United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2011
Foreign Service Line of Duty Death Gratuity Act of 2011 - Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to provide increased group life insurance benefits for a Foreign Service or government executive branch employee killed in a location designated as a danger pay post. Directs the Secretary of State to provide a specified death gratuity payment to the surviving dependents of a Foreign Service or a government executive branch employee serving at a U.S. diplomatic or consular mission abroad without a regular salary who was killed in the August 7, 1998, bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Authorizes appropriations for such payments.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2011
Mechanical Insulation Installation Incentive Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an additional tax deduction for the cost of installing mechanical insulation property. Limits the amount of such deduction to the lesser of 30% or the reduction in energy loss from the installed mechanical insulation property compared to property that meets the minimum requirements of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 90.1-2007. Allows the cost of replacing mechanical insulation property to be treated as a deductible business expense in the current taxable year. Defines "mechanical insulation property" as insulation materials, facings, and accessory products: (1) placed in service in connection with a mechanical system which is located in the United States and of a character subject to an allowance for depreciation; and (2) utilized for thermal, acoustical, and personnel safety requirements for mechanical piping and equipment, hot and cold applications, and heating, venting and air conditioning applications which can be used in a variety of facilities. Allows a tax deduction for capital expenditures related to mechanical insulation property.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2011
Emergency Medic Transition (EMT) Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to state emergency medical services offices or other state entities with jurisdiction over emergency medical personnel to provide for the expedited training and licensing, as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), of veterans who received training as EMTs while serving in the Armed Forces. Directs an eligible entity to give priority to providing training to individuals who will serve as EMTs in areas that provide a high volume of emergency medical services and trauma care.
United States · United States Congress · 9 August 2011
Revises the membership eligibility requirements of the federal charter for the Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. Redefines "mother" to mean a woman who filled the role of birth mother. Adds, in addition to adoptive mother and stepmother (as in the current charter), foster-mother, grandmother, or legal guardian of a person who is serving in the Armed Forces or has served in, or has been honorably discharged from it (as in the current charter). Repeals the limitation to service in World War II or the Korean hostilities of the Armed Forces service of the eligible mother's son or daughter. Allows the eligible mother to be a U.S. citizen living outside the United States. (Currently the charter limits membership to eligible mothers living in the United States.)
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2011
Microenterprise and Youth Entrepreneurship Development Act of 2011 - Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 for purposes of the microenterprise technical assistance and capacity building grant program to include in the definition of "disadvantaged entrepreneur" a microentrepreneur operating or intending to operate a business in an investment area. Increases to 60% (currently, 50%) the minimum percentage of such grants required to be used to benefit very low-income persons, including those residing on Indian reservations. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to consider the impact of the 2007-2009 economic crisis on an applicant's geographic area when deciding whether to reduce or eliminate matching requirements for applicants with severe constraints on available funding sources. Directs the Administrator to establish an SBA Microenterprise Coordinator position. Requires the Administrator to establish an Office of Youth Entrepreneurship and appoint a Director to carry out: (1) the youth entrepreneur technical assistance grant program to make grants to assist entities, including nonprofit microenterprise development organizations, to provide individuals under 25 years of age with technical assistance related to entrepreneurship; and (2) the youth entrepreneurship curriculum grant program to make grants to applying local educational agencies of states and federally recognized Indian tribes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth Promise Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention and intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) any deficit reduction plan put forward by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not balance the budget by eroding America's hard-earned retirement plan and social safety net; (2) Medicare's ability to deliver high quality health care in a cost-efficient manner should be strengthened and its benefits should be preserved for current and future retirees; (3) appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security's long-term outlook should ensure that it remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits; and (4) federal funding for the Medicaid program should be maintained so that senior citizens, poor and disabled children, and others with disabilities are able to gain and retain access to affordable health care.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2011
Education for All Act of 2011 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to state that it is U.S. policy to work with foreign countries and international and civil society organizations to achieve universal basic education by: (1) assisting developing countries and nongovernmental and multilateral organizations to provide all children with a quality basic education, and (2) promoting education as the foundation for communities' development. Directs the President to develop a comprehensive U.S. strategy to promote quality universal basic education. Authorizes the President to provide funds and other assistance to qualifying foreign countries to create the policies, processes, and infrastructure to develop national basic quality education plans. Directs the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to designate a Coordinator of United States Government Actions to Provide Basic Education Assistance who shall have primary responsibility for the oversight and coordination of all U.S. government resources and international activities to promote quality universal basic education.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2011
Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Reauthorization Act or the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities with respect to research on the causes of preterm labor and delivery, tools to detect, prevent, or reduce prevalence of preterm labor and delivery, and the care and treatment of preterm infants. Establishes within NIH a multicenter clinical program to investigate problems in clinical obstetrics, improve the care and outcomes of neonates, and enhance the understanding of DNA and proteins as they relate to the underlying processes that lead to preterm birth. Requires the Director to award grants for planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic operating support for transdisciplinary research centers for prematurity. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Surgeon General, to establish and implement a national science-based provider and consumer education campaign on promoting healthy pregnancies and preventing preterm birth. Reauthorizes provisions related to research on prematurity and preterm births and sets forth specific areas for such research. Requires the Director of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to award grants to establish demonstration projects for: (1) obstetrical services for high risk women of child bearing age remotely using telehealth; and (2) educational activities regarding risk factors for preterm birth. Expands a demonstration project to inform health care providers and the public and improve treatment and outcome for babies born preterm. Requires the Secretary to establish the Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality. Requires a study on hospital readmissions of preterm births.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
Preserving Access to Orphan Drugs Act of 2011 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to exclude any drug or biological product which is approved or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for marketing solely for one or more rare diseases or conditions from the annual fee on manufacturers or importers with branded prescription drug sales exceeding $5 million. Makes this Act effective as if included in PPACA.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2011
National Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury Plan Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make a payment for each fiscal year from FY2012-FY2018 to the State Lead Center in each state for implementation of the National Acquired Brain Injury Plan, as developed by the International Advisory Board of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2011
Commends: (1) the Administration for providing assistance in response to the drought and famine-like conditions in the Horn of Africa, and (2) the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for providing assistance in Somalia in order to mitigate conflict and promote stability. Encourages international humanitarian organizations to continue to provide food and humanitarian assistance to the regions in need, mindful of the need for relief workers' safety. Calls on: (1) the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and other local Somali authorities to make additional efforts to provide support and humanitarian relief to the people of Somalia; and (2) the U.S. government and the international community to remain focused on those most vulnerable to the current drought and famine-like conditions, especially women and children. Encourages increased water conservation. Reaffirms the commitment of the United States to promoting the safety, health, and well-being of refugees around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2011
Applauds the U.N. General Assembly for uniting to honor Nelson Mandela's contribution to international peace and freedom. Recognizes the global impact of President Mandela's legacy and commitment to nonviolence, respect, and dialogue. Supports the international community's recognition of Nelson Mandela International Day. Urges all U.S. citizens to reflect on the importance of peace, tolerance, democracy, human rights, and reconciliation in honor of Nelson Mandela International Day.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2011
National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins in recognition of the National Baseball Hall of Fame during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2015. Directs the Secretary to hold a competition to design the obverse of the coins. Requires the design on the reverse side to depict a baseball similar to those used by Major League Baseball. Requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the National Baseball Hall of Fame to help finance its operations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2011
21st Century Readiness Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to support 21st century readiness initiatives that fuse core academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to ensure that students are prepared for postsecondary education and careers, upon graduation from secondary school. Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the ESEA to require the Secretary of Education, as part of the national assessment of title I programs, to examine the extent to which such initiatives improve student readiness for postsecondary education and careers. Includes 21st century readiness initiatives in comprehensive school reform programs and school dropout prevention and reentry programs under title I. Amends title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the ESEA to require high-quality professional development programs to incorporate an aligned system of teaching and learning that includes 21st century skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation), standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessments. Requires LEAs to use title II subgrants to enable educators to deliver instruction on higher-order thinking skills and use the latest available technology in doing so. Amends title IV (21st Century Schools) of the ESEA to include 21st century readiness initiatives in 21st Century Community Learning Center activities. (21st Century Community Learning Centers provide students with before and after school programs to improve their academic performance.) Amends title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the ESEA to allow assessment grants to be used by states to develop or improve assessments that use technology to measure core academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking skills to ensure that students can apply a range of skill competencies alongside core academic subject knowledge, and do so in real-world contexts.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2011
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service (USPS) should: (1) issue a semipostal stamp to support medical research relating to Alzheimer's disease, and (2) transfer to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for that purpose any amounts becoming available from the sale of that stamp.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2011
Microenterprise Empowerment and Job Creation Act of 2011 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize appropriations through FY2016 for: (1) assistance for programs in developing countries to increase the availability of credit, savings, and other services to microfinance and microenterprise clients lacking full access to capital, training, technical assistance, and business development services; and (2) microenterprise development credits. Expands targeted assistance services for such microfinance and microenterprise clients. Reduces the annual fiscal year amount available for the office of microenterprise development's central funding program. Revises targeted assistance requirements for sustainable poverty-focused programs. Sets forth microfinance programs procurement policies.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2011
Calls for Congress to consider and pass critical jobs legislation to address: (1) the crisis facing communities of color disproportionately, and (2) the nationwide economic crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2011
Equal Access and Parity for Multi-Campus Hospitals Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), with respect to payments to hospitals for inpatient hospital services, to prescribe a special rule for applying Medicare electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments, at the election of a qualified main hospital, to its remote inpatient locations. Prohibits administrative or judicial review of: (1) the methodology and standards for determining a remote inpatient location, a qualified remote inpatient location, a component facility, a qualified component facility, a main provider, and a qualified main provider, and which such locations, facilities, and providers are qualified; and (2) the methodology and standards for the election in connection with such special rule. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to set forth a special rule for applying Medicaid EHR incentive payments, at the election of a qualified main hospital, to its remote locations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2011
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit any person from knowingly attending an animal fighting venture or causing a minor (a person under the age of 18) to attend such a venture. Subjects any person who: (1) knowingly attends such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to a year for each violation, and (2) causes a minor to attend such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to three years for each violation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security's long-term outlook should happen in a bipartisan fashion and should ensure that Social Security remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Mark Twain. Limits issuance of such coins to calendar year 2016. Requires specified surcharges in the sale of such coins, which shall be promptly paid, in specified percentages, to: (1) the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, to support the continued restoration of the house and grounds, and ensure continuing growth and innovation in museum programming to research, promote, and educate on the legacy of Mark Twain; (2) the Mark Twain Project at the Bancroft Library of University of California, Berkeley, California, to support programs to study and promote Mark Twain's legacy; (3) the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, New York, for the same purposes; and (4) the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, to preserve historical sites related to Mark Twain and help support study and promotion programs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the Montford Point Marines, U.S. Marine Corps, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. (Camp Montford Point, North Carolina, was the site for the training of the first African-American Marines.) Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Supports the designation of National Dance Day to celebrate our commitment to dance and physical fitness across the United States. Acknowledges that promoting dance can make an important contribution in encouraging physical fitness and reducing overweight and obesity.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011
College Debt Swap Act of 2011 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow certain borrowers to consolidate their private education loans as Direct Consolidation Loans. Limits such borrowers to those who: (1) are not in default on a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under title IV, except in certain instances of economic hardship; (2) were enrolled, between July 1, 1994, and July 1, 2010, as students eligible for unsubsidized Stafford loans or PLUS loans under the Federal Family Education Loan or Direct Loan programs; (3) borrowed at least one private education loan during such enrollment period; (4) are repaying their private education loan or are in a grace period preceding such repayment; (5) do not have an adverse credit history with respect to Direct Plus loans; and (6) have not previously obtained a Direct Consolidated Loan under title IV. Makes the program applicable only to private education loans disbursed to borrowers between July 1, 1994, and July 1, 2010. Directs the Secretary of Education to inform and educate students and their families about this loan consolidation program. Terminates the authority to make Consolidation loans under such program on June 30, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011
Directs the Chief of Engineers, prior to any major federal action to prevent the introduction or establishment of a population of aquatic nuisance species between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basins that would impact the flow of commerce or commercial activity within the Chicago Area Water [ sic ] System, to prepare an economic impact statement regarding: (1) the impact on commerce and commercial activity and on jobs and job opportunities, (2) any adverse economic effects that could not be avoided, (3) alternatives to the proposed action, and (4) the relationship between any local short-term impacts on commerce or commercial activity and maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity and environmental values.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Religious and Parental Rights Defense Act of 2011 - Prohibits a state or a political subdivision from adopting or continuing in force a law, regulation, or order that prohibits or regulates the circumcision of males who have not attained the age of 18 years and whose parent or guardian has consented to the circumcision, unless such law, regulation, or order applies to all such circumcisions performed in the state and is limited to ensuring that all such circumcisions are performed in a hygienic manner.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Authorizes the American Legion under its federal charter to provide guidance and leadership to the individual Departments and Posts. Prohibits it from controlling or otherwise influencing the specific activities and conduct of independent, autonomous Departments and Posts.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Put America to Work Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to states, local government units, and Indian tribes to create employment opportunities for unemployed and underemployed residents of distressed communities. Specifies grant uses, including funding of fast-track jobs for: (1) painting and repair of schools, community centers, and libraries; (2) restoration of abandoned and vacant properties; (3) expansion of emergency food programs to reduce hunger; (4) augmentation of staffing in Head Start and other early childhood education programs; and (5) renovation and maintenance of parks, playgrounds, and other public spaces. Requires grant recipients to use remaining grant funds to make grants to public entities, nonprofit organizations, public-private partnerships, or small businesses to create employment opportunities in: (1) construction, rehabilitation, and improvements in energy efficiency of residences or public facilities; (2) the provision of human services; (3) remediation and demolition of vacant and abandoned properties; and (4) programs that provide opportunities for employment, education, and training for disadvantaged youth.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Reengaging Americans in Serious Education by Uniting Programs Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to award competitive, renewable, five-year grants to eligible partnerships to assist them in providing disconnected youth with the support needed to: (1) attain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; (2) attain a postsecondary credential, including those offered by institutions of higher education, industry groups, or registered apprenticeship programs; and (3) secure and succeed in a family-supporting career. Requires each eligible partnership to consist of entities or individuals qualified to represent the community assisted, including: (1) the head of the local government, (2) a local educational agency, (3) a local workforce system, (4) a representative from certain state and local service agencies serving young people, (5) an institution of higher education, (6) a representative of a community-based organization, (7) a representative from business or industry, (8) a representative with expertise in labor management relations, and (9) a disconnected youth and his or her caregivers Requires grantees to award subgrants and contracts to community-based organizations and other entities for the provision of a comprehensive array of coordinated services to disconnected youth that include workforce preparation, education support, and youth support services. Directs the Secretary to award planning grants to eligible partnerships to enable them to submit competitive applications for grants to support disconnected youth. Establishes an accountability system for measuring the performance of each grantee against specified interim, transitional, and long-term indicators of success. Directs the Secretary to: (1) award a grant or contract to an entity outside the Department of Labor for an evaluation of grant-assisted activities; (2) disseminate best practices that emerge from the partnership grant program; and (3) provide training, technical assistance, and professional development for organizations serving disconnected youth, including organizations that do not receive funding under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Protecting Taxpayers in Transportation Asset Transfers Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a program for: (1) the attachment of federal liens to public transportation assets (federal-aid highways, highway or mass transit projects, air navigation facilities, or federally-assisted train or multimodal stations); and (2) release of such liens in connection with concession agreements between state or local governments and private individuals or entities. Limits the meaning of public transportation asset to a transportation facility constructed, maintained, or upgraded before, on, or after enactment of this Act using federal funds: (1) whose fair market value is more than $500 million, and which has received any federal funding; (2) whose fair market value is less than $500 million, and which has received $25 million or more in federal funding; or (3) in which a significant national public interest (such as interstate commerce, homeland security, public health, or the environment) is at stake. Prohibits any asset transaction (entry into a concession agreement for, or contract for the sale or lease of, a public transportation asset) for an asset attached with a federal lien unless: (1) the lien is released, and (2) the state or local government and the private individual or entity seeking the asset transaction enter into agreements with the Secretary. Defines "concession agreement" as one entered into by a private individual or entity and a state or local government with jurisdiction over a public transportation asset to convey to the private individual or entity the right to manage, operate, and maintain the asset for a specific period of time in exchange for the authorization to impose and collect a toll or other user fee from a person for each use of the asset during that period. Prohibits the release of a federal lien on a public transportation asset unless: (1) the state or local government or other public sponsor seeking the asset transaction pays the Secretary an amount determined according to a specified formula, and (2) the Secretary certifies that the required concession agreements have been signed and their terms incorporated into the asset transaction terms. Permits a private individual or entity to enter into an asset transaction covering National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) facilities and equipment provided certain conditions are met.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Commends the government of Japan for extending an official apology to all U.S. former prisoners of war from the Pacific War and establishing a visitation program to Japan for surviving veterans, their families, and descendants. Appreciates the government of Japan's efforts toward historic apologies for the war crimes of Imperial Japan. Requests that the government of Japan: (1) continue its Japanese/American POW Friendship Program of reconciliation and remembrance and expand it to educate the public and its school children about the history of prisoners of war in Imperial Japan, and (2) respect the wishes and sensibilities of the U.S. former prisoners of war by requesting successor Japanese firms of private entities that used U.S. prisoner of war labor to emulate their government's sincerity by offering an apology and supporting programs for lasting remembrance and reconciliation. Acknowledges the work of the Department of State in advocating for the U.S. prisoners of war from the Pacific War. Applauds the dedication and patriotism of the members and descendants of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor for their pursuit of justice and lasting peace.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Balancing Act of 2011 - Family Leave Insurance Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a Family and Medical Insurance Program, which may involve contracts with state programs, under which, for specified reasons, an eligible employee of a covered employer shall be entitled to family and medical leave insurance benefits for a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month program. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to establish a similar Civil Service Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program for federal employees. Creates in the Treasury the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a family and medical leave premium on employees and employers. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act - Amends the FMLA to increase the number of employers to which it applies by reducing from 50 to 25 employees the threshold number triggering application of the Act. Entitles eligible employees and federal employees to take specified additional leave for parental involvement and family wellness. Domestic Violence Leave Act - Entitles eligible employees, including federal employees, to leave to address domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Includes within the purview of FMLA same-sex spouses and domestic partners and their children. Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers to provide paid sick time to their employees, including time to address domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits such employers from discriminating against employees for their legitimate use of paid sick time. Directs the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to compile specified information relating to use of paid sick time. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to authorize additional funds for expanding child care activities for young children under age three. Authorizes the Secretary to allot funds to eligible states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations for the federal share of access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers. Establishes: (1) the Child Care Provider Development and Retention Grant Program; and (2) the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program. Healthy Early Education Workforce Grant Program Act - Requires a state receiving certain funds to expend them for the federal share of the cost of providing access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers and, at state discretion, their spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. Child Care Facilities Financing Act - Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive technical and financial assistance grants to Department of the Treasury-certified community development financial institutions and other specified organizations for the acquisition, construction, or renovation of child care facilities. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to award competitive grants to assist states in providing incentive funds to encourage the establishment and operation of employer-operated child care programs. Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the Secretary to make grants to state agencies to develop high-quality full-day, full-year universal prekindergarten programs for all children three, four, and five years old. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the school breakfast program to provide free breakfasts to school children without regard to family income. Afterschool Education Enhancement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 with respect to requirements for state applications for 21st century community learning center grants. Repeals the restriction in such applications to students attending schools: (1) eligible for certain schoolwide programs; (2) serving a high percentage of students from low-income families; or (3) in need of academic improvement. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require that certain employees working at less than full-time under participation, vesting, and accrual rules governing pension plans be treated as meeting full-time year-of-service criteria. Qualifies such workers for group health plans. Extends ERISA coverage to certain individuals whose services are leased or contracted for. United States Business Telework Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a pilot program in up to five states to raise awareness about telework among employers and to encourage them to offer telework options to employees.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Major Drug Trafficking Prosecution Act of 2011- Requires the Attorney General's prior written approval for a federal prosecution of an offense under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) or the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (CSIEA), or for any conspiracy to commit such an offense, where the offense involves the illegal distribution or possession of a controlled substance in an amount less than that specified as a minimum for an offense under CSA or, in the case of any substance containing cocaine or cocaine base, in an amount less than 500 grams. Modifies CSA and CSIEA to delete specified mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Children's Act for Responsible Employment of 2011 or the CARE Act of 2011 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to define "oppressive child labor," for purposes of the Act's child labor prohibitions, as the employment of any employee who is: (1) 16 or 17 in any occupation found by the Secretary of Labor to be particularly hazardous for their employment or detrimental to their health or well-being; (2) 14 or 15, unless the employment is confined to periods which do not interfere with the employee's schooling, health, or well-being; or (3) under 14. Revises the Act's exemptions to make the restrictions on oppressive child labor inapplicable to the following: (1) employment in agriculture of an employee under 18 years of age by his or her parent, or by a person standing in the place of the parent, on a farm owned by the parent or person (current law uses an age- and consent-based scheme); and (2) employment of an employee under age 16 by a parent, or a person standing in place of a parent, other than in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, or any other employment the Secretary finds to be particularly hazardous for the employment of children age 16 or 17 or detrimental to their health or well-being (current law applies the child labor restrictions to particularly hazardous agricultural employment, except where the child is employed by a parent or a person standing in place of the parent on a farm owned or operated by such person). Eliminates any waiver of such prohibitions for hand-harvesting of certain crops. Increases civil and establishes criminal penalties for child labor violations. Directs the Secretary to revise federal child labor regulations to prohibit the employment of children under 18 in duties involving the handling of pesticides.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Improving Physician Access in Teaching Hospitals (PATH) Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to distribution of additional resident positions as they affect calculation of payments for direct graduate medical education (DME) costs. States that, if a hospital's resident level for each of the five most recent cost reporting periods is less than the otherwise applicable resident limit, then the otherwise applicable resident limit shall be reduced by the difference between it and the highest reference resident level for any of those five cost reporting periods. Excepts from this reduction requirement a hospital: (1) located in a rural area with fewer than 250 beds, or (2) that has had in effect a voluntary residency reduction plan. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to increase the otherwise applicable resident limit (create additional residency slots) for applicant hospitals according to a specified formula that takes into account the aggregate reduction in limits attributable to this Act. Expands the primary care bonus to certain underserved specialties, such as psychiatry or neurology. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a small physician practice residency credit.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the United States recommits to fighting discrimination, xenophobia, human and civil rights abuses in both domestic and foreign policy; (2) it is U.S. policy to oppose slavery, torture, racism, discrimination, and xenophobia; and (3) the Senate should give its advice and consent to ratification of certain international conventions.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that each U.S. commercial air carrier should provide any Armed Forces member traveling on official military orders and being deployed overseas or returning from overseas deployment: (1) boarding and seat upgrading priority, and (2) baggage fee waivers.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2011
Julia Carson Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act of 2011 - Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act to condition continued approval of a state plan upon state assessment of its policies with respect to barriers to employment and financial support of children. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to states for an employment demonstration project involving a court- or state child support agency supervised-employment program for noncustodial parents who have barriers to employment and a history of nonpayment, so that they can pay their child support obligations. Directs the Secretary of Labor to award grants for transitional jobs programs and for public-private career pathways partnerships. Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to: (1) funding for responsible fatherhood programs, (2) activities promoting responsible fatherhood, and (3) elimination of a separate TANF work participation rate for two-parent families. Prohibits a state from conditioning receipt of TANF or certain other benefits on: (1) participation in a healthy marriage or responsible fatherhood program, or (2) assignment to the state of certain support rights. Amends SSA title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) to prohibit a state from collecting any amount owed it by reason of costs it has incurred for the birth of a child for whom support rights have been assigned. Requires a state to make a full distribution of collected child support to the family. Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 with respect to: (1) deductions from family income for child support received in order to qualify for food stamps, (2) verification of child support payments, and (3) inclusion of economic opportunities programs in qualifying work programs. Amends SSA title IV part A with respect to: (1) grants to healthy family partnerships for domestic violence intervention and prevention, and (2) grant recipients and their procedures for responding to the risks of domestic violence. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the credit percentage under the earned income tax credit for eligible individuals with no qualifying children.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2011
Home Inspection Act of 2011 - Directs the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) of the Federal Reserve System to prescribe regulations to prohibit any lender from making any federally related mortgage loan under which a home inspection is conducted in connection with settlement of the mortgage loan unless the inspection is conducted by a home inspector licensed, certified, approved, or otherwise regulated by the inspector's home state or the state in which the real property is located. Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to direct the CFPB to include home inspection information in settlement forms.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2011
Prostate Research, Outreach, Screening, Testing, Access, and Treatment Effectiveness Act of 2011 or the PROSTATE Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Interagency Prostate Cancer Coordination and Education Task Force, with duties to include: (1) developing a summary of advances in federal prostate cancer research and compile a list of best practices that warrant broader adoption in health care programs; (2) considering establishing guidance to enable physicians to allow screening of men over age 74; (3) coordinating information on federal research and health care program activities relating to prostate cancer; and (4) submitting recommendations regarding federal research and health care programs. Directs the Secretary to establish and carry out a program to coordinate and intensify prostate cancer research, including by developing advances in diagnostic and prognostic methods and tests, better understanding the etiology of the disease, and establishing clinical registries for prostate cancer and awarding research grants. Establishes in the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a Prostate Cancer Scientific Advisory Board to be responsible for accelerating real-time sharing of the latest research data and accelerating movement of new medicines to patients. Directs the Secretary of VA, the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish four-year telehealth pilot projects to analyze the clinical outcomes and cost effectiveness associated with telehealth services in a variety of geographic areas that contain high proportions of medically underserved populations and those in rural areas. Requires the Secretary of VA to develop a national education campaign for prostate cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2011
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act - Reauthorizes the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004 for FY2012-FY2016. Directs the Secretary of State to act through the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs in awarding grants or entering agreements with Special Olympics for activities outside the United States. Includes community-based prevention among the activities for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants or enter into agreements with Special Olympics. Requires grant or agreement applications to include a description of specific measurable annual benchmarks, as well as long-term goals and objectives, to be achieved through specified activities, which must include: (1) activities to increase the full participation of people with intellectual disabilities in inclusive school and community activities with people without disabilities, (2) education programs that dispel negative stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities, and (3) activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in Special Olympics outside of the United States. Requires annual reports by Special Olympics to describe demographic data about Special Olympics participants. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements to promote the expansion of Best Buddies, including activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other aspects of community life, including education and employment, within the United States. Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education to establish Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institutes for Sport and Social Impact. Requires recipients to use grant funds to advance the quality of life and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities through research and evaluation, technical assistance, training, data collection, evaluation, collaboration, and dissemination of evidence-based best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
Lions Clubs International Century of Service Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue as legal tender $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Lions Clubs International. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the centennial. Permits the Secretary to issue such coins only during calendar 2017. Requires sales of the coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, to be paid by the Secretary to the Lions Clubs International Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2011
Medical Debt Responsibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit a consumer reporting agency from making any report containing information related to a single fully paid or settled medical debt of $2,500 or less that had been characterized as delinquent, charged off, or in collection for credit reporting purposes, which, from the date of payment or settlement, antedates the report by more than 45 calendar days.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2011
Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health for Military Women Act or the MARCH for Military Women Act - Amends the prohibition on using funds available to the Department of Defense (DOD) to perform abortions by adding an exception for cases where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. (Current law provides an exception only where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.) Repeals a statutory restriction on using a medical treatment facility or other facility of the DOD to perform an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2011
Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility, and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require personnel who perform or plan the technical component of either medical imaging examinations or radiation therapy procedures for medical purposes to possess, effective January 1, 2014: (1) certification in each medical imaging or radiation therapy modality and service they plan or perform from a certification organization designated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS); or (2) state licensure or certification where such services and modalities are within the scope of practice as defined by the state for such profession and where the requirements for licensure, certification, or registration meet or exceed the standards established by the Secretary. Exempts physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants from the requirements of this Act. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish minimum standards for personnel who perform, plan, evaluate, or verify patient dose for medical imaging examinations or radiation therapy procedures; (2) establish a program for designating certification organizations after consideration of specified criteria; (3) provide a process for the certification of individuals whose training or experience are determined to be equal to, or in excess of, those of a graduate of an accredited educational program; and (4) publish a list of approved accrediting bodies for such certification organizations. Authorizes the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural or health professional shortage areas as appropriate to ensure access to quality medical imaging. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow Medicare payment for medical imaging and radiation therapy services, only if the examination or procedure is planned or performed by an individual who meets this Act's requirements.
![Official portrait of Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001072_200.jpg)