the third week of April 2007 as National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week and commends those organizations that are: (1) working to increase awareness of the danger of shaking young children, (2) educating parents and caregivers on how they can help protect children from injuries caused by abusive shaking, and (3) helping families cope with the challenges of child-rearing and other stresses in their lives.
S.2592 – Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act of 2006
Summary: This bill amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to revise the definition of “food of minimal nutritional value,” the sale of which in areas where school meals are sold or eaten is prohibited as a condition for federal funding of school lunch and breakfast programs. This bill requires the Secretary, when revising such definition, to consider the recommendations of authoritative scientific organizations and evidence concerning the relationship between diet and health.
Summary: This resolution recognizes and commends the significant contributions of the youth of the United States and encourages the cultivation of a common civic bond between young people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their communities, and the Nation.
S.Res.418 – A resolution designating the week beginning April 2, 2006, as “Week of the Young Child”
Summary: This resolution urges U.S. citizens to recognize the importance of comprehensive early childhood education programs.
Summary: This resolution calls on people and groups to promote awareness of, and volunteer involvement in, the Safe Place program (which offers young people in early stages of crisis safe places where trained volunteers are available to counsel and advise them).
S.Res.381 – A resolution designating March 1, 2006, as National Sibling Connection Day
Summary: This resolution expresses support for efforts to respect and preserve sibling relationships that are at risk of being disrupted due to the placement of children into the foster care system.
Ted Cruz (2013-2015)
2015
This resolution congratulates the students, parents, teachers, and school leaders from K-12 education environments of all varieties for their persistence, achievements, dedication, and contributions to society in the United States.
Summary: This bill amends the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to require the Secretary of Education to use funds appropriated under the Act that are carried over from one fiscal year to the next to provide opportunity scholarships to eligible students.
2014
Summary: This bill amends the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to require the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to use funds appropriated under the Act that are carried over from one fiscal year to the next to provide opportunity scholarships to eligible students.
2013
John Kasich (1997-1999)
1999
H.R.1579 – Children’s Hospitals Education and Research Act of 1999
Summary: This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payment as specified to each children’s hospital for each hospital cost reporting period under Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act (SSA)) for FY 2000 and 2001 for the direct and indirect expenses associated with operating approved medical residency training programs.
Summary: This resolution calls for the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend and the U.S. Postal Service to prepare to issue a commemorative postage stamp in 2002 recognizing the 4-H Youth Development Program’s centennial.
H.R.997 – Advancement in Pediatric Autism Research Act
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of NIH with respect to infant and child autism.
1998
H.R.3783 – Child Online Protection Act
Summary: This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to make it unlawful for anyone who, with knowledge of the character of the material, in interstate or foreign commerce by means of the World Wide Web, makes any communication for commercial purposes that is available to minors (persons under age 17) and that includes any material that is harmful to minors. This bill also makes it unlawful for an operator of a website or online service directed to children under age 13, or any operator that has actual knowledge that it is collecting personal information from a child, to collect personal information from a child in a manner that violates regulations prescribed under this title.
H.R.4258 – No Second Chances for Murderers, Rapists, or Child Molesters Act of 1998
Summary: This bill expresses the sense of the Congress that any individual convicted of: (1) murder should receive the death penalty or be imprisoned for life without the possibility of parole; and (2) rape or a dangerous sexual offense involving a child under age 14 should be imprisoned for life without the possibility of parole.
H.R.1062 – HIV Prevention Act of 1997
Summary: This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to add certain requirements relating to prevention of the transmission of the HIV virus which State Medicaid plans must incorporate in order to receive Federal approval, including mandatory HIV testing of alleged rapists for which victims and their attorneys are notified of the results, with appropriate follow up tests upon the request of the victim.
H.R.2646 – Education Savings and School Excellence Act of 1998
Summary: This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to education individual retirement accounts (IRAs), to: (1) permit distributions for qualified elementary and secondary education expenses, including home schooling expenses; and (2) increase the annual contribution limit from $500 to $2,000. This bill also waives the beneficiary age limitation (18) for contributions on behalf of special needs beneficiaries. It also authorizes the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to State-established reading and literacy partnerships for local reading improvement and tutorial assistance programs and directs the Secretary to award competitive grants to States for the planning and implementation of statewide family literacy initiatives.
1997
H.R.1114 – Birth Defects Prevention Act of 1997
Summary: This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to establish birth defects prevention and research programs.
H.R.2373 – Parents and Students Savings Account Plus Act
Summary: This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to education individual retirement accounts to: (1) include qualified elementary and secondary education expenses (including home schooling); and (2) increase annual contribution limits to $2,000.
H.R.956 – Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997
Summary: This bill amends the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988 to direct the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to establish a program to support communities in the development and implementation of comprehensive, long-term plans and programs to prevent and treat substance abuse among youth.
Marco Rubio (2013-2015)
2015
S. 590: Campus Accountability and Safety Act
Summary: This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act to combat campus sexual violence.
S. 295: Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act of 2015
Summary: This bill amends the federal criminal code to expand the definition of “full amount of the victim’s losses” for purposes of provisions governing mandatory restitution of victims of offenses involving sexual exploitation and other abuse of children to include medical services, physical and occupational therapy or rehabilitation, and lost income for the victim’s lifetime, as well as any losses suffered by the victim from any sexual act or contact or sexually explicit conduct in preparation for or during the production of child pornography depicting the victim involved in the offense.
S. 178: Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015
Summary: This bill provides justice for the victims of trafficking.
S. 1169: Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2015
Summary: This bill amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to: include as one of the purposes of such Act the support of a trauma-informed continuum of programs to address the needs of at-risk youth and youth who come into contact with the justice system; require states to implement plans to ensure fairness and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the detention of juveniles; enhance requirements for separating juveniles from sight or sound contact with adult lock-ups; expand requirements for state plans for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention to include community-based alternatives to the detention of juveniles in correctional facilities, enhanced mental health and substance abuse screening.
S. 409: Military Sex Offender Reporting Act of 2015
Summary: This bill amends the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act to require the Secretary of Defense to inform the Attorney General of persons required to register as sex offenders.
S. 667: Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2015
Summary: This bill ensures that organizations with religious or moral convictions are allowed to continue to provide services for children.
S.553 – End Modern Slavery Initiative Act of 2015
Summary: The End Modern Slavery Initiative Foundation is established to work with government, civil society, and private institutions in partner countries and key jurisdictions of other countries supported by the Foundation with a high prevalence of modern slavery to identify and fund successful strategies to combat modern slavery. The U.S. government shall seek other foreign governments providing Foundation support to provide additional support for projects in partner countries.
Summary: This resolution condemns the sexual violence against women and children from Yezidi, Christian, Shabak, Turkmen, and other religious communities.
S. 1911: Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2015
Summary: This bill implements policies to end preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths globally.
S.Res.165 – A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day
Summary: This resolution supports the ideals of World Malaria Day and recognizes the importance of reducing malaria to improve child and maternal health, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Summary: This resolution encourages: (1) all federal entities to treat children trafficked for sex as victims or survivors of rape and sex trafficking; and (2) lawmakers, law enforcement, the media, and the public to reframe the trafficking of children for sex as an act of violence against children.
Summary: This resolution supports: (1) the goals of observing the National Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Month from January 1 through February 1, 2015, to recognize the vital role that the people of the United States have in ending modern slavery; (2) marking this observance with appropriate activities culminating in the observance on February 1 of National Freedom Day; and (3) all other efforts to raise awareness of, and opposition to, human trafficking.
This resolution congratulates the students, parents, teachers, and school leaders from K-12 education environments of all varieties for their persistence, achievements, dedication, and contributions to society in the United States.
Summary: This bill amends the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to require the Secretary of Education to use funds appropriated under the Act that are carried over from one fiscal year to the next to provide opportunity scholarships to eligible students.
2014
S. 2301 (113th): Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act of 2014
Summary: This bill amends the federal criminal code to expand the definition of “full amount of the victim’s losses” for purposes of provisions governing mandatory restitution of victims of offenses involving sexual exploitation and other abuse of children to include medical services, physical and occupational therapy or rehabilitation, and lost income for the victim’s lifetime, as well as any losses suffered by the victim from any sexual act or contact or sexually explicit conduct in preparation for or during the production of child pornography depicting the victim involved in the offense.
S. 2692 (113th): Campus Accountability and Safety Act
Summary: This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act to combat campus sexual violence.
S.1968 – Scholarships for Kids Act
Summary: This bill amends part A of title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to give states the option of using their part A allocation to carry out a Scholarships for Kids program.
Summary: This resolution encourages continued U.S. and international commitment and investment, through the GAVI Alliance, in the global effort to ensure that children in developing nations have access to vaccines and immunizations.
S.2333 – Caring for Military Children with Developmental Disabilities Act of 2014
Summary: This bill includes in the treatment of military dependents’ developmental disabilities under the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE program behavioral health treatment, including applied behavior analysis, that is prescribed by a physician or psychologist.
Summary: This resolution supports the people of Nigeria (especially the parents and families of the girls abducted by Boko Haram in Borno state), encourages the government of Nigeria to strengthen efforts to protect children seeking an education and to hold those who conduct such attacks accountable, recognizes that the empowerment of women is linked to the potential of countries to generate economic growth, sustainable democracy, and inclusive security, and encourages the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USDA) to continue supporting initiatives that positively impact the ability of women and girls to fully access their human rights.
Summary: This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) law enforcement officers, the juvenile justice system, social services, and the public should recognize and treat all children being trafficked for sex as victims of human trafficking; and (2) federal and state law enforcement agencies should take all necessary measures to protect children in the United States from harm, including arresting and prosecuting traffickers and buyers of children for sex in accordance with the applicable laws against child abuse, statutory rape, and human trafficking, particularly during the festivities surrounding Super Bowl XLVIII.
S.Res.119 – A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day
Summary: This resolution supports the ideals of World Malaria Day, including the target of ending malaria deaths by 2015, and recognizes the importance of reducing malaria to improve child and maternal health, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
S.2449 – Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of 2014
Summary: This bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to designate an official to oversee national autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research, services, and support activities; extends through FY2019 the autism education, early detection, and intervention program.
S.Res.335 – A resolution designating January 2014 as “National Mentoring Month”
Summary: This resolution expresses support for: (1) the goals of mentoring to increase educational achievement, reduce juvenile delinquency, and improve life outcomes for mentees; and (2) the creation and expansion of quality mentoring programs across the United States.
Summary: This bill amends the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to require the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to use funds appropriated under the Act that are carried over from one fiscal year to the next to provide opportunity scholarships to eligible students.
2013
S. 1738 (113th): Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013
Summary: This bill provides justice for the victims of trafficking.
S. 624 (113th): Child Care Protection Act of 2013
Summary: This bill amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to require criminal background checks for child care providers.
S.413 – Human Trafficking Reporting Act of 2013
Summary: This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include severe forms of trafficking in persons among “part 1 violent crimes” required to be reported by states for the Uniform Crime Reports of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for purposes of Bureau of Justice Assistance Grants and Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants.
Bernie Sanders (2013-2015)
2015
S. 590: Campus Accountability and Safety Act
Summary: This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act to combat campus sexual violence.
Summary: This bill requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more work weeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. This bill then allows employees to use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members (including a domestic partner or the domestic partner’s parent or child); or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
S. 1380: Strong Start for America’s Children Act of 2015
Summary: This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to allot matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies, childhood education program providers, or consortia of those entities to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families.
S. 311: Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2015
Summary: This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to address and take action to prevent bullying and harassment of students.
S. 1382: Every Child Deserves a Family Act
Summary: This bill prohibits discrimination in adoption or foster care placements based on the sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status of any prospective adoptive or foster parent, or the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child involved.
S. 469: Women Veterans and Families Health Services Act of 2015
Summary: This bill establishes VA programs to provide assistance to qualified veterans to obtain child care so that such veterans can receive: (1) regular mental health care services, intensive mental health care services, or other intensive health care services; and (2) readjustment counseling and related mental health services.
S. 1085: Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2015
Summary: This bill expands eligibility for the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are seriously injured or who became ill on active duty prior to September 11, 2001 (currently, limited to service after September 11, 2001). It expands services to caregivers of veterans under such program to include child care services.
S. 1512: Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
Summary: This bill declares that it is an unlawful employment practice for employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and other specified entities to: fail to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations related to the pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions of job applicants or employees.
S.Res. 184: Stop Harming Our Kids Resolution of 2015
Summary: This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that conversion therapy, including efforts by mental health practitioners to change the sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression of an individual, is dangerous and harmful and should be prohibited from being practiced on minors.
S. 439: Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2015
Summary: This bill ends discrimination based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools.
S. 1833: Access to Healthy Food for Young Children Act
Summary: This bill amends sthe Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to improve the child and adult care food program.
S. 786: Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act
Summary: This bill helps working families, including single working parents and dual-earner families, afford to take time away from work to provide care for a family member, and provides workers with a reasonable level of wage replacement during time away from work for a serious health condition, for the birth or adoption of a child, for the care of a child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health condition, for the care of an injured service member, or for qualifying exigencies arising from the deployment of a service member.
S. 713: International Violence Against Women Act of 2015
Summary: This bill directs the Secretary of State to establish an Office of Global Women’s Issues which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large. The Ambassador-at-Large will: (1) develop or update annually for five years a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, and (2) coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender integration and advancing the status of women and girls in U.S. foreign policy.
S. 1559: Pet and Women Safety Act of 2015
Summary: This bill protects victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence from emotional and psychological trauma caused by acts of violence or threats of violence against their pets.
Summary: This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that the Senate supports efforts to: (1) provide childcare assistance to each working family that needs it; (2) make childcare affordable; (3) ensure that childcare is available so that parents in the 24-hour economy can access high-quality care; (4) guarantee that each family eligible for childcare receives it by creating a system that expands with need; (5) improve the quality of childcare; and (6) provide sufficient federal, state, and local investment to ensure resources for high-quality jobs and affordable childcare.
Summary: This bill amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid) to permit the age limit for children participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to be increased from five to six if a state agency determines it is necessary to accommodate the unique circumstances of an individual child. The bill also permits states to certify infants (under one year of age) participating in the program for a period of up to two years.
S.1539 – Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 2015
Summary: This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require the Department of Agriculture to establish a program providing eligible households with summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards in order to give children access to food during the summer months to: (1) reduce or eliminate children’s food insecurity and hunger, and (2) improve their nutritional status.
S.737 – Ensuring Access to Primary Care for Women & Children Act
This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to require that the primary care services furnished in the two years after enactment of this Act by a physician with a primary specialty designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, or pediatric medicine be paid at a rate that is not less than 100% of the payment rate that applies under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), but only if the physician self-attests as being Board certified in those areas.
S.613 – Summer Meals Act of 2015
Summary: This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to redefine “areas in which poor economic conditions exist,” where the summer food service program for children may operate, as areas in which at least 40% (currently, 50%) of the children have been determined to be eligible for free or reduced price school meals under the school lunch and breakfast programs.
S.569 – Farm to School Act of 2015
Summary: This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to reauthorize the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Farm to School Program through FY2021 and modify the program. The program currently provides grants and technical assistance to schools, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers, and nonprofit entities to improve access to local foods in schools. The purposes for grants awarded under the program are expanded to include agricultural literacy and nutrition education.
S.522 – Protecting And Retaining Our Children’s Health Insurance Program Act of 2015
Summary: This bill revises and extends through FY2019 at generally increased levels the program under title XXI (State Children’s Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSAct). Title XI of the SSAct is also amended to extend through FY2019: (1) the quality care for children demonstration project, (2) childhood obesity demonstration project, and (3) pediatric quality measures program.
2014
S. 2475 (113th): Children in Families First Act of 2014
Summary: This bill realigns structure and reallocates resources in the Federal Government, in keeping with the core American belief that families are the best protection for children and the bedrock of any society, to bolster United States diplomacy and assistance targeted at ensuring that every child can grow up in a permanent, safe, nurturing, and loving family, and to strengthen intercountry adoption to the United States and around the world and ensure that it becomes a viable and fully developed option for providing families for children in need, and for other purposes.
S.2694 – Ensuring Access to Primary Care for Women & Children Act
Summary: This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require that the primary care services furnished in 2015 and 2016 by a physician with a primary specialty designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, or pediatric medicine be paid at a rate that is not less than 100% of the payment rate that applies to such services and physician under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).
S.2527 – Summer Meals Act of 2014
Summary: This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to redefine “areas in which poor economic conditions exist,” where the summer food service program for children may operate, as areas in which at least 40% (currently, 50%) of the children have been determined to be eligible for free or reduced price school meals under the school lunch and breakfast programs.
S.2307 – International Violence Against Women Act of 2014
Summary: This bill directs the Secretary of State to establish an Office of Global Women’s Issues which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, directs the Ambassador-at-Large to develop or update annually for six years a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, and authorizes the Secretary and the Administrator of USAID to provide assistance to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally.
S.Res.431 – A resolution honoring military children during the National Month of the Military Child
Summary: This resolution joins the Secretary of Defense (DOD) in honoring the children of members of the Armed Forces and recognizes that such children share in the burden of protecting the United States, and urges the people of the United States to join with the military community in observing the National Month of the Military Child (observed annually in April) with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor, support, and thank military children.
2013
S. 967 (113th): Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013
Summary: This bill requires a commanding officer who receives a report of a sexual-related offense involving a member in such officer’s chain of command to act immediately upon such report by way of referral to the appropriate criminal investigative office or service.
S. 1094 (113th): Strengthening America’s Schools Act of 2013
Summary: This bill revises and reauthorizes programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
S. 833 (113th): Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act of 2013
Summary: This bill amends subtitle B of title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to provide education for homeless children and youths.
S. 146 (113th): School and Campus Safety Enhancements Act of 2013
Summary: This bill enhances the safety of America’s schools.
S. 47 (113th): Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013
Summary: This bill reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
S. 403 (113th): Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2013
Summary: This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to address and take action to prevent bullying and harassment of students.
S.1306 – No Child Left Inside Act of 2013
Summary: This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to eligible partnerships to support the implementation of state environmental literacy plans that include environmental education standards and teacher training; and requires use of the subgrants for one or more activities, including promoting the integration of outdoor environmental education lessons into the regular school curriculum and schedule.
Summary: This bill amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to: (1) redesignate the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking as the Bureau to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, and (2) provide for an Assistant Secretary to head the Bureau.
S.1117 – Reengaging Americans in Serious Education by Uniting Programs Act
Summary: This bill directs the Secretary of Labor to award competitive, renewable, five-year grants to eligible partnerships to assist them in providing disconnected youth with the support needed to: (1) attain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; (2) attain a postsecondary credential, including those offered by institutions of higher education, industry groups, or registered apprenticeship programs; and (3) secure and succeed in a family-supporting career.
S.942 – Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
This bill declares it an unlawful employment practice for employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and other specified entities to fail to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations related to the pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions of job applicants or employees.
S.Res.107 – A resolution honoring military children during the National Month of the Military Child
Summary: This resolution joins the Secretary of Defense in honoring the children of members of the Armed Forces and recognizes that those children also share in the burden of protecting the United States, and urges the people of the United States to join with the military community in observing the National Month of the Military Child (observed annually in April) with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor, support, and thank military children.
Summary: This bill authorizes the Secretary of Education to award planning grants to states to complete comprehensive planning to carry out activities that improve literacy for children from birth through grade 12.
S.5 – A bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994
Summary: This bill expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should: (1) reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA); (2) renew the commitment of the United States to providing the resources necessary to combat all forms of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; (3) build upon the success of VAWA in transforming the criminal justice and community-based response to abuse by bolstering and streamlining the programs, grants, and coalitions created by VAWA and expanding the reach of VAWA to meet the remaining needs of victims; (4) continue to provide the training, tools, and resources necessary for law enforcement officers and victim service providers to hold the perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence accountable and to keep victims safe; and (5) ensure that all victims of domestic and sexual violence receive the support and protections provided by VAWA.
S. 3 (113th): Strengthen our Schools and Students Act
Summary: This bill strengthens early learning programs to better prepare children for success in school; ensures that all students have equitable access to a high-quality, well-rounded education that prepares them to succeed in college and a career; continues efforts to make higher education more affordable and to improve access and success for all students; provides all teachers with the support they need to ensure student success, including by creating a national Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Master Teacher Corps; and supports states and local educational agencies to ensure that schools have safe and successful learning conditions.
S. 1069 (113th): Every Child Deserves a Family Act
Summary: This bill prohibits discrimination in adoption or foster care placements based on the sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status of any prospective adoptive or foster parent, or the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child involved.
S. 1088 (113th): Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2013
Summary: This bill ends discrimination based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools.
S. 857 (113th): Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act
Summary: This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to provide for employee leave to care for a domestic partner (including a same-sex spouse) or his or her child, parent-in-law, adult child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law (as well as for a spouse, child, or parent), if such person has a serious health condition.
S.195 – Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed, and age appropriate. This bill also requires a comprehensive school mental health program funded under this Act to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence.
S.1697 – Strong Start for America’s Children Act
Summary: This bill directs the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to allot matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs), childhood education program providers, or consortia of those entities to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families.
Candidates this metric does not apply to
Jeb Bush
Donald Trump
Ben Carson
Carly Fiorina
Chris Christie
Results
Hillary Clinton: 79 (out of 1059; 7.46%)
Bernie Sanders: 45 (out of 406; 11.08%)
Marco Rubio: 31 (out of 622; 4.98%)
John Kasich: 10 (out of 209; 4.78%)
Ted Cruz: 5 (out of 328; 1.52%)
Highest performer(s) of metric: Hillary Clinton
Lowest performer(s) of metric: Ted Cruz