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![Official portrait of Rep. Boswell, Leonard L. [D-IA-3]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000652_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
2,379 records where Rep. Boswell, Leonard L. [D-IA-3] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
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 · 13 September 2011
Reestablishes the House of Representatives Page Program, effective with the first school semester that begins after the advisory panel described in this resolution submits its recommendations to the Committee on House Administration. Requires the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration, acting jointly, to appoint nine individuals to serve on an advisory panel to develop recommendations for the operation of such reestablished Page Program.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2011
BARR Preservation Act of 2011 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), upon request of a private aircraft owner or operator, to require that, with respect to that owner's or operator's noncommercial flights, the display of the owner's or operator's aircraft registration number is blocked in aircraft situational display data available to the public. Allows the Administrator, however, to make such information available to federal, state, or local government agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2011
Help Veterans Own Franchises Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business-related tax credit for 25% of a qualified franchise fee of up to $400,000 paid or incurred by a veteran for the purchase of a franchise. Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide information about the tax credit allowed by this Act to veterans service organizations and veteran advocacy groups.
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 · 7 September 2011
Emergency Medic Transition (EMT) Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to state emergency medical services offices or other state entities with jurisdiction over emergency medical personnel to provide for the expedited training and licensing, as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), of veterans who received training as EMTs while serving in the Armed Forces. Directs an eligible entity to give priority to providing training to individuals who will serve as EMTs in areas that provide a high volume of emergency medical services and trauma care.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2011
Expresses support for the designation of National Chiropractic Health Month.
United States · United States Congress · 2 September 2011
Job Creation and Economic Growth Act - Amends the Budget Control Act of 2011 to redesignate the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction as the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, Job Creation, and Economic Growth. Adds as a goal of the joint committee spurring economic growth and restoring the nation's workforce to full employment over the period of FY2012 and FY2013. Revises the duties of the joint committee to require it to make recommendations that will significantly improve U.S. short-term and long-term employment levels and spur economic growth. Requires the joint committee, by November 23, 2011, to vote on proposed legislative language to carry out joint committee recommendations with respect to job creation measures, including a statement of job creation achieved by such legislation. Increases the number of members of the joint committee from 12 to 16. Directs the joint committee to appoint some of its members to a special subcommittee to make recommendations on measures to spur economic growth and restore the nation's workforce to full employment over the period of FY2012 and FY2013. Prescribes procedures for expedited congressional consideration of proposed joint committee job creation legislative language.
United States · United States Congress · 2 September 2011
Job Creation and Economic Growth Act - Amends the Budget Control Act of 2011 to redesignate the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction as the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, Job Creation, and Economic Growth. Adds as a goal of the joint committee spurring economic growth and restoring the nation's workforce to full employment over the period of FY2012 and FY2013. Revises the duties of the joint committee to require it to make recommendations that will significantly improve U.S. short-term and long-term employment levels and spur economic growth. Requires the joint committee, by November 23, 2011, to vote on: (1) a report containing joint committee findings, conclusions, and recommendations with respect to economic growth and job creation and Congressional Budget Office (CBO) costs estimates of proposed job creation legislation; and (2) proposed legislative language to carry out such recommendations. Prescribes procedures for expedited congressional consideration of proposed joint committee job creation legislative language.
United States · United States Congress · 2 September 2011
Joint Select Committee on Job Creation Act of 2011 - Establishes the Joint Select Committee on Job Creation, whose goal shall be to restore the nation's workforce to full employment over FY2012 and FY2013. Requires the joint committee to provide recommendations and legislative language that will significantly improve the short-term and long-term employment levels in the United States. Prescribes legislative procedures for consideration in both chambers of the Joint Committee's recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 August 2011
Combat Veterans Back to Work Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow nongovernmental employers an exemption from, or reduction in, employment taxes for the period beginning after the enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 2012, for wages paid to a qualified individual; and (2) allow an employer a business tax credit for each such worker retained by such employer who has been employed for not less than 52 consecutive weeks at a specified wage level. Defines a "qualified individual" as any individual who: (1) begins employment after June 30, 2011, and before January 1, 2013; (2) is a current member of the National Guard or a reserve component; (3) within 18 months before beginning such employment, returned from a deployment of at least 180 days in support of a contingency operation; and (4) has not been hired to replace another employee unless such other employee separated from employment voluntarily or for cause.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2011
Continuum of Learning Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to coordinate school improvement and professional development activities with early childhood development and education programs. Amends the school improvement program under part A of title I of the ESEA to require states to create or revise early learning guidelines for preschool age children and early learning standards for children in kindergarten through grade three. Requires the guidelines and standards to be developmentally appropriate and cover all domains of child development and learning. Requires states to encourage local educational agencies (LEAs) and elementary schools to use school improvement funds to offer early childhood education programs from birth to school entry. Requires LEAs to: (1) assist their elementary schools in conducting a ready school needs review, at least once every three years, that is used to create a school environment that supports children's transition to school and achievement of state and grade level expectations; (2) ensure, to the extent feasible, starting with the 2015-2016 school year, that teachers placed in the early elementary school grades have a specialized early childhood education teaching license, credential, or endorsement; and (3) work with early childhood education programs to establish a continuity of curricular objectives and developmental expectations that support children's transition to school. Limits the use of child assessments for children from birth through grade two. Amends part A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund) of title II of the ESEA to require states to incorporate knowledge regarding early childhood development and learning into teacher and principal certification or licensing requirements. Requires professional development activities to include: (1) training in early child development and learning, and (2) joint training for elementary school staff and early childhood education program staff.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to designate one city in the United States each year as an "American World War II City" based on: (1) contributions to the war effort during World War II; and (2) efforts to preserve the history of such contributions, including preservation organizations or museums, restoration of World War II facilities, and recognition of World War II veterans. Designates Wilmington, North Carolina, as the first such city.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Cancer Drug Coverage Parity Act of 2011 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group or individual health plan providing benefits for intravenously administered or injected anticancer medications to provide no less favorable coverage for prescribed, orally administered anticancer medication that is used to kill or slow the growth of cancerous cells and that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Applies such requirement to medication that is prescribed based on a finding by the treating physician that the medication is: (1) medically necessary for the purpose of killing or slowing the growth of cancerous cells in accordance with nationally accepted standards of medical practice; (2) clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration; and (3) not primarily for the convenience of the patient, physician, or other health care provider. Permits such coverage to be subject to the same cost-sharing applicable to intravenously administered or injected anticancer medications under the plan. Prohibits a health plan from imposing an increase in out-of-pocket costs, or reclassifying benefits, with respect to anticancer medications. Requires a plan to provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act. Prohibits a health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to assess how closing the Medicare part D donut hole affects Medicare coverage for orally administered anticancer medications, with a particular focus on cost and accessibility.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Medicare Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to recognize state-licensed or -registered health care professionals who are certified diabetes educators in an outpatient setting as authorized providers of Medicare diabetes outpatient self-management training services, including as part of telehealth services, under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Directs the Comptroller General to study the barriers that exist for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes in accessing diabetes self-management training services under the Medicare program. Directs the Director of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a series of recommendations on effective outreach methods to educate primary care physicians and the public about the benefits of diabetes self-management training.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Health IT Modernization for Underserved Communities Act of 2011 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to extend to physician assistants eligibility for Medicaid electronic health record incentive payments, regardless of whether or not such physician assistants practice at a rural health center or federally qualified health center.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Expresses support for the designation of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Encourages people across the United States to support programs to assist those in need of adult education and family literacy programs. Requests that the President issue a proclamation recognizing the importance of adult education and family literacy programs, calling upon the federal government, states, localities, schools, libraries, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, consumer advocates, institutions of higher education, labor unions, and businesses to support increased access to adult education and family literacy programs to ensure a literate society.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2011
Trisomy 21 Research Centers of Excellence of 2011- Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to expand and intensify NIH programs with respect to research and related activities concerning Down syndrome. Requires the Director of NIH to publish a research plan on Down syndrome and update it every five years or as appropriate. Requires the Director of NIH to award grants and contracts to public or nonprofit private entities to pay all or part of the cost of planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic operating support for centers of excellence regarding translational research on Down syndrome. Sets forth requirements for such centers, which shall include: (1) contributing to a comprehensive research portfolio for Down syndrome, (2) having a primary focus on Down syndrome, (3) providing an optimal venue and infrastructure for patient-oriented research, and (4) conducting basic, clinical, and translational research on Down syndrome in specified areas. Authorizes the Director of NIH to establish a Down Syndrome Consortium to facilitate the exchange of information and to make the research effort on Down syndrome more efficient and effective.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2011
P.E. for the 21st Century Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to local educational agencies and charter schools to improve physical fitness education and curricula in elementary and secondary schools. Requires each grantee to carry out a pilot program for one school year that: (1) makes technology a key component of assessing students' physical fitness and improvement; (2) creates partnerships with local businesses to ensure community support for the program, and their financial and professional assistance; and (3) incorporates physical fitness education (in addition to regular physical fitness education classes) into multiple areas of the curriculum. Limits such grants to one grantee in each state.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2011
Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Reauthorization Act or the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities with respect to research on the causes of preterm labor and delivery, tools to detect, prevent, or reduce prevalence of preterm labor and delivery, and the care and treatment of preterm infants. Establishes within NIH a multicenter clinical program to investigate problems in clinical obstetrics, improve the care and outcomes of neonates, and enhance the understanding of DNA and proteins as they relate to the underlying processes that lead to preterm birth. Requires the Director to award grants for planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic operating support for transdisciplinary research centers for prematurity. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Surgeon General, to establish and implement a national science-based provider and consumer education campaign on promoting healthy pregnancies and preventing preterm birth. Reauthorizes provisions related to research on prematurity and preterm births and sets forth specific areas for such research. Requires the Director of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to award grants to establish demonstration projects for: (1) obstetrical services for high risk women of child bearing age remotely using telehealth; and (2) educational activities regarding risk factors for preterm birth. Expands a demonstration project to inform health care providers and the public and improve treatment and outcome for babies born preterm. Requires the Secretary to establish the Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality. Requires a study on hospital readmissions of preterm births.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2011
Condemns the terrorist attacks in Oslo and Utoya, Norway, on July 22, 2011, and expresses condolences to the families and friends of those individuals who were killed or injured in the attacks. Reaffirms the joint mission of the United States and Norway to seek peace and reconciliation around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2011
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that it should give strong consideration to the role of science education in the educational accountability system as it works to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to impose restrictions on foreign jurisdictions or financial institutions operating in the United States that are of prime money laundering concern or that impede U.S. tax enforcement. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a rebuttable presumption against the validity of transactions by institutions that do not comply with reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), (2) treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for tax purposes, (3) require tax withholding agents and financial institutions to report certain information about beneficial owners of foreign-owned financial accounts, (4) treat credit default swap payments sent offshore as taxable U.S. source income, (5) allow the use of tax return information to evaluate foreign financial account reports, (6) increase penalties for promoting abusive tax shelters and for aiding and abetting the understatement of tax liability, (7) prohibit tax advisor contingent fee agreements for obtaining a tax savings or benefit, and (8) impose additional requirements for third party summonses used to obtain information in tax investigations that do not identify the person with respect to whose liability the summons is issued (i.e., John Doe summons). Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to: (1) require corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report annually, on a country-by country basis, on employees, sales, financing, tax obligations, and tax payments; and (2) authorize a fine of up to $1 million for failure to disclose any holding or transaction involving equity or debt instruments known to involve a foreign entity that would otherwise be subject to disclosure requirements. Requires the Secretary to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register requiring unregistered investment companies, including hedge funds or private equity funds, to establish anti-money laundering programs and submit suspicious activity reports. Extends anti-money laundering requirements to persons engaged in the business of forming new businesses or other legal entities. Requires federal banking agencies and the SEC to develop examination techniques to detect and prevent abusive tax shelter activities or the aiding or abetting of tax evasion by financial institutions. Requires the Secretary to: (1) disclose tax return information to federal financial regulators for purposes of tax shelter investigations; (2) disclose to Congress documents relating to a determination to grant, deny, revoke, or restore the tax-exempt status of an organization; and (3) expand the standards applicable to tax practitioners for issuing written advice on transactions which have a potential for tax avoidance or evasion.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
Farming Flexibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to consider mung beans and pulse crops as covered commodities whose planting on base acres is prohibited unless the commodity, if planted, is destroyed before harvest. Provides that: (1) as of crop year 2012 producers on a farm may reduce the base acres for any covered commodity for a crop year by one acre for each acre used for the production of fruits or vegetables (other than potatoes) for processing; (2) such acres devoted to fruits or vegetables shall be included in base acres for the covered commodity for the subsequent crop year unless the producers on the farm make the election to produce fruits and vegetables for the subsequent crop year; and (3) if a farm's base acres are recalculated the production of fruits or vegetables shall be considered to be the same as the planting, prevented planting, or production of a covered commodity. Requires producers to: (1) demonstrate that they have entered into a contract to produce a fruit or vegetable crop for processing, (2) produce such crop as part of a crop rotation program to achieve agronomic and pest and disease management benefits, and (3) provide evidence of the crop's disposition.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
America Pays Its Bills Act of 2011 - Increases the statutory limit on the public debt from $14.294 trillion to $16.7 trillion.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2011
Aviation Jobs and Safety Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through September 30, 2011, increased excise taxes on aviation fuels, the excise tax on air transportation of persons and property, and the expenditure authority for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. Extends through September 30, 2011: (1) the authorization of appropriations for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning projects (known as airport improvement projects [AIPs]), and (2) the authority of the Secretary of Transportation to make new AIP grants. Extends until October 1, 2011: (1) the pilot program for passenger facility fee authorizations at non-hub airports, and (2) disclosure requirements for large and medium hub airports applying for AIP grants. Directs the Secretary to extend through September 30, 2011, the termination date of insurance coverage for domestic or foreign-flag aircraft. Grants the Secretary discretionary authority to further extend such coverage through December 31, 2011. Extends through December 31, 2011, the authority of the Secretary to limit air carrier liability for claims arising out of acts of terrorism. Extends through September 30, 2011: (1) grant eligibility for airports located in the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau; (2) grants to state and local governments for land use compatibility AIPs; and (3) authority for approving an application of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for an airport development grant or for permission to impose a passenger facility fee. Amends the Vision 100 - Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act to extend through September 30, 2011: (1) the temporary increase to 95% of the federal government's share of certain AIP costs, and (2) funding for airport development at Midway Island Airport.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2011
Stop Pay for Members Act - Prohibits the liquidation of the obligation to pay basic pay of Members of Congress, if the U.S. public debt reaches the public debt limit, until: (1) all other obligations of the U.S. government then due have been liquidated; or (2) if earlier, the ability of the U.S. Treasury to liquidate the such obligations in timely manner is restored, whether by an increase in the public debt limit or otherwise. Declares that each Member of Congress consents and agrees that payment of basic pay in accordance with this Act shall constitute a full and complete discharge and acquittance of all claims and demands for service as such a Member during the period covered by the payment.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2011
Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of State to provide assistance to address the health care needs of covered individuals. Defines a "covered individual" as an individual who is: (1) a resident of Vietnam, and (2) affected by health issues related to exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam era. Requires such assistance to include assistance to: (1) institutions in Vietnam that provide health care to such individuals, (2) repair and rebuild substandard homes in Vietnam, (3) remediate areas in Vietnam that continue to contain high levels of contaminants, and (4) support research relating to health issues of covered individuals. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish at least two regional medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) designed to address the medical needs of descendants of Vietnam era veterans, (2) make grants to appropriate public health organizations and Vietnamese-American organizations to conduct a broad health assessment of Vietnamese-Americans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange and their children, and (3) ensure that the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study is expanded to include a mortality and morbidity study examining the health outcomes of Vietnam veterans. Defines a "victim" as any individual who is a Vietnamese national, Vietnamese-American, or U.S. veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange, or the progeny of such an individual, and who has a disease or disability associated with this exposure.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2011
Universal College Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit up to $5,000 annually for the qualified tuition and related expenses of an individual taxpayer, a taxpayer's spouse, or dependents for instruction at an institution of higher education. Allows such credit for four years of undergraduate education expenses and six years of graduate or professional education expenses. Excludes expenses for courses involving sports, games, or hobbies (unless part of a degree program) and expenses unrelated to an academic program (e.g., student activity fees, athletic fees, or insurance expenses).
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2011
Designates room HVC 215 of the Capitol Visitor Center as the "Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room."
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2011
National Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury Plan Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make a payment for each fiscal year from FY2012-FY2018 to the State Lead Center in each state for implementation of the National Acquired Brain Injury Plan, as developed by the International Advisory Board of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2011
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health regarding the manner in which they can: (1) ensure interagency coordination and communication and minimize overlap regarding efforts to address tick-borne diseases; (2) identify opportunities to coordinate efforts with other federal agencies and private organizations addressing such diseases; (3) ensure interagency coordination and communication with constituency groups; (4) ensure that a broad spectrum of scientific viewpoints is represented in public health policy decisions and that information disseminated to the public and physicians is balanced; and (5) advise relevant federal agencies on priorities related to Lyme and tick-borne diseases.
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 · 12 July 2011
Equal Access and Parity for Multi-Campus Hospitals Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), with respect to payments to hospitals for inpatient hospital services, to prescribe a special rule for applying Medicare electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments, at the election of a qualified main hospital, to its remote inpatient locations. Prohibits administrative or judicial review of: (1) the methodology and standards for determining a remote inpatient location, a qualified remote inpatient location, a component facility, a qualified component facility, a main provider, and a qualified main provider, and which such locations, facilities, and providers are qualified; and (2) the methodology and standards for the election in connection with such special rule. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to set forth a special rule for applying Medicaid EHR incentive payments, at the election of a qualified main hospital, to its remote locations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2011
Lymphedema Diagnosis and Treatment Cost Savings Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend coverage to lymphedema diagnosis and treatment services. including lymphedema compression treatment items.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2011
Safe Roads Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a national clearinghouse for verified positive alcohol and controlled substance test results and test refusals as well as violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) alcohol and controlled substances regulations of commercial motor vehicle operators. Prohibits the release of clearinghouse information to a commercial motor carrier employer unless there has been compliance with all applicable federal privacy laws and regulations. Authorizes the Secretary to collect fees from such employers and other authorized users for informational requests. Prohibits an employer from hiring an individual to operate a commercial motor vehicle unless the employer has determined that the individual, for the preceding three-year period, has: (1) been tested for use of alcohol and controlled substances; (2) not tested positive for their use, or tested positive but has completed the return-to-duty process; (3) not refused to be tested; and (4) not violated FMCSA alcohol and controlled substances regulations. Directs the Secretary to establish a process: (1) to require employers to request and review any clearinghouse records of individuals before their employment as a commercial motor vehicle operator and for each year thereafter as long as the individual is so employed; and (2) for an individual and a state licensing authority to request and receive information from the clearinghouse. Subjects persons who violate the requirements of this Act to both civil and criminal penalties. Requires the Secretary to take certain actions to enhance DOT oversight of testing sites.
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 · 6 July 2011
National Future Farmers of America Commemorative Coin Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold and silver coins in commemoration of the National Future Farmers of America Organization and the 85th anniversary of such Organization. Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one year period, beginning on January 1, 2014. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $25 per gold coin and $10 per silver coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National FFA Foundation in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the creation of an endowment to enhance and expand programs that encourage the development of leadership skills, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education and the Future Farmers of America.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011
Protecting America's Roads Act or PARA - Prohibits the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), unless expressly authorized by Congress, from granting authority to Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate beyond U.S. municipalities and commercial zones on the U.S.-Mexico border except under a pilot program meeting certain requirements, including that: (1) it not exceed a period of three years, (2) it be carried out for period sufficient to generate statistically valid findings on the safety impacts of the pilot program, and (3) certain other program requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to permit the establishment of Job Corps centers in outlying areas (U.S. territories).
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
Highways Bettering the Economy and Environment Act - Authorizes as an eligible project cost for the construction of a federal-aid highway the cost of improving habitat for pollinators (i.e. bees, birds, bats, and butterflies) on rights-of-way adjacent to such highways. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), in conjunction with the states, to carry out programs that encourage: (1) integrated vegetation management practices on roadsides and other transportation rights-of-ways, including reduced mowing; (2) the development of habitat for pollinators through planting of native forbs and grasses; and (3) research and demonstration projects on economic and environmental benefits and best practices for integrated vegetation management, reduced mowing, and planting of native forbs and grasses for pollinator habitat. Authorizes the use of federal funds for the provision of habitat for pollinators that is related to a federally-funded transportation project.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions allowing a tax exclusion for benefits paid to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical providers by states and local government by: (1) increasing the amount of benefits excludible, and (2) extending such tax exclusion through 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Fishery Science Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 to postpone from fishing year 2011 to 2014 the effective date upon which a mechanism for specifying annual catch limits and accountability measures for fisheries other than those determined by the Secretary of Commerce to be subject to overfishing must be established in fishery management plans prepared by any Regional Fishery Management Council or the Secretary, implementing regulations, or annual specifications. Makes the catch limit mechanism, for all fisheries, inapplicable to a fishery for any stock of fish: (1) for which a peer reviewed stock survey and stock assessment have not been performed during the five-year period before enactment of this Act and for which the Secretary determines overfishing is not occurring, and (2) that is an ecosystem stock. Defines "ecosystem stock" as a stock of fish determined by the Secretary to be a nontarget stock that is not overfished or likely to become overfished. Requires the Secretary, within 270 days after determining that a fishery is overfished, to perform a stock survey and stock assessment of each of the overfished stocks in the fishery and transmit the assessment to the appropriate Council.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Caring for Military Kids with Autism Act - Requires the autism spectrum disorder treatment authorized for dependents in uniformed services facilities under TRICARE (a Department of Defense [DOD] managed health care system) to include behavioral health treatment, including applied behavior analysis, when prescribed by a physician.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits denying or abridging equality of rights under the law by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
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
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services. Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner, (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law, (3) a certified nurse-midwife, or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Preserving Access to Life-Saving Medications Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the manufacturer of a prescription drug marketed in interstate commerce to notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) of a discontinuance or interruption in the manufacture of such drug. Requires the notification to be submitted six months prior to the date of a discontinuance or interruption, if possible. Allows the reduction of the notification period if the manufacturer certifies to the Secretary that good cause exists for the reduction. Authorizes the Secretary to reduce the notification period based on the type of discontinuance or interruption at issue or any other factor. Treats any information provided to the Secretary under this Act as a trade secret or confidential information. Establishes civil monetary penalties for violations. Requires the Secretary to publish on the website of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and distribute to the appropriate health care providers and patient organizations information on discontinuances, interruptions, and drug shortages. Requires the Secretary to notify a manufacturer of: (1) any determination by the Secretary that a drug may be vulnerable to a drug shortage, and (2) the Secretary's duty to collaborate to improve continuity of supply. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring a manufacturer to: (1) manufacture a drug in the event of a discontinuance or interruption, or (2) delay or alter a discontinuance or interruption. Declares that no provision of federal law shall be construed to prohibit a manufacturer from, or penalize a manufacturer for, allocating distribution of its products in order to manage an actual or potential drug shortage. Requires the Comptroller General to examine issues related to drug shortages.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make matching demonstration grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) in which the student-to-school nurse ratio in each of their public elementary and secondary schools is 750 or more students to every school nurse to reduce such ratio. Gives grant priority to LEAs that serve a high number or percentage of impoverished students and demonstrate the greatest need for new or additional nursing services for their students.