WASHINGTON, April 12 -- Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., has introduced legislation (H.R. 2207) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on medical devices. The bill was introduced on April 10 and has 226 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Reps. Ralph Abraham, R-La., Robert B. Aderholt, R-Ala., Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., Rick Allen, R-Ga., Justin A. Amash, R-Mich., Mark Amodei, R-Nev., Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., Jodey C. Arrington, R-Texas, Brian Babin, R-Texas, Don Bacon, R-Neb., Jim  more

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, has introduced legislation (S. 1210) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 "to increase and make permanent the exclusion for benefits provided to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders." The bill was introduced on April 11 and has seven co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Richard J. Durbin,  more

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., has introduced legislation (S. 1149) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the deduction for qualified business income. The bill was introduced on April 11 and was co-sponsored by Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and John Thune, R-S.D. It was referred to the Senate Finance Committee. For more information, Sen. Steve Daines, 320 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510; 202/224-2651; or in the state at 30 W. 14th St.,  more

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- Sen. Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo., has introduced legislation (S. 1170) to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 "to establish additional criteria for determining when employers may join together in a group or association of employers that will be treated as an employer under section 3(5) of such Act for purposes of sponsoring a group health plan." The bill was introduced on April 11 and has 24 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn  more

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has introduced legislation (S. 1195) to amend title 38, U.S. Code, "to clarify presumption relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam." The bill was introduced on April 11 and has 31 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., Jon Tester, D-Mont., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Sherrod Brown, D-  more

WASHINGTON, April 12 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., has introduced legislation (S. 1131) to "establish family and medical leave banks to provide paid leave for employees of the Department of Defense." The bill was introduced on April 10 and was co-sponsored by Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D. It was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. For more information, Sen. Jeff Merkley, 313 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510; 202/224-3753; or in the state at   more

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., has introduced legislation (S. 1063) to "require the Securities and Exchange Commission to revise the rules of the Commission relating to general solicitation or general advertising." The bill was introduced on April 8 and was co-sponsored by Sens. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and John Thune, R-S.D. It was referred to the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committe  more

WASHINGTON, April 11 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., has introduced legislation (S. 1096) to amend title 10, U.S. Code, "to modify semiannual briefings on the consolidated corrective action plan of the Department of Defense for financial management information." The bill was introduced on April 9 and was co-sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. It was referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee. For more information, Sen. Mike Rounds, 502 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510; 2  more

WASHINGTON, April 12 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., has introduced legislation (S. 1105) to "require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish and maintain a registry for certain individuals who may have been exposed to per and polyfluoroalkyl substances due to the environmental release of aqueous film-forming foam on military installations." The bill was introduced on April 10 and was co-sponsored by Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Margaret Wood Hassan, D-N.H. It was referred to the Senat  more