United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2012
Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) continue to seek cooperation from foreign governments to allow the United States to process North Korean refugees overseas for U.S. resettlement, and (2) urge China to halt its forcible repatriation of North Koreans. Amends the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 to authorize appropriations: (1) for grants that promote democracy and a market economy in North Korea, (2) to increase the availability of non-government controlled information inside North Korea, and (3) for organizations or persons that provide humanitarian assistance to North Koreans who are outside of North Korea. Directs the Broadcasting Board of Governors to report to Congress regarding U.S. broadcasting to North Korea. Extends specified annual reporting requirements for: (1) the Special Envoy for North Korean human rights issues, and (2) the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS).
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2012
Servicemember Family Protection Act - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide that if a court renders a temporary order for custodial responsibility for a child based solely on a deployment or anticipated deployment of a parent-servicemember, then the court shall require that upon the return of that servicemember from deployment the custody order that was in effect preceding such deployment shall be reinstated, unless the court finds that reinstatement in not in the child's best interest. Prohibits a servicemember's deployment or possible deployment from being considered in the determination of a child's best interest in a motion seeking a permanent order to modify custody. Provides that under a temporary custody order, if a state law provides a higher standard of protection to the deploying parent-servicemember, then the appropriate court shall apply the higher standard.
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 · 1 March 2012
Affirms that it is a vital national interest of the United States to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability and warns that time is limited to prevent that from happening. Urges increasing economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran to secure an agreement that includes: (1) suspension of all uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, (2) complete cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding Iran's nuclear activities, and (3) a permanent agreement that verifiably assures that Iran's nuclear program is entirely peaceful. Supports: (1) the universal rights and democratic aspirations of the Iranian people, and (2) U.S. policy to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. Rejects any U.S. policy that would rely on efforts to contain a nuclear weapons-capable Iran. Urges the President to reaffirm the unacceptability of an Iran with nuclear-weapons capability and oppose any policy that would rely on containment as an option in response to the Iranian nuclear threat.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2012
Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 regarding the imposition of countervailing duties on imports into the United States from a country subsidizing, directly or indirectly, the manufacture, production, or export of merchandise which materially injures a U.S. industry or threatens to. Declares that merchandise on which countervailing duties must be imposed includes merchandise from a nonmarket country, unless the administering authority cannot identify and measure subsidies provided by the government of the nonmarket economy country (or a public entity within its territory) because the economy of that country is essentially composed of a single entity. Requires the administering authority to reduce the antidumping duty on a class or kind of merchandise from a nonmarket economy country in cases where: (1) such country (or a public entity within its territory) has provided the merchandise with a countervailable subsidy (other than an export subsidy); (2) the subsidy has reduced the average price of imports of that class or kind of merchandise during the relevant period; and (3) the extent to which the subsidy, in combination with the use of normal value, has increased the weighted average dumping margin for such merchandise can be reasonably estimated. Requires the administering authority, in such cases, to reduce the antidumping duty by the amount of the increase in the weighted average dumping margin estimated (but not by more than the portion of the countervailing duty rate attributable to the countervailable subsidy).
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2012
Pro Football 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 emblematic of the game of professional football. Requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to help finance the construction of a new building and the renovation of existing Pro Football Hall of Fame facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2012
National Heritage Area Act of 2012 - Establishes a system of National Heritage Areas through which the Secretary of the Interior may provide technical and financial assistance to local coordinating entities to support the establishment, development, and continuity of the National Heritage Areas. Provides for such system to be composed of National Heritage Areas designated by Congress before enactment of this Act or under this Act. Prohibits National Heritage Areas from being: (1) considered to be units of the National Park System, or (2) subject to the authorities applicable to such units. Specifies the criteria that the Secretary shall apply to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating proposed National Heritage Areas. States that designation of a National Heritage Area shall be by Act of Congress and contingent on the prior completion of a management plan and an affirmative determination by the Secretary that the area meets such criteria. Sets forth requirements for National Heritage Area management plans.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2012
Condemns Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of religious minorities and its continued violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Calls for Iran to release Youcef Nadarkhani and all other individuals held or charged on account of their religion. Recognizes that religious freedom is a universal human right and a fundamental individual freedom.
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 · 9 February 2012
Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act - Replaces title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) with a new title II (Teacher Preparation and Effectiveness). Directs the Secretary of Education, under part A (Supporting Effective Instruction) of title II, to make formula grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to develop and implement a teacher evaluation system that: (1) uses student achievement data as a significant factor in determining a teacher's evaluation, (2) uses multiple measures of evaluation, (3) uses more than two categories for rating teachers, (4) is used by the LEA to make personnel decisions, and (5) is based on input from parents and school staff. Directs the Secretary, under part B (Teacher and School Leader Flexible Grant) of title II, to make formula grants to states and, through them, competitive matching subgrants to LEAs, institutions of higher education, and business or nonprofit entities to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive programs and activities that may include: (1) initiatives to assist in recruiting, hiring, and retaining highly effective teachers and school leaders; (2) recruitment of qualified individuals from other fields; (3) model instructional programs in the core academic subjects; (4) high-quality professional development for teachers and school leaders; and (5) programs that are based on the current science of learning. Preserves the teacher liability protection provisions under part C (Innovation for Teacher Quality) of title II, but eliminates the other programs under part C. Replaces part D (Enhancing Education through Technology) of title II with a new part D (General Provisions). Requires LEAs receiving grants under title II to notify parents of the availability of the results of the evaluations of their children's teachers. Treats charter schools as LEAs under title II. Replaces title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students) of the ESEA with a new title III (Parental Engagement and Local Flexibility). Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that part B of title V (Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs) of the ESEA be: (1) reauthorized as it was amended by the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act (H.R. 2218), as passed by the House of Representatives on September 13, 2011; and (2) transferred to a new subpart 1 (Charter School Program) of part A (Parental Engagement) of title III. Amends part C of title V of the ESEA and transfers it to a new subpart 2 (Magnet Schools Assistance) of part A of title III. Establishes a subpart 3 (Family Engagement in Education Programs) of part A of title III. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to statewide organizations to establish Statewide Family Engagement Centers that provide comprehensive training and technical assistance to states, LEA, schools, and organizations that support family engagement in education. Establishes a part B (Local Academic Flexible Grant) of title III under which the Secretary allots funds to states for: (1) state activities that include developing state educational assessments and standards; (2) competitive grants to LEAs, community-based organizations, and businesses to improve student academic achievement through student support programs; and (3) competitive matching grants to nongovernmental entities to improve academic achievement. Repeals title IV (21st Century Schools), as amended by the Student Success Act which was introduced on February 9, 2012, and replaces it with the Impact Aid program currently under title VIII of the ESEA. (The Impact Aid program compensates LEAs for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their areas.) Amends the Impact Aid program to alter methods used and considerations made in determining whether LEAs are eligible for Impact Aid payments, as well as formulae used in determining the amounts they are owed. Requires the Secretary to complete Impact Aid payments to eligible LEAs within three fiscal years of their appropriation. Authorizes appropriations for the programs under titles II, III, and IV of the ESEA for FY2013, with increases in those amounts for FY2014-FY2018 that match the inflation rate. Transfers responsibility for the operation and administration of the Troops-to-Teachers program (currently under title II of the ESEA) from the Department of Education to the Department of Defense (DOD), and amends the program. (The Troops-to-Teachers program provides veterans with teacher certification stipends in exchange for three years of service in an elementary or secondary school.) Repeals title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the ESEA. Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act's program of grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for the education of homeless youth. Includes amendments that: (1) require student-centered factors to be considered before an LEA places a homeless youth in a school, (2) require schools to enroll homeless youth immediately despite missed application or enrollment deadlines, (3) protect the privacy of information about a homeless youth's living situation, and (4) focus on the identification of homeless youth. Authorizes appropriations for that program for FY2013, with increases matching the inflation rate for FY2014-FY2018.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2012
Student Success Act - Replaces title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) with a new title I (Aid to Local Educational Agencies). Amends the education accountability requirements under part A of title I of the ESEA and places them in a new subpart 1 (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies) under part A (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the ESEA. Eliminates the requirement that local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools make adequate yearly progress toward state academic performance standards or be subject to specified improvements, corrective action, or restructuring. Requires states to adopt academic content and achievement standards for mathematics and reading or language arts that ensure that all their public school students graduate from high school fully prepared for postsecondary education or the workforce. Requires states to implement a set of high-quality assessments of student progress toward those standards that measure the overall performance of students in each public school and the performance of their poor, minority, disabled, and English learner subgroups. Allows states to adopt alternate academic achievement standards and assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Allows states to measure student growth toward those standards, and develop and administer computer adaptive assessments that measure student proficiency against, and growth toward, the standards for the student's grade level. Requires education accountability efforts to include school improvement systems that require LEAs to implement interventions that address weaknesses in low-performing schools. Amends Schoolwide programs, that allow LEAs to consolidate educational funds to upgrade the entire educational program of schools, to eliminate the requirement that such schools serve a high proportion of low-income families. Eliminates the requirement that teachers be highly qualified. Requires states to designate an ombudsman to ensure that private school children receive educational services and benefits that are equitable to those received by public school children under subpart 1. Strikes parts B (Student Reading Skills Improvement Grants), F (Comprehensive School Reform), G (Advanced Placement Programs), and H (School Dropout Prevention) of title I of the ESEA. Amends part C of the current title I and transfers it to a new subpart 2 (Education of Migratory Children) under part A of the ESEA. Amends part D of the current title I and transfers it to a new subpart 3 (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk) under part A. Amends part A of title III ( Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students) and transfers it to a new subpart 4 (English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement) under part A. Refers to limited English proficient students as English learners. Amends requirements for the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs under part C of title III and transfers them to subpart 4 under part A. Amends part B (Rural Education Initiative) of title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) and transfers it to a new subpart 5 (Rural Education Achievement Program) under part A. Amends part A (Indian Education) of title VII and transfers it to a new subpart 6 (Indian Education) under part A. Omits subpart 3 (National Activities) of part A of title VII from subpart 6. Gives states and LEAs flexibility in transferring funds among the programs under part A of title I. Removes maintenance of effort requirements that require states and LEAs to maintain their education funding at certain levels in order to be eligible for federal education funds. Amends part E (National Assessment) of title I and transfers it to a new part B of title I of the ESEA. Repeals the Demonstrations of Innovative Practices grant program and the Close Up Fellowship program. Authorizes appropriations for parts A and B of title I of the ESEA for FY2013, with increases in those amounts for FY2014-FY2018 that match the inflation rate. Amends part I (General Provisions) of title I and transfers it to a new part C of title I of the ESEA. Replaces title V (Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs Innovative Programs) of the ESEA with a new title V (General Provisions). Amends title IX (General Provisions) and transfers it to the new title V. Requires the Secretary of Education to establish a multi-disciplinary peer review team to review requests for waivers of statutory or regulatory requirements under the ESEA. Prohibits the Secretary from imposing new or additional requirements that are not specified in the ESEA on states, LEAs, or Indian tribes in exchange for the receipt of a waiver. Establishes requirements regarding the peer review panels used under the ESEA to review program applications. Prohibits federal employees from participating in, or working to influence, the peer review process. Places the gun-free school requirements in part A (Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities) of title IV of the ESEA in the new title V.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2012
Prohibits the Secretary of the Air Force from planning or executing the permanent relocation of any C-130 aircraft assigned to Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station (Pennsylvania) as of the date of enactment of this Act. Directs such Secretary to ensure that the number of such aircraft so assigned as of September 30, 2012, equals or exceeds the number assigned as of October 1, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2012
Extends gratitude to the more than 1.5 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces, from both the regular and reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine, who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. Recognizes their success in operations against a dangerous and determined enemy. Recognizes the tremendous personal sacrifice of those who served in such Operations, many of whom were committed to multiple deployments, and the contributions of military families on the home front. Pays tribute to the 4,486 members who lost their lives in such Operations, and commits to honoring their memory for their courage and sacrifice.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2012
Expresses support for the goals of Catholic Schools Week, an event cosponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and established to recognize the vital contributions of the thousands of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in this country. Applauds the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on their selection of a theme that all can celebrate.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2012
District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit any person from performing or attempting to perform an abortion within the District of Columbia except in conformity with this Act's requirements. Requires the physician to first make a determination of the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child, or reasonably rely upon such a determination made by another physician, by making inquiries of the pregnant woman and performing such medical examinations and tests as a reasonably prudent physician would consider necessary. Prohibits the abortion from being performed if the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child is 20 weeks or greater. Makes an exception where necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury, excluding psychological or emotional conditions or any claim or diagnosis that the woman will engage in conduct intended to result in her death. Permits a physician to terminate a pregnancy under such exception only in the manner which provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive, unless termination of the pregnancy in that manner would pose a greater risk of the death or substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions, of the pregnant woman than would other available methods. Prescribes penalties for violations. Bars prosecution of a woman upon whom an abortion is performed in violation of this Act, but authorizes such a woman or the father or maternal grandparent of the unborn child to obtain appropriate relief through a civil action. Provides for injunctive relief to prevent violations. Sets forth specified privacy protections in court proceedings for the woman upon whom an abortion has been performed. Requires any physician who performs an abortion within the District to report it to the Department of Health of the District of Columbia, which shall issue annual public reports.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2012
Ultrasound Informed Consent Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require abortion providers, before a woman gives informed consent to any part of an abortion, to perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman, provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting, display the ultrasound images so the woman may view them, and provide a complete medical description of the images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, cardiac activity if present and visible, and the presence of external members and internal organs if present and viewable. Prohibits construing this Act to require a woman to view the images or penalizing the provider or the woman if she declines to look at the images. Exempts an abortion provider if the abortion is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself. Requires the provider to include in the woman's medical file a truthful and accurate certification of the specific medical circumstances that support such determination. Authorizes the Attorney General to commence a civil action in federal court against any abortion provider who knowingly violates this Act. Prescribes penalties. Directs the Attorney General to notify the appropriate state medical licensing authority of penalties assessed. Authorizes a woman upon whom an abortion has been performed in violation of this Act to commence a civil action against the provider for actual and punitive damages.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2012
Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to use all elements of national power to counter Iran's growing presence and hostile activity in the Western Hemisphere. Directs the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a strategy to address Iran's growing presence and activity in the Western Hemisphere.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2011
Welcomes: (1) the historic meeting between Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I; and (2) the positive gestures by the government of Turkey towards the Ecumenical Patriarch, including allowing the liturgical celebration by the Ecumenical Patriarch at the historic Sumela Monastery and returning the former Greek Orphanage on Buyukada Island to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Urges the government of Turkey to facilitate the reopening of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Theological School of Halki and to address other longstanding concerns relating to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2011
Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to establish criminal penalties of a fine, imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both, for trafficking in counterfeit drugs. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to apply to a drug solely because the drug is manufactured in or imported from a foreign country.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2011
Streamlining Workforce Development Programs Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to: (1) eliminate members of the state legislature and representatives of labor organizations from state workforce investment boards, and (2) specify that representatives of business on a board represent large and small businesses with immediate and long-term employment opportunities in in-demand industries and other occupations important to the state economy. Requires a state board to assist the state governor by developing: (1) policies and programs that support a comprehensive statewide workforce development system, and (2) a statewide employment statistics system. Revises requirements for: (1) a state workforce development plan; (2) local workforce investment areas, boards, and plans; (3) one-stop delivery systems; and (4) the allotment of federal funds among states for employment and training activities. Eliminates specific funding for adult and dislocated worker employment and training. Specifies state use of federal funds to set up a Workforce Investment Fund, a Youth Workforce Investment Fund, a Veterans Workforce Investment Fund, and a Targeted Populations Workforce Investment Fund. Revises requirements for: (1) within state allocations of funds; (2) the use of funds for state and local employment and training activities, including the hiring of local veterans' employment representatives; and (3) state performances measures Requires state governors to use funds to award competitive grants for programs and activities to assist eligible youth in acquiring the education and skills, credentials, and employment experience necessary to succeed in the labor market. Revises requirements for the state unified plan for adult education and literacy programs. Repeals the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970, the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993, the Snyder Act of 1921, the Indian Adult Vocational Training Act of 1956, and the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, as well as the Job Corps, the YouthBuild program, and other job programs under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and other specified Acts, including the National Guard Youth Challenge Program of opportunities for civilian youth. Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA73) to require an eligible state to use a certain percentage of the federal share of the cost of vocational rehabilitation services to award grants to create practical job and career readiness and training programs and provide job placements and career advancement. Repeals the authority of the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration in the Department of Education to make grants and contracts for: (1) vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities who are migrant or seasonal farmworkers; (2) recreational programs for such individuals; and (3) in-service training of vocational rehabilitation personnel. Repeals title VI (Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities) of the RA73.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2011
School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in awarding grants to states under the children's asthma treatment grants program, to favor states that require their public elementary and secondary schools to: (1) permit authorized personnel to administer epinephrine to any student believed to be having an anaphylactic reaction, and (2) maintain a supply of epinephrine that is prescribed by a licensed physician and is stored in a secure and easily accessible location. (States given this preference are also required by current law to require those schools to authorize students, under certain conditions, to self-administer medication to treat their asthma or anaphylaxis.) Requires such states to also have a Good Samaritan law protecting school employees and agents from liability related to the administration of epinephrine to students believed, in good faith, to be having an anaphylactic reaction.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2011
Local Job Opportunities and Business Success Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to limit the required composition of local workforce investment boards (local boards) to business representatives. Requires two-thirds of the members of a local board to be business owners or officers. Requires local boards to conduct and regularly update analyses of: (1) local economic conditions, (2) immediate and long-term skilled workforce needs in the area, (3) the knowledge and skills of the local workforce, and (4) local workforce development activities. Requires local boards to lead efforts to engage employers in the area to ensure that workforce investment activities meet their needs and support local economic growth. Includes as part of those efforts the development or implementation of industry or sector partnerships that lead to collaborative planning, resource alignment, and training efforts across multiple firms to address the immediate and long-term skilled workforce needs of the local economy. Requires local boards to develop strategies for using technological improvements to facilitate access to workforce development services. Eliminates the requirement that each local board appoint a youth council as a subgroup of the board and select providers of youth activities on the basis of its recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2011
Recognizes the importance of Christmas symbols and traditions. Disapproves of attempts to ban references to Christmas. Supports the use of these symbols and traditions by those who celebrate Christmas.
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
Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2011 - Imposes criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly or knowingly attempts to: (1) perform an abortion knowing that the abortion is sought based on the sex, gender, color or race of the child, or the race of a parent; (2) use force or the threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion; (3) solicit or accept funds for the performance of such an abortion; or (4) transport a woman into the United States or across a state line for the purpose of obtaining such an abortion. Authorizes civil actions, for verifiable money damages for injuries and punitive damages, by: (1) fathers, or maternal grandparents if the mother is an unemancipated minor, of unborn children who are the subject of an abortion performed or attempted through any of the above violations; and (2) women upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted with a knowing or attempted use of force or threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion. Authorizes, to prevent an abortion provider from performing or attempting further abortions in violation of this Act, injunctive relief to be obtained by the women upon whom such an abortion is performed or attempted, spouses or parents of a woman upon whom such an abortion is performed, or the Attorney General (DOJ). Deems a violation of this Act to be prohibited discrimination under title VI (Federally Assisted Programs) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Violators of title VI lose federal funding.) Requires a medical or mental health professional to report known or suspected violations to law enforcement authorities. Imposes criminal penalties for a failure to so report. Prohibits a woman having such an abortion from being prosecuted or held civilly liable. Excludes from the definition of "abortion" actions taken to terminate a pregnancy if the intent is to save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child, remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion, or remove an ectopic pregnancy.
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 · 29 November 2011
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is unconstitutional in its entirety, and (2) the Anti-Injunction Act applies to neither the individual mandate nor to the penalty provision that enforces it and thus does not preclude the federal courts from finding PPACA unconstitutional in its entirety.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Speak Out to Stop Child Abuse Act or SOS Child Abuse Act - Amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to require the state plan under a grant from the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for child abuse and neglect prevention and treatment programs to contain an assurance in the form of a certification by the state governor that the state has in effect and is enforcing a state law prescribing a criminal penalty against an individual age 18 or older who fails to report to a state or local law enforcement official or child protective services that the individual has witnessed another individual in the state engaging in sexual abuse of a child.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
End Pensions in Congress Act or EPIC Act - Amends the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) to exclude Members of Congress, except the Vice President, from further CSRS and FERS retirement coverage. Prohibits further government contributions or deductions from such Member's basic pay for deposit in the Treasury to the credit of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. States that nothing in this Act shall: (1) be considered to nullify, modify, or otherwise affect any right, entitlement, or benefit under CSRS for any Member covering any period before the enactment of this Act; or (2) affect the eligibility of a Member to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) in accordance with otherwise applicable law. Allows Members covered by such exclusion, within 90 days after enactment of this Act, to elect to remain subject to CSRS or FERS, as the case may be.
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 · 16 November 2011
Grant Reform and New Transparency Act of 2011 or the GRANT Act - Establishes new standards for awarding federal grants. Requires executive agencies to use merit-based procedures in awarding grants and to conduct an evaluation of the ability of a prospective grantee to successfully carry out a grant before awarding it. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) upgrade any public website for finding federal grant opportunities so that such website serves as a central point of information for competitive grants, (2) issue and disseminate guidance to aid agencies in establishing merit-based selection procedures for grant programs and in identifying amounts of undisbursed funding remaining in grant accounts, and (3) submit a plan to improve the single audit process for auditing the financial statements and federal awards of a non-federal entity. Sets forth the information required to be included in the public grant website, including grant funds availability and grant award information. Requires agencies to explain to grant applicants the basis for award decisions involving grants exceeding $100,000.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2011
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2011 or the ABLE Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts to assist an individual with a disability in building an account to pay for qualified disability expenses. Defines "qualified disability expenses" to include expenses for education, a primary residence, transportation, obtaining and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Treats a qualified ABLE program and an ABLE account in the same manner as a qualified tuition program for income tax purposes (i.e., allowing a tax exemption for such program and an exclusion from gross income of amounts attributable to a contributor to or a beneficiary of a program account). Defines "qualified ABLE program" as a program established and maintained by a state agency under which a person may make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses. Requires amounts in ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. Suspends the payment of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to an individual during any period in which such individual has excess resources attributable to an ABLE account.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2011
Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act - Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior, before December 31, 2013, from issuing or approving any proposed or final regulation under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 that would: (1) adversely impact employment in coal mines in the United States; (2) cause a reduction in revenue received by the federal government or any state, tribal, or local government, by reducing through regulation the amount of coal in the United States that is available for mining; (3) reduce the amount of coal available for domestic consumption or for export; (4) designate any area as unsuitable for surface coal mining and reclamation operations; or (5) expose the United States to liability for taking the value of privately owned coal through regulation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2011
Energy Security and Transportation Jobs Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make available for leasing and to conduct lease sales including: (1) at least 50% of the available unleased acreage within each outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning area considered to have the largest undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources (on a total btu basis) based upon the most recent national geologic assessment of the OCS, with an emphasis on offering the most geologically prospective parts of the planning area; and (2) any state subdivision of an OCS planning area that the Governor of such state requests be made available for leasing. Directs the Secretary, in the 2012-2017 5-year oil and gas leasing program, to make available for leasing OCS planning areas that: (1) are estimated to contain more than 2.5 billion barrels of oil; or (2) are estimated to contain more than 7.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Directs the Secretary, in developing a 5-year oil and gas leasing program, to determine a domestic strategic production goal for the development of oil and natural gas. Makes the production goal for the 2012-2017 5-year oil and gas leasing program an increase by 2027 in daily production of at least: (1) 3 million barrels of oil, and (2) 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Directs the Secretary to conduct proposed offshore oil and gas Lease Sales 216 and 222 (in the central Gulf of Mexico) and Lease Sale 220 (on the OCS offshore Virginia). Authorizes the Secretary to hold additional lease sales for areas with the greatest potential for new oil and gas development as a result of local support, new seismic findings, or nomination by interested persons. Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 to repeal the moratorium upon oil and gas leasing, or preleasing, or any related activity in: (1) any area east of the Military Mission Line in the Gulf of Mexico; (2) any area in the Eastern Planning Area that is within 125 miles of the Florida coastline; or (3) specified areas within the Central Planning Area and within 100 miles of the Florida coastline. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to include within the OCS any submerged lands lying within the United States exclusive economic zone and the Continental Shelf adjacent to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, or other territories of the United States. Prescribes requirements for the disposition of new leasing revenues among coastal states.
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 · 4 November 2011
Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue orders applicable to manufacturers of concrete masonry products (concrete) and to concrete importers, if such imports are subject assessment under the orders. Requires any such order to provide for the establishment of a Concrete Masonry Products Board, which shall carry out a program of promotion, research, and information regarding concrete products. Requires any such order to provide that assessments shall be paid by concrete manufacturers with respect to concrete manufactured and marketed in the United States. Allows any such order to provide that assessments shall be paid by concrete products importers. Provides assessment rates. Requires at least 50% of the assessments paid by a manufacturer to be used to support research, education, and promotion plans and projects in support of the geographic region of the manufacturer. Directs the Secretary, during the 60-day period preceding the proposed effective date of an order, to conduct a referendum for order approval among the manufacturers and importers required to pay assessments under the order. Outlines referendum procedures. Provides for petition and review of an order, and order enforcement through U.S. district courts. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct appropriate investigations in order to administer this Act (with power of subpoena). Directs the Secretary to suspend or terminate any order or provision that obstructs or does not tend to effectuate the purposes of this Act, or that is not favored by persons voting in a referendum.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2011
Growing Jobs Through Capital Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset from gross income for income tax purposes. Terminates such tax exclusion two years after the enactment of this Act.
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 · 26 October 2011
Government Results Transparency Act - Requires the head of each federal agency to submit to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (RATB) all information concerning the agency's programs, priority goals, and results for publication online by RATB in its original format. Requires RATB to: (1) publish for each fiscal year the amount spent for each program identified by an agency and performance information for such program; (2) designate, by rule, common data elements (i.e., codes, identifiers, and fields) for information required to be reported by agencies; and (3) designate data reporting standards to govern agency reporting requirements.
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
Marketplace Equity Act of 2011 - Authorizes states to require all sellers making remote sales to collect and remit sales and use taxes with respect to such sales into the state, without regard to the location of the seller, if such states implement a simplified system for administration of sales and use tax collection for remote sellers. Requires such a system to include, at a minimum: (1) an exception for remote sellers with gross annual receipts in the preceding calendar year from remote sales not exceeding $1 million in the United States or not exceeding $100,000 in the state, (2) a single sales and use tax return for use by remote sellers and a single revenue authority within the state with which remote sellers are required to file a tax return, and (3) a uniform tax base throughout the state. Defines "remote sale" as a sale of goods or services attributed to a state with respect to which a seller does not have adequate physical presence to establish a nexus so as to allow such state to require such seller to collect and remit taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
Stop the Regulation Invasion Please Act of 2011 or STRIP Act of 2011 - Imposes a moratorium on federal agencies taking any regulatory rulemaking action beginning on the day after the enactment of this Act and ending on the later of the date that is: (1) 14 days after the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) publishes a report on a review of rules, or (2) 2 years after the enactment of this Act. Requires the OMB Director to: (1) conduct a review of each rule that became effective after October 1, 1991, and that is in effect as of the enactment date of this Act, and (2) report on the estimated total annual costs and benefits of each rule and recommend whether it should continue or how it should be reformed. Repeals all such rules one year after the enactment of this Act unless specifically authorized by law and enacted after the date of enactment of this Act. Sets forth exceptions for certain rulemaking actions and rules, including those necessary because of an imminent threat to health or safety or other emergency, for the enforcement of criminal laws, or to establish or enforce statutory rights against discrimination. Requires each federal agency head to designate a Regulatory Review Officer to testify before Congress on any request to prevent the repeal of a rule under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2011
Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2012 - Directs the President to establish: (1) goals, performance, and evaluation guidelines for U.S. foreign assistance programs, country assistance plans, and international and multilateral assistance programs; and (2) a website to make publicly available information on U.S. foreign assistance programs.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2011
Education for Tomorrow's Jobs Act - Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require local educational agencies receiving subgrants under part A to describe how they will establish and carry out a school improvement program, including how they will: create a network of schools or programs of study that integrate a rigorous curriculum emphasizing college and career readiness, and wraparound support services; use school-level strategies to personalize students' educational experience; demonstrate their capacity to implement and sustain their program; involve institutions of higher education, employers, community-based organizations, parent organizations, and other stakeholders in the school improvement process; provide school staff and other stakeholders with high-quality training and technical assistance; facilitate student transitions from secondary schools that do not award diplomas to secondary schools that do, and from the latter to postsecondary education; enable their program through policies that may include budgeting, governance, curriculum, and scheduling autonomies; place students, when possible, in a school or program of study that the student or their parents choose; assure that students are able to fully participate in their school or program of study and are not placed in a school or program of study on the basis of their prior academic achievement or status as a poor, minority, disabled, or limited English proficient student; and arrange for an ongoing and rigorous evaluation of their program, and disseminate best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2011
Heartbeat Informed Consent Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require abortion providers to perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman, display the ultrasound images so that the she may view them, and provide a medical description of the ultrasound images of the unborn child's cardiac activity, if present and viewable. Requires the ultrasound to be performed before the woman gives informed consent for an abortion. Requires an abortion provider to make the embryonic or fetal heartbeat audible for the pregnant woman to hear prior to the woman giving informed consent to an abortion if the pregnancy is at least eight weeks after fertilization. Exempts an abortion provider if the abortion is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself. Requires a certification in such cases. Subjects an abortion provider who knowingly or recklessly fails to comply with this Act to civil penalties and notification of the appropriate state medical licensing authority. Gives standing to file a civil action for violations of this Act to the Attorney General or a woman upon whom an abortion has been performed in violation of this Act or the parent or legal guardian of such a woman if she is an unemancipated minor.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2011
Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from forbearing from requirements specified in the Communications Act of 1934 with respect to the designation of eligible telecommunications carriers (ETC) to receive support under the universal service support program. Directs the FCC, within 120 days, to suspend ETC designations received through forbearance of such requirements. Requires an eligible ETC, in advertising the availability of services supported by federal universal service support mechanisms, to specify that the service charges are more than zero. Requires that: (1) the amount collected to support such universal service each year be the same amount collected for FY2011, and (2) $500 million from such amount be transferred annually to the general fund of the Treasury and be unavailable for obligation or expenditure. Directs the FCC to complete a rulemaking with respect to programs that provide universal service support to low income consumers (commonly known as the Lifeline and Link-up programs) to: (1) ensure that service is supported for only one telephone connection per household regardless of whether the telephone is provided through landline or commercial mobile service, (2) identify and prevent duplicate reimbursements, (3) require ETCs to implement a 60-day inactivity policy for commercial mobile services, and (4) guide the Universal Service Administrative Company on the recovery of improper payments.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2011
Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to revise requirements for determination by the National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) of an appropriate bargaining unit before an election of collective bargaining representation. (In effect reverses the NLRB's August 26, 2011, decision in Specialty Healthcare and Rehabilitation of Mobile and its June 22, 2011, rulemaking regarding proposed changes to procedures involving the election of collective bargaining representation.) Replaces the current restriction in the meaning of collective bargaining unit to employer unit, craft unit, plant unit, or subdivision. Requires the NLRB, instead, to determine a unit as appropriate for collective bargaining if it consists of employees that share a sufficient community of interest. Specifies factors the NLRB must consider when making such determinations. Prohibits exclusion of employees from the unit unless the group's interest are sufficiently distinct from those of other employees to warrant the establishment of a separate unit. Requires the NLRB, upon due notice, to provide a hearing at least 14 days after the filing of an election petition for collective bargaining representation to investigate those petitions the NLRB has reasonable cause to believe have a question of representation affecting commerce. Requires such hearings be non-adversarial. Requires the NLRB to: (1) direct an election by secret ballot as soon as practicable, but in any event not before 35 calendar days following the filing of an election petition, in cases where a question of representation exists; and (2) acquire, at least 7 days after its final determination of the appropriate bargaining unit, a list of all eligible voters (including certain informational data) from the employer and make it available to all parties.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2011
Creating Hope Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise the priority review voucher program for tropical diseases to: (1) include rare pediatric diseases; (2) allow unlimited transfers of vouchers under the program; and (3) require a sponsor intending to use a voucher to notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) at least 90 days (currently, 365 days) before submission of the application. Revises provisions regarding the priority review user fee, including to make it payable upon notification of the Secretary of intent to use the voucher. Authorizes the Secretary, upon request of the manufacturer or sponsor of a new drug, to designate that a new drug is: (1) for a rare pediatric disease, and (2) an eligible treatment. Requires the Secretary to deem a rare pediatric disease product application to be incomplete if it does not contain a description of the sponsor's plan to market the product in the United States. Authorizes the Secretary to refuse to issue a priority review voucher upon the approval of a rare pediatric disease application if the Secretary finds that the sponsor lacks a good faith intention to market the product in the United States. Directs the Secretary to issue a guidance document setting forth the evidentiary support necessary to demonstrate such a good faith intention. Requires sponsors of applications under the priority review voucher program to report to the Secretary within five years after the approval of the application on the demand and distribution of the product within the United States.
![Official portrait of Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000376_200.jpg)