United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Fair Elections Now Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) with respect to: (1) candidate benefits of fair elections financing of House of Representatives election campaigns; (2) allocations to candidates from the Fair Elections Fund established by this Act; (3) 500% matching payments to candidates for certain small dollar contributions; (4) Fund allocation eligibility requirements; (5) certification of a federal election candidate as a participating candidate; (6) contribution, expenditure, and fundraising requirements; (7) a public debate requirement; (8) remission to the Fair Elections Fund of unspent funds after an election; (9) establishment of the Fair Elections Fund and of a Fair Elections Oversight Board; (10) civil penalties for violation of contribution and expenditure requirements; and (11) transfer of a portion of collected civil money penalties into the Fair Elections Fund. Prohibits: (1) use of contributions by a participating candidate for any purposes other than an election campaign, and (2) establishment of joint fundraising committees with any political committee other than a candidate's authorized committee. Prescribes a limitation on coordinated expenditures by political party committees with participating candidates. Amends FECA to empower the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to appeal a civil action. Requires all designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under FECA to be filed: (1) directly with the FEC, and (2) in electronic form accessible by computers. Reduces from 48 hours to 24 hours after their receipt the deadline for the FEC to make designations, statements, reports, or notifications available to the public in the FEC office and on the Internet.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education for Alzheimer's Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover comprehensive Alzheimer's disease and related dementia diagnosis and services.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an excise tax credit through 2016 for alternative fuels and fuel mixtures involving compressed or liquefied natural gas; (2) allow an income tax credit through 2016 for alternative fuel motor vehicles powered by compressed or liquefied natural gas and make Indian tribal governments eligible for such credit; (3) modify the tax credit percentage for alternative fuel vehicles fueled by natural gas or liquefied natural gas; (4) allow a new tax credit for the production of vehicles fueled by natural gas or liquefied natural gas; and (5) extend through 2016 the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property expenditures for refueling property relating to compressed or liquefied natural gas and allow an increased credit for such property. Requires the Secretary of Energy to provide funding to improve the performance, efficiency, and integration of natural gas powered motor vehicles and heavy-duty on-road vehicles. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to manufacturers of light and heavy duty natural gas vehicles for the development of engines that reduce emissions, improve performance and efficiency, and lower cost. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should streamline the process for certification of natural gas vehicle retrofit kits to promote energy security and provide incentives to encourage and reward manufacturers who produce natural gas powered vehicles. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to allocate funds for vehicles that are repowered or converted to operate on an alternative fuel.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2011
Clean Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
United States Postal Service Pension Obligation Recalculation and Restoration Act of 2011 - Prescribes the "average pay" and the appropriate percentage thereof to be used in determining annuities for civilian employment with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for purposes of provisions relating to future benefits attributable to such employment in order to calculate the amount of any USPS surplus or supplemental liability under the Civil Service Retirement System. Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM): (1) within six months after enactment of this Act, to determine (or, if applicable, redetermine) the amount of such surplus or liability as of the close of the most recently ending fiscal year using the methodology required under this Act; and (2) if the result is a surplus, to transfer the surplus amount to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund within 15 days after the determination of a surplus. Provides for an alternate determination of an USPS surplus or supplemental liability for FY2016-FY2020. Requires transfer of certain surplus postal retirement contributions in FY2011 to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund or the Employees' Compensation Fund under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA). Expresses the intent of Congress that this Act shall apply to allocations of past, present, and future benefit liabilities between the USPS and the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2011
Recognizes Salem, Massachusetts, the site of the first muster of a militia regiment in 1637 in what became the United States, as the Birthplace of the National Guard of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2011
Focusing Resources, Economic Investment, and Guidance to Help Transportation Act of 2011 - Declares U.S. policy with respect to freight transportation. Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) an Office of Freight Planning and Development. Directs the Secretary to develop a long-term National Freight Freight Transportation Strategic Plan to guide planning and investments in the national transportation system to move freight. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop new or improve existing tools to support an outcome-oriented, performance-based approach to evaluate proposed freight-related and other transportation projects; (2) facilitate the collection of transportation-related data to support a broad range of evaluation methods and techniques to assist in making transportation investment decisions; and (3) consider improvements to the Commodity Flow Survey that reduce identified freight data gaps and deficiencies and help evaluate forecasts of transportation demand. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a competitive grant program for capital investment projects that improve the efficiency of the national transportation system to move freight, and (2) give priority to projects with the highest system performance improvement relative to their benefit-cost analysis. Limits the federal share of project net capital costs at 80%. Requires a grant recipient to submit to the Secretary: (1) a project management plan and an annual financial plan for a project with a total cost of $500 million or more, and (2) an annual financial plan for a project with a total cost of $100 million or more. Repeals specified prohibitions against the transfer of amounts from the Highway Trust Fund to the Port Infrastructure Development Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
World War II Merchant Mariner Service Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to consider certain methods for verifying that an individual performed honorable service as a member of the merchant marine during the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on December 31, 1946, for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits under the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977. Requires such methods to include Social Security Administration (SSA) records and validated testimony in the case of the absence of Coast Guard shipping or discharge forms, ship logbooks, or other official employment records. Requires the Secretary to recognize masters of seagoing vessels or other command officers who were authorized to document an individual for purposes of hiring for the merchant marine or discharge therefrom, when determining whether to recognize service allegedly performed during such period.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the alternative tax on qualifying shipping activities to treat a corporation electing such tax as continuing to use a qualifying vessel in the U.S. foreign trade during any period of use in the U.S. domestic trade, thus eliminating the 30 day limitation on operating in U.S. domestic trade under current law.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Commodity Exchange Act to direct both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to prohibit purchase or sale of either securities, security-based swaps, or commodities for future delivery or swap by a person in possession of material nonpublic information regarding pending or prospective legislative action if the information was obtained: (1) knowingly from a Member or employee of Congress, (2) by reason of being a Member or employee of Congress, or (3) from other federal employees and derived from their federal employment. Amends the Code of Official Conduct of the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit any Member, officer, or employee of the House from disclosing material nonpublic information relating to any pending or prospective legislative action relating to any publicly-traded company or to any commodity if such person has reason to believe that the information will be used to buy or sell the securities of that publicly traded company or that commodity for future delivery based on such information. Directs both the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives to hold hearings on the implementation by the CFTC and the SEC of such financial transaction prohibitions. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require formal disclosure of certain securities and commodities futures transactions to either the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to subject to its registration, reporting, and disclosure requirements, as well as requirements for identification of clients and covered legislative and executive officials, all political intelligence activities, contacts, firms, and consultants. Requires the Comptroller General to include political intelligence activities, contacts, firms, and consultants in its annual compliance audits and reports.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Oleoresin Capsicum Spray Pilot Program of 2011 - Directs the Bureau of Prisons to conduct a pilot program to determine the effectiveness of the routine issuance of Oleoresin Capsicum spray (pepper spray) to staff. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on an evaluation of such pilot program and on tools to improve officer safety in federal prisons.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act - Grants the Secretary of the Treasury regulatory and enforcement jurisdiction over the Internet Gambling Licensing Program established by this Act. Prescribes administrative and licensing requirements for Internet betting, including background check requirements and suitability standards for license applicants. Prohibits any person from operating an Internet gambling facility that knowingly accepts bets or wagers from persons located in the United States without a license issued by the Secretary. Prescribes safeguards to: (1) ensure the legal age of any wagering individual as well as a permissible location for placing the wager; (2) combat fraud, money laundering, and terrorist finance; and (3) combat compulsive Internet gambling. Directs the Secretary to: (1) compile and make available to the public, on the Secretary's website, datasets on player behavior; (2) assess civil penalties on licensees or other persons for willful violations of this Act; (3) monitor, evaluate, and measure compliance effectiveness of software and other mechanisms used by licensees to prevent minors from Internet wagering and impose a fine for ineffective protections; and (4) place court-ordered child support delinquents on the self-exclusion list (established by this Act) as long as they remain delinquent in their support obligations. Requires the Secretary and any qualified state or tribal regulatory body to prescribe regulations for: (1) development of a Problem Gambling, Responsible Gambling, Consumer Safeguards, and Self-Exclusion Program; (2) a list of persons self-excluded from gambling activities at licensee sites; and (3) a program to alert the public to the existence, consequences, and availability of the self-exclusion list. Prohibits a person who is prohibited from gambling with a licensee, including anyone on the self-exclusion list, from collecting any winnings or recovering any losses that arise as a result of prohibited gambling activity. Shields a financial transaction provider from liability for engaging in financial activities and transactions on behalf of a licensee, or involving a licensee, including payments processing activities, unless the provider has knowledge that the specific financial activities or transactions are conducted in violation of federal or state law. Requires the Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to submit to the Secretary a list of unlawful Internet gambling enterprises which violate this Act for distribution in electronic format to all persons required to comply with regulations under this Act. Permits states and Indian tribal authorities to opt-out of Internet gambling activities within their respective jurisdictions. Prohibits licensees from engaging in the operation of an Internet gambling facility that knowingly accepts bets or wagers initiated by persons who reside in any opt-out state or the tribal lands of any opt-out Indian tribe. Prohibits: (1) sports betting on the Internet, except pari-mutuel racing, and the use of credit cards for Internet gambling; and (2) electronic cheating devices. Directs the Secretary to: (1) report to Congress on the licensing and regulation of Internet gambling operators, and (2) conduct a feasibility study on safeguards to address gambling while impaired.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2011
Respect for Marriage Act - Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse" to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2011
Repealing Ineffective and Incomplete Abstinence-Only Program Funding Act of 2011 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to: (1) eliminate the abstinence-only education program, (2) rescind unobligated FY2010-FY2011 program appropriations, and (3) reprogram such rescinded appropriations for the personal responsibility education program (PREP) for FY2012-FY2014.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2011
Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2011 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal the exemption from restrictions on underground injection of fluids or propping agents granted to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities under such Act. Requires: (1) state underground injection programs to direct a person conducting hydraulic fracturing operations to disclose to the state (or the Administrator if the Administrator has primary enforcement responsibility in such state) the chemicals intended for use in underground injections prior to the commencement of such operations and the chemicals actually used after the end of such operations; and (2) a state or the Administrator to make such disclosure available to the public. Requires a person conducting hydraulic fracturing operations, when a medical emergency exists and the proprietary chemical formula of a chemical used in such operations is necessary for medical treatment, to disclose such formula or the specific chemical identity of a trade secret chemical to the state, the Administrator, or the treating physician or nurse upon request, regardless of whether a written statement of need or a confidentiality agreement has been provided. Authorizes such person to require a written statement of need and a confidentiality agreement as soon thereafter as circumstances permit.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2011- Provides that: (1) specified diseases, including heart disease, lung disease, tuberculosis, hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus, and specified cancers, of federal employees in fire protection activities shall be presumed to be proximately caused by such employment if the employee is diagnosed with the disease within 10 years of the last active date of employment in fire protection activities; (2) the disability or death of such an employee due to such a disease shall be presumed to result from personal injury sustained while in the performance of duty; and (3) such presumptions may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence. Defines an "employee in fire protection activities" as a firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician, rescue worker, ambulance personnel, or hazardous material worker, who: (1) is trained in fire suppression; (2) has the legal authority and responsibility to engage in fire suppression; (3) is engaged in the prevention, control, and extinguishment of fires or response to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk; and (4) performs such activities as a primary responsibility of his or her job. Directs the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to examine the implementation of this Act and appropriate scientific and medical data related to the health risks associated with firefighting and to report to Congress on: (1) an analysis of the injury claims made under this Act; (2) an analysis of the available research related to the health risks associated with firefighting; and (3) recommendations for any administrative or legislative actions necessary to ensure that those diseases most associated with firefighting are included in the presumption created by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act or FIT Kids Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require annual state and local educational agency report cards to include specified information on school health and physical education programs. Includes the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles by students within ESEA grant programs that support school counseling, smaller learning communities, community learning centers, and parental involvement in their childrens' education. Revises the professional development program for teachers and principals to include training for physical and health education teachers, and training on improving students' health habits and participation in physical activities. Directs the Secretary of Education to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for a study that: (1) assesses the effect health and physical education have on students' ability to learn; and (2) makes recommendations for improving, and measuring improvements to, their health and physical education in schools.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Seniors' Tax Simplification Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make available a new federal income tax Form 1040SR (similar to Form 1040EZ) to individuals who have turned 65 as of the close of the taxable year. Allows the form to be used even if income includes: (1) social security benefits; (2) distributions from qualified retirement plans, annuities, or other such deferred payment arrangements; (3) interest and dividends; or (4) capital gains and losses.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2011
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2011 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education (IHE) participating in a title IV program (except a foreign school) to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment that includes: (1) a prohibition of harassment of students by other students, faculty, and staff; (2) a description of its programs to prevent harassment; (3) a description of the procedures that students should follow if harassment occurs; and (4) a description of the procedures it will follow once an incident of harassment has been reported. Defines "harassment" to include certain conduct undertaken through technological means that limits a student's ability to benefit from the IHE's programs, or creates a hostile or abusive educational environment at the school. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to IHEs to initiate, expand, or improve programs to: (1) prevent the harassment of students; (2) provide counseling or redress services to students who have been harassed or accused of subjecting other students to harassment; and (3) train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs. Directs the Secretary to publish a report of best practices for combating harassment at IHEs.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2011 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Anti-Bullying and Harassment Act of 2011 - Amends the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act to require: (1) states to use grants for safe and drug-free schools to collect and report information on the incidence of bullying and harassment, and (2) local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools to use subgrants to prevent and respond to incidents of bullying and harassment. Requires such LEAs or schools to: (1) notify parents and students annually of conduct prohibited in their school discipline policies, that now must include bullying and harassment; and (2) establish complaint procedures for students and parents to register complaints regarding such conduct. Includes bullying and harassment within the Act's definition of violence.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
Eliminates the time limit for ratification of the equal rights amendment (prohibits discrimination on account of sex) proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, second session. Declares that such amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the necessary number of additional states.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
Supports the goals of International Women's Day. Recognizes and honors the women who have fought and continue to struggle for equality. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to ending discrimination and violence against women and girls, to ensuring their safety and welfare, and to pursuing policies that guarantee their basic rights. Encourages the President to: (1) reaffirm his commitment to pursue policies to protect the health and rights of women and girls, and (2) issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe International Women's Day.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2011
Maternal Health Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to states for: (1) mandatory reporting to the state department of health by health care providers and other entities of pregnancy-related deaths; (2) establishment of a state maternal mortality review committee on pregnancy-related deaths occurring within such state; (3) implementation and use of the comprehensive case abstraction form by such committee to preserve the uniformity of the information collected; and (4) annual public disclosure of committee findings. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to: (1) organize a national workshop to identify definitions for severe maternal morbidity and make recommendations for a research plan to identify and monitor such morbidity in the United States; and (2) develop uniform definitions of severe maternal morbidity, a research plan, and possible data collection protocols to assist states in identifying and monitoring such cases. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to carry out specified research and demonstration activities to eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2011
United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 225th anniversary of the establishment of the United States Marshals Service, to mint and issue $5 gold and $1 silver coins emblematic of the 225 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of the U.S. Marshals Service. Requires all such coin sales to include a surcharge of: (1) $35 per $5 coin; and (2) $10 per $1 coin. Requires distribution of the first $5 million to the U.S. Marshals Service National Museum for the preservation, maintenance, and display of artifacts and documents of the U.S. Marshals Service. Requires distribution of one-third of the remainder each to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in support of the National Law Enforcement Museum and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, and to the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the $5 gold coins.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2011
Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2011- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the definition of "qualified veteran" for purposes of the work opportunity tax credit to mean recently discharged veterans and any veteran receiving specified benefits. Defines "recently discharged veteran" to mean: (1) any individual who has served on active duty (other than active duty for training) in the Armed Forces for more than 180 consecutive days, (2) any individual who has been discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability, and (3) any member of the National Guard who has served for more than 180 consecutive days in active duty, full-time National Guard duty, or duty in state status. Defines "veteran receiving specified benefits" as any veteran who is certified as being a member of a family receiving assistance under a supplemental nutrition assistance program and is entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability. Requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Guard to inform military personnel who are discharged or released from active duty of the work opportunity tax credit and provide them with documentation relating to eligibility for and use of such credit.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2011
Expresses support for the designation of, and requests the President to issue a proclamation recognizing, Cesar E. Chavez Day. Expresses support for a curriculum in public elementary and secondary schools in the United States focusing on the goals and ideals of Chavez and his dedication to farm workers' children by organizing migrant schools. Recognizes the legacy of Chavez in denouncing the abuse of human dignity and the exploitation of the vulnerable, in promoting education, and in advancing the American Dream.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2011
Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to define a "high volume retail breeder" as a person who, in commerce, for compensation or profit: (1) has an ownership interest in or custody of one or more breeding female dogs; and (2) sells, via any means of conveyance, more than 50 of the offspring of such dogs for use as pets in any one-year period. Considers such a breeder of dogs to be a dealer. Requires dealers to include on licensing applications and annual renewals the total number of dogs exempted from exercise on the premises of the dealer in the preceding year by a licensed veterinarian. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to promulgate requirements for the exercise of dogs at facilities owned or operated by a dealer, including requiring daily access to exercise that: (1) allows the dogs to move sufficiently in a way that is not forced, repetitive, or restrictive; and (2) is in an area that is spacious, cleaned at least once a day, free of infestation by pests or vermin, and designed to prevent the dogs from escaping. Allows an exemption if: (1) a licensed veterinarian determines that a dog should not exercise because of the health, condition, or well-being of the dog; and (2) such determination is reviewed and updated at least once every 30 days by the veterinarian, unless the basis for the determination is a permanent condition. Subjects such a determination to review and approval by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2011
Department of Peace Act of 2011 - Establishes a Department of Peace, which shall be headed by a Secretary of Peace (Secretary). Sets forth the mission of the Department, including: (1) cultivation of peace as a national policy objective; and (2) development of policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful conflict resolution, and structured conflict mediation. Establishes in the Department: (1) the Office of Peace Education and Training, (2) the Office of Domestic Peace Activities, (3) the Office of International Peace Activities, (4) the Office of Technology for Peace, (5) the Office of Arms Control and Disarmament, (6) the Office of Peaceful Coexistence and Nonviolent Conflict Resolution, (7) the Office of Human Rights and Economic Rights, and (8) the Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of State to consult with the Secretary concerning nonviolent means of conflict resolution when a conflict between the United States and any other government or entity is imminent or occurring. Transfers to the Department the functions, assets, and personnel of various federal agencies. Establishes the Federal Interagency Committee on Peace. Directs the Secretary to encourage citizens to celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace on a Peace Day.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2011
Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and implement a Pancreatic Cancer Initiative to assist in coordinating activities to address the high mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to establish the Interdisciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Coordinating Committee to: (1) provide advice on overall research objectives and benchmarks for pancreatic cancer research; (2) develop and update not less than every five years a strategic plan for pancreatic cancer research awareness; and (3) conduct evaluations and make recommendations as needed to the Secretary, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) regarding the prioritization and award of NIH research grants relating to pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to develop a primary care provider education program on pancreatic cancer. Requires the Director of NCI and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a communication tool kit for patients and their families that focuses on specific pancreatic cancer issues relating to patient choices and patient care. Allows the Secretary to award grants to research institutions for use in developing innovative compounds or technologies for the prevention, early detection, or treatment of those cancers with five-year survival rates of less than 50%. Requires the Secretary to focus on pancreatic cancer during the initial five fiscal years of awarding such grants. Allows the Secretary to designate two additional Specialized Programs of Research Excellence focusing solely on pancreatic cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2011
Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for railroad track maintenance, to: (1) expand the types of maintenance expenditures eligible for such credit, and (2) extend such credit through 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2011
Military Spouses Employment Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include spouses of members of the Armed Forces on extended active duty (more than 90 days or for an indefinite period) as members of a targeted group for purposes of the work opportunity tax credit (thus giving employers a tax incentive for hiring military spouses).
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the 3% withholding requirement on payments due to vendors providing services to federal, state, and local governmental entities.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on acquired bone marrow failure diseases, (2) establish the National Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Registry, and (3) establish the Advisory Committee on Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Diseases to provide recommendations to the Secretary on the Registry. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to, and enter to contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the management of the Registry. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, to conduct pilot studies to determine which environmental factors may cause acquired bone marrow failure diseases. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, to: (1) establish outreach and information programs targeted to minority populations affected by such diseases; (2) undertake a coordinated outreach effort to connect Hispanic, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities with comprehensive services focused on treatment of, and information about, such diseases; and (3) awards grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, entities to perform research on such diseases. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to award grants to entities to improve diagnostic practices and quality of care with respect to patients with such diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act - Designates certain land in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the state of Washington, which shall be considered to become a part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers in Washington as scenic and/or wild rivers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2011
Clean Ports Act of 2011 - Declares that federal preemption of state and local law relating to a price, route, or service of any motor carrier of property shall not apply to the authority of a state, local government, or the political authority of two or more states to adopt requirements for motor carriers providing services at port facilities that are reasonably related to the reduction of environmental pollution, traffic congestion, the improvement of highway safety, or the efficient utilization of such port facilities, provided adoption or enforcement of such requirements does not conflict with federal law. Declares that nothing in this Act shall limit the rights reserved to any state or political subdivision of such state under the Clean Air Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act of 2011 - Requires each state educational agency, in order to be eligible to receive funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in FY2013 or subsequent fiscal years, to issue regulations establishing the following minimum requirements for the prevention and treatment of concussions. Requires each local educational agency in the state to develop and implement a standard plan for concussion safety and management that includes: (1) the education of students, parents, and school personnel about concussions; (2) supports for students recovering from a concussion; and (3) best practices designed to ensure the uniformity of safety standards, treatment, and management. Requires each public elementary and secondary school to post on school grounds and make publicly available on the school website information on concussions, including information on risks, responses, symptoms, and effects. Requires public school personnel who suspect that a student has sustained a concussion during a school-sponsored activity to: (1) remove the student from the activity and prohibit such student from participating in school athletic activities until the student submits a written release from a health care professional; and (2) report to the student's parent or guardian regarding such injury and the treatment provided. Prohibits a student who has sustained a concussion in a school-sponsored athletic activity from resuming participation in school-sponsored athletic or academic activities until the school receives a written release from a health care professional that: (1) states that the student is capable of resuming participation; and (2) may require the student to follow a plan designed to aid such individual in recovering and resuming participation in a manner that is coordinated with periods of cognitive and physical rest, and that reintroduces cognitive and physical demands on a progressive basis, based on the student's symptoms.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
High School Athletics Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct coeducational elementary and secondary schools that participate in any ESEA program to: (1) report annually certain information on equality in their school athletic programs to the Commissioner for Educational Statistics; and (2) make such information available, upon request, to their students, potential students, and the public. Directs the Commissioner to ensure that such data are posted on the Department of Education's Web site within a reasonable period of time.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act of 2011 - Prohibits any person from making any deceptive or misleading statement, or engaging in any deceptive or misleading act, that: (1) misrepresents whether such person holds a state health care license; or (2) misrepresents such person's education, training, degree, license, or clinical expertise. Requires any person who is advertising health care services provided by such person to disclose the applicable license under which such person is authorized to provide those services. Deems a violation of this Act to be an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study and report to Congress on health care professionals' misrepresentations under this Act. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed or have the effect of changing state scope of practice for any health care professional.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Supports the designation of National Congress on Your Corner Day. Urges all members of the House of Representatives to observe such a day to honor those who were killed or injured in Tucson, Arizona.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Kids Just Want to Ride Act - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 to exempt off-highway vehicles from children's product lead limits. Defines "off-highway vehicle" as: (1) any motorized vehicle designed to travel on two, three, or four wheels and having a seat designed to be straddled by the operator and handlebars for steering control; and (2) a snowmobile. Allows the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to exempt a specific product or material from the limits if it finds that lead in the product or material will not result in the absorption of lead (under current law, of any lead) into the human body, taking into account normal and reasonably foreseeable use and abuse of the product by a child.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2011
Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit: (1) the transfer or possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, except for its lawful possession within the United States on or before the date of this Act's enactment; and (2) the importation or bringing into the United States of such a device. Sets forth exceptions to such ban. Sets penalties for violations. Requires a large capacity ammunition feeding device manufactured after this Act's enactment to be identified by a serial number that clearly shows that the device was manufactured after enactment and such other identification as the Attorney General may prescribe.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2011
Recognizes the significance of Black History Month as an important time to recognize the contributions of African-Americans in the nation's history. Encourages the continued celebration of this month to provide an opportunity for all peoples of the United States to learn more about the past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped the nation. Recognizes that the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2011
Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2011 - Deems certain service performed before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts as active military service for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in determining eligibility under this Act, to take into account any relevant service documentation, including documentation other than the Missouri List (the list of all discharged and deceased veterans from the 20th century).
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2011
Congressional Pay Cut Act - Reduces the rate of basic pay for each Member of Congress by 5%, rounded to the nearest multiple of $100 (or, if midway between multiples of $100, to the next higher multiple of $100). Declares that such adjustment shall be in lieu of any adjustment which (but for this Act) might otherwise take effect in pay periods beginning after the regularly scheduled general election for federal office held in November 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act - Declares that it is U.S. policy to protect and preserve living and other resources of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (Farallones NMS) and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Cordell Bank NMS) marine environments. Makes certain adjustments to expand the boundaries of the Farallones NMS and the Cordell NMS. Prohibits the issuance of a lease or permit authorizing mineral or hydrocarbon exploration, development, production, or transportation by pipeline within the boundaries of the sanctuaries, as modified by this Act. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to complete: (1) a draft supplemental management plan for each of the sanctuaries that focuses on management in the areas added by this Act; and (2) a revised management plan for each of the sanctuaries. Directs the Secretary to carry out an assessment of necessary revisions to the regulations for the sanctuaries, including considering regulations regarding the deposit or release of introduced species and the alteration of stream and river drainage into the sanctuaries.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Act of 2011 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group or individual health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection, insofar as the attending physician, in consultation with the patient, determines such stay to be medically necessary; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act; and (2) ensure that coverage is provided for secondary consultations. Prohibits a health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Allows a health insurance issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage to nonrenew or discontinue an individual's coverage based on the intentional concealment of material facts regarding a health condition related to the condition for which coverage is being claimed.
![Official portrait of Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_wa_9_smith_adam_200.jpg)