United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2011
Amends detainee and military custody provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, with respect to the authority of the President and the U.S. Armed Forces pursuant the Authorization for Use of Military Force (P.L. 107-40), to specify that no U.S. citizen may be detained against his or her will without all the rights of due process afforded to the citizen in a court ordained or established by or under Article III of the U.S. Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2011
North American Energy Access Act - Prohibits construction, operation, or maintenance of the oil pipeline and related facilities described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Keystone XL Pipeline Project issued by the Department of State on August 26, 2011 (including any modified version of that pipeline and related facilities), unless it is in compliance with the terms of a permit prescribed under this Act. Instructs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), to issue, within 30 days after receipt of an application, a permit for such pipeline and related facilities implemented in accordance with such Final EIS. Deems a permit to have been issued if FERC has not acted upon a permit application within 30 days after receipt. Declares FERC approval a prerequisite to authorization for a permit applicant to make substantial modifications to either the pipeline route or any other term of the Final EIS. Directs FERC to: (1) enter into a memorandum of understanding with the state of Nebraska for review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 of any modification to the proposed pipeline route, and (2) complete consideration and approval of such modification within 30 days after receiving the governor's approval. Deems approval to have been issued if FERC has not acted within 30 days after receiving an application for approval of a modification. Declares a permit issued under this Act to be the sole legal authority to construct, operate, and maintain the Keystone XL Pipeline Project and related facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2011
Amends the Railway Labor Act to require the National Mediation Board to apply the same procedures, including voting standards, to the direct decertification of a labor organization as are applied to elections to certify a representative.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act - Amends the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 to require a federal financial institutions regulatory agency to make a final examination report to a financial institution within 60 days of the later of: (1) the exit interview for an examination of the institution, or (2) the provision of additional information by the institution relating to the examination. Sets a deadline for the exit interview if a financial institution is not subject to a resident examiner program. Sets forth examination standards for financial institutions. Prohibits federal financial institutions regulatory agencies from requiring a well capitalized financial institution to raise additional capital in lieu of an action prohibited by the examination standards. Establishes in the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council an Office of Examination Ombudsman. Grants a financial institution the right to appeal a material supervisory determination contained in a final report of examination. Requires the Ombudsman to determine the merits of the appeal on the record, after an opportunity for a hearing before an independent administrative law judge. Declares the decision by the Ombudsman on an appeal to: (1) be the final agency action, and (2) bind the agency whose supervisory determination was the subject of the appeal and the financial institution making the appeal. Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 to require: (1) the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish an independent intra-agency appellate process in connection with the regulatory appeals process; and (2) appropriate safeguards to protect an insured depository institution or insured credit union from retaliation by the CFPB, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board, or any other federal banking agency for exercising its rights.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2011
Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of congressional gold medals in honor of the men and women who perished as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, and the Pentagon Memorial at the Pentagon. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals, with amounts received from the sale to be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2011
Cabin Fee Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to set an annual fee for, and requires the payment of such fee to the United States by, an authorized owner of a privately built and owned recreational cabin located on National Forest System land. Reduces such fee to $100 annually if access to a cabin is significantly impaired, either by natural causes or governmental actions, such that the cabin is rendered unsafe or unable to be occupied. Requires payment of a transfer fee to the United States upon the transfer of a cabin between private parties for consideration.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2011
Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization of 2011 - Amends the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) to reauthorize, until July 25, 2018, the program for the completion of appraisals and satisfaction of other legal requirements for the sale or exchange of public land identified for disposal under approved land use plans under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Makes the FLTFA inapplicable to land eligible for sale under specified public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2011
Regional Haze Federalism Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate a federal implementation plan in place of a state implementation plan to remedy any impairment to visibility in designated class I areas (international parks, wilderness areas and memorial parks that exceed 5,000 acres, and national parks that exceed 6,000 acres) only if: (1) such state failed to consider the costs of, the time necessary for, and and the energy and non-air quality environmental impacts of compliance with such plan and the remaining useful life of any existing air pollution source; and (2) compliance with federal implementation plan requirements is not required earlier than five years after the date of promulgation. Requires: (1) the Administrator to revoke an existing federal or state implementation plan for a state regarding visibility or any determination made in 2010 or 2011 of best available retrofit technology for a source upon receipt of a request by such state; and (2) such state to submit to the Administrator a visibility plan or a revised retrofit technology determination within a reasonable period of time. Provides that states have sole discretion, after considering certain economic factors, in determining emission limits, schedules of compliance, and other measures for each applicable implementation plan for a state for any area that is listed as contributing to impairment of visibility. Requires the state, in determining best available retrofit technology (or the Administrator in determining emission limitations that reflect such technology), to consider, in addition to other factors, the economic impacts to the state and the degree of improvement in visibility that may reasonably be anticipated to result from measures described in the applicable implementation plan. Provides that a state's determination of such technology for any source may be subject to review by the Administrator or an administrative entity or federal or state court only pursuant to a clearly erroneous standard of review.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Child Marriage Violates the Human Rights of Girls Act of 2011 - Defines "child marriage" as the marriage of a girl or boy not yet the minimum age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident, or where there is no such law, under the age of 18. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) child marriage is a violation of human rights and its prevention and elimination should be a U.S. foreign policy goal; and (2) educational opportunities for girls, economic opportunities for women, and reducing maternal and child mortality are critical to U.S. global health and development objectives, including efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS. Directs the Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the heads of other relevant departments and agencies to collect and make available data on the incidence of child marriage in specified countries that receive U.S. foreign or development assistance where the practice of child marriage is prevalent. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require that Department of State reports on human rights practices for specified countries include a description of the status of child marriage for each country in which child marriage is prevalent.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2011
Diagnostic Imaging Services Access Protection Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from applying a multiple procedure payment reduction policy to the professional component of imaging services furnished: (1) in 2012; or (2) in 2013 or a subsequent year unless the reduction is based on the data, analysis, and conclusions of a study completed by an expert panel of physician members from a national medical speciality society expert in the field of diagnostic imaging services.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011- Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 500,000 $1 coins emblematic of the mission and programs of the March of Dimes. Permits issuance of such coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2014. Requires all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of such coins to be promptly paid to the March of Dimes to help finance research, education, and services aimed at improving the health of women, infants, and children. Subjects the March of Dimes to federal audit requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
Local Flexibility for Transit Assistance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to make urbanized area formula grants for the operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population over 200,000 to a designated recipient, direct recipient, or subrecipient that provides public transportation in the area operating less than 100 buses in fixed-route service in the area during peak service hours. Authorizes a designated recipient or direct recipient that operates at least 100 buses in fixed-route service during peak service hours in an urbanized area with a population of more than 200,000 to use grant funds for the operating costs of public transportation equipment and facilities in such projects if: (1) the recipients are certified by the Secretary as being in a crisis period; and (2) the recipients' percentage of revenue for the operating costs of public transportation equipment and facilities from non-federal sources (excluding system-generated revenue) is equal to the previous fiscal year's revenue, or the revenue is derived from dedicated sources. Specifies percentage limitations on the use of funds for urbanized areas with populations between 200,000 and 500,000, between 500,000 and 1 million, and over 1 million. Defines "crisis period" to mean that: (1) the unemployment rate within the recipients' service area is 7% or higher for the preceding month, or (2) the national average retail price of regular gasoline during a quarter has increased by more than 10%.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2011
Renewable Fuel Standard Flexibility Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): (1) by August 1 and by the end of November each year, to determine and publish the U.S. corn stocks-to-use ratio for the current crop year; and (2) to waive the renewable fuel program's requirements for the rest of the calendar year following the August determination or for the next calendar year following the November determination by reducing the national quantity of renewable fuel otherwise required by specified amounts based on the ratio determined. Prohibits: (1) waivers granted under this Act from affecting the volume of advanced biofuel under such program, or (2) the Administrator from allowing any volume of conventional biofuel to be used to satisfy the requirement for advanced biofuel.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2011
Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize the Secretary of the department in which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is operating to issue one-year permits to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission for the lethal taking on the waters of the Columbia River or its tributaries of sea lions that are part of a healthy population that is not listed as an endangered species or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in order to protect endangered and threatened species of salmon and other nonlisted fish species. Authorizes the Secretary to renew such permits. Prohibits such a permit from authorizing the lethal taking of more than 10 sea lions. Limits the cumulative annual taking of sea lions each year under all such permits to 1% of the annual potential biological removal level. Authorizes the Secretary to suspend the issuance of such permits if, after five years, lethal removal authority is no longer necessary to protect salmonid and other fish species from sea lion predation. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) preventing predation by sea lions, recovery of listed salmonid stocks, and preventing future listings of fish stocks in the Columbia River is a vital priority; (2) permit holders exercising lethal removal authority should be trained in wildlife management; and (3) the government should continue to fund lethal and nonlethal removal measures for preventing such predation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2011
Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2011
Dairy Security Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a dairy producer margin protection program to protect dairy producer income by paying participating producers: (1) basic margin protection payments when actual dairy producer margins are less than the threshold levels for such payments, and (2) supplemental margin protection payments if purchased by a participating producer. Makes all registering U.S. dairy producers eligible for such program. Authorizes a producer to purchase supplemental margin protection at the time of program registration. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a dairy market stabilization program for all U.S. dairy producers in order to balance the supply of milk with demand when dairy producers are experiencing low or negative operating margins, and (2) a board of directors for the program. Requires milk handlers to reduce payments to each participating producer from whom the handler receives milk during any month in which stabilization program payment reductions are in effect. Directs the Secretary to conduct the margin protection and stabilization programs from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2017. Directs the Secretary to amend each federal milk marketing order as provided for by this Act. Eliminates the: (1) dairy product price support program, (2) the milk income loss contract program, (3) permanent price support authority for milk, and (4) the dairy export incentive program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2011
Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation on behalf of Congress of a gold medal of appropriate design to the next of kin or personal representative of Raoul Wallenberg in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions during the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2011
Superfund Common Sense Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to exclude manure from the definition of "hazardous substance" and "pollutant or contaminant" for purposes of such Act. Defines "manure" to mean: (1) digestive emissions, feces, urine, urea and other excrement from livestock; (2) any associated bedding, compost, raw materials or other materials commingled with such excrement from livestock; (3) any process water associated with such items; and (4) any byproducts, constituents, or substances contained in, or originating from, such items or any emissions relating to such items. Amends the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 to exempt from notification requirements releases associated with manure.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2011
Charitable Agricultural Research Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a tax deduction for a charitable contribution to an agricultural research organization directly engaged in the continuous active conduct of agricultural research, and (2) make prohibitions against expenditures to influence legislation applicable to such organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2011
Capital Gains Inflation Relief Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an inflation adjustment based upon the gross domestic product deflator to the adjusted basis of certain assets (including C corporation common stock and tangible property used in a trade or business) held by a taxpayer for more than three years for purposes of determining gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of such assets. Sets forth rules for applying such inflation adjustment to short sales, regulated investment companies and real estate investment trusts, partnerships and other pass-thru entities, and dispositions of assets between related persons.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2011
Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to exempt from such Act the taking of any grizzly bear by an individual in self-defense, in defense of another individual, or because of a reasonable belief of imminent danger posed by the grizzly bear to any individual.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2011
Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act - Authorizes the President to award a Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Congressional Medal to: (1) the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, (2) the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, and (3) the Pentagon Memorial. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike three designs of such gold medal to honor, respectively: (1) those who lost their lives in the the attack at the World Trade Center, (2) the passengers and crew aboard United Airlines Flight 93 that was brought down in rural Pennsylvania, and (3) those who lost their lives at the Pentagon. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals and to distribute any funds from such sales exceeding costs equally between the three memorial sites.
United States · United States Congress · 2 September 2011
Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Requires federal public land management officials, in cooperation with the respective state and fish and wildlife agency, to exercise their authority under existing law, including regarding land use planning, to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public lands and waters for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting, except as described in this Act. Requires the heads of federal public land management agencies to exercise their discretion in a manner that supports and facilitates recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting opportunities, to the extent authorized under applicable law. Requires that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service lands, excluding lands on the Outer Continental Shelf, be open to recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity. Permits closures or restrictions on such lands for purposes including resource conservation, public safety, energy or mineral production, energy generation or transmission infrastructure, water supply facilities, national security, or compliance with other law. Allows federal agencies to: (1) lease their lands for shooting ranges, and (2) designate specific lands for recreational shooting activities. Requires annual reports on closures of federal public lands to recreational fishing, sport hunting, or shooting. Sets forth requirements for specified closures or significant restrictions involving 640 or more contiguous acres of federal public lands or waters to fishing or hunting or related activities. Instructs federal agencies to consult with respective advisory councils as specified in Executive Orders 12962 and 13443 in fulfilling the duties described in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 August 2011
United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2011 - Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the United Nations (U.N.) on a wide variety of issues, including to shift the funding mechanism for the regular budget of the U.N. from an assessed to a voluntary basis. Withholds up to 50% of nonvoluntary U.S. contributions to the regular budget of the U.N. unless the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that 80% of the total regular budget of the U.N. is apportioned on a voluntary basis. Requires the annual congressional budget justification to include a detailed itemized request in support of the U.S. contribution of the regular budget of the U.N. Sets forth requirements for the Comptroller General with respect to audits and investigations of U.S. contributions to the U.N. and such contributions' use by U.N. entities. Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of a U.S. contribution to any U.N. entity unless the entity has provided the Comptroller General with a transparency certification and is in compliance with such certification. Prohibits making funds available: (1) to international organizations for any purpose other than an assessed U.S. contribution to a U.N. entity or other international organization; (2) to international organizations and programs for any purpose other than a voluntary U.S. contribution to a U.N. entity or other international organization; and (3) for international peacekeeping activities for any purpose other than a U.S. contribution to U.N. peacekeeping activities, to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), or to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Directs the Secretary to withhold from the regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount of U.S. overpayments to the U.N. States that is U.S. policy to oppose any proposals on expansion of the Security Council that would: (1) diminish U.S. influence on the Security Council, or (2) include veto rights for new Security Council members. Directs the Secretary to withhold U.S. contributions from any U.N. entity that recognizes a Palestinian state or upgrades the status of the Palestinian observer mission at the U.N., the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian Authority (PA), or any other Palestinian administrative organization or governing entity prior to the achievement of a final peace agreement with Israel. Provides that until the Secretary makes a specified certification to Congress: (1) the Secretary shall withhold from a U.S. contribution to a regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount that would be allocated for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), (2) the Secretary shall not make a voluntary contribution to UNHRC, and (3) the United States shall not run for a UNHRC seat. Directs the Secretary to withhold from a U.S. contribution to a regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount that would be allocated for: (1) the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; and (2) any other U.N. Special Procedures used to display bias against the United States or Israel or to provide support for any member state which is subject to Security Council sanctions, under a Security Council-mandated human rights investigation, has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, or is a country of particular concern for religious freedom. States that it is U.S. policy to oppose any legitimization of the Goldstone Report and to lead a diplomatic campaign supporting its revocation. Prohibits funds from being used for U.S. participation in the Durban III meeting or any part of the Durban process. Withholds U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) or to any successor or related entity unless the Secretary makes specified certifications to Congress. Prohibits any U.S. contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from being used to support Technical Cooperation program assistance to any country, including North Korea, that: (1) has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism; or (2) is in breach of, or under investigation for breach of, obligations regarding its safeguards agreement with the IAEA, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or any relevant Security Council resolution. Directs the Secretary to withhold from the U.S. voluntary contribution to the IAEA an amount proportional to that spent by the IAEA in 2007-2008 on Technical Cooperation program assistance to such countries. Sets forth U.S. policy regarding reform of U.N. peacekeeping operations. Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to oppose the creation of new, or expansion of existing, U.N. peacekeeping operations until the Secretary certifies to Congress that specified peacekeeping reforms have been adopted by the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations or the General Assembly.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Geothermal Production Expansion Act of 2011 - Amends competitive lease provisions of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to allow an area of qualified federal land (land that is otherwise available for leasing under that Act) that adjoins other land for which a qualified lessee holds a legal right to develop geothermal resources to be available for a noncompetitive lease to such lessee at fair market value per acre if: (1) the area of qualified federal land consists of not less than one acre and not more than 640 acres and is not already leased or nominated to be leased; (2) the qualified lessee has not previously received a noncompetitive lease in connection with the valid discovery for which data has been submitted; and (3) sufficient technical data prepared by a qualified geothermal professional has been submitted by the qualified lessee to the applicable federal land management agency that would lead individuals who are experienced in the subject matter to believe that there is a valid discovery of geothermal resources on the land and that such thermal feature extends into the adjoining areas. Defines "fair market value per acre" as a dollar amount per acre that shall be: (1) equal to the market value per acre as determined by the Secretary of the Interior within 90 days after the Secretary receives an application for a lease, and (2) not less than the greater of 4 times the median amount paid per acre for all land leased under such Act during the preceding year or $50. Directs the Secretary to: (1) publish a notice of any request for such a lease; (2) determine fair market value in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary; (3) provide to a qualified lessee and publish, with an opportunity for public comment for a period of 30 days, any proposed determination of the fair market value of the area the qualified lessee seeks to lease; and (4) provide the lessee and any adversely affected party an opportunity to appeal the final determination of fair market value in an administrative proceeding before the applicable federal land management agency. Prohibits the Secretary from accepting any nomination of land for leasing after publication of a notice of request to lease such land unless the request has been denied or withdrawn.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the special rule for the exclusion from gross income of amounts received by an employee from a governmental accident or health plan to include amounts paid from plans established by or on behalf of a state or political subdivision.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
340B Program Improvement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make revisions to the 340B drug discount program (a program limiting the cost of covered outpatient drugs to certain federal grantees). Includes drugs used in connection with an inpatient or outpatient service by enrolled hospitals as covered drugs under the program (currently, only outpatient drugs are covered under the program). Requires hospitals enrolled in the 340B program to provide to each state a credit on the estimated annual purchases by such hospitals of covered drugs provided to Medicaid recipients for inpatient use. Sets forth a formula for calculating the credit. Allows a hospital to avoid paying such credits under certain circumstances. Eliminates the requirement that hospitals enrolled in the 340B program report the National Drug Code numbers for drugs administered by a physician if the state is precluded from seeking a rebate on such drugs because they were purchased at a discount under the 340B program. Removes the exclusion that prohibited covered entities added to the 340B program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act from purchasing drugs for a rare disease or condition as covered outpatient drugs. Treats a facility or organization that is eligible for the 340B program as satisfying any geographic location requirements in relation to a hospital or a critical access hospital for purposes of determining provider-based status under Medicare.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2011
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 - Makes appropriations for FY2012 for the Department of the Interior for: (1) the Bureau of Land Management (BLM); (2) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); (3) the National Park Service (NPS) (including a transfer of funds); (4) the U.S. Geological Survey; (5) the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement; (6) the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement; (7) the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) (including transfers of funds); (8) the Office of the Secretary; (9) departmental offices for insular affairs (including transfer of funds); (10) the Office of the Solicitor; (11) the Office of Inspector General; (12) the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (including transfers of funds); (13) wildland fire management (including transfers of funds); (14) the Central Hazardous Materials Fund; and (15) natural resource damage assessment and restoration. Makes appropriations for FY2012 for: (1) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (including transfers and rescissions of funds), (2) the Department of Agriculture for the Forest Service (including transfers of funds), and (3) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the Indian Health Service (IHS). Makes appropriations for FY2012 for specified related agencies, including: (1) the National Institutes of Health (NIH) , (2) the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, (3) the Executive Office of the President, (4) the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, (5) the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation, (6) the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development, (7) the Smithsonian Institution, (8) the National Gallery of Art, (9) the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, (10) the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, (11) the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, (12) the Commission of Fine Arts, (13) the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, (14) the National Capital Planning Commission, (15) the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, (16) Presidio Trust, and (17) the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2011
Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from requiring a permit under national pollutant discharge elimination system permitting requirements for a discharge resulting from the conduct of any silvicultural activity, such as nursery operations, site preparation, reforestation, thinning, prescribed burning, pest and fire control, harvesting operations, surface drainage, or road use, construction, and maintenance, from which there is runoff. Specifies that nothing in this Act exempts silvicultural activity from permit requirements for the discharge of dredged or fill material into navigable waters.
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
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into a contract or agreement with each state home to pay for nursing home care provided in the home to certain veterans with service-connected disabilities. Requires such payment to be based on a methodology, developed by the Secretary in consultation with the home state, to adequately reimburse the state home for the care provided under such contract or agreement. (Current law requires payment at the lesser of the prevailing rate in the geographic area for non-VA nursing homes or the daily cost of care, both of which are determined by the Secretary.)
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 · 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
Government Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Extension Act of 2011- Directs the Secretary of Energy to manage the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in such a way as to include the transportation and disposal of any non-defense federally-owned transuranic waste meeting certain criteria described in the document entitled "Transuranic Waste Acceptance Criteria For The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant," published by the Department of Energy (DOE) on April 21, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2011 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that any enterprise or institution owned and operated by an Indian tribe and located on its lands is not considered an employer (thus excluding such enterprises or institutions from coverage by such Act).
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Amends the Bretton Woods Agreements Act to repeal authority to: (1) provide certain loans to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), including loans related to the New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB); (2) increase the U.S. quota in the IMF; and (3) approve the sale of IMF gold. Rescinds related appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit transporting a minor child across a state line to obtain an abortion (deems such transporting to be a de facto abridgment of the right of a parent under any law in the minor’s state of residence that requires parental involvement in the minor’s abortion decision). Makes an exception for an abortion necessary to save the life of the minor. Makes it an affirmative defense to a prosecution or civil action under this Act that a defendant: (1) reasonably believed that before the minor obtained the abortion, the required parental consent or notification or judicial authorization took place; or (2) was presented with documentation showing that a court waived parental notification requirements or authorized the minor's abortion. Defines "abortion" as the termination of a pregnancy with an intention other than to increase the probability of a live birth, preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, remove a dead unborn child who died as the result of a spontaneous abortion, accidental trauma, or a criminal assault on the pregnant female or her unborn child. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to one year on a physician who performs or induces an abortion on an out-of-state minor in violation of parental notification requirements. Requires such physician to give 24-hour actual or constructive notice to a parent of the minor seeking an abortion, subject to certain exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 - Provides that the following rules shall have no force or effect and shall be treated as though they had never taken effect: (1) the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Major Sources: Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Boilers and Process Heaters; (2) the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Area Sources: Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Boilers; (3) the Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources: Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units; and (4) Identification of Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials That are Solid Waste. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in place of such rules, to promulgate within 15 months, or on such later date as may be determined by the Administrator, regulations for industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers and process heaters and commercial and industrial solid waste incinerator units subject to such rules, that: (1) establish maximum achievable control technology standards, performance standards, and other requirements for hazardous air pollutants or solid waste combustion under the Clean Air Act; and (2) identify non-hazardous secondary materials that, when used as fuels or ingredients in combustion units of such boilers, heaters, or incinerator units, are solid waste under the Solid Waste Disposal Act for purposes of determining the extent to which such combustion units are required to meet emission standards for such pollutants under such Act. Requires the Administrator to establish compliance dates for such standards and requirements after considering compliance costs, non-air quality health and environmental impacts and energy requirements, the feasibility of implementation, the availability of equipment, suppliers, and labor, and potential net employment impacts. Sets forth guidelines for such rules and regulations, including requiring the Administrator to: (1) ensure that emissions standards for existing and new sources can be met under actual operating conditions consistently and concurrently with emission standards for all other air pollutants regulated by the rule for the source category; and (2) impose the least burdensome regulatory alternative for each regulation promulgated.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Citizens' Self-Defense Act of 2011 - Declares that a person not prohibited under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act from receiving a firearm shall have the right to obtain firearms for security and to use firearms in defense of: (1) self or family against a reasonably perceived threat of imminent and unlawful infliction of serious bodily injury, (2) self or family in the course of the commission by another person of a violent felony against the person or a member of the person's family, and (3) the person's home in the course of the commission of a felony by another person. Authorizes persons whose rights under this Act have been violated to bring an action in U.S. district court against the United States, any state, or any person for damages, injunctive relief, and such other relief as the court deems appropriate.
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 · 3 June 2011
Medicare Hearing Health Care Enhancement Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the definition of Medicare-covered audiology (hearing and balance assessment) services provided by a qualified and legally authorized audiologist to stipulate that such services are covered without regard to any requirement that: (1) the individual receiving them be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care practitioner, or (2) such services are provided under the supervision of a physician or other health practitioner. Includes audiology services as medical services, as so redefined, under Medicare part B.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
Idaho Efficient Vehicle Demonstration Act of 2011 - Prohibits any reduction of the apportionment of federal-aid highway funds to Idaho if: (1) it permits a commercial combination vehicle weighing between 105,500 and 129,000 pounds to operate on specified routes of the Interstate System within the state; (2) such vehicle does not exceed state weight limits for operation on state highways; and (3) the vehicle is limited to travel only on certain portions of Interstate Routes 15, 84, and 86. (Under current law, the federal-aid highway funds of a state shall be reduced if it permits a commercial combination vehicle with a weight in excess of federal weight limits to operate on Interstate System highways within the state.)
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Idaho Wilderness Water Resources Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to issue a special use authorization to the owners of a water storage, transport, or diversion facility located on National Forest System land in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in Idaho for continued operation, maintenance, and reconstruction of such facility if it is determined that: (1) the facility was in existence on the date on which it was designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System; (2) the facility has been in continuous use to deliver water for beneficial use on the owner's non-federal land since the date designation; (3) the owner holds a valid water right for use of the water on such land under Idaho state law, with a priority date that predates such date; and (4) it is not practicable or feasible to relocate the facility to land outside of the wilderness and continue the beneficial use of water on the non-federal land. Sets forth specified terms and conditions regarding the issuance of a special use authorization under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
National Strategic and Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2011 - Declares that it is the policy of the United States to promote an adequate and stable supply of minerals to maintain the nation's economic well-being, security, and manufacturing, industrial, energy, and technological capabilities. Directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Geological Survey, to report to Congress: (1) an assessment of the non-fossil-fuel mineral potential of lands under BLM and U.S. Forest Service jurisdiction; (2) an identification of all such lands that have been withdrawn, segregated, or otherwise restricted from mineral exploration and development; (3) a detailed description of the time required to process mineral applications, operating plans, leases, licenses, permits, and other use authorizations for mineral-related activities on lands; (4) an itemized list of all use authorizations for which applications are pending; (5) an assessment of the impact of litigation on the processing or issuing of permits; and (6) an assessment of the federal workforce with educational degrees and expertise in economic geology, geochemistry, mining, industrial minerals, metallurgy, metallurgical engineering, and mining engineering. Requires progress reports to Congress on: (1) efforts to increase access to domestic supplies of minerals, and facilitation of their production; and (2) implementation of recommendations in National Research Council reports on "Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the U.S. Economy" and on "Managing Minerals for a Twenty-First Century Military."
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Veterans' Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and Other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Revised Statutes of the United States to limit the remedy, in a civil action against a state or local official for deprivation of civil rights, to injunctive and declaratory relief, and deny attorneys' fees, where the deprivation consists of a violation of a prohibition in the Constitution against the establishment of religion, including violations relating to: (1) religious words or imagery in veterans' memorials, public buildings, or official seals of states or their subdivisions; and (2) the chartering of Boy Scout units by states or their subdivisions and the Boy Scouts' using public buildings. Imposes the same limits regarding such an action against the United States or any U.S. agency or official acting in his or her official capacity.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2011
Government Litigation Savings Act - Revises provisions of the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) and the federal judicial code relating to the fees and other expenses of parties in agency proceedings and court cases against the federal government to: (1) restrict awards of fees and other expenses under such Act to prevailing parties with a direct and personal monetary interest in an adjudication, including because of personal injury, property damage, or an unpaid agency disbursement; (2) require the reduction or denial of awards commensurate with pro bono hours and related fees and expenses to parties who have acted in an obdurate, dilatory, mendacious, or oppressive manner or in bad faith; (3) limit awards to not more than $200,000 in any single adversary adjudication or for more than three adversary adjudications in the same calendar year (unless the adjudicating officer or judge determines that a higher award is required to avoid severe and unjust harm to the prevailing party); and (4) expand the reporting requirements of the Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States with respect to fees and other expenses awarded to prevailing parties during the preceding fiscal year. Requires the Comptroller General to audit the implementation of EAJA for the years 1995 through the end of the calendar year in which this Act is enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2011
Gold Star Mothers National Monument Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Gold Star Mothers National Monument Foundation to establish a monument in the District of Columbia area, as a unit of the National Park System, to be known as the Gold Star Mothers National Monument. Prohibits using federal funds to pay the expenses of establishing the monument.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2011
Conservation Easement Incentive Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for charitable contributions by individuals and corporations of real property interests for conservation purposes.
![Official portrait of Rep. Simpson, Michael K. [R-ID-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/678152c81f9ad6ea6fb1eb7f_200.jpg)