United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2012
Let's Grow Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) (Secretary) to carry out the Green and Healthy Corner Store Initiative to assist qualified convenience stores expand their offering of fruits and vegetables. Directs the Secretary to make grants to provide access to farmers' markets for communities with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, particularly areas of predominantly lower-income communities. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a pilot grant program to allow local and tribal governments to conduct food security assessments. Directs the Secretary, regarding the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly food stamp program), to: (1) establish a Fresh Incentive Program to improve participant access to local fruits and vegetables, and (2) provide grants to urban farmers' markets for installation of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) systems. Directs the Secretary to make grants for a Farm-to-Preschool program that fosters the connection between preschools, Head Start programs, childcare or day care centers, kindergarten readiness programs and in-home care facilities with small- or medium-sized agricultural producers to develop an industry-leading preschool nutrition education and meal program. Establishes in USDA a Healthy Food Financing Initiative to: (1) improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas; (2) create and preserve quality jobs; and (3) revitalize low-income communities by providing loans and grants to eligible food retailers to overcome the higher costs and initial barriers to entry in underserved, urban, suburban, and rural areas. Directs the Secretary to provide grants for urban and Native American community gardens. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) make grants to convert abandoned or foreclosed property to urban agricultural use; (2) enter into an agreement with the Corporation for National and Community Service to provide the Corporation with funds to support the creation of the HarvestCorps program; and (3) make grants to establish urban farms, gardens, or aquacultural or other facilities for the production of agricultural or aquacultural products or the raising of livestock for sale in the urban area. Directs the Secretary to make grants to: (1) assist nonprofit organizations purchase and convert publicly owned land in underserved areas for use as urban farms or community gardens, and (2) implement urban agricultural workforce training programs. Extends certain payment assistance and conservation access provisions to socially disadvantaged urban farmers and ranchers. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) an urban entrepreneurship and microenterprise program, and (2) a local farm business and market garden competitive loan program. Directs the Secretary to provide commodities to specified nonprofits to provide nutritious food to at-risk school children on weekends and during extended school holidays during the school year. (At-risk school children are those who participate in the school lunch program and reside in an area served by a school in which at least 50% of the students receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs.) Extends: (1) the commodity supplemental food program, and (2) the emergency food assistance program. Directs the Secretary to provide grants: (1) for equipment and technology to increase food bank efficiency; and (2) to schools, museums, and libraries to increase energy efficiency.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2012
Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a Full Employment National Trust Fund with two separate accounts for: (1) Employment Opportunity Grants to states, local governments, and Indian tribes for job-creating activities in communities whose economy is not at a level of full employment; and (2) Workforce Investment programs. Establishes arbitration procedures for resolution of disputes for grant recipients. Requires the Secretary of Labor to post a whistleblower hotline on the Department of Labor's website for the public to report noncompliance with the Act's requirements. Directs the Secretary to convene a national employment conference to bring together leaders of small, medium, and large businesses, labor, government, and other parties to discuss employment, with particular attention to structural unemployment and the plight of disadvantaged youth. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to revise member composition requirements for state and local workforce investment boards to include at least 25% of the chief executive officers of minority-serving, community-based organizations. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on certain covered securities transactions, payable by trading facilities or purchasers that deal in such transactions. Requires a transferor with respect to any outbound securities transaction to deduct and withhold a tax equal to the tax imposed on covered securities transactions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2012
Securing Maritime Activities through Risk-based Targeting for Port Security Act or the SMART Port Security Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), acting through DHS's Office of Operations Coordination and Planning: (1) by July 1, 2014, to submit a plan for the coordination and cooperation of maritime operations undertaken by DHS agencies that updates the plan released by DHS in July 2011; and (2) by July 1, 2019, to submit an additional update to such plan. Requires any new asset deployment by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) Office of Air and Marine to occur in accordance with a risk-based assessment that considers mission needs, performance results, threats, costs, and other specified factors. Directs the Secretary to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to consider potential savings from co-locating aviation and maritime operational assets of Office locations that are within 25 miles of locations where any other DHS agency also operates such assets. Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) review port security and maritime law enforcement operations within DHS to identify initiatives and programs with duplicative, overlapping, or redundant goals and activities and recommend actions to reduce unnecessary duplication; and (2) submit a report that analyzes and compares the costs, capabilities, and missions of different aviation assets utilized by DHS to assess the relative costs and any benefits of unmanned aerial vehicles compared to manned aviation assets. Directs the Secretary to: (1) coordinate across DHS agencies before initiating the acquisition of any new boat or aviation asset; (2) establish a coordinating mechanism for aviation and maritime issues in order to decrease procurement and operational costs and increase efficiencies, (3) approve or disapprove a complete application under the Port Security Grant Program within 60 days of submission; (4) submit an assessment of interagency operational centers for port security, the deployment of interoperable communications equipment to such centers, and center mission execution and support activities; (5) submit a report analyzing the threat of, vulnerability to, and consequence of a terrorist act using a small vessel to attack U.S. vessels, ports, or maritime interests; and (6) submit a plan for optimizing CBP staffing levels. Amends the SAFE Port Act to: (1) revise requirements for the strategic plan to enhance the security of the international supply chain, including to add requirements to identify redundancies or overlaps in federal transportation security credentialing programs and to make recommendations for facilitating the efficient flow of legitimate commerce; (2) require the Secretary to submit an additional update to, and an implementation plan for, such strategic plan and, in developing the required reports and implementation plan, to consider current threats to the global supply chain; (3) authorize the CBP Commissioner to conduct an unannounced inspection of a Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) participant's security measures and practices; (4) direct the Secretary to promote information sharing among DHS, Tier 2 and 3 C-TPAT participants, and other private entities regarding potential vulnerabilities, attacks, and exploitations of the international supply chain; and (5) direct the Secretary, before negotiating or signing any arrangement between the United States and a foreign government providing for mutual recognition of supply chain security practices, to determine and notify Congress that the foreign government's program provides comparable security to that provided by C-TPAT. Requires the Secretary to develop a pilot program to determine whether allowing non-asset based third party logistics providers that arrange international transportation of freight to participate in C-TPAT would enhance port security, combat terrorism, prevent supply chain security breaches, or meet C-TPAT goals. Directs the Secretary to: (1) reform the process for the enrollment, activation, issuance, and renewal of a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to require not more than one in-person visit to a designated enrollment center, except under extenuating circumstances; (2) issue the final rule for installation of electronic readers to verify TWICs as an access control and security measure; and (3) establish a process to ensure that an individual who is not lawfully present in the United States cannot obtain or continue to use a TWIC.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2012
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century or MAP-21 - Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (other than the Mass Transit Account) equal to current federal highway spending levels plus inflation for FY2012 and FY2013 for: (1) certain new and existing core federal-aid highway programs, and (2) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) administrative expenses. Revises the National Highway System (NHS) program. Prescribes requirements for acceleration of project delivery. Jason's Law - Declares a national priority to address specified kinds of projects for the shortage of long-term parking for commercial motor vehicles on the NHS. Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 - Establishes a Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund for deposit of administrative and civil penalties paid in connection with the Deepwater Horizon incident. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require Gulf Coast state allocation and expenditures from the Fund for specified recovery activities. Establishes within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) a Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology Program. Extends the Land and Water Conservation Fund through FY2022. America Fast Forward Financing Innovation Act of 2011 [ sic ]- Amends the the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act to revise the Department of Transportation (DOT) program of direct loans, loan guarantees, and credit for surface transportation projects. Federal Public Transportation Act of 2012 - Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to repeal specified programs and revise other specified public transportation policies and programs. Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety Improvement Act of 2012 or Mariah's Act - Authorizes appropriations for specified highway safety programs and grants through FY2013. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) improve public accessibility to information on the publicly accessible vehicle safety databases of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and (2) establish within NHTSA a Council for Vehicle Electronics, Vehicle Software, and Emerging Technologies to build, integrate, and aggregate NHTSA expertise in passenger motor vehicle electronics and other new and emerging technologies. Requires the Secretary to issue a final rule to establish frontal crash protection requirements for child restraint systems for children weighing over 65 pounds. Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act of 2012 - Revises requirements for: (1) commercial motor vehicle registration, (2) commercial motor vehicle safety, and (3) driver safety. Safe Roads Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary to establish a national clearinghouse for records relating to alcohol and controlled substances testing of commercial motor vehicle operators. Revises requirements for enforcement of various specified regulations regarding commercial motor vehicles. Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations requiring: (1) installation of safety belts in motorcoaches at each designated seating position, and (2) other elements of motorcoach safety. Prescribes additional registration requirements for household goods motor carriers. Surface Transportation and Freight Policy Act of 2012 - Declares a national surface transportation and freight policy. Directs the Secretary to develop and implement a National Surface Transportation and Freight Performance Plan. Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2012 - Revises hazardous material (hazmat) transportation safety requirements. National Rail System Preservation, Expansion, and Development Act of 2012 - Revises requirements regarding: (1) federal and state roles in rail planning and development tools, (2) the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission and Amtrak, (3) rail safety, and (4) freight rail. Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2012 - Amends the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act to extend through FY2013 allocations to states for fish restoration and management projects. Highway Investment, Job Creation, and Economic Growth Act of 2012 - Extends Highway Trust Fund expenditure authority and related highway taxes. Amends the Internal Revenue Service to require transfers of specified funds and taxes as well as a 100% levy on payments to Medicare providers and suppliers. Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Act of 2012 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2012-FY2013 for specified transportation research and innovative technology programs, including intelligent transportation systems research. Reauthorizes certain programs and activities under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, the Internal Revenue Code, and federal civil service law (regarding phased retirement). Authorizes certain special measures to counter money laundering and efforts to impede significantly U.S. tax enforcement. Revises requirements for overflights of National Parks.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2012
Prevent Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons and Stop War Through Diplomacy Act - Directs the President to appoint a high-level U.S. representative or special envoy who shall: (1) seek to ease tensions and normalize relations between the United States and Iran, (2) lead U.S. diplomatic efforts with regard to Iran, and (3) act as liaison with U.S. and international intelligence agencies. Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) rescind the no contact policy with Iran, and (2) establish an office in the Department of State to support the work of the representative or special envoy.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2012
United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 - States that it is U.S. policy to: (1) reaffirm the commitment to Israel's security as a Jewish state, (2) provide Israel with the military capabilities to defend itself and help preserve its qualitative military edge, (3) expand military and civilian cooperation, (4) assist in a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that results in two states living side by side in peace and security, and (5) encourage Israel's neighbors to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should take specified actions to assist in Israel's defense.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2012
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include within the definition of "manufacturer of tobacco products," for excise tax purposes, any person who for commercial purposes makes available for consumer use a machine capable of producing tobacco products.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) subject anyone who attempts or conspires to construct or finance construction of an unauthorized tunnel or subterranean passage that crosses the international border between the United States and another country, or to use such a tunnel for smuggling, to the penalties prescribed for someone who commits such an offense; (2) make such a border tunnel offense a predicate offense for a money laundering violation and for authorization for interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications; and (3) provide for the criminal forfeiture of proceeds of such an offense and the seizure and forfeiture of merchandise introduced into the United States through such a tunnel. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should continue outreach efforts to educate landowners and tenants in areas along the border between Mexico and the United States about cross-border tunnels and seek their assistance in combating tunnel construction. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit an annual report describing: (1) cross-border tunnels along the U.S.-Mexico border discovered during the preceding fiscal year; and (2) the needs of DHS to effectively prevent, investigate, and prosecute construction of such tunnels.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2012
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. Encourages states to include in their year-round educational curriculum the history and contributions of African-Americans in the United States and around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2012
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Jack Nicklaus in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike such gold medal and to strike and sell duplicate bronze medals at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the gold and bronze medals.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2012
For the People Voter Protection Initiative - Condemns the passage of legislation that would unduly burden an American's ability to register and vote. Opposes any state election law or proposed legislation that would have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities across the country.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2012
Authorizes the award of a single gold medal to John H. Johnson (creator of Ebony magazine) in recognition of his outstanding work, leadership, and service. 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 · 1 February 2012
Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the pioneers and participants of the civil rights movement in recognition of their personal sacrifice and service to their country. Directs that the Medal be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be displayed. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian should make the Medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations associated with the civil rights movement.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2012
Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act - Amends the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 to exclude a seller of manufactured homes from the definition of loan originator subject to such Act, unless such individual or entity is engaged in the business of a loan originator or receives compensation or gain for engaging in certain residential mortgage loan activities in excess of any compensation or gain received in a comparable cash transaction. Amends the Truth in Lending Act, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to revise the definition of "high cost mortgage."
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2012
Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make the 3.4% interest rate on Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2012, applicable to Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students on or after July 1, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2012
Sympathizes with the families of women and children victimized by sexual and other forms of gender-based violence in Haiti. Urges treatment of the issue of violence against women and children as a priority for U.S. humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Haiti. Supports passage of Haiti's first comprehensive law on the prevention, punishment, and elimination of gender-based violence.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2012
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 150 South Union Street in Canton, Mississippi, as the "First Sergeant Landres Cheeks Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2011
Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 - Title I: Temporary Payroll Tax Relief - Amends the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 to: (1) extend through 2012 the 2% reduction in the self-employment tax rate for self-employment income not exceeding the excess of $18,350 over any wages and compensation paid to a self-employed taxpayer, and (2) extend through February 29, 2012, the 2% reduction in employment tax rates for employee wages and compensation not exceeding $18,350. Title II: Temporary Extension of Unemployment Compensation Provisions - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Extends the final date for entering a federal-state agreement under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program through March 6, 2012. Postpones the termination of the program until August 15, 2012. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until March 7, 2012, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and August 15, 2012, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2011, to February 29, 2012, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, as amended by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, to extend through February 29, 2012, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits for employees with 10 or more years of service as well as for those with less than 10 years. Title III: Temporary Extension of Health Provisions -Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to set the update to the single conversion factor in the formula for the physicians' fee schedules for the first two months of 2012 at zero (thus freezing the physician payment update for the first two months of 2012). Requires the conversion factor for the remaining portion of 2012 and subsequent years to be computed as if the zero update for the first two months of 2012 had never applied. Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, as modified by other federal law, to extend section 508 hospital reclassifications for two months through November 30, 2011. ("Section 508" refers to Section 508 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 [MMA], which allows the temporary reclassification of a hospital with a low Medicare area wage index, for reimbursement purposes, to a nearby location with a higher Medicare area wage index, so that the "Section 508 hospital" will receive the higher Medicare reimbursement rate.) Extends through February 29, 2012, the 1.0 floor on geographic indexing adjustments to the work portion of the physician fee schedule. Extends through February 29, 2012, the process allowing exceptions to limitations on medically necessary therapy caps. Amends the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 to extend until February 29, 2012, an exception to a payment rule that permits laboratories to receive direct Medicare reimbursement when providing the technical component of certain physician pathology services that had been outsourced by certain (rural) hospitals. Amends SSA title XVIII to extend the bonus and increased payments for ground ambulance services until March 1, 2012. Amends the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) to extend the payment of certain urban air ambulance services until February 29, 2012. Extends increased payments for super rural ambulance services until March 1, 2012. Amends MIPPA to extend the physician fee schedule mental health add-on payment provision through February 29, 2012. Extends through February 29, 2012, hold harmless provisions under the prospective payment system (PPS) for hospital outpatient department (OPD) services. Extends the minimum payment for bone mass measurement through the first two months of 2012. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to extend the Qualifying Individual (QI) Program through February 29, 2012, at specified allocations. xtends the Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA) Program through February 29, 2012. Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of SSA title IV to extend the TANF program through February 29, 2012. Title IV: Mortgage Fees and Premiums - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to require the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to require each government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) (the Federal National Mortgage Association [Fannie Mae] and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation [Freddie Mac]) to charge a guarantee fee in connection with any guarantee of the timely payment of principal and interest on securities, notes, and other obligations based on or backed by mortgages on residential real properties designed principally for the occupancy of from one to four families. Requires the FHFA Director to prohibit a GSE from consummating any offer for a guarantee to a lender for mortgage-backed securities if: (1) the guarantee is inconsistent with the requirements of this Act; or (2) the risk of loss is allowed to increase, through the lowering of the underwriting standards or other means, for the primary purpose of meeting the requirements of this Act. Requires direct deposit into the Treasury of any amounts received from fee increases imposed by this Act that are necessary to comply with the minimum increase required by this Act. Requires the Director to require each GSE, as part of its annual report, to: (1) describe changes made to up-front fees and annual fees as part of the guarantee fees negotiated with lenders, changes to the riskiness of the new borrowers compared to previous origination years or book years, and any adjustments required to improve for future origination years or book years, in order to be in complete compliance with guarantee fee requirements; and (2) assess how the changes in such guarantee fees met the requirements of this title. Amends the National Housing Act with respect to requirements for each mortgage secured by a 1- to 4-family dwelling that is an obligation of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in addition to other required or authorized premiums, to establish and collect through FY2021 annual premium payments of up to 10 basis points of the remaining insured principal balance for any mortgage for which the Secretary collects an annual premium on the remaining insured principal balance. Title V: Other Provisions - Subtitle A: Keystone XL Pipeline - Directs the President, acting through the Secretary of State, to grant a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project application filed on September 19, 2008. Waives such requirement if the President determines that the Keystone XL pipeline would not serve the national interest. Requires the President, in that case, to report to certain congressional committees and officials a justification for his determination, including consideration of economic, employment, energy security, foreign policy, trade, and environmental factors. Declares that a permit for such pipeline shall take effect by operation of law if after 60 days following enactment of this Act the President fails to: (1) determine that the Keystone XL pipeline would not serve the national interest, or (2) grant the permit. Subtitle B: Budgetary Provisions - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to make it out of order in the Senate to consider a bill, resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report that includes an emergency designation. Permits waiver or suspension of such prohibition, or successful appeals from a ruling of the Chair, only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60 votes) of the Senate. Prohibits the budgetary effects of this Act from being entered on either PAYGO scorecard maintained pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2011
Riya Wilson Act - Amends title IV (Grants to States for Aid and Services to Needy Families with Children and for Child-Welfare Services) of the Social Security Act to require an approved state plan that is required in order to be eligible for federal payments for foster care and adoption assistance to provide that such state has in effect procedures that require the state child welfare agency to promptly report information on missing or abducted children to law enforcement authorities for entry into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require a state reporting a missing child under the age of 21 to the NCIC to: (1) require the state law enforcement agency that entered the report to include a recent photograph in information updating a record, and (2) notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of each report received relating to a child reported missing from a foster care family home or childcare institution.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2011
Deficit Reduction, Job Creation, and Energy Security Act - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct oil and gas lease sales under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act for an additional 10% of acreage of the outer Continental Shelf proposed to be leased under the Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017. Requires: (1) such additional acreage to be known as the Deficit Reduction Acreage, and (2) the Secretary to lease at least 20% of such Deficit Reduction Acreage in each such year. Establishes the Deficit Reduction Energy Security Fund. Requires all sums due under Deficit Reduction Acreage lease sales during the 15 fiscal years beginning when sums are first received from such sales to be deposited into such Fund. Establishes the Coastal and Ocean Sustainability and Health Fund to be administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for: (1) the Coastal and Ocean Disaster Grant Program for restoring, mitigating, monitoring, or otherwise managing coastal and ocean natural resources in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida impacted by coastal or ocean disasters; and (2) the National Grant Program for Coastal and Ocean Sustainability and Health for restoring, protecting, maintaining, managing, or understanding marine resources and their habitats and resources in coastal and ocean water. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to reinstate expired producible leases in the offshore Gulf or Mexico upon the petition of a prior leaseholder if such reinstatement furthers the purposes and objectives of such Act. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) an Office of Energy Employment and Training to oversee the efforts of the Department of the Interior's energy planning, permitting, and regulatory activities to carry out the purposes, objectives, and requirements of this Act; and (2) an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion to be responsible for all matters of the Department of the Interior relating to diversity in management, employment, and business activities. Requires the Secretary to take affirmative steps to seek diversity in all levels of such Department.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2011
Modifies the Coast Guard Academy cadet nomination process by requiring that half of each incoming class be composed of cadets nominated by: (1) the Vice President or, if there is no Vice President, the President pro tempore of the Senate; (2) a Senator; (3) a Member of the House of Representatives; and (4) the various delegates to Congress, including a Resident Commissioner and Resident Representative. Entitles each Senator, House Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, and Resident Representative to nominate three persons each year. Requires nominees to be citizens or nationals of the United States and meet any minimum requirements established by the Secretary of the respective department in which the Coast Guard is operating. Directs the Superintendent of the Academy to furnish any Member of Congress, upon written request, the name of the nominating authority responsible for the nomination of any named or identified person for appointment to the Academy.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2011
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2011- Includes as part of the Republic of Vietnam its territorial seas for purposes of the presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure by veterans to certain herbicide agents while in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2011
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act - Requires a business enterprise that employs 50 or more employees, excluding part-time employees, or 50 or more employees who in the aggregate work at least 1,500 hours per week, exclusive of overtime, in a call center to notify the Secretary of Labor at least 120 days before relocating such center outside of the United States. Subjects violators to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 a day. Directs the Secretary to maintain and make publicly available a list of all such employers that relocate a call center. Requires such an employer to remain on the list for up to three years after each relocation. Makes such an employer ineligible for federal grants or federal guaranteed loans for five years after being added to the list, except where the employer demonstrates that a lack of such loan or grant would threaten national security, result in substantial job loss in the United States, or harm the environment. Requires the head of federal or state executive agency or military department, when awarding a civilian or defense-related contract, to give preference to a U.S. employer that does not appear on the list. Requires a business entity that initiates or receives a customer service communication to require each of its employees or agents participating in the communication to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each such communication unless all involved employees or agents are located in the United States. Exempts any communication: (1) initiated by a consumer if the consumer knows or reasonably should know that the employee or agent is located outside the United States, or (2) related to the provision of emergency services. Requires such a business entity, upon request, to transfer a customer to a customer service agent who is physically located in the United States. Authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to exclude certain classes or types of business entities or customer services communications from the requirements of this Act under exceptionally compelling circumstances. Sets forth enforcement provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2011
Rewriting to Improve and Secure an Exit Out of Poverty Act or RISE Out of Poverty Act - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require state TANF plans to address whether and how states will give priority to providing assistance in areas with the greatest need. Extends the TANF program. Establishes matching grants to the states for subsidized employment. Sets a flat minimum participation rate of 50% with respect to all families residing in a state that include a work-eligible individual. Revises participation requirements. Gives TANF recipients the option to have trained personnel assess certain barriers to employment. Revises the contents of individual responsibility plans. Authorizes a state to develop a modified employability plan for a TANF recipient with, or caring for a family member with, a disability. Prohibits a state from imposing a lifetime sanction or full-family sanction on assistance to any individual or family on the basis of a family member's failure to comply with a program requirement. Prohibits sanctioning individuals for failure to engage in work if the failure results from the inability to secure child care or after-school arrangements for a child under age 13. Prohibits imposing a limit of less than 60 months on duration of TANF assistance. Makes the durational limit inapplicable during a recession. Requires that states establish personnel standards through a merit-based system in the administration of TANF programs. Bans state use of federal TANF funds to replace state or local spending for non-qualified state expenditures. Requires TANF assistance to meet basic family economic needs. Makes reducing child poverty a purpose of the TANF program. Requires that states adopt standards and procedures to address domestic and sexual violence suffered by TANF recipients. Requires a state to guarantee child care services to TANF recipients employed or participating in a work activity. Eliminates the ban on providing assistance to families not assigning certain support rights to the state. Gives states the option to extend TANF eligibility to children through age 21. Prohibits considering financial aid tied to education of a child in determining eligibility for or the amount of TANF. Eliminates bars to TANF assistance for persons convicted of drug felonies, unwed teen parents not in school, and teens not in an adult-supervised living arrangement.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2011
Requires at least 10% of the amounts made available for any program under the jurisdiction of the Federal Railroad Administration to be expended through small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Veterans Education Equity Act of 2011 - Revises the formula for the payment by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of tuition and fees for individuals entitled to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program and pursuing programs of education at public institutions of higher learning to include, as an additional payment formula, the greater of: (1) the actual net costs for in-state tuition after applying the receipt of any tuition waivers, reductions, scholarships, or other assistance; or (2) $17,500 for the academic year beginning on August 1, 2011 (such amount to be increased each subsequent year by the average percentage increase in undergraduate tuition costs).
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
Adds the Chief of the National Guard Bureau (Bureau) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Reestablishes the position of Vice Chief of the Bureau. Terminates the position of Director of the Joint Staff of the Bureau and transfers existing duties of the Director to the Vice Chief.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2011
Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act or STOP Act - Establishes a Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Council, composed mainly of civilians, as an independent entity from the chain of command of the Department of Defense (DOD). Directs the Council to: (1) appoint personnel to the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, and advise such Office; (2) appoint the Director of Military Prosecutions (Director); (3) review each request of the Director with respect to a case stemming from a sexual-related offense that has been referred to a military appellate court or to the Department of Justice (DOJ); and (4) submit to the Secretary of Defense, Congress, and the Attorney General a report on each Director request for referral to a higher court. Requires the Council to advise on the development of sexual assault reporting protocols, risk-reduction and response training, and policy. Establishes within DOD the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, headed by an Executive Director, to undertake specified duties and responsibilities relating to the investigation, prevention, and reduction of sexual assault incidents within the Armed Forces. Requires the Office to establish protocols to ensure that all reports of sexual assault are taken out of the chain of command and reported directly to the Office. Establishes the position of Director of Military Prosecutions, appointed by the Council, to have independent and final authority to oversee the prosecution of all sexual-related offenses committed by a member of the Armed Forces, and to refer such cases to trial by courts-martial. Amends the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 to require the Secretary to implement a centralized database, known as the Military Sexual Registry, for the collection of information regarding sexual assaults within the military, including the nature of the assault, the victim, the offender, and the outcome of associated legal proceedings. Requires the Registry to be housed and maintained within the Office.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2011
Eva M. Clayton Fellows Program Act - Amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to require the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the Eva M. Clayton Fellows Program to provide for fellowships to conduct research and education on the eradication of world hunger and malnutrition. Requires the President to use U.S. influence at the United Nations (U.N.) to urge the creation within the Food and Agriculture Organization of fellowship positions for Clayton Fellows to conduct research and education programs on the eradication of world hunger and malnutrition.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
Half in Ten Act of 2011 - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a Federal Interagency Working Group on Reducing Poverty, which shall develop a National Plan or Strategy to reduce the number of persons living in poverty in America in half within 10 years after release of the 2011 Census report on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
Recognizes the importance labor unions play in ensuring a strong middle class by advocating for more equitable wages, humane working conditions, improved benefits, and increased civic engagement by everyday workers.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2011
National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2011 - Establishes an independent National Infrastructure Bank to: (1) designate qualified transit, public housing, water, highway, bridge, aviation, freight, passenger rail, or road infrastructure projects for loans, loan guarantees, and other financial assistance; and (2) issue general purpose and project-based infrastructure bonds exempt from state and local taxation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 October 2011
American Mariners Job Protection Act - Amends federal shipping laws that require a determination by the Administrator of the Maritime Administration regarding the non-availability of qualified U.S. flag capacity to meet national defense requirements before the head of an agency responsible for the administration of navigation or vessel-inspection laws is authorized on its own initiative to waive compliance with such laws when it considers it necessary in the interest of national defense. Requires the Administrator, in making such determinations, to: (1) identify any actions that could be taken to enable such flag capacity to meet the national defense requirements, (2) provide each such determination to the Secretary of Transportation and the head of the agency for which the determination is made, and (3) publish each such determination on the Internet site of the Department of Transportation (DOT) within 48 hours after it is provided to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to notify Congress of any waiver requests or issuances. Requires the notification of the issuance of a waiver to include the reasons why: (1) the waiver is necessary, and (2) specified actions are not feasible.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
Amends the Budget Control Act of 2011 to repeal: (1) establishment of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction; and (2) the mandatory reduction in discretionary appropriations and direct spending unless a joint committee bill achieving more than $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction is enacted by January 15, 2012 (enforcement of the budget goal).
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2011
Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act or the FUELS Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in implementing the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule with respect to any farm, to require certification of compliance with such rule by: (1) a professional engineer for a farm with an individual tank with a storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons, an aggregate storage capacity of at least 42,000 gallons, or a history that includes a spill; or (2) the owner or operator of the farm (via self-certification) for a farm with an aggregate storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons but less than 42,000 gallons and no history of spills. Exempts from all requirements of such rule any farm with an aggregate storage capacity of at least 10,000 gallons and no history of spills. Excludes all containers on separate parcels that have a capacity that is less than 1,320 gallons from the aggregate storage capacity of a farm.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that it is urgent that the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) application process be reformed by the end of 2012. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to reform the process for the enrollment, activation, issuance, and renewal of a TWIC to require not more than one in-person visit to a designated enrollment center, except in cases in which there are extenuating circumstances requiring more than one such in-person visit.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2011
United States Postal Service Pension Obligation Recalculation and Restoration Act of 2011 - Prescribes the "average pay" 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 (CSRS). 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 a 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. Prohibits USPS from closing any post office which is located more than 10 miles from any other post office. 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 · 12 October 2011
Easy Voting Act of 2011 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to: (1) require a minimum early voting period of 14 days preceding a federal election for states offering early voting, (2) prohibit an election official from requiring an individual to provide a state-based identification as a condition of registering to vote or of receiving or casting a ballot in any federal election, and (3) require states to make same-day voter registration and change of address service available at the polling place on the date of election.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2011
Honors Reverend Fred Lee Shuttlesworth (established the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, helped organize the march from Selma to Montgomery to protest voting discrimination in Alabama, and worked with the Congress of Racial Equality to organize the Freedom Rides) for his efforts in the fight against segregation and commitment to the civil rights of all people.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2011
Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2011 - Establishes the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund to be available for expenditures to the Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas solely for: (1) coastal restoration projects and activities; (2) mitigation of damage to, and restoration of, fish, wildlife, or natural resources; (3) implementation of a federally approved marine, coastal, or comprehensive conservation management plan; (4) programs to promote tourism, the consumption of seafood produced from the Gulf Coast region, and education regarding the natural resources of such region; (5) planning assistance and administrative costs; (6) workforce development, job creation, and other economic development projects ; (7) improvements to state parks in coastal areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; (8) mitigation of the ecological and economic impact of outer Continental Shelf activities and the impacts of such oil spill or promotion of the long-term ecological or economic recovery of the Gulf Coast region through the funding of infrastructure projects; and (9) coastal flood protection and infrastructure directly affected by coastal wetland losses, beach erosion, or the impacts of such oil spill. Requires the Secretary to deposit in the Fund 80% of all administrative and civil penalties paid after this Act's enactment, pursuant to a court order, negotiated settlement, or other instrument in accordance with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), in connection with the explosion on, and sinking of, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon. Amends the Clean Water Act to require 35% of amounts made available from the Fund in any fiscal year to be available to the Gulf Coast states in equal shares for ecological and economic restoration of the Gulf Coast ecosystem. Authorizes a governor of a Gulf Coast state, in awarding contracts for such a project or program, to give a preference to individuals and companies that reside in, are headquartered in, or are principally engaged in business in, a Gulf Coast state. Establishes the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to: (1) publish a Comprehensive Plan for, and to undertake, projects and programs to restore and protect the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, coastal wetlands, and economy of the Gulf Coast region; (2) update such Plan every five years; (3) coordinate the development of consistent policies, strategies, plans, and activities addressing the restoration and protection of the Gulf Coast region and associated research; and (4) prepare an integrated financial plan and recommendations for coordinated budget requests for the amounts proposed to be expended by the federal agencies represented on the Council for projects and programs in the Gulf Coast states. Requires 60% of the total amount made available from the Fund to be disbursed to the Council to carry out the Plan and oil spill restoration projects, programs, and activities that will improve the ecosystems or economy of the Gulf Coast region. Establishes within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology Program, under which the NOAA Administrator shall provide grants to establish and operate a center of excellence in each of the Gulf Coast states. Requires each center to focus its curriculum on science, technology, and monitoring in at least one of the following: (1) coastal and deltaic sustainability, restoration and protection; (2) coastal fisheries and wildlife ecosystem research and monitoring; (3) offshore energy development; (4) sustainable and resilient growth and economic and commercial development; and (5) comprehensive observation, monitoring, and mapping of the Gulf. Allocates 5% of Fund amounts to such Program. Establishes the Gulf of Mexico Research Endowment to be administered by the Secretary of Commerce for use in providing long-term funding for such Program. Prohibits the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund from being used: (1) for any existing or planned research headed by the NOAA, unless as agreed to in writing by the grant recipient entity; (2) to implement existing regulations or to initiate new regulations promulgated or proposed by NOAA; or (3) to develop or approve a new limited access privilege program (as defined under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act) for any fishery under the jurisdiction of the South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, New England, or Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils. Requires: (1) the Council to establish a fishery and ecosystem endowment to ensure the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem, fish stocks, the fish habitat, and the recreational, commercial, and charter fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico; and (2) NOAA to administer such endowment. Prohibits funds made available under this Act from being used for federal land acquisition.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2011
Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to discontinue issuing to any new profit or non-profit or governmental entity special wage certificates (which permit individuals with disabilities, including individuals employed in agriculture, to be paid at lower than minimum wages). Prescribes requirements for a three-year phase-out of all certificates. Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to repeal authority and requirements for the issuance of such certificates three years after enactment of this Act. Requires revocation of any certificates remaining at that time.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2011
American Jobs Act of 2011 - Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in such project are produced in the United States (Buy American). Waives such prohibition in cases where: (1) the prohibition would be inconsistent with the public interest; (2) iron, steel, and the relevant manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities of a satisfactory quality; or (3) inclusion of iron, steel, and manufactured goods produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25%. Requires all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors on federally-assisted projects to be paid wages at the locally prevailing rates (Davis-Bacon Act). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce employment and self-employment tax rates in 2012 to 3.1%; (2) allow employers a tax credit for payroll increases in the last quarter of 2011 and in 2012; (3) extend the 100% bonus depreciation allowance through 2012; (4) delay until 2014 the 3% withholding requirement on payments due to vendors who provide services to federal, state, and local governmental entities; and (5) increase the work opportunity tax credit for hiring unemployed veterans. Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase from $2 million to $5 million the limit on the guarantee for contract surety bonds and on the liability for bonds obtained by fraud or misrepresentation. Directs the Secretary of Education to allocate grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for the costs of retaining, recalling, rehiring, or hiring employees to provide early childhood, elementary, or secondary education and related services. Requires LEAs and state-funded early learning programs to obligate such funding by September 30, 2013. Prohibits the use of such grants to supplant state funding for education. Directs the Attorney General to carry out a competitive grant program pursuant to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 for the hiring, rehiring, or retention of career law enforcement officers. Makes appropriations to the Community Oriented Policing Stabilization Fund to carry out such program and for transfer to a First Responder Stabilization Fund from which the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) shall make competitive grants for hiring additional firefighters pursuant to the Federal Fire Prevention Control Act of 1974. Directs the Secretary of Education to allocate grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to modernize, renovate, or repair early learning or elementary or secondary education facilities. Requires the Secretary to allocate grants directly to the 100 LEAs with the largest numbers of children aged 5-17 living in poverty. Requires states to give subgrant priority to projects that comply with certain green building standards. Prohibits the use of such grants for new construction, routine maintenance costs, or on facilities used for events for which the public is charged admission. Allows private, nonprofit elementary or secondary schools with a rate of child poverty of at least 40% to participate in the program on a limited basis. Directs the Secretary to allocate grants to states to modernize, renovate, or repair existing facilities at community colleges. Prohibits the use of such grants: (1) for routine maintenance costs, (2) on facilities used for events for which the public is charged admission, or (3) on facilities which are used for sectarian purposes. Requires states, in providing assistance to community college projects, to consider the extent to which the project complies with certain green building standards. Makes specified funds available to the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) for: (1) grants-in-aid for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning projects under the airport improvement program (AIP); (2) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Next Generation air traffic control system advancements; (3) highway and bridge restoration, repair, and construction projects and for passenger and freight rail transportation and port infrastructure projects; (4) grants for high-speed rail projects, capital investment grants for intercity passenger rail service, and grants to reduce congestion on intercity rail passenger transportation; (5) capital grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); (6) transit capital assistance grants; (7) capital projects for existing fixed guideway system modernization, replacement and repair of buses and bus-related equipment, and construction of bus-related facilities; and (8) discretionary capital investment grants for surface transportation infrastructure. Authorizes the Secretary to establish standards under which contracts for construction projects contain requirements for the local hiring of individuals to perform construction work under such contracts. Requires projects to comply with Buy American requirements. Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for Long-Term Development Act - Establishes the American Infrastructure Financing Authority (AIFA) as a wholly-owned government corporation to make direct loans and loan guarantees to facilitate transportation, water, or energy infrastructure projects. Requires infrastructure projects assisted under this Act to have costs that are reasonably anticipated to equal or exceed $100 million ($25 million for rural infrastructure projects). Sets forth special requirements for infrastructure projects in rural areas. Requires the AIFA Chief Lending Officer to establish: (1) an Office of Rural Assistance to provide technical assistance in the development and financing of rural infrastructure projects, and (2) a Center for Excellence to provide such assistance to public sector borrowers for the same purpose. Establishes an Office of Special Inspector General to audit and investigate the business activities of AIFA. Makes private projects for which no public benefit is created ineligible for financial assistance. Sets forth terms for loans or loan guarantees for infrastructure projects. Requires the Chief Executive Officer of AIFA to establish and collect fees sufficient to cover AIFA administrative costs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2012 the exemption from the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for certain tax-exempt private activity bonds. Appropriates funds for assistance to eligible entities including state and local governments, and qualified nonprofit organizations, businesses or eligible consortia for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed-upon properties and for stabilization of affected neighborhoods (Project Rebuild). Allows the use of funds to: (1) establish financing mechanisms for the purchase and redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed-upon properties; (2) purchase and rehabilitate such properties; (3) establish and operate land banks for them; (4) demolish blighted structures (except public housing); and (5) redevelop abandoned, foreclosed, demolished, or vacant properties. Requires each state to receive at least $20 million of formula funds, all of which shall be used with respect to low and moderate-income individuals and families. Requires each state and local government grantee to establish procedures to create preferences for development of affordable rental housing. Allows a grantee to use up to 10% to create jobs by establishing and operating a program to maintain eligible neighborhood properties. Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to permit: (1) payments from the Spectrum Relocation Fund to reimburse certain federal entities for relocation or sharing costs incurred by planning for a potential or planned auction of spectrum frequencies or the reallocation of spectrum from federal use to exclusive nonfederal (currently, required) or shared federal and nonfederal use, and (2) federal entities to allow nonfederal entities access to frequency assignments with National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approval. Revises the categories of relocation and sharing costs. Authorizes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), if it is consistent with the public interest in spectrum utilization for a licensee to voluntarily relinquish licensed spectrum usage rights in order to permit the assignment of new initial licenses through a competitive bidding process subject to new service rules, or to permit the designation of new spectrum for unlicensed use, to pay to such licensee a portion of any auction proceeds attributable to the licensee's relinquished spectrum usage rights. Permits the FCC, if it is in the public interest to modify the spectrum usage rights of any incumbent licensee to facilitate such new assignments and designations, to pay a portion of auction proceeds to incumbent licensees relocating to designated alternative frequencies or locations. Requires the FCC to: (1) notify Congress of the methodology (considering the value of spectrum vacated in its current use and the timeliness of clearing) for calculating such payments to licensees at least three months before the relevant auction, and (2) assign at least the first 84 megahertz from certain specified bands through a competitive bidding process. Extends permanently (currently, expires on September 30, 2012) the FCC's authority to grant a license or permit under applicable competitive bidding provisions. Sets forth requirements concerning: (1) terrestrial broadband rights on spectrum primarily licensed for mobile satellite services, and (2) domestic satellite communications services licenses. Directs: (1) the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and the FCC or the President to identify specified frequencies for competitive bidding or other reallocation or sharing, and (2) the FCC to auction specified frequency ranges. Modifies competitive bidding system design requirements. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize the FCC to establish and collect annual user fees for: (1) initial spectrum licenses or construction permits that are not granted through competitive bidding; and (2) renewals or modifications of initial licenses or other authorizations, whether or not granted through competitive bidding. Sets forth required minimum collection amounts for FY2012-FY2021. Requires that all such proceeds be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury. Directs the FCC to: (1) establish, by regulation, a fee-collection methodology and schedule; and (2) exempt broadcast television and public safety services licensees from such fees. Increases the allocation of electromagnetic spectrum for public safety entities by: (1) directing the FCC to reallocate to such entities specified frequencies of the 700 MHz D block spectrum; and (2) amending the Communications Act of 1934 to increase public safety services allocation and reduce commercial use allocation by 10 megahertz within a specified range. Authorizes flexible use of narrowband spectrum, including for public safety broadband communications, subject to exceptions. Establishes the Public Safety Broadband Corporation as a private, nonprofit corporation required to: (1) hold the single public safety wireless license (a license to be reallocated and granted by the FCC for an initial 10-year term renewable, upon application, for subsequent terms, each term a maximum of 15 years) for the 700 MHz D block and existing public safety broadband spectrums; and (2) build, deploy, and operate a nationwide public safety interoperable broadband network. Supporting Unemployed Workers Act of 2011 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (SSA, 2008) with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Extends the final date for entering a federal-state agreement under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program through January 3, 2013. Postpones the termination of the program until June 8, 2013. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until January 4, 2013, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and June 9, 2013, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 with respect to a state's authority to apply certain requirements of the FSEUCA of 1970, with specified substitutions, for determining an extended unemployment compensation period. Requires the state's "on" and "off" indicators to be based on its rate of insured unemployment and rate of total unemployment for the period beginning on the enactment of the FSEUCA of 1970 (or, if later, the date established pursuant to state law) and ending on or before December 31, 2012 (currently, December 31, 2011). Amends the SSA, 2008 to include in a federal-state agreement under the EUC program a requirement that a state provide reemployment services and reemployment eligibility assessment activities to certain recipients of EUC. Conditions an individual's continuing eligibility for EUC for any week on whether such individual has been referred to such services or activities and participated, or has completed such participation, unless there is justifiable cause for failure to do so. Authorizes the federal-state agreement to require that a state agency administering EUC establish a self-employment assistance program to provide for the payment of EUC for up to 26 weeks as self-employment assistance allowances to individuals who meet specified eligibility criteria. Allows a participant in a self-employment assistance program to opt to discontinue such participation. Requires any state that establishes a Bridge to Work program under the Supporting Unemployment Workers Act of 2011 to deduct from an individual's EUC account necessary sums to pay wages for such individual. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, as amended by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and as amended by the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, to extend through December 31, 2012, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits for employees with 10 or more years of service as well as for those with less than 10. Establishes the Reemployment NOW program to facilitate the reemployment of individuals receiving emergency unemployment compensation (EUC claimants). Requires a state to submit for approval by the Secretary of Labor a state plan meeting certain minimum requirements in order to be eligible for an allotment of federal funds under the program. Authorizes a state to use its allotted funds to establish a Bridge to Work program to provide EUC claimants with short-term work experience placements with eligible employers to increase opportunities for such individuals to move to permanent employment. Authorizes a state to use its allotted funds to provide a wage insurance program to pay, for up to two years, an EUC claimant who obtains reemployment up to 50% of the difference between the wages received by the worker at the time of work separation and the wages the worker received for reemployment. Authorizes a state to its allotted funds to provide: (1) a program of enhanced reemployment services to EUC claimants, including unemployed individuals who have exhausted their EUC rights; (2) for the administrative costs associated with starting up certain self-employment assistance programs; and (3) for additional innovative programs designed to facilitate the reemployment of EUC claimants. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set forth requirements relating to short-time compensation programs to allow employers to reduce the workweek of their employees in lieu of layoffs. Provides for federal financing of state short-time compensation programs. Requires the Secretary of Labor to: (1) award grants to states that enact such programs; (2) develop model legislative language for use by states in developing, enacting, and implementing such programs; and (3) report to Congress and the President on the implementation of such programs. Allows an increased work opportunity tax credit for long-term unemployed individuals (individuals who are unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation for six months or more). Pathways Back to Work Act of 2011 - Establishes the Pathways Back to Work Fund, with an initial appropriation of $5 billion. Requires the Secretary of Labor to make certain Fund allocations to states with approved plans, qualifying outlying areas (U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau), and Native American program grantees to provide: (1) subsidized employment to unemployed, low-income adults; and (2) summer and year-round employment opportunities to low-income youth. Requires the Secretary to award competitive grants to local entities for work-based training and other work-related and educational strategies and activities of demonstrated effectiveness to provide unemployed, low-income adults and low-income youths with skills that will lead to employment. Subjects activities funded under this Act to federal labor standards and nondiscrimination protections. Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 - Makes it an unlawful practice for certain employers to: (1) publish an advertisement or announcement for a job with provisions indicating that an individual's status as unemployed disqualifies the individual for employment, or that the employer will not consider or hire an individual for employment based on such status; (2) fail or refuse to consider or hire an individual because of such status; or (3) direct or request that an employment agency take an individual's status into account to disqualify an applicant for consideration for employment, or when screening or referring employees. Makes it an unlawful practice for an employment agency to commit similar acts, including to: (1) screen, or fail or refuse to consider or refer, an individual for employment because of the individual's unemployed status; or (2) limit, segregate, or classify any individual in any manner that would limit access to job information, or consideration, screening, or referral for jobs. Makes it unlawful for any employer or employment agency to: (1) interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of any right provided under this Act; or (2) fail or refuse to hire, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against an employee because such individual opposed any practice made unlawful by this Act or asserted any right under it. Prescribes enforcement authorities with respect to violations of this Act. Authorizes an individual, or any person acting on the individual's behalf, who files a claim in the appropriate U.S. court alleging violation of the prohibitions of this Act to receive: (1) an order enjoining the unlawful employment practice, (2) the reimbursement of costs expended as a result of such practice, (3) liquidated damages of at least $1,000 for each day of the violation, and (4) reasonable attorney's fees (including expert fees) and court costs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) limit tax deductions and other tax exclusions for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 ($250,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return), (2) treat income received by a partner from an investment services partnership interest as ordinary income for income tax purposes, and (3) treat all general aviation aircraft (including corporate jets) as seven-year property for depreciation purposes. Repeals, after 2012, certain tax expenditures for the oil and gas industry, including: (1) the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs for oil and gas wells; (2) the tax deduction for tertiary injectant expenditures; (3) percentage depletion for oil and gas wells; (4) the tax deduction for income from activities relating to oil, natural gas, or any primary product thereof; (5) the exemption from limitations on passive activity losses; and (6) the tax credits for enhanced oil recovery and for producing oil and gas from marginal wells. Increases the amortization period for geological and geophysical expenditures. Denies the foreign tax credit for amounts paid or accrued by a dual capacity taxpayer to a foreign country or U.S. possession. Defines "dual capacity taxpayer" as a person who is subject to a levy of a foreign country or U.S. possession and who receives a specific economic benefit from such country or possession. Sets forth a special rule for the treatment of taxes paid on foreign oil and gas income for purposes of the foreign tax credit. Amends the Budget Control Act of 2011 to: (1) increase the deficit reduction target of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction from $1.5 trillion to $1.95 trillion, and (2) provide that the revenue enhancement provisions of this Act will not take effect if a Committee bill achieving greater than $1.65 trillion in deficit reduction is enacted by January 15, 2012. Amends the Budget Control Act of 2011 to increase the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction's targeted deficit reduction goal from $1.5 trillion to $1.95 trillion or more over FY2012-FY2021. States that if a joint committee bill achieving an amount greater than $1.65 trillion in deficit reduction (as provided for in the Act) is enacted by January 15, 2012, then the amendments to the Internal Revenue Code made by subtitles A through E of title IV of this Act, shall not be in effect for any taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2011
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2011 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Benefits) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend the months of coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to make eligible for enrollment in Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), solely for the purpose of such drug coverage, every individual whose insurance benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) have ended by reason of a kidney transplant or the end of any requirement for a regular course of dialysis. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine a monthly premium rate for such individuals equal to 35% of the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees age 65 and over. Prescribes a formula for detemination of a government contribution to such a premium.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2011
American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction that is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine that the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition. Increases the cap on the amount of appropriations that may be used to carry out such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2011
Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Social Security Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to expand the collection and analysis of data in programs of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Sets forth provisions to improve cultural competence in federal health care programs and services, including by establishing the Robert T. Matsui Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Health Care. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) to engage in activities to improve health workforce diversity, including by: (1) establishing a working group, a technical clearinghouse, and an advisory committee; (2) awarding grants to academic institutions, (3) establishing a health and health care disparities education program, and (4) providing for scholarships, loan repayment and loan forgiveness, and research fellowships. Health Empowerment Zone Act of 2011 - Provides for the establishment of health empowerment zones in communities that experience disproportionate disparities in health status and health care. Requires the Secretary to engage in activities to improve the quality of and access to health care, including by expanding access to health care and health care insurance for immigrants, increasing Medicaid payments to territories and to Native Hawaiian health centers, and providing for border health grants. Sets forth programs to reduce health disparities affecting minorities and rural residents. Establishes an Office of Minority Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs Sets forth provisions to improve health for women and children, including by expanding access to federal programs for immigrant women and children, creating public awareness campaigns, engaging in activities to eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes, and establishing programs to reduce teenage pregnancies. Expands Medicare coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services. Provides for community mental health services to be offered through federally-qualified behavioral health centers. Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary to implement the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Program to achieve a reduction of at least 25% in the mortality rate of lung cancer by 2017. Prostate Research, Outreach, Screening, Testing, Access, and Treatment Effectiveness Act of 2011 or the PROSTATE Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take action to address prostate cancer, including by establishing the Interagency Prostate Cancer Coordination and Education Task Force. Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary to implement programs to address hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary to establish the National Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Registry. Requires the Secretary to carry out activities to expand the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative. National Black Clergy for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS Act of 2011 - Provides for a program of grants to public health agencies and faith-based organizations to address HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. Justice for the Unprotected Against Sexually Transmitted Infections among the Confined and Exposed Act or the JUSTICE Act - Permits community organizations to distribute sexual barrier protection devices (e.g., condoms) and to engage in sexually transmitted infection counseling and prevention education in federal correctional facilities. Stop AIDS in Prison Act of 2011 - Requires the Bureau of Prisons to develop a comprehensive policy to provide HIV testing, treatment, and prevention for inmates. Minority Diabetes Initiative Act - Requires the Secretary to conduct research and other activities with respect to diabetes in minority populations. Sets forth provisions regarding the use of health information technology to reduce health disparities. Prohibits discrimination in federal health programs or activities. Requires the Secretary to establish the Office of Health Disparities in the Office for Civil Rights and to establish civil rights compliance offices in each HHS agency that administers health programs. Directs the President to enforce Executive Order 12898 (requires federal agencies to take actions to achieve environmental justice) as federal law. Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) a Healthy Food Financing Initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2011
Reestablishes the House of Representatives Page Program, effective with the first school semester that begins after the advisory panel described in this resolution submits its recommendations to the Committee on House Administration. Requires the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration, acting jointly, to appoint nine individuals to serve on an advisory panel to develop recommendations for the operation of such reestablished Page Program.
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 · 7 September 2011
Disability Integration and Coordination Improvement Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) establish an Office of Disability Integration and Coordination; (2) use such Office to implement strategies and activities in support of the responsibilities of the Disability Coordinator, who shall serve as the head of the Office; and (3) establish specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant performance measures for the Office, including to ensure the integration of people with disabilities into emergency, preparedness, protection, mitigation, evacuation, sheltering, transition, resiliency, and recovery plans.
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 · 5 August 2011
Gulf Coast Disadvantaged Business Relief Act of 2011 - Permits any small business located in a Louisiana parish or Mississippi or Alabama county that was designated by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a disaster area by reason of Hurricane Katrina or Rita while it was participating in a SBA small business and capital ownership development program to continue participation and eligibility in such program for an additional 24 months.
![Official portrait of Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/t000193_200.jpg)