Senate Report 114-50 - LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE during the ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS Pursuant to Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the United States Senate

[Senate Report 114-50]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

114th Congress } { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 114-50
_______________________________________________________________________

LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES REPORT

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

UNITED STATES SENATE

during the

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

Pursuant to

Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the

United States Senate

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

May 21, 2015.--Ordered to be printed
______

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

49-010 WASHINGTON : 2015

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi BILL NELSON, Florida
ROY BLUNT, Missouri MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
MARCO RUBIO, Florida CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri
KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
TED CRUZ, Texas RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
JERRY MORAN, Kansas EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska CORY A. BOOKER, New Jersey
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin TOM UDALL, New Mexico
DEAN HELLER, Nevada JOE MANCHIN, III, West Virginia
CORY GARDNER, Colorado GARY PETERS, Michigan
STEVE DAINES, Montana
David Schwietert, Staff Director
Kim Lipsky, Minority Staff Director

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, IV, West Virginia, Chairman
BARBARA BOXER, California JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
BILL NELSON, Florida ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington ROY BLUNT, Missouri
MARK PRYOR, Arkansas MARCO RUBIO, Florida
CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota DEAN HELLER, Nevada
MARK BEGICH, Alaska DAN COATS, Indiana
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut TIM SCOTT, South Carolina
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii TED CRUZ, Texas
EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts\1\ DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
CORY A. BOOKER, New Jersey\2\,\3\ RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
JOHN WALSH, Montana\4\
Ellen Doneski, Staff Director
David Schwietert, Minority Staff Director

\1\Senator Markey joined the Committee on July 16, 2013, following
Senator William Cowan, who served an interim appointment from
February 12, 2013, to July 16, 2013. Senator John Kerry served
on the Committee until his resignation on February 1, 2013.
\2\Senator Booker joined the Committee on October 31, 2013. Senator
Jeff Chiesa served an interim appointment from June 20, 2013,
to October 31, 2013. The late Senator Frank Lautenberg served
on the Committee until his death on June 3, 2013.
\3\Senator Chiesa was a Minority Member. So, Senator Martin Heinrich
(New Mexico) served an interim appointment from June 20, 2013,
to October 31, 2013, as a Majority Member.
\4\Senator Walsh joined the Committee on February 12, 2014, following
Senator Mark R. Warner (Virginia), who served on the Committee
until that date.

C O N T E N T S

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Page
Introduction:
Summary...................................................... 1
Jurisdiction................................................. 1
A. Legislation:
Bills........................................................ 2
Resolutions.................................................. 17
B. Nominations:
Nominations by the numbers................................... 17
Summary of nominations by agency............................. 19
Hearings..................................................... 19
C. Full Committee
Executive Sessions........................................... 21
D. Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
Activities................................................... 25
Hearings..................................................... 26
E. Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
Activities................................................... 27
Hearings..................................................... 28
F. Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation
Activities................................................... 28
Hearings..................................................... 29
G. Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and
Insurance
Activities................................................... 29
Hearings..................................................... 30
H. Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
Activities................................................... 31
Hearings..................................................... 32
I. Subcommittee on Science and Space
Activities................................................... 32
Hearings..................................................... 34
J. Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine
Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
Activities................................................... 35
Hearings..................................................... 36
K. Oversight and Investigations
Activities................................................... 36
Hearings..................................................... 40

114th Congress } { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 114-50

======================================================================

REPORT ON THE LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES OF THE
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE,
AND TRANSPORTATION DURING THE 113TH CONGRESS

_______

May 21, 2015.--Ordered to be printed

_______

Mr. Thune,\1\ from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, submitted the following:

REPORT ON LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES

Summary

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
conducted a legislative and oversight program during the 113th
Congress. A total of 234 bills, 7 resolutions, 854 nominations,
including promotions, and 2584 executive communications were
referred to the Committee for consideration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Senator John D. Rockefeller, IV served as Chairman of the
Committee during the 113th Congress. Chairman Rockefeller began his
tenure on January 21, 2009.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee and its subcommittees held a total of 99
public hearings, including 11 nominations hearings and 6
oversight hearings during the 113th Congress. The Committee
also held 11 Executive Sessions and filed 39 committee reports.
Action was completed on a broad range of oversight,
legislative, and executive matters. A total of 53 bills and 6
resolutions were reported or discharged by the Committee.
Notably, 18 of the reported or discharged bills were enacted
and 3 of the discharged resolutions were agreed to in the
Senate.
Members and staff made individual trips abroad and
participated in conferences, further exercising the legislative
oversight responsibilities of the Committee.

Jurisdiction

Pursuant to Rule XXV(1)(f)(1) of the Standing Rules of the
United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages,
petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the
following subjects are referred to the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation:

1. Coast Guard.
2. Coastal zone management.
3. Communications.
4. Highway Safety.
5. Inland waterways, except construction.
6. Interstate commerce.
7. Marine and ocean navigation, safety, and
transportation, including navigational aspects of
deepwater ports.
8. Marine fisheries.
9. Merchant marine and navigation.
10. Nonmilitary aeronautical and space sciences.
11. Oceans, weather, and atmospheric activities.
12. Panama Canal and interoceanic canals generally,
except as provided in subparagraph (c) of Rule XXV(1).
13. Regulation of consumer products and services,
including testing related to toxic substances, other
than pesticides, and except for credit, financial
services, and housing.
14. Regulation of interstate common carriers, including
railroads, buses, trucks, vessels, pipelines, and civil
aviation.
15. Science, engineering, and technology research and
development and policy.
16. Sports.
17. Standards and measurement.
18. Transportation.
19. Transportation and commerce aspects of Outer
Continental Shelf lands.

A. Legislation

Bills Referred to Committee

Bills:
Referred to Committee......................................... 234
Original measures from Committee.............................. 0
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 234

Reported/Discharged........................................... 53
Reported/Discharged and Enacted............................... 18\1\
\1\This figure reflects bills enacted as stand-alone measures. It does
not reflect bills that may have been enacted as part of other
legislation.
*Reported/Discharged
**Reported/Discharged and Enacted

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number Title as Introduced
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H.R.667** To redesignate the Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong
Flight Research Center and the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the
Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range. (P.L. 113-75)
H.R.756 To advance cybersecurity research, development, and technical standards,
and for other purposes.
H.R.967 To amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to authorize
activities for support of networking and information technology
research, and for other purposes.
H.R.1095 To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Assistant Secretary
of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to
transfer unclaimed money recovered at airport security checkpoints to
nonprofit organizations that provide places of rest and recuperation at
airports for members of the Armed Forces and their families, and for
other purposes.
H.R.1204** To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Assistant Secretary
of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to
establish an Aviation Security Advisory Committee, and for other
purposes. (P.L. 113-238)
H.R.1344** To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Assistant Secretary
of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to provide
expedited air passenger screening to severely injured or disabled
members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans,
and for other purposes. (P.L. 113-27)
H.R.1580 To affirm the policy of the United States regarding Internet governance.
H.R.1786 To reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, and for
other purposes.
H.R.1848** To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration advances the safety of
small airplanes, and the continued development of the general aviation
industry, and for other purposes. (P.L. 113-53)
H.R.1900 To provide for the timely consideration of all licenses, permits, and
approvals required under Federal law with respect to the siting,
construction, expansion, or operation of any natural gas pipeline
projects.
H.R.1961 To amend title 46, United States Code, to extend the exemption from the
fire-retardant materials construction requirement for vessels operating
within the Boundary Line.
H.R.2052* To direct the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the heads of
other relevant Federal departments and agencies, to conduct an
interagency review of and report to Congress on ways to increase the
global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct
investment.
H.R.2413 To prioritize and redirect NOAA resources to a focused program of
investment on near-term, affordable, and attainable advances in
observational, computing, and modeling capabilities to deliver
substantial improvement in weather forecasting and prediction of high
impact weather events, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, and for other
purposes.
H.R.2576** To amend title 49, United States Code, to modify requirements relating to
the availability of pipeline safety regulatory documents, and for other
purposes. (P.L. 113-30)
H.R.2719** To require the Transportation Security Administration to implement best
practices and improve transparency with regard to technology acquisition
programs, and for other purposes. (P.L. 113-245)
H.R.2754** To amend the Hobby Protection Act to make unlawful the provision of
assistance or support in violation of that Act, and for other purposes.
(P.L. 113-288)
H.R.2844 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.
H.R.3202 To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare a comprehensive
security assessment of the transportation security card program, and for
other purposes.
H.R.3628 To eliminate certain unnecessary reporting requirements and consolidate
or modify others, and for other purposes.
H.R.3675 To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for greater
transparency and efficiency in the procedures followed by the Federal
Communications Commission.
H.R.4005 To authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal years 2015 and
2016, and for other purposes.
H.R.4156 To amend title 49, United States Code, to allow advertisements and
solicitations for passenger air transportation to state the base airfare
of the transportation, and for other purposes.
H.R.4412* To authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, and for other purposes.
H.R.4572 To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to extend expiring provisions
relating to the retransmission of signals of television broadcast
stations, and for other purposes.
H.R.4803 To require the Transportation Security Administration to conform to
existing Federal law and regulations regarding criminal investigator
positions, and for other purposes.
H.R.4812** To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Administrator of
the Transportation Security Administration to establish a process for
providing expedited and dignified passenger screening services for
veterans traveling to visit war memorials built and dedicated to honor
their service, and for other purposes. (P.L. 113-516)
H.R.4838** To redesignate the railroad station located at 2955 Market Street in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, commonly known as ``30th Street Station'',
as the ``William H. Gray III 30th Street Station''. (P.L. 113-158)
H.R.5035 To reauthorize the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and
for other purposes.
H.R.5056 To improve the efficiency of Federal research and development, and for
other purposes.
H.R.5161 To promote the non-exclusive use of electronic labeling for devices
licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.
H.R.5309 To authorize and strengthen the tsunami detection, forecast, warning,
research, and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and for other purposes.
H.R.5462** To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for limitations on the
fees charged to passengers of air carriers. (P.L. 113-294)
H.R.5769 To authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal year 2015, and
for other purposes.
S.4 To create jobs and strengthen our economy by rebuilding our Nation's
infrastructure.
S.7 To improve the resilience of the United States to extreme weather events
and to prevent the worsening of extreme weather conditions.
S.63 To require the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Labor to
establish the Made In America Incentive Grant Program, and for other
purposes.
S.106 To provide for the establishment, on-going validation, and use of an
official set of data on the historical temperature record, and for other
purposes.
S.134* To arrange for the National Academy of Sciences to study the impact of
violent video games and violent video programming on children.
S.208 To require the Federal Aviation Administration to prescribe regulations
to reduce helicopter noise pollution in residential areas in Los Angeles
County, California.
S.221 To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to
permit eligible fishermen to approve certain limited access privilege
programs, and for other purposes.
S.245 To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize a bipartisan
majority of Commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission to
hold nonpublic collaborative discussions, and for other purposes.
S.246 To prevent the escapement of genetically altered salmon in the United
States, and for other purposes.
S.267* To prevent, deter, and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated
fishing through port State measures.
S.269* To establish uniform administrative and enforcement authorities for the
enforcement of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act
and similar statutes, and for other purposes.
S.272 To promote research, monitoring, and observation of the Arctic and for
other purposes.
S.288 To increase the participation of historically underrepresented
demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
education and industry.
S.376* To reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System, and
for other purposes.
S.387 To establish the American Infrastructure Investment Fund and other
activities to facilitate investments in infrastructure projects that
significantly enhance the economic competitiveness of the United States
by improving economic output, productivity, or competitive commercial
advantage, and for other purposes.
S.418 To require the Federal Trade Commission to prescribe regulations
regarding the collection and use of personal information obtained by
tracking the online activity of an individual, and for other purposes.
S.429* To enable concrete masonry products manufacturers to establish, finance,
and carry out a coordinated program of research, education, and
promotion to improve, maintain, and develop markets for concrete masonry
products.
S.481 To require the Federal Communications Commission to direct that wireless
providers permit the unlocking of mobile devices.
S.485 To exempt certain class A CDL drivers from the requirement to obtain a
hazardous material endorsement while operating a service vehicle with a
fuel tank containing 3,785 liters (1,000 gallons) or less of diesel
fuel.
S.520 To strengthen Federal consumer protection and product traceability with
respect to commercially marketed seafood, and for other purposes.
S.540** To designate the air route traffic control center located in Nashua, New
Hampshire, as the ``Patricia Clark Boston Air Route Traffic Control
Center''. (P.L. 113-83)
S.542 To provide limitations on maritime liens on fishing licenses and for
other purposes.
S.544 To require the President to develop a comprehensive national
manufacturing strategy, and for other purposes.
S.556 To amend title 49, United States Code, to improve the accessibility of
entertainment programming provided by air carriers on passenger flights,
and for other purposes.
S.646 To create the National Endowment for the Oceans to promote the protection
and conservation of United States ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes
ecosystems, and for other purposes.
S.687 To prohibit the closing of air traffic control towers, and for other
purposes.
S.697 To reform and improve the oversight of the performance of passenger and
baggage security screening at domestic commercial airports by private
screening companies, and for other purposes.
S.713 To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to
add Rhode Island to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
S.721 To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require a provider of a
commercial mobile service or an IP-enabled voice service to provide call
location information concerning the user of such a service to law
enforcement agencies in order to respond to a call for emergency
services or in an emergency situation that involves risk of death or
serious physical harm.
S.747 To grant exclusive fishery management authority over the red snapper fish
in the Gulf of Mexico to certain States.
S.763 To authorize States to enforce pipeline safety requirements related to
wellbores at interstate storage facilities.
S.774 To require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a
report to Congress on the effectiveness of the Federal Communications
Commission's universal service reforms.
S.794 To prevent an increase in flight delays and cancellations, and for other
purposes.
S.818 To provide the Secretary of Transportation with the flexibility to
transfer certain funds to prevent furloughs by the Federal Aviation
Administration, and for other purposes.
S.839* To reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, and for other
purposes.
S.847 To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the
importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before
the date on which the polar bear was determined to be a threatened
species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
S.874 To prohibit universal service support of commercial mobile service
through the Lifeline program.
S.899 To establish a position of Science Laureate of the United States.
S.904 To minimize the economic and social costs resulting from losses of life,
property, well-being, business activity, and economic growth associated
with extreme weather events by ensuring that the United States is more
resilient to the impacts of extreme weather events in the short- and
long-term, and for other purposes.
S.912 To allow multichannel video programming distributors to provide video
programming to subscribers on an a la carte basis, and for other
purposes.
S.921* To amend chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the
rental of motor vehicles that contain a defect related to motor vehicle
safety, and for other purposes.
S.973 To improve the integrity and safety of interstate horseracing, and for
other purposes.
S.981 To direct the Federal Trade Commission to prescribe rules prohibiting
deceptive advertising of abortion services, and for other purposes.
S.1008 To prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from implementing proposed
policy changes that would permit passengers to carry small, non-locking
knives on aircraft.
S.1014* To reduce sports-related concussions in youth, and for other purposes.
S.1022 To amend title 46, United States Code, to extend the exemption from the
fire-retardant materials construction requirement for vessels operating
within the Boundary Line.
S.1023 To direct the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the heads of
other relevant Federal departments and agencies, to conduct an
interagency review of and report on ways to increase the competitiveness
of the United States in attracting foreign investment.
S.1050 To amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure the issuance of
regulations applicable to the Coast Guard regarding consideration of a
request for a permanent change of station or unit transfer submitted by
a member of the Coast Guard who is the victim of a sexual assault.
S.1068* To reauthorize and amend the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act of 2002, and for other
purposes.
S.1072* To ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration advances the safety of
small airplanes and the continued development of the general aviation
industry, and for other purposes.
S.1079 To require the Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement to promote the artificial reefs, and for other purposes.
S.1144 To prohibit unauthorized third-party charges on wireline telephone bills,
and for other purposes.
S.1161 To provide for the development of a fishery management plan for the Gulf
of Mexico red snapper, and for other purposes.
S.1162 To authorize the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to provide certain funds to eligible entities for
activities undertaken to address the marine debris impacts of the March
2011 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami, and for other purposes.
S.1193 To require certain entities that collect and maintain personal
information of individuals to secure such information and to provide
notice to such individuals in the case of a breach of security involving
such information, and for other purposes.
S.1254** To amend the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of
1998, and for other purposes. (P.L. 113-124)
S.1275* To direct the Secretary of Commerce to issue a fishing capacity reduction
loan to refinance the existing loan funding the Pacific Coast groundfish
fishing capacity reduction program.
S.1317* To authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration for fiscal years 2014 through 2016 and for other
purposes.
S.1340 To improve passenger vessel security and safety, and for other purposes.
S.1344* To promote research, monitoring, and observation of the Arctic and for
other purposes.
S.1353** To provide for an ongoing, voluntary public-private partnership to
improve cybersecurity, and to strengthen cybersecurity research and
development, workforce development and education, and public awareness
and preparedness, and for other purposes. (P.L. 113-274)
S.1355 To provide regulatory parity among alternative fuel vehicles, and for
other purposes.
S.1358 To establish an advisory office within the Bureau of Consumer Protection
of the Federal Trade Commission to prevent fraud targeting seniors, and
for other purposes.
S.1359 To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish national
standards for discharges from cruise vessels.
S.1367 To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Assistant Secretary
of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to provide
expedited air passenger screening to severely injured or disabled
members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans,
and for other purposes.
S.1379 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.
S.1380 To direct the Secretary of Transportation to ensure that on-duty time
does not include waiting time at a natural gas or oil well site for
certain commercial motor vehicle operators, and for other purposes.
S.1403 To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Assistant Secretary
of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to
facilitate the screening of severely injured or disabled members of the
Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans at airports, and
for other purposes.
S.1406* To amend the Horse Protection Act to designate additional unlawful acts
under the Act, strengthen penalties for violations of the Act, improve
Department of Agriculture enforcement of the Act, and for other
purposes.
S.1435 To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide certain port
authorities, and for other purposes.
S.1459 To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the transportation of
horses in interstate transportation in a motor vehicle containing 2 or
more levels stacked on top of one another.
S.1462 To extend the positive train control system implementation deadline, and
for other purposes.
S.1468* To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Network for
Manufacturing Innovation and for other purposes.
S.1483 To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to establish the Federal Oil Spill
Research Committee, and to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
to include in a response plan certain planned and demonstrated
investments in research relating to discharges of oil and to modify the
dates by which a response plan must be updated.
S.1495 To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to
issue an order with respect to secondary cockpit barriers, and for other
purposes.
S.1537 To ensure that any new or revised requirement providing for the
screening, testing, or treatment of individuals operating commercial
motor vehicles for sleep disorders is adopted through a rulemaking
proceeding, and for other purposes.
S.1553 To amend title 23, United States Code, to reauthorize the State
infrastructure bank program.
S.1565 To require the Secretary of Labor to maintain a publicly available list
of all employers that relocate a call center overseas, to make such
companies ineligible for Federal grants or guaranteed loans, and to
require disclosure of the physical location of business agents engaging
in customer service communications, and for other purposes.
S.1608 To authorize appropriations for the SelectUSA Initiative, and for other
purposes.
S.1609 To amend title 14, United States Code, to authorize the Commandant of the
United States Coast Guard to lease tidelands and submerged lands under
control of the Coast Guard for periods longer than five years.
S.1615 To develop and recruit new, high-value jobs to the United States, to
encourage the repatriation of jobs that have been off-shored to other
countries, and for other purposes.
S.1625 To amend section 31306 of title 49, United States Code, to recognize hair
as an alternative specimen for preemployment and random controlled
substances testing of commercial motor vehicle drivers and for other
purposes.
S.1636 To redesignate certain facilities of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
S.1639 To amend the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 to provide guidance
and limitations regarding the integration of unmanned aircraft systems
into United States airspace, and for other purposes.
S.1680 To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to increase consumer choice and
competition in the online video programming distribution marketplace,
and for other purposes.
S.1692 To require the Secretary of Transportation to modify the final rule
relating to flightcrew member duty and rest requirements for passenger
operations of air carriers to apply to all-cargo operations of air
carriers, and for other purposes.
S.1700 To amend the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 to extend,
enhance, and revise the provisions relating to collection, use, and
disclosure of personal information of children, to establish certain
other protections for personal information of children and minors, and
for other purposes.
S.1708 To amend title 23, United States Code, with respect to the establishment
of performance measures for the highway safety improvement program, and
for other purposes.
S.1709 To require the Committee on Technology of the National Science and
Technology Council to develop and update a national manufacturing
competitiveness strategic plan, and for other purposes.
S.1710 To require Amtrak to propose a pet policy that allows passengers to
transport domesticated cats and dogs on certain Amtrak trains, and for
other purposes.
S.1716 To facilitate efficient investments and financing of infrastructure
projects and new long-term job creation through the establishment of an
Infrastructure Financing Authority, and for other purposes.
S.1753 To extend Government liability, subject to appropriation, for certain
third-party claims arising from commercial space launches.
S.1757 To provide for an equitable management of summer flounder based on
geographic, scientific, and economic data and for other purposes.
S.1760 To amend the statutory authorities of the Coast Guard to improve the
quality of life for current and former Coast Guard personnel and their
families, and for other purposes.
S.1766 To provide for the equitable distribution of Universal Service funds to
rural States.
S.1767 To amend title 49, United States Code, to require gas pipeline facilities
to accelerate the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of high-risk
pipelines used in commerce, and for other purposes.
S.1768 To establish State revolving loan funds to repair or replace natural gas
distribution pipelines.
S.1776 To encourage spectrum licensees to make unused spectrum available for use
by rural and smaller carriers in order to expand wireless coverage.
S.1789 To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to establish signal quality and
content requirements for the carriage of public, educational, and
governmental channels, to preserve support of such channels, and for
other purposes.
S.1793* To encourage States to require the installation of residential carbon
monoxide detectors in homes, and for other purposes.
S.1804* To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Assistant Secretary
of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to
establish an Aviation Security Advisory Committee, and for other
purposes.
S.1811 To amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit voice communications
through mobile communication devices on commercial passenger flights.
S.1830 To prohibit unfair or deceptive acts or practices relating to the prices
of products and services sold online, and for other purposes.
S.1831 To establish a national Yellow Dot Program to alert law enforcement and
emergency services personnel to the medical conditions, prescriptions,
and other vital information necessary to treat drivers and passengers in
motor vehicles in emergency circumstances.
S.1858 To require the Federal Communications Commission to suspend and revise
portions of the Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking that revised Universal Service Fund distribution to rural
carriers, to encourage renewed investment by rural rate-of-return
carriers in deployment of broadband infrastructure in rural areas, and
for other purposes.
S.1887 To clarify terms of cooperation between the Consumer Product Safety
Commission and foreign government agencies in order to improve safety of
imported products, and for other purposes.
S.1891 To require a study and report by the Comptroller General regarding the
restart provision of the Hours of Service Rules for Commercial Truck
Drivers, and for other purposes.
S.1893* To require the Transportation Security Administration to implement best
practices and improve transparency with regard to technology acquisition
programs, and for other purposes.
S.1925* To limit the retrieval of data from vehicle event data recorders.
S.1941 To establish requirements for the adoption of any new or revised
requirement providing for the screening, testing, or treatment of an
airman or an air traffic controller for a sleep disorder, and for other
purposes.
S.1955 To protect the right of law-abiding citizens to transport knives
interstate, notwithstanding a patchwork of local and State prohibitions.
S.1964 To amend title 49, United States Code, to exempt certain flights from
increased aviation security service fees.
S.1976 To protect consumers by requiring reasonable security policies and
procedures to protect data containing personal information, and to
provide for nationwide notice in the event of a breach of security.
S.1981 To provide that the rules of the Federal Communications Commission
relating to preserving the open Internet and broadband industry
practices shall be restored to effect until the date when the Commission
takes final action in the proceedings on such rules that were remanded
to the Commission by the United States Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia Circuit.
S.1989 To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for greater
transparency and efficiency in the procedures followed by the Federal
Communications Commission, and for other purposes.
S.2022* To establish scientific standards and protocols across forensic
disciplines, and for other purposes.
S.2025 To require data brokers to establish procedures to ensure the accuracy of
collected personal information, and for other purposes.
S.2028* To amend the law relating to sport fish restoration and recreational
boating safety, and for other purposes.
S.2030* To reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act, and
for other purposes.
S.2032 To require mobile service providers and mobile device manufacturers to
give consumers the ability to remotely delete data from mobile devices
and render such devices inoperable.
S.2047 To prohibit the marketing of electronic cigarettes to children, and for
other purposes.
S.2049 To curb unfair and deceptive practices during assertion of patents, and
for other purposes.
S.2065 To create incentives for the development of alternative fuel vehicles.
S.2068 To provide for the development and use of technology for personalized
handguns, to require that, within 3 years, all handguns manufactured or
sold in, or imported into, the United States incorporate such
technology, and for other purposes.
S.2076* To amend the provisions of title 46, United States Code, related to the
Board of Visitors to the United States Merchant Marine Academy, and for
other purposes.
S.2078 To prohibit Federal funding for motorcycle checkpoints, and for other
purposes.
S.2085 To address shortages and interruptions in the availability of propane and
other home heating fuels in the United States, and for other purposes.
S.2086** To address current emergency shortages of propane and other home heating
fuels and to provide greater flexibility and information for Governors
to address such emergencies in the future. (P.L. 113-125)
S.2094* To provide for the establishment of nationally uniform and
environmentally sound standards governing discharges incidental to the
normal operation of a vessel.
S.2103 To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to
issue or revise regulations with respect to the medical certification of
certain small aircraft pilots, and for other purposes.
S.2120 To expand the prohibition on the manufacture, distribution, and
importation of children's products that contain phthalates, and for
other purposes.
S.2125 To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure the integrity of voice
communications and to prevent unjust or unreasonable discrimination
among areas of the United States in the delivery of such communications.
S.2130 To direct the Secretary of Transportation to temporarily waive certain
vehicle weight limits for covered logging vehicles, and for other
purposes.
S.2131 To amend the statutory authorities of the Coast Guard to strengthen Coast
Guard prevention and response capabilities in the Arctic, and for other
purposes.
S.2140* To improve the transition between experimental permits and commercial
licenses for commercial reusable launch vehicles.
S.2151 To enhance the early warning reporting requirements for motor vehicle
manufacturers.
S.2155 To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Organization Act to create a Federal Spectrum Reallocation Commission,
to provide for the use of a portion of the proceeds from the auction of
reallocated Federal spectrum for deficit reduction, and for other
purposes.
S.2181 To authorize and strengthen the tsunami detection, forecast, warning,
research, and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and for other purposes.
S.2193 To amend the Horse Protection Act to provide increased protection for
horses participating in shows, exhibitions, or sales, and for other
purposes.
S.2206 To to streamline the collection and distribution of government
information.
S.2219 To require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
to update a report on the role of telecommunications, including the
Internet, in the commission of hate crimes.
S.2250* To extend the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, and for other purposes.
S.2284 To require the Secretary of Transportation to establish new standards for
automobile hoods and bumpers to reduce pedestrian injuries, and for
other purposes.
S.2290 To increase the maximum penalty for unfair and deceptive practices
relating to advertising of the costs of air transportation.
S.2338** To reauthorize the United States Anti-Doping Agency, and for other
purposes. (P.L. 113-280)
S.2365 To prohibit the long-term storage of rail cars on certain railroad tracks
unless the Surface Transportation Board has approved the rail carrier's
rail car storage plan.
S.2375 To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to facilitate paid television
service in certain counties, and for other purposes.
S.2378 To establish a regulatory framework for the comprehensive protection of
personal data for individuals under the aegis of the Federal Trade
Commission, to amend the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of
1998 to improve provisions relating to collection, use, and disclosure
of personal information of children, and for other purposes.
S.2380 To amend title 49, United States Code, to improve the national freight
policy of the United States, and for other purposes.
S.2398 To amend a provision of title 49, United States Code, relating to motor
vehicle safety civil penalties.
S.2416 To apply laws that restrict the political speech of American citizens to
media corporations.
S.2444** To authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal years 2015
through 2016, and for other purposes. (P.L. 113-281)
S.2473 To reallocate Federal Government-held spectrum for commercial use, to
promote wireless innovation and enhance wireless communications, and for
other purposes.
S.2476 To direct the Federal Communications Commission to promulgate regulations
that prohibit certain preferential treatment or prioritization of
Internet traffic.
S.2478 To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to partner with industry to
strengthen the safety culture and safety practices of short line and
regional freight railroads.
S.2482* To implement the Convention on the Conservation and Management of the
High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean, as adopted at
Tokyo on February 24, 2012, and for other purposes.
S.2484* To implement the Convention on the Conservation and Management of the
High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean, as adopted at
Auckland on November 14, 2009, and for other purposes.
S.2485* To implement the Amendment to the Convention on Future Multilateral
Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, as adopted at Lisbon on
September 28, 2007.
S.2500 To restrict the ability of the Federal Government to undermine privacy
and encryption technology in commercial products and in NIST computer
security and encryption standards.
S.2505 To promote unlicensed spectrum use in the 5 GHz band, to maximize the use
of the band for shared purposes in order to bolster innovation and
economic development, and for other purposes.
S.2556 To require the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere to conduct an
assessment of cultural and historic resources in the waters of the Great
Lakes, and for other purposes.
S.2559 To provide greater transparency, accountability, and safety authority to
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and for other
purposes.
S.2563 To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve highway safety and for
other purposes.
S.2581* To require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a rule to
require child safety packaging for liquid nicotine containers, and for
other purposes.
S.2583** To promote the non-exclusive use of electronic labeling for devices
licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. (P.L. 113-197)
S.2594 To redesignate the railroad station located at 2955 Market Street in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, commonly known as ``30th Street Station'',
as the ``William H. Gray 30th Street Station''.
S.2643 To require a report by the Federal Communications Commission on
designated market areas.
S.2659 To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Assistant Secretary
of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to
establish a process for providing expedited and dignified passenger
screening services for veterans traveling to visit war memorials built
and dedicated to honor their services, and for other purposes.
S.2671 To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the Assistant Secretary
of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to
establish a process for providing expedited and dignified passenger
screening services for veterans traveling to visit war memorials built
and dedicated to honor their service, and for other purposes.
S.2705 To establish, within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
an integrated and comprehensive ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and
atmospheric research and environmental information sharing program to
support renewable energy, and for other purposes.
S.2737 To ensure that transportation and infrastructure projects carried out
using Federal financial assistance are constructed with steel, iron, and
manufactured goods that are produced in the United States, and for other
purposes.
S.2750 To encourage investments in airports through public-private partnerships,
and for other purposes.
S.2756 To promote competition and help consumers save money by giving them the
freedom to choose where they buy prescription pet medications, and for
other purposes.
S.2757 To invest in innovation through research and development, to improve the
competitiveness of the United States, and for other purposes.
S.2759** To release the City of St. Clair, Missouri, from all restrictions,
conditions, and limitations on the use, encumbrance, conveyance, and
closure of the St. Clair Regional Airport. (P.L. 113-285)
S.2760 To extend National Highway Traffic Safety Administration authorizations,
and for other purposes.
S.2774 To require all recreational vessels to have and to post passenger
capacity limits and for other purposes.
S.2777* To establish the Surface Transportation Board as an independent
establishment, and for other purposes.
S.2784 To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out activities to
improve rail safety, and for other purposes.
S.2787 To expand and clarify the prohibition on inaccurate caller ID
information.
S.2798 To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to create an electronic database of research and
information on the causes of, and corrective actions being taken with
regard to, algal blooms in the Great Lakes, their tributaries, and other
surface fresh waters, and for other purposes.
S.2799* To extend the authority of satellite carriers to retransmit certain
television broadcast station signals, and for other purposes.
S.2811 To prohibit the distribution in commerce of children's products and
upholstered furniture containing certain flame retardants, and for other
purposes.
S.2817 To assign the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis of the
Federal Communications Commission the responsibility of bringing
institutional focus to the important function of approving new
technologies and improving regulatory certainty at the Commission.
S.2819 To amend chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, to prohibit the
rental of motor vehicles that contain a defect related to motor vehicle
safety, and for other purposes.
S.2824 To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to
promote sustainable conservation and management for the Gulf of Mexico
and South Atlantic fisheries and the communities that rely on them, and
for other purposes.
S.2836 To provide for an integrated plan for the space launch activities of the
Federal Government.
S.2848 To amend title 49, United States Code, with respect to apportionments
under the Airport Improvement Program, and for other purposes.
S.2858 To enhance rail safety and provide for the safe transport of hazardous
materials, and for other purposes.
S.2879 To provide for the implementation of a Sustainable Chemistry Program, and
for other purposes.
S.2890 To authorize the Secretary of Commerce, through the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, to establish a constituent-driven program
that develops an information platform capable of efficiently integrating
coastal data with decision-support tools, training, and best practices,
and coordinates the collection of priority coastal geospatial data to
inform and improve local, State, regional, and Federal capacities to
manage the coastal region, and for other purposes.
S.2924 To amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only
operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials
requirement if the owners of such vessels make annual structural
alterations to at least 10 percent of the areas of the vessels that are
not constructed of fire-retardant materials.
S.2949 To improve motor vehicle safety by encouraging the sharing of certain
information.
S.2956 To prevent caller ID spoofing, and for other purposes.
S.2957 To limit the disturbance to American families caused by electioneering
phone calls by expanding the National Do Not Call Registry to include
Super PACs and other third-party political groups, to prohibit robocalls
to Americans who have listed their telephone numbers on the Registry,
and to prohibit push-polling.
S.2972 To require all equestrian helmets manufactured or sold in the United
States meet a minimum safety standard, and for other purposes.
S.2981 To prohibit Federal agencies from mandating the deployment of
vulnerabilities in data security technologies.
S.2983* To allow for a contract for operation of Melville Hall of United States
Merchant Marine Academy after gift by United States Merchant Marine
Academy Alumni Association and Foundation, Inc., for renovation of such
hall and for other purposes.
S.2991 To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to
promote sustainable conservation and management for the Nation's
fisheries and the communities that rely on them, and for other purposes.
S.3010 To improve the enforcement of prohibitions on robocalls, including
fraudulent robocalls.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Resolutions Referred to Committee

Resolutions:
Referred to Committee......................................... 7
Original measures from Committee.............................. 2
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 9

Reported/Discharged........................................... 6
Reported/Discharged and agreed to in the Senate............... 3
*Reported/Discharged
**Reported/Discharged and agreed to in the Senate

B. Nominations

There were 854 presidential nominations, including
promotions, referred to the Committee during the 113th
Congress.

Referred...................................................... 854
Confirmed..................................................... 831
Renominations (returned to the President upon recess of
Congress, subsequently renominated)......................... 11
Returned to the President upon adjournment of Congress........ 22
Withdrawn by the President.................................... 1
*Number includes renomination, counted as two
nominations
**Number includes withdrawal, counted as two
nominations

Executive Office of the President
Associate Director of the Office of Science and Technology
Policy...................................................... 4*
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 4

Department of Commerce
Secretary of Commerce......................................... 1
Deputy Secretary of Commerce.................................. 1
Assistant Secretary of Commerce............................... 4*
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere..... 1
Under Secretary for Standards and Technology.................. 1
Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere..................... 2*
General Counsel............................................... 2*
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 12

Department of Transportation
Secretary of Transportation................................... 1
Deputy Secretary of Transportation............................ 1
Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy.................. 1
Assistant Secretary of Transportation......................... 1
Administrator of the Maritime Administration.................. 2*
Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.............................................. 1
Administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology
Administration.............................................. 1
General Counsel:.............................................. 2*
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 10

Coast Guard
Admiral....................................................... 1
Vice Admiral.................................................. 5
Rear Admiral, upper half...................................... 10
Rear Admiral, lower half...................................... 14
Captain....................................................... 170
Commander..................................................... 315
Lieutenant Commander.......................................... 247
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 762

Coast Guard Reserve
Rear Admiral.................................................. 4
Captain....................................................... 28
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 32

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Deputy Administrator.......................................... 1
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 1

Consumer Product Safety Commission
Chairman...................................................... 1
Commissioner.................................................. 6*
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 7

Federal Communications Commission
Member........................................................ 4**
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 4**

Federal Maritime Commission
Commissioner.................................................. 2
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 2

Federal Trade Commission
Commissioner.................................................. 2*
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 2*

National Transportation Safety Board
Chairman...................................................... 2
Member........................................................ 3
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 5

Surface Transportation Board
Member........................................................ 3*
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 3

Amtrak Board of Directors
Director...................................................... 1
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 1

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board of Directors
Member........................................................ 9*
=================================================================
________________________________________________
Total......................................................... 9

1. Executive Office and Federal Agencies

The Committee was referred nominations for the Executive
Office of the President, Department of Commerce, and Department
of Transportation. The Executive Office of the President
received four nominations for the position of Associate
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy,
including two renominations. The Department of Commerce
received 12 nominations, including 3 renominations. The
Department of Transportation received nine nominations,
including two renominations.

2. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve

There were a total of 762 nominations, including
promotions, referred to the Committee for appointments to Coast
Guard positions and 32 for appointments to Coast Guard Reserve
positions. These nominations included 247 nominations to Coast
Guard Lieutenant Commander and 315 nominations to Commander.
Other positions included Admiral, Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral,
and Captain.

3. Commissions, Independent Agencies, and Boards

Nominations for membership on boards, independence
agencies, and commissions were received as follows: National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (1); Consumer Product
Safety Commission (7); Federal Communications Commission (4);
Federal Maritime Commission (2); Federal Trade Commission (2);
National Transportation Safety Board (5); Surface
Transportation Board (3); Amtrak Board of Directors (1); and
Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board of Directors (9).

4. Hearings

The Committee held 11 nominations hearings during the 113th
Congress.

HEARINGS:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Title
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 4, 2012* Nomination of Dr. Mark Doms to be Under Secretary of Commerce for
Economic Affairs, Department of Commerce; Polly Ellen Trottenberg
to be Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, Department of
Transportation; Mignon L. Clyburn to be a Commissioner, Federal
Communications Commission (Reappointment); Dr. Joshua D. Wright to
be a Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission
May 22, 2013* Nomination of Mayor Anthony Foxx to be Secretary of the Department
of Transportation (S.Hrg.113-119)
May 23, 2013* Nomination of Penny Pritzker to be Secretary of Commerce
June 18, 2013* Nomination of Thomas Wheeler to be Chairman, Federal Communications
Commission
July 24, 2013* Nomination of Dr. Mark E. Schaefer to be Assistant Secretary for
Oceans and Atmosphere for the Department of Commerce (S.Hrg.113-
172)
September 18, 2013* Nomination of Michael O'Rielly to be a Commissioner, Federal
Communications Commission; Terrell McSweeny to be a Commissioner,
Federal Trade Commission
September 19, 2013* Nomination of Dr. Jo Handelsman to be Assistant Director for
Science, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office
of the President; Dr. Robert Simon to be Associate Director for
Environment and Energy, Office of Science and Technology Policy,
Executive Office of the President; Dr. Kathryn Sullivan to be
Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, Department of Commerce
and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (S.Hrg.113-410)
November 21, 2013* Nomination of Paul Jaenichen Sr. to be Administrator of the
Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation; Debra
Miller to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board; Arun
Kumar to be Assistant Secretary for Global Markets and Director
General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service International
Trade Administration, Department of Commerce (S.Hrg.113-401)
April 8, 2014* Nomination of Vice Admiral Paul F. Zukunft to be Commandant of the
United States Coast Guard; Elliot F. Kaye to be Chairman and a
Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission; Joseph
Mohorovic to be Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety
Commission
June 11, 2014* Nomination of Victor M. Mendez to be Deputy Secretary, Department
of Transportation; Bruce H. Andrews to be Deputy Secretary,
Department of Commerce; Peter M. Rogoff to be Under Secretary of
Transportation for Policy, Department of Transportation; Marcus D.
Jadotte to be Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis,
International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce; Robert
S. Adler to be a Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission
(Reappointment)
December 3, 2014* Nomination of Dr. Mark Rosekind to be Administrator of the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of
Transportation; Mr. Carlos Monje Jr. to be Assistant Secretary for
Transportation Policy, Department of Transportation; Dr. Tho Bella
Dinh-Zarr to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety
Board

*Full Committee hearing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

C. Full Committee

Executive Sessions

The Committee held 11 Executive Sessions during the 113th
Congress. Dates and agendas are below.

February 13, 2013 -- Consider and approve the following:

Rules for the Committee
Ratify subcommittee assignments
S.Res. 51, An original resolution authorizing
expenditures by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation

June 10, 2013 -- Consider and approve the following:

Nomination of Hon. Anthony R. Foxx, to be
Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of
Transportation
Nomination of Ms. Penny Pritzker, to be
Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce
Nominations for Promotion in the Coast Guard

July 30, 2013 -- Consider and approve the following:

S. 134, Violent Content Research Act of 2013
(Senate Report 113-126)
S.Res. 157, A resolution expressing the sense
of the Senate that telephone service must be improved
in rural areas of the United States and that no entity
may unreasonably discriminate against telephone users
in those areas (Senate Report 113-130)
S. 267, Pirate Fishing Elimination Act (Senate
Report 113-132)
S. 269, International Fisheries Stewardship
and Enforcement Act (Senate Report 113-127)
S. 376, Drought Information Act of 2013
(Senate Report 113-114)
S. 839, Coral Reef Conservation Amendments Act
of 2013 (Senate Report 113-156)
S. 921, Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe
Rental Car Act of 2013 (Senate Report 113-253)
S. 1068, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Commissioned Office Corps Amendments Act
of 2013 (Senate Report 113-133)
S. 1072, Small Airplane Revitalization Act of
2013 (Senate Report 113-108)
S. 1254, Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia
Research and Control Amendments Act of 2013 (Senate
Report 113-121)
S. 1317, National Aeronautics and Space
Administration Authorization Act of 2013
S. 1344, Arctic Research, Monitoring, and
Observing Act of 2013 (Senate Report 113-117)
S. 1353, Cybersecurity Act of 2013 (Senate
Report 113-270)
Nomination of Dr. Jannette Dates, to be a
Member of the Board of Directors, Corporation for
Public Broadcasting
Nomination of Mr. Bruce M. Ramer, to be a
Member of the Board of Directors, Corporation for
Public Broadcasting (Reappointment)
Nomination of Dr. Brent Nelsen, to be a Member
of the Board of Directors, Corporation for Public
Broadcasting
Nomination of Mr. Thomas Carper, to be a
Member of the Amtrak Board of Directors (Reappointment)
Nomination of Mr. Howard Husock, to be a
Member of the Board of Directors, Corporation for
Public Broadcasting
Nomination of Ms. Loretta Sutliff, to be a
Member of the Board of Directors, Corporation for
Public Broadcasting
Nomination of Mr. Thomas E. Wheeler, to be
Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
(Reappointment)
Nomination of Dr. Mark E. Schaefer, to be
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere, Department of Commerce
Nominations for Promotion in the Coast Guard

September 19, 2013 -- Consider and approve the following:

S.Res. 244, an original resolution authorizing
expenditures by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
Nomination of Mr. Gregory Dainard Winfree, to
be Administrator of the Research and Innovative
Technology Administration, Department of Transportation
Nomination of Mr. Christopher A. Hart, to be a
Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
(Reappointment)
Nomination of Ms. Deborah A. P. Hersman, to be
Chairman and Member of the National Transportation
Safety Board (Reappointment)

November 12, 2013 -- Consider and approve the following:

Nomination of Ms. Terrell McSweeny to be a
Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission
Nomination of Dr. Robert Simon, to be
Associate Director for Environment and Energy, Office
of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of
the President
Nomination of Dr. Jo Handelsman, to be
Associate Director for Science, Office of Science and
Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President
Nomination of Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, to be
Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, Department
of Commerce, and Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration
Nominations for Promotion in the Coast Guard

January 13, 2014 -- Consider and approve the following:

Nomination of Mr. Arun Kumar, to be Assistant
Secretary for Trade Promotion and Director General of
the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, International
Trade Administration, Department of Commerce*
Nomination of Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, for Under
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and
for Administrator for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration*
Nomination of Dr. Robert Simon, to be
Associate Director for Environment and Energy, Office
of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of
the President*
Nomination of Ms. Debra Miller, to be a Member
of the Surface Transportation Board*
Nomination of Ms. Terrell McSweeny, to be a
Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission*
Nomination of Mr. Paul Jaenichen, Sr., to be
Administrator of the Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation*
Nomination of Dr. Jo Handelsman, to be
Associate Director for Science, Office of Science and
Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President*

April 9, 2014 -- Consider and approve the following:

S. 429, Concrete Masonry Products Research,
Education and Promotion Act of 2013 (Senate Report 113-
319)
S. 1014, Youth Sports Concussion Act (Senate
Report 113-310)
S. 1406, Prevent All Soring Tactics Act
(Senate Report 113-254)
S. 1275, Revitalizing the Economy of Fisheries
in the Pacific Act (Senate Report 113-251)
S. 1468, Revitalize American Manufacturing and
Innovation Act of 2013 (Senate Report 113-247)
S. 1793, Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2013
(Senate Report 113-269)
S. 1925, Driver Privacy Act (Senate Report
113-255)
S. 2022, Forensic Science and Standards Act of
2014 (Senate Report 113-320)
S. 2028, Sport Fish Restoration and
Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2014 (Senate Report
113-205)
S. 2076, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Board of
Visitors Enhancement Act (Senate Report 113-158)
S. 2086, Reliable Home Heating Act (Senate
Report 113-162)
S. 2140, A bill to improve the transition
between experimental permits and commercial licenses
for commercial reusable launch vehicles (Senate Report
113-318)
H.R. 2052, Global Investment in American Jobs
Act (Senate Report 113-252)
Nomination of Mr. David Arroyo, to be a Member
of the Board of Directors, Corporation for Public
Broadcasting*
Nomination of Mr. William Doyle, to be a
Member of the Federal Maritime Commission
(Reappointment)
Nominations for Promotion in the Coast Guard

July 15, 2014 -- Consider and approve the following:

Nomination of Mr. Joseph P. Mohorovic, to be a
Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission*
Nomination of Mr. Elliot F. Kaye, to be a
Commissioner and Chairman of the Consumer Product
Safety Commission
Nomination of Ms. Judith M. Davenport, to be a
Member of the Board of Directors, Corporation for
Public Broadcasting
Nomination of Ms. Elizabeth Sembler, to be a
Member of the Board of Directors, Corporation for
Public Broadcasting (Reappointment)
Nomination of Mr. Victor M. Mendez, to be
Deputy Secretary, Department of Transportation
Nomination of Mr. Bruce H. Andrews, to be
Deputy Secretary, Department of Commerce
Nomination of Mr. Peter M. Rogoff, to be Under
Secretary of Transportation for Policy, Department of
Transportation
Nomination of Mr. Marcus D. Jadotte, to be
Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis,
International Trade Administration, Department of
Commerce
Nomination of Mr. Robert S. Adler, to be a
Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission
(Reappointment)
Nominations for Promotion in the Coast Guard

July 23, 2014 -- Consider and approve the following:

S. 1804, Aviation Security Stakeholder
Participation Act of 2013 (Senate Report 113-273)
S. 1893, Transportation Security Acquisition
Reform Act (Senate Report 113-274)
S. 2030, National Sea Grant College Program
Amendments Act of 2014 (Senate Report 113-279)
S. 2094, Vessel Incidental Discharge Act
(Senate Report 113-304)
S. 2250, Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and
Modernization Act of 2014 (Senate Report 113-234)

September 17, 2014 -- Consider and approve the following:

S. 2338, United States Anti-Doping Agency
Authorization Act of 2014 (Senate Report 113-281)
S. 2482, North Pacific Fisheries Convention
Implementation Act (Senate Report 113-314)
S. 2484, South Pacific Fisheries Convention
Implementation Act (Senate Report 113-315)
S. 2485, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
Convention Amendments Act (Senate Report 113-316)
S. 2581, the Child Nicotine Poisoning
Prevention Act of 2014 (Senate Report 113-311)
S. 2583, E-Label Act (Senate Report 113-280)
S. 2759, A bill to release the City of St.
Clair, Missouri, from all restrictions, conditions, and
limitations on the use, encumbrance, conveyance, and
closure of the St. Clair Regional Airport (Senate
Report 113-282)
S. 2777, Surface Transportation Board
Reauthorization Act of 2014 (Senate Report 113-321)
S. 2799, Satellite Television Access and
Viewer Rights Act (Senate Report 113-322)
Nomination of Mr. Christopher A. Hart, to be
Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board
Nomination of Mr. Manson K. Brown, to be
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Observation and
Prediction, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Commerce

December 9, 2014 -- Consider and approve the following:

Nomination of Dr. Willie E. May, of Maryland,
to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and
Technology
Nomination of Dr. Tho Bella Dinh-Zarr, to be a
Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
Nomination of Dr. Mark R. Rosekind, to be
Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, United States Department of
Transportation
Nomination of Mr. Carlos Monje, Jr., to be
Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, United
States Department of Transportation

*Renominations (returned to the President upon recess of
Congress, subsequently renominated)

D. Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security

Members during the 113th Congress: Democrats--Senators
Cantwell (Chairman), Boxer, Nelson, Pryor, Klobuchar, Begich,
Schatz, Booker, and Walsh; Republicans--Senators Ayotte
(Ranking Member), Wicker, Blunt, Rubio, Heller, Scott, Cruz,
Fischer, and Johnson (WI).\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ In addition to the members listed for each individual
subcommittee, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the full Committee
serve as ex officio members of all subcommittees.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and
Security dedicated its energy during the 113th Congress to
modernizing and enhancing the safety of air travel. H.R. 1848,
a bill to ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration
advances the safety of small airplanes, and the continued
development of the general aviation industry, and for other
purposes, became law on November 27, 2013 (P.L. 113-53). This
law directs the Federal Aviation Administration Administrator
to update the certification process for small aircraft (and
associated components) and complete a rulemaking to formalize
the reform by 2015. It is expected to improve safety and lower
costs associated with the design and manufacture of small
aircraft.
H.R. 1765, a bill to provide the Secretary of
Transportation with the flexibility to transfer certain funds
to prevent reduced operations and staffing of the Federal
Aviation Administration, and for other purposes, became law on
May 1, 2013 (P.L. 113-9). It authorizes the Secretary of
Transportation to transfer funds from the Federal Aviation
Administration's Airport Improvement Program Account to its
Operations Account in order to end air traffic controller
furloughs and avoid closing 149 air traffic control contract
towers to achieve cuts required by sequestration.
The subcommittee also emphasized the importance of rights
for both consumers and employees in the airline industry. H.R.
1344, a bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to direct
the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation
Security Administration) to provide expedited air passenger
screening to severely injured or disabled members of the Armed
Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans, and for other
purposes, became law on August 9, 2013 (P.L. 113-27). This law
requires the Transportation Security Administration to provide
expedited screening through airport security checkpoints for
severely injured and disabled veterans. S. Res. 324, a
resolution expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to
the tragic shooting at Los Angeles International Airport on
November 1, 2013, of Transportation Security Administration
employees, passed the Senate on December 18, 2013.

This subcommittee contributed to 7 hearings during the
113th Congress.

HEARINGS:

*Full Committee hearing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

E. Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet

Members during the 113th Congress: Democrats--Senators
Pryor (Chairman), Boxer, Nelson, Cantwell, McCaskill,
Klobuchar, Begich, Blumenthal, Schatz, Markey, Booker, and
Walsh; Republicans--Senators Wicker (Ranking Member), Blunt,
Rubio, Ayotte, Heller, Coats, Scott, Cruz, Fischer, and Johnson
(WI).

Video issues were a priority for the Subcommittee on
Communications, Technology, and the Internet during the 113th
Congress. The provisions contained in Chairman Rockefeller's
and Ranking Member Thune's bipartisan Satellite Television
Access and Viewer Rights Act (STAVRA), S. 2799, were enacted as
part of H.R. 5728, the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 (P.L.
113-200). The law reauthorizes certain provisions of the
Communications Act of 1934 that govern satellite retransmission
of television broadcast signals, which were set to expire at
the end of 2014. STAVRA also amends the Communications Act of
1934 to make several changes to existing video policy related
to the television markets served by satellite pay TV companies;
the ``good faith'' rules for retransmission consent
negotiations; the integration ban rule presently applicable to
cable set-top boxes; and the administrative rules for how small
cable companies file petitions to prove effective competition
under the Communications Act of 1934. Passage of S. 2799, as
part of H.R. 5728, marked the most significant reforms to video
policy since the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
The subcommittee also examined the communications
marketplace in order to better understand the state of the
market and possible impediments to its growth. From that
examination came S. 2583, the Enhance Labeling Accessing and
Branding of Electronic Licenses Act or E-LABEL Act. S. 2583 was
enacted on November 26, 2014 (P.L. 113-197). The E-LABEL Act
promotes the non-exclusive use of electronic labeling for
certain devices licensed by the Federal Communications
Commission. Electronic labeling provides manufactures with a
new option to speed the production of certain types of consumer
electronic devices, while preserving consumers' access to
essential information about those devices.

This subcommittee contributed to 13 hearings, including 1
field hearing, during the 113th Congress.

HEARINGS:

*Full Committee hearing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Field hearing held in Little Rock, Arkansas at the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.

F. Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation

Members during the 113th Congress: Democrats--Senators
Schatz (Chairman), Nelson, Pryor, Klobuchar, Begich, Markey,
and Walsh; Republicans--Senators Scott (Ranking Member), Blunt,
Heller, Coats, Fischer, and Johnson (WI).

The Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and
Innovation worked to promote job creation and strengthen the
national economy by recommending legislation to establish a
national network of advanced manufacturing hubs and to support
international tourism.
H.R. 2996, the Revitalize American Manufacturing and
Innovation Act of 2014, was enacted into law as part of H.R.
83, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act
of 2015 (P.L. 113-235). H.R. 2996 amended the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act to establish a
Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program to improve U.S.
manufacturing competitiveness; stimulate advanced manufacturing
research, innovation, and technology; and promote the creation
and preservation of manufacturing jobs. H.R. 2996 was the House
companion to S. 1468, which the Committee reported favorably,
as amended.
S. 2250, the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and
Modernization Act of 2014, was enacted into law as part of H.R.
83, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act
of 2015. S. 2250 amended the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 to
reauthorize Brand USA through fiscal year 2020 to continue
promoting increased international travel to the United States.
The law also updates reporting and oversight requirements. The
Committee favorably reported S. 2250, as amended, on July 23,
2014.

This subcommittee contributed to 5 hearings during the
113th Congress.

HEARINGS:

*Full Committee hearing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

G. Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance

Members during the 113th Congress: Democrats--Senators
McCaskill (Chairman), Boxer, Pryor, Klobuchar, Blumenthal,
Schatz, and Booker; Republicans--Senators Heller (Ranking
Member), Blunt, Ayotte, Coats, Cruz, and Fischer.

The Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety,
and Insurance worked to protect consumers from unfair and
deceptive acts and practices and from unsafe products as well
as ensure to the integrity of sports.
Two bills referred to the Committee under the
subcommittee's jurisdiction became law in the 113th Congress.
S. 2338 (P.L. 113-280), the United States Anti-Doping Agency
Reauthorization Act, amended the Office of National Drug
Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 to reauthorize the
United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) through fiscal year
2020. The law also updated USADA's authority by striking
existing statutory language on gene-doping and replacing it
with general authority to enforce against prohibited
performance-enhancing methods. H.R. 2754, the Collectible Coin
Protection Act, (P.L. 113-288) amended the Hobby Protection Act
to make it unlawful for an individual to assist or support a
manufacturer, importer, or seller if the individual knows or
should have known that the manufacturer, importer, or seller
has engaged in unlawful imitation political items, coins, or
other numismatic items.
The subcommittee also addressed numerous consumer
protection and product safety issues by holding oversight
hearings, and recommending legislation on rental car safety,
youth sports concussion, horse soring, carbon monoxide
poisoning, driver privacy, and liquid nicotine poisoning. The
subcommittee was especially active with auto safety matters due
to the General Motors ignition switch recalls, which were part
of the more than 60 million auto recalls in 2014, an all-time
record.

This subcommittee contributed to 17 hearings during the
113th Congress.

HEARINGS:

*Full Committee hearing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

H. Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard

Members during the 113th Congress: Democrats--Senators
Begich (Chairman), Nelson, Cantwell, Blumenthal, Schatz,
Markey, and Booker; Republicans--Senators Rubio (Ranking
Member), Wicker, Ayotte, Coats, Scott, and Cruz.

The Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
Act of 2014 was enacted on December 18, 2014 (P.L. 113-281).
This comprehensive legislation authorizes funding for the Coast
Guard's operating expenses, acquisitions, and other major
accounts, as well as an end-of-year strength for active duty
personnel, for fiscal year 2015. The Act also makes a number of
refinements to the Coast Guard's organic statutory authorities
and the shipping and navigation laws that will improve Coast
Guard prevention, preparedness, and response capabilities with
respect to marine safety, marine environmental preparedness,
and ice operations in the polar regions.
Provisions from several other bills that were either
reported by, or referred to, the Committee were included in
that Act. Provisions from the Coast Guard Quality of Life Act
(S. 1760), including provisions dealing with Coast Guard family
support, child care, and Tuition Assistance Program coverage of
textbooks were enacted as a part of that Act. Also included in
that Act were several provisions from S. 2131, the Coast Guard
Arctic Preparedness Act, dealing with, inter alia, in-kind
payment of official travel and subsistence expenses for marine
safety personnel; improvements in oil spill area contingency
plans and vessel response plans; intergovernmental notice of
marine casualties; protection and fair treatment of abandoned
seafarers; interagency fusion of information for improved
Arctic maritime domain awareness; and the construction of
forward operating facilities in the Arctic.
S. 1254, a bill to reauthorize, revise, and expand the
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act, was
enacted into law on June 30, 2014 (P.L. 113-124). The Act
directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to
maintain a national harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program,
and to develop a research plan and action strategy to address
marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia.
Additionally, H.R. 2431, a bill reauthorizing the National
Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Program, was
enacted into law on March 6, 2014 (P.L. 113-86). S. 376, the
Drought Information Act of 2013, was the Senate companion bill.
The legislation provides continued support for NIDIS and
specifies that the program's purpose shall be to better inform
and provide for timelier decision-making to reduce drought
related impacts and costs.

This subcommittee contributed to 13 hearings, including 2
field hearings, during the 113th Congress.

HEARINGS:

*Full Committee hearing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\Field hearing held in Anchorage, Alaska at the University of Alaska Anchorage/Alaska Pacific University
Consortium Library.
\3\Field hearing held in Apalachicola, Florida at the Franklin County Courthouse.

I. Subcommittee on Science and Space

Members during the 113th Congress: Democrats--Senators
Nelson (Chairman), Boxer, Pryor, Klobuchar, Blumenthal, Markey,
and Walsh; Republicans--Senators Cruz (Ranking Member), Wicker,
Rubio, Heller, Coats, and Johnson (WI). Senators Cowan and
Heinrich were replaced by Senators Markey and Walsh for the
Democrats. Senator Warner of the Democrats left the
Subcommittee and full Committee in February 2014.

Legislation pending in and addressed by the Subcommittee on
Science and Space affected a wide range of topics including
civil and commercial space activities; basic research; forensic
science reform; science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) education; and cybersecurity.
Several major cybersecurity breaches, affecting both
industry and government, occurred or were reported during the
113th Congress. On March 26, 2014, for example, the full
Committee held a hearing examining the massive Target data
breach that occurred in November and December of 2013. At this
hearing, entitled, ``Protecting Personal Consumer Information
from Cyber Attacks and Data Breaches,'' Chairman Rockefeller
released a staff report presenting an ``intrusion kill chain''
analysis of the Target breach. The report described how the
company missed multiple opportunities to detect and stop the
attack before hackers successfully exfiltrated the personal and
financial information of as many as 110 million American
consumers from Target's computer network. Related to this
issue, the subcommittee developed S. 1353, the Cybersecurity
Act of 2013, which was reported with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute by the Committee in July 2014. S. 1353 calls
for the identification of security standards to protect
critical infrastructure from cyber threats through public-
private collaboration, increases cybersecurity research,
education, and workforce development, and promotes public
awareness. The subcommittee also received referrals of H.R.
756, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2013, and H.R. 967,
the Advancing America's Networking and Information Technology
Research and Development Act of 2013. In December 2014, the
Committee amended the reported version of S. 1353,
incorporating portions of H.R. 756. The revised bill, the
Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014, was enacted into law on
December 11, 2014 (P.L. 113-274).
In handling space issues, the subcommittee oversaw S.Res.
24, a resolution commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the
loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The resolution passed the
Senate in January 2013. The subcommittee also supported H.R.
667, a bill to designate the Dryden Flight Research Center as
the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and the Western
Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test
Range. Introduced in the Senate as S. 1636, H.R. 667 became law
in January 16, 2014 (P.L. 113-75). The subcommittee also
amended and guided enactment of H.R. 3547, the Space Launch
Liability Indemnification Extension Act (P.L. 113-76). H.R.
3547, which served as the vehicle for the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2014, extended launch indemnification for
commercial space launches through 2016. The amended bill
language derived from S. 1753, a bill to extend Government
liability, subject to appropriation, for certain third-party
claims arising from commercial space launches.
The subcommittee helped develop S. 1317, the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Authorization Act
of 2013, which was ordered reported in July 2013 but did not
receive further consideration on the Senate floor. This bill
sought to authorize NASA programs and the necessary
appropriations for fiscal years 2014, 2015, and 2016. The
subcommittee received H.R. 4412, the NASA Authorization Act of
2014, which was referred to the subcommittee in June 2014. H.R.
4412 authorized NASA programs and appropriations for fiscal
year 2014. In November 2014, Senator Nelson introduced an
amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 4412. The
amendment featured a bipartisan update to S. 1317, with an
authorization of appropriations for fiscal year 2015. The
subcommittee also contributed to S. 2140, a bill to address the
permitting and licensing of commercial reusable launch
vehicles, and S. 2836, which would require an integrated space
launch policy for the United States. The Committee ordered S.
2140 reported favorably in April 2014.
To further the Nation's basic research enterprise, the
subcommittee helped develop S. 2757, the America COMPETES
Reauthorization Act of 2014, which would authorize programs and
appropriations for fiscal years 2015 through 2019 for the
National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST). COMPETES would also support
NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
education programs and provide policy guidance to the Office of
Science and Technology Policy. Further, COMPETES would
strengthen the successful NIST Manufacturing Extension
Partnership, NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, and
National Nanotechnology Initiative. The subcommittee received
referrals on several related bills, including S. 288, a bill
to increase the participation of women and minorities in STEM;
S. 899, to establish a Science Laureate of the United States;
H.R. 5035, to authorize NIST programs and funding for fiscal
year 2014; H.R. 5056, to reduce regulatory burdens on the
research community; and S. 2879, to coordinate Federal research
and development and technology transfer in sustainable
chemistry. S. 2757 included elements of or otherwise addressed
issues relevant to S. 288, H.R. 5035, and H.R. 5056.
As in previous Congresses, the subcommittee also addressed
the development of forensic science standards. The Committee
ordered S. 2022, the Forensic Science and Standards Act of
2014, be reported favorably in April 2014. S. 2022 sought to
promote increased basic research related to forensic science
and direct the updating or creation of voluntary consensus-
based forensic science standards, among other provisions.
Finally, to further support the NSF in its management of
Antarctica, the subcommittee reviewed and made substantive
corrections to two bills addressing Antarctic activity. Neither
the Antarctic Conservation Act Amendments of 2014 nor the
Antarctic Nongovernmental Activity Preparedness Act of 2014 was
formally introduced, following a determination by the
Parliamentarian that they would be referred to the Committee on
Environment and Public Works.

This subcommittee contributed to 12 hearings, including 1
field hearing, during the 113th Congress.

HEARINGS:

*Full Committee hearing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\Joint hearing with the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
\5\Field hearing held in Miami Beach, Florida at City Hall, Commission Chambers.
\6\Joint hearing with the Committee on Armed Services' of the Senate, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.

J. Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine
Infrastructure, Safety, and Security

Members during the 113th Congress: Democrats--Senators
Blumenthal (Chairman), Boxer, Cantwell, Pryor, McCaskill,
Klobuchar, Begich, Schatz, Markey, Booker, and Walsh;
Republicans--Senators Blunt (Ranking Member), Wicker, Rubio,
Ayotte, Heller, Coats, Scott, Cruz, Fischer, and Johnson (WI).

The Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant
Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security contributed to the
passage and enactment of several transportation-related bills
in the 113th Congress.
H.R. 4076, the Home Heating Emergency Assistance Through
Transportation Act of 2014, which grants limited, emergency
exemptions from Federal motor carrier regulations to address
shortages and interruptions in the availability of propane and
other home heating fuels, was enacted on March 21, 2014 (P.L.
113-90).
H.R. 3304, the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2014, which authorizes the Maritime Administration
for specified activities, including operation and support of
the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the State maritime
academies, the disposal of obsolete vessels in the National
Defense Reserve Fleet, and maintaining a U.S.-flag merchant
fleet, was enacted on December 26, 2013 (P.L. 113-66).
H.R. 3095, a bill to ensure that any new or revised
requirement providing for the screening, testing, or treatment
of individuals operating commercial motor vehicles for sleep
disorders is adopted through a rulemaking proceeding, and for
other purposes, was enacted on October 15, 2013 (P.L. 113-45).
H.R. 2576, a bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to
modify requirements relating to the availability of pipeline
safety regulatory documents, and for other purposes, was
enacted on August 9, 2013 (P.L. 113-30).
H.R. 4838, which designates the railroad station located at
2955 Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, commonly
known as 30th Street Station, as the ``William H. Gray III 30th
Street Station,'' was enacted on August 8, 2014 (P.L. 113-158).

This subcommittee contributed to 15 hearings, including 2
field hearings, during the 113th Congress.

HEARINGS:

*Full Committee hearing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\Field hearing held in Charleston, West Virginia at the Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse.
\8\Field hearing held in Bridgeport, Connecticut at Bridgeport City Hall.

K. Oversight and Investigations

The Power of Transparency: Giving Consumers the Information They Need
to Make Smart Choices in Health Insurance Marketplace

The Committee held a hearing on the benefits of providing
consumers with clear and concise information to make an
informed decision when purchasing health insurance. To bring
more transparency to the health insurance market, the 2010
health care reform law created a new ``clear labeling''
requirement, which required insurers to give consumers a
``Summary of Benefits and Coverage'' (SBC) document. With
clearly presented plan features, consumers were given the
ability make comparisons between health insurance products. The
hearing was held to shed light on the effectiveness of the SBC
as a tool for creating transparency and improving consumers'
health plan shopping experience.

Cruise Ship Crime: Consumers have Incomplete Access to Cruise Crime
Data

To highlight ongoing consumer protection concerns regarding
crime reporting on cruise ships, the Committee and the
Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine
Infrastructure, Safety, and Security produced a majority staff
report, in conjunction with a hearing, which showed consumers
have incomplete access to cruise crime data. As part of its
investigation, the Committee reviewed data provided to the
Committee by cruise lines and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. Through the hearing and letters, Chairman
Rockefeller sought and obtained from all major cruise lines a
commitment to safety and security procedures, as well as
detailed information regarding their revenues from voyages
originating from U.S. ports and fees paid to U.S. Government
entities. Chairman Rockefeller also introduced the Cruise
Passenger Protection Act of 2013 (S. 1340) to address consumer
protection deficiencies that were identified through oversight
efforts, as well as legislation to end the cruise lines'
exemption from U.S. income tax and to impose a 5 percent excise
tax on revenue generated by U.S. cruises. Certain crime data
provisions were incorporated into the Howard Coble Coast Guard
and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-281).

Energy Drinks: Exploring Concerns About Marketing to Youth

Working with Senators Durbin, Blumenthal, and Markey to
promote public education pertaining to industry accountability
regarding the risks posed to youth by energy drinks, Chairman
Rockefeller directed an investigation into the marketing
practices of energy drink companies to youth. The investigation
led to a full Committee hearing which spotlighted concerns of
public health experts that children and teens are particularly
susceptible to harmful health effects associated with high
added caffeine content and other stimulants in these drinks,
such as cardiovascular problems, anxiety, insomnia, and
digestive problems. At the hearing, top executives of the three
leading energy drink brands were successfully pressed to commit
on the record to a number of new marketing limitations, such as
not marketing products in K-12 school settings. Building on the
success of the hearing, Chairman Rockefeller and the above-
mentioned Senators followed up with letters to 17 major energy
drink brands demanding a series of additional commitments to
stop marketing energy drinks to youth.

Impacts of the 2013 Government Shutdown

A few weeks after the Government shutdown, the Committee
held a hearing and released a report on the varying impacts of
the 2013 Government shutdown. The report found that, as a
result of the shutdown and subsequent employee furloughs,
agencies had been forced to suspend or cease many vital
operations, and provided specific details on programs that came
to a halt. The report also pointed out that the shutdown
highlighted the leading role of Federal Government services to
the safety and economic security of our Nation, and the
critical importance of Federal investments in research and
development.

Update on the Financial State of the Class I Freight Rail Industry

The Committee issued an update to the 2010 Committee
majority staff report that examined the financial state of the
dominant Class I rail companies. The updated report found that
in the past four years, these Class I rail companies achieved
improvement in their financial status, reporting quarterly or
all-time company records in operating ratios, operating income,
and earnings per share.

Soldiers as Consumers: Predatory and Unfair Business Practices Harming
the Military Community

The Committee held a full Committee hearing to help advance
tougher protections against predatory lending targeting
military members. The hearing built on a forum that Chairman
Rockefeller co-led in July 2011 to discuss illegal foreclosure
notices that soldiers were receiving. The hearing underscored
how predatory loan companies, many geographically located just
outside military installations, and many others existing
online, prey on young soldiers who are away from home for the
first time and have a steady Government paycheck. Chairman
Rockefeller urged Federal and State law agencies to stop
companies from continuing to exploit soldiers.

Data Brokers

Between 2012 and 2014, the Committee investigated the data
broker industry, a multi-billion dollar industry that
experienced explosive growth by collecting, using, and selling
consumers' public and private information. Chairman Rockefeller
directed an investigation of ``data brokers'' or companies that
generally collect information from sources other than directly
from the consumer, without consumer consent or input, and
operate with minimal transparency. The investigation found that
data brokers collect a huge volume of detailed information that
sometimes includes personal health information such as ailments
consumers have, and data as specific as whether they bought a
particular shampoo in the last few months. The investigation
also revealed evidence that certain data brokers sell products
that identify financially vulnerable consumers, such as
marketing lists identifying ``rural and barely making it''
consumers, which may appeal to unscrupulous businesses seeking
targets for predatory financially risky products.\2\ The
investigation led to a full Committee hearing and the release
of a majority staff report explaining the findings. Following
the hearing, Chairman Rockefeller introduced a version of
legislation he had previously introduced, the Data Broker
Accountability and Transparency Act (S. 2025), to improve the
transparency of data broker practices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\Testimony at the Committee's December 2013 hearing indicated
that such lists may also be used by government agencies seeking to
identify individuals eligible for government assistance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Investigation of Foreclosure Rescue Companies

Responding to consumer complaints about mortgage
modification services, Chairman Rockefeller initiated an
investigation of foreclosure rescue companies subject to a high
volume of consumer complaints. Despite ongoing efforts by
enforcement agencies in this area, consumer complaints remained
high, citing false and deceptive practices by foreclosure
rescue companies, and recent reports indicated that companies
were engaging in increasingly complex schemes to elude
enforcement actions. The investigation aimed to help the
Committee and the public understand the practices of
foreclosure rescue companies in targeting and interacting with
struggling homeowners.

Medical Loss Ratio

Continuing Chairman Rockefeller's scrutiny of the health
insurance industry's business practices, the Committee examined
the impact of the ``medical loss ratio'' (MLR) rules that were
ultimately included in the 2010 Affordable Care Act. The law
encourages health insurance companies to spend at least 80
percent of their individual and small group policyholders'
premiums, and 85 percent of large group policyholders'
premiums, on medical care or on improving the quality of their
care or else provide consumers with rebates. The hearing
examined the impact the MLR requirements in health care reform
have had on ensuring that health insurers are accountable to
consumers and provide appropriate value for premium dollars.

Aggressive E-Cigarette Marketing and Potential Consequences for Youth

After published data showed increased use of e-cigarettes
by youth and additional concerns from the public health
community that these products pose serious health risks to
young people, Chairman Rockefeller joined Senators Durbin and
Blumenthal, Representative Waxman, and other members of
Congress in a bicameral inquiry seeking information regarding
marketing practices of major e-cigarette manufacturers. The
resulting bicameral joint investigative report, released in
April 2014, recommended that e-cigarette companies make efforts
to prevent the sale of e-cigarettes to youth and exercise
restraint in using television and radio advertisements. It also
urged the Food and Drug Administration to act quickly to issue
regulations to restrict the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes.
Chairman Rockefeller held a hearing, bringing before the full
Committee the top executives of two leading e-cigarette
manufacturers to press them for commitments regarding limiting
marketing messages to youth. The day after the hearing, the
press reported that the main celebrity spokeswoman for an e-
cigarette company, who had been spotlighted at the hearing as
an example of how the e-cigarette industry is using celebrity
images with appeal to youth, would no longer be representing
the company. In addition, shortly after the hearing, photos of
a teen idol used by an e-cigarette company on social media
disappeared from the company's marketing materials.

Cramming on Wireless Phone Bills

After a July 2011 hearing and a majority staff report on
landline cramming, or unauthorized third-party charges on phone
bills, Chairman Rockefeller in 2012 opened an inquiry to
examine the scope of wireless cramming and industry practices
to protect consumers against unauthorized charges on their
wireless bills. As with landline billing, the wireless industry
asserted that cramming on wireless phone bills was a ``de
minimis'' concern. The Committee reviewed hundreds of pages of
documents that it requested from major wireless carriers as
well as documents the Committee received in response to its
subpoena to a major aggregator, an intermediary in the billing
process. The Committee released a majority staff report in
conjunction with a full Committee hearing to assess lessons
learned from industry failures to prevent cramming and to show
that wireless cramming is widespread and costs consumers
hundreds of millions of dollars while yielding substantial
revenues for the industry. After the hearing, the major
wireless carriers announced that, as of 2014 they would stop
allowing the placement of most premium third-party text
messaging charges, which had been the focus of most consumer
cramming complaints.

Investigation into Airline Passenger Fees and Consumer Data Privacy
Policies

Continuing focus on consumer protection issues, the
Committee opened an inquiry into airline passenger fees and
consumer data privacy policies. The Committee sent letters to
the top ten revenue generating U.S. passenger airlines about
the disclosure of certain additional fees consumers encounter
during the ticket purchasing process, such as checked and
carry-on luggage, seat selection, and priority boarding. The
inquiry also asked the airlines to provide information about
internal policies aimed at protecting consumer information
gathered during the ticket purchase process.

The Office of Oversight and Investigations contributed to 6
oversight-related hearings during the 113th Congress.

HEARINGS:

*Full Committee hearing.
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