United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to increase from $200 to $1,000 the aggregate retail value of articles that may be imported duty-free into the United States by one person on one day. Changes from a maximum of $2,500 to a minimum of $2,500 the threshold aggregate value of a shipment of merchandise for the declaration and entry of which the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to prescribe rules and regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Combating Dangerous Synthetic Stimulants Act of 2011 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to include as a Schedule I controlled substance any material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains 4-methylmethcathinone (Mephedrone) or 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) or their salts, isomers, or salts of isomers.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Assets for Independence Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Assets for Independence Act, which provides for demonstration projects designed to provide individuals and families of limited means with an incentive to save a portion of their earned income and thereby accumulate assets, increase their economic self-sufficiency, and stabilize such families and the communities in which they live. Expresses the sense of Congress that a qualified entity conducting a demonstration project under the Act should, to the maximum extent practicable, increase: (1) the rate at which it matches contributions by participating individuals, or (2) the number of such participating individuals. States that multiple households may share a single residence. Specifies public housing agencies and tribally designated housing entities as entities qualified to participate in a demonstration project. Repeals the requirement that state or local government or other public agencies apply jointly with a tax-exempt not-for-profit charitable organization or collaborate with certain kinds of local community-based organizations. Includes among postsecondary educational expenses any expenses for preparatory courses, room and board, and transportation. Revises requirements for: (1) applications for new and renewals of existing projects; (2) limitations on uses of the Reserve Fund; and (3) the adjusted gross household income eligibility test, requiring regulations for transfers from one project to another for individuals who move because of major disasters or emergencies, to find employment, or to a community where no project is available. Revises requirements for deposits by qualified entities in the individual development accounts (IDAs) of participating individuals to: (1) increase maximum deposits per individual and per household; (2) facilitate withdrawal of funds from an IDA, with formal approval, during the year following the end of a demonstration project; and (3) require disposal of funds remaining in an IDA at the end of that year. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of Community Services, to make every effort, 90 days after terminating the authority of one qualified entity to operate a demonstration project, to identify another qualified entity (or entities), in the same or a different community, willing and able to conduct one or more demonstration projects. Specifies criteria for giving priority consideration to candidate entities. Revises requirements for contracting with independent research organizations to evaluate demonstration projects. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) use certain funds to cover the necessary costs of training for a qualified entity conducting a demonstration project, including costs of travel, accommodations, and meals; and (2) waive any requirement of the Act in certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Family Cord Blood Banking Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat the cost of private umbilical cord blood banking services as a medical care expense for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Right to Rent Act of 2011 - Grants eligible mortgagors subject to foreclosure proceedings the right to continue to occupy foreclosed properties subject to the payment of fair market rent for a period of five years that begins upon the commencement of occupancy of such property. Instructs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to: (1) monitor compliance with this Act, (2) provide assistance to eligible mortgagors in exercising their rights under this Act, and (3) conduct outreach activities to inform eligible mortgagors of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the cap on outpatient physical therapy, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy services of the type furnished by a physician or as an incident to physicians' services.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Makes such defense inapplicable where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner [ sic ] of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2011
Preserving Homes and Communities Act of 2011 - Prohibits a covered mortgagee from initiating either a nonjudicial or a judicial foreclosure, otherwise authorized under state law, against a covered mortgagor unless the mortgagee: (1) has used its best efforts to determine whether the mortgagor is eligible for a qualified loan modification, and to offer one if this is the case; and (2) has made certain documentation available to an ineligible mortgagor regarding a loan modification calculation or net present value calculation, the loan origination, any pooling and servicing agreement, the mortgagor's payment history, as well as specific alternatives to foreclosure, including qualified loan modifications, workout agreements, and short sales. Requires a covered mortgagee to use its best efforts to suspend any foreclosure proceeding initiated before enactment of this Act, and to toll any deadlines limiting the mortgagor's rights. Prohibits any sale of the property under the mortgage or the entry of judgment against the mortgagor. Requires the mortgagee to reevaluate an eligible mortgagee's application for a qualified loan modification and, if the mortgagor is eligible, offer one. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) to ensure that any home loan modification protocol includes a dispute resolution procedure. Declares any sale of property in violation of this Act void. Makes failure to comply with this Act a bar to foreclosure under state law. Prohibits loan modification fees and sets forth rules governing foreclosure-related fees. Directs the Secretary of HUD to: (1) establish a program to make competitive grants to state and local governments to establish mediation programs that assist mortgagors facing foreclosure, and (2) develop and implement a plan to monitor conditions and trends in home ownership and the mortgage industry and the effectiveness of public and private efforts to reduce mortgage defaults and foreclosures. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, out of funds received or to be received from the sale of warrants under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, to transfer and credit $1 billion to the Housing Trust Fund established under the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2011
William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act - Directs the Secretaries of the Army and the Navy to: (1) review the service records of certain Jewish-American World War I veterans to determine whether that veteran should be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor; and (2) upon a positive determination, submit a recommendation to the President that the President make such award. Makes eligible for such review and award each Jewish-American World War I veteran: (1) who was previously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or other military decoration for service during World War I; or (2) whose name is submitted to either Secretary by the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America within one year after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2011
Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act of 2011 - Requires the manufacturer of a motor vehicle sold, leased, or otherwise introduced into U.S. commerce to: (1) provide to the vehicle owner and service providers all information necessary to diagnose, service, maintain, or repair the vehicle; (2) offer for sale to the vehicle owner and service providers any related tool or equipment; and (3) provide the information that enables aftermarket tool companies to manufacture tools with the same functional characteristics. Exempts trade secrets, so long as the information is not disclosed to authorized dealers or service providers. Authorizes enforcement of this Act by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and civil actions by state attorneys general.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2011
National Black Clergy for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Director of the Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public health agencies and faith-based organizations to conduct HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and related outreach activities to reduce HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. Authorizes the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to make grants to: (1) public health agencies and faith-based organizations to conduct HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted disease outreach, prevention, and testing activities and substance abuse testing and mental health services targeted to the African-American community; and (2) faith- and community-based organizations to provide services to youth who are HIV positive or at risk for HIV/AIDS and who have run away from home, are homeless, or reside in a detention center or foster care. Authorizes the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to make grants to faith-based organizations for public health intervention and prevention activities in the African-American community to reduce HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis. Requires the Director of CDC to: (1) expand and intensify HIV/AIDS activities in African-American communities and educational activities targeting black women, youth, and men who have sex with men; (2) expand funding to build the capacity of African-American communities to respond to HIV/AIDS; and (3) implement a national media outreach campaign on getting tested. Authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research behavioral strategies to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. Authorizes the Director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities to make grants for the study of biological and behavioral factors that lead to increased HIV/AIDS prevalence in the African-American community and for behavioral and structural network research and interventions. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration to award grants for: (1) training health care providers in HIV/AIDS prevention and care, (2) developing policies for providing culturally relevant and sensitive treatment to individuals with HIV/AIDS, (3) HIV/AIDS telemedicine programs, (4) certification programs for providers in HIV/AIDS care, (5) establishment of comfort care centers for people with HIV/AIDS, and (6) incentive payments to health care providers to implement HIV/AIDS testing.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2011
Honor Our Fallen Heroes Act - Appropriates amounts to the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) during a funding gap impacting the Armed Forces to allow for the timely payment of death gratuities under specified code provisions addressing death benefits for deceased military personnel. Defines "funding gap" as any period during FY2011 for which interim or full-year appropriations (other than as provided by this Act) for the personnel accounts of the Armed Forces for that fiscal year have not been enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Small Business Lending Enhancement Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to prohibit an insured credit union from making any member business loan that would result in the total amount of such loans outstanding at that credit union at any one time exceeding either: (1) 1.75 times the actual net worth of the credit union, or (2) 12.25% of the total assets of the credit union. Authorizes the National Credit Union Administration Board to approve an application by an insured credit union to make one or more member business loans that would result in a total amount of such loans outstanding at any one time of up to 27.5 % of the total assets of the credit union, if the credit union meets specified safety and soundness criteria. Prohibits an insured credit union that has made such a member business loan but that is not well capitalized from making any new member business loans until it becomes well capitalized and obtains Board approval. Directs the Board to develop a tiered approval process, including lending standards, under which an insured credit union gradually increases the amount of member business lending in a manner that is consistent with safe and sound operations. Directs the Comptroller General to study the status of member business lending by insured credit unions.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Physical Therapist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include physical therapy within the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps. Makes physical therapists eligible for repayment of their educational loans in order to ensure an adequate supply of physical therapists.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Crime Victim Restitution and Court Fee Intercept Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the chief justice of the highest court of any state that wishes to collect past-due, legally enforceable state judicial debts to designate a single state entity to communicate judicial debt information to the Secretary of the Treasury. Directs the Secretary, upon receiving notice from such an entity that a named person owes a past-due, legally enforceable state judicial debt, to pay such debt from any tax refund due to such person. Defines "state judicial debt" to include court costs, fees, fines, assessments, restitution to victims of crime, and other monies resulting from a judgment or sentence rendered by any court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction handling criminal or traffic cases in the state.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement a comprehensive program to achieve a 50% reduction in the mortality rate of lung cancer by 2020. Requires the program to include initiatives throughout HHS, including: (1) a strategic review and prioritization by the National Cancer Institute of research grants; (2) the establishment by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of quality standards and guidelines for facilities that conduct computed tomography screening for lung cancer; and (3) the provision of funds to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a Lung Cancer Early Detection Program that provides low-income, uninsured, and underserved populations that are at high risk for lung cancer access to early detection services. Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to coordinate with the Secretary of HHS in implementing this Act and implementing coordinated care programs for military personnel and veterans diagnosed with lung cancer. Requires the Secretary of HHS to establish: (1) the Lung Cancer Computed Tomography Screening and Treatment Demonstration Project; and (2) the Lung Cancer Advisory Board to monitor the programs established under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2011
Clean Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
United States Postal Service Pension Obligation Recalculation and Restoration Act of 2011 - Prescribes the "average pay" and the appropriate percentage thereof to be used in determining annuities for civilian employment with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for purposes of provisions relating to future benefits attributable to such employment in order to calculate the amount of any USPS surplus or supplemental liability under the Civil Service Retirement System. Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM): (1) within six months after enactment of this Act, to determine (or, if applicable, redetermine) the amount of such surplus or liability as of the close of the most recently ending fiscal year using the methodology required under this Act; and (2) if the result is a surplus, to transfer the surplus amount to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund within 15 days after the determination of a surplus. Provides for an alternate determination of an USPS surplus or supplemental liability for FY2016-FY2020. Requires transfer of certain surplus postal retirement contributions in FY2011 to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund or the Employees' Compensation Fund under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA). Expresses the intent of Congress that this Act shall apply to allocations of past, present, and future benefit liabilities between the USPS and the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2011
Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act of 2011 - Authorizes the President to provide assistance to: (1) support the achievement of universal access to sexual and reproductive health in developing countries and to ensure that individuals and couples can freely and responsibly determine the number, timing, and spacing of their children and have the means to do so; (2) reduce the incidence of unsafe abortion in developing countries and provide care for women experiencing injury or illness from complications of unsafe abortion; (3) ensure that sexual and reproductive health services are provided in developing countries at every phase of a humanitarian emergency; and (4) ensure access to sexual and reproductive health care for young people in developing countries. Directs the President to implement a strategy to improve and create linkages among the various components of sexual and reproductive health to ensure that individual men and women are provided with a continuum of appropriate sexual and reproductive health services. States that assistance under this Act shall: (1) promote coordination between and among donors, the private sector, nongovernmental and civil society organizations, and governments in order to support sexual and reproductive health programs in developing countries; and (2) be used for the conduct of formative research and to monitor and evaluate program effectiveness.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2011
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) which apply such grants to their collegiate housing property.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2011
Recognizes the coordinated struggle of workers during the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike to voice their grievances and reach a collective agreement for rights in the workplace. Honors the perseverance of the 1,300 members of Local 1733 in urging social and economic equality in the workplace. Recognizes the contributions of all those unnamed who participated in the fight for justice during the strike.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
World War II Merchant Mariner Service Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to consider certain methods for verifying that an individual performed honorable service as a member of the merchant marine during the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on December 31, 1946, for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits under the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977. Requires such methods to include Social Security Administration (SSA) records and validated testimony in the case of the absence of Coast Guard shipping or discharge forms, ship logbooks, or other official employment records. Requires the Secretary to recognize masters of seagoing vessels or other command officers who were authorized to document an individual for purposes of hiring for the merchant marine or discharge therefrom, when determining whether to recognize service allegedly performed during such period.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Calls on Egypt to: (1) bring about the safe return of U.S. citizens Noor and Ramsay Bower to their father, Colin Bower, in the United States; and (2) stop using its security forces in aiding the continued unlawful retention of Noor and Ramsay Bower. Urges Egypt and all other nations to join and fully participate in the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and to establish procedures to address the tragedy of child abductions. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should: (1) urge other nations like Egypt to become parties to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, (2) take measures to ensure that Hague Convention partners and countries that are not Convention partners return abducted children to the United States, and (3) pursue criminal extradition of abducting parents where resolution of the abduction is not otherwise obtainable.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
National Women's History Museum Act of 2011 - Directs the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to convey, by quitclaim deed, to the National Women's History Museum, Inc. (the Museum) specified property in the District of Columbia, on terms which the Administrator deems appropriate. Requires the purchase price for the property to be: (1) its market value based on its highest and best use, as determined by an independent appraisal; and (2) paid into the Federal Buildings Fund. Requires the property to be dedicated for use as a site for a national women's history museum for a 99-year period. Provides for the reversion of the property to the United States without any obligation for repayment of any amount of the purchase price if: (1) it is not used as a site for a national women's history museum during the 99-year period, and (2) the Museum has not commenced construction of a museum facility on such property in a 5-year period other than for reasons beyond the Museum's control.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2011 - Establishes the U.S. Office for Native Hawaiian Relations within the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. Establishes the Native Hawaiian Interagency Coordinating Group. Recognizes the right of the qualified Native Hawaiian constituents to reorganize the single Native Hawaiian governing entity to provide for their common welfare and to adopt appropriate organic governing documents. Establishes a Commission to: (1) prepare and maintain a roll of such constituents, and (2) certify that individuals on the roll meet the definition of qualified Native Hawaiian. Outlines the process for the reorganization, which includes forming a Native Hawaiian Interim Governing Council. Reaffirms the special political and legal relationship between the United States and the Native Hawaiian people upon the Secretary's approval of the organic governing documents and the installation of officers elected to the Native Hawaiian governing entity. Extends federal recognition to the governing entity as the representative sovereign governing body of the Native Hawaiian people. Authorizes the United States, upon the reaffirmation of such political and legal relationship, together with the state of Hawaii, to enter into negotiations with the governing entity for an agreement addressing matters that include: (1) land, natural resource, and asset transfers; (2) governing powers and responsibilities; and (3) grievances. Prohibits Native Hawaiians or their governing entity from conducting gaming activities as a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority of federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act or the Small BREW Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the rate of the excise tax on beer produced within or imported into the United States for brewers who produce not more than 6 million barrels of beer a year.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Holocaust Rail Justice Act - Grants U.S. district courts original jurisdiction over any civil action for damages for personal injury or death that: (1) arose from the deportation of persons to Nazi concentration camps between January 1, 1942, and December 31, 1944; and (2) is brought by or on behalf of such person against a railroad that owned or operated the trains on which the persons were deported and that was organized as a separate legal entity. Declares that: (1) no law limiting the jurisdiction of the U.S. courts shall preclude any such action; and (2) no such action shall be barred because a statute of limitations has expired. Makes this Act applicable to any action pending on or commenced after January 1, 2002. Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress on the extent to which the public has access to records, including archived information, with respect to the deportation of such persons to Nazi concentration camps on such trains.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act - Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to prohibit U.S. courts from recognizing, enforcing, or otherwise validating any assertion of rights by an individual (under current law, by a designated Cuban national) of a mark, trade name, or commercial name that was used in connection with a business or assets that were confiscated by the Cuban government unless the original owner of such mark or name, or such owner's bona fide successor, has expressly consented. Applies such prohibition only if the individual asserting the rights knew or had reason to know at the time of acquiring the rights asserted that the mark or name was the same or substantially similar to the mark or name used in connection with the business or assets that were confiscated.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2011 - Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to provide that nothing in that Act shall modify, impair, or supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance. Applies prohibitions against using unfair methods of competition to the business of health insurance without regard to whether such business is carried on for profit. Prohibits class action lawsuits on any claim against an insurer for a violation of the McCarran-Ferguson Act, except suits by: (1) the United States or any state, or (2) named individual claimants for their particular injuries.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Fix HIT Act of 2011 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require direct Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments to federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2011
Respect for Marriage Act - Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse" to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2011
Freight is the Future Of Commerce in the United States Act of 2011 or Freight FOCUS Act of 2011 - Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) an Office of Freight Planning and Development, which shall be headed by an Assistant Secretary for Freight Planning and Development. Directs the Assistant Secretary to submit to Congress and publish on DOT's website a national freight plan for supporting freight movement for the next 20 years. Directs the Secretary to establish a Freight Advisory Committee. Directs the Assistant Secretary to: (1) establish a freight corridors of national significance program, and (2) designate such corridors. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to designate one entity to serve as a freight corridor coalition. Requires the freight corridor coalition to submit annually to the Assistant Secretary a freight corridor plan that includes, among other things, a prioritized list of projects that will improve the freight movement performance of the freight corridors of national significance. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to make grants to states for such projects. Requires a grant recipient to submit to the Assistant Secretary: (1) a project management plan and an annual financial plan for a project with a total cost of at least $500 million, and (2) an annual financial plan for a project with a total cost of less than $500 million. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish in the Treasury the Goods Movement Trust Fund. Increases by 12 cents the tax on the sale of diesel fuel used for the transportation of goods by highway. Transfers amounts equivalent to the increase in tax to the Fund. Requires the Secretary to pay an amount based on a certain formula to purchasers of diesel fuel that is not used for the transportation of goods by highway in which such tax was paid. Allows an income tax credit in lieu of payment to certain tax exempt entities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2011
Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide independent counsel to Congress on policy issues associated with the recruitment for, and retention, research, and reinvestment in, the profession of social work. Directs the Commission to study and report to Congress on issues facing the social work profession, including: (1) fair market compensation, high social work educational debt, social work workforce trends, translating social work research to practice, and social work safety; and (2) state-level social work licensure policies and reciprocity agreements for providing services across state lines. Requires such study to assess the professional capacity of the social work workforce to serve and respond successfully to the increasing biopsychosocial needs of individuals, groups, and communities in certain areas, including aging and child welfare. Terminates the Commission 30 days after it submits such report within 18 months of its first meeting. Authorizes the Secretary to award: (1) workplace improvement grants to eligible entities and individuals to address workplace concerns for the social work profession, including caseloads, compensation, social work safety, supervision, and working conditions; and (2) research grants, education and training grants, and community-based programs of excellence grants. Directs the Secretary to: (1) contract with a national social work entity to serve as a coordinating center and clearinghouse for information on activities funded under the grants, and (2) develop a multi-media outreach campaign and issue public service announcements that advertise and promote the social work profession.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Strengthening Medicare And Repaying Taxpayers Act of 2011- Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to any settlement, judgment, award, or other payment between a Medicare claimant and an applicable plan involving a payment made for items and services by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Declares that, in the case of a payment to the claimant by the Secretary, and beginning 120 days before the reasonably expected date of a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment, the claimant or applicable plan may at any time but only once: (1) notify the Secretary that a payment is reasonably expected, and (2) request a statement of the conditional payment reimbursement amount for any payments subject to the required reimbursement. Requires the Secretary to respond to such a request, within 65 days after receiving it, with a statement of reimbursement amount. Prescribes procedures for the claimant, an applicable plan, or specified related entities to follow if the Secretary fails to provide such a statement. Specifies circumstances: (1) in which the claimant, an applicable plan, or specified related entities are shielded from liability for certain payments; and (2) in which the Secretary shall be exempt from any obligation for a statement of reimbursement. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations establishing a right of appeal and appeals process, with respect to any determination for a payment made under such title for an item or service under a primary plan, under which the applicable plan involved, or an attorney, agent, or third party administrator on behalf of such applicable plan, may appeal such determination. Exempts a primary plan, and an entity receiving payment from a primary plan, from any obligation to reimburse the appropriate Trust Fund for a Medicare payment by the Secretary with respect to any settlement, judgment, award, or other payment by an applicable plan constituting a total payment obligation to a claimant of not more than the single threshold amount calculated by the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Requires the Chief Actuary to calculate and publish the single threshold amount annually. Makes discretionary rather than mandatory the current civil money penalty for an applicable plan's noncompliance with requirements to submit insurance information about a claimant. Requires the severity of each penalty to be based on the knowing, willful, and repeated nature of the violation. Prescribes requirements for the specification of practices for which sanctions will not be imposed on a plan (safe harbors). Directs the Secretary to modify insurance information reporting requirements so that a plan, in complying with them, is permitted but not required to access or report beneficiary Social Security account numbers or health identification claim numbers. Sets a three-year statute of limitations on a Medicare secondary payer claim by the Secretary for reimbursement against an applicable plan that becomes a Medicare primary payer pursuant to a settlement, judgment, award, or other judicial action.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Pill Mill Crackdown Act of 2011 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to: (1) double the term of imprisonment and triple the fine for the prohibited distribution of a schedule II or schedule III controlled substance by the operator of a pill mill, (2) increase the penalties for such operator distribution of a controlled substance to a person under age 21 from twice to thrice the maximum punishment or term of supervised release authorized, and (3) exclude such operator distribution from the applicability of provisions authorizing an alternative fine of not more than twice the gross profits or other proceeds derived by a defendant from a drug offense. Expresses the sense of Congress that such prohibited operator distribution is a violation for which certain property is subject to forfeiture. Requires the proceeds from disposition of such property to be used for controlled substance monitoring programs in the states and for block grants to states for community mental health services and for prevention and treatment of substance abuse. Changes the classification of specified quantities of dihydrocodeinone from a schedule III to a schedule II controlled substance.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2011
Fairness in Medicare Bidding Act or FIMBA - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for Aged and Disabled) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare competitive acquisition program for durable medical equipment and prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). Rescinds specified unobligated balances of all discretionary appropriations, except those for the Department of Defense (DOD) or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine and identify each account, program, project, and activity to which this rescission and its amount shall apply.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Assessing Progress in Haiti Act - Directs the President to report to Congress regarding the status of post-earthquake humanitarian, reconstruction, and development efforts in Haiti, including efforts to prevent the spread of cholera and treat persons infected with the disease.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Honors as a veteran any person entitled to retired pay for nonregular (reserve) service or, but for age, would be so entitled. Provides that such person shall not be entitled to any benefit by reason of such recognition.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Equal Access to COBRA Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and Public Health Service Act to expand COBRA coverage (health insurance continuation benefits) to include an employee's domestic partner and any dependent child of the domestic partner.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2011 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
Frank Buckles World War I Memorial Act - Establishes the World War I Centennial Commission to: (1) plan, develop, and execute programs, projects, and activities to commemorate the centennial of World War I; (2) encourage private organizations and state and local governments to organize and participate in such activities; (3) facilitate and coordinate such activities throughout the United States; (4) serve as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information about centennial events and plans; and (5) develop recommendations for Congress and the President for commemorating the centennial of World War I. Designates: (1) the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the National World War I Museum and Memorial; and (2) the District of Columbia War Memorial in Washington, D.C., as the District of Columbia and National World War I Memorial. Authorizes the World War I Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work at the site of the District of Columbia and National World War I Memorial to reflect its national character.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
Eliminates the time limit for ratification of the equal rights amendment (prohibits discrimination on account of sex) proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, second session. Declares that such amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the necessary number of additional states.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2011
Veterans Pensions Protection Act of 2011 - Excludes from annual income, for purposes of eligibility for pensions for veterans and their surviving spouses and children, reimbursements resulting from: (1) any accident; (2) any theft or loss; (3) any casualty loss; (4) medical expenses resulting from any such accident, theft, or loss; and (5) pain and suffering (including insurance settlement payments and general damages awarded by a court) related to such accident, theft, or loss.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2011
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to accept as proof of service-connection of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) alleged to have been incurred in or aggravated by active military service a diagnosis of PTSD by a mental health professional, together with written testimony by the veteran and a written determination by the professional that such disorder is related to the veteran's service, notwithstanding the fact that there is no official record of such incurrence or aggravation in such service, and to resolve every reasonable doubt in favor of the veteran. Allows such service-connection to be rebutted by clear and convincing evidence to the contrary. Provides the same conditions (with the same authorized rebuttal) with respect to acceptance of proof of service-connection of certain mental health conditions alleged to have been incurred or aggravated by military sexual trauma experienced during active military service.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2011
Acknowledges the 42nd anniversary of the election of Shirley Anita St. Hill Chishom, the first African-American woman in Congress. Recognizes her dedicated work in promoting the rights of all individuals in the United States, particularly in the areas of education, employment, and health care.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2011
Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act of 2011 - Authorizes any person who purchased a covered policy, or a beneficiary or heir of such person, to bring a civil action in federal district court against the insurer, or a related company of the insurer, to recover proceeds due or enforce any rights under the policy. (Defines "covered policy" as any life, dowry, education, property, or other insurance policy that: (1) was in effect at any time between January 30, 1933, and December 31, 1945; and (2) was issued to a policyholder domiciled in any area occupied or controlled by Nazi Germany). Permits nationwide service of process in order to bring such civil action. Directs the court to award certain remedies to the prevailing beneficiary in such action. Prohibits any executive agreement between the United States and any foreign country from invalidating or preempting any state law creating a cause of action against an insurer or related company based upon a claim arising out of, or related to, a covered insurance policy by reason of either any specified executive foreign policy or specified executive agreement. Deems effective upon its enactment any state law enacted on or after March 1, 1998, which requires an insurer doing business in that state to disclose information regarding such covered policies. Prohibits any federal department or agency from expending funds for the purpose of issuing a statement of interest seeking to encourage a federal court to dismiss any claim or action brought to recover compensation arising out of or related to a covered policy. Prohibits a court from dismissing a claim or action brought under this Act within 10 years after its enactment on the ground that the claim or action is barred under any statute of limitations or the doctrine of laches.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2011
United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 225th anniversary of the establishment of the United States Marshals Service, to mint and issue $5 gold and $1 silver coins emblematic of the 225 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of the U.S. Marshals Service. Requires all such coin sales to include a surcharge of: (1) $35 per $5 coin; and (2) $10 per $1 coin. Requires distribution of the first $5 million to the U.S. Marshals Service National Museum for the preservation, maintenance, and display of artifacts and documents of the U.S. Marshals Service. Requires distribution of one-third of the remainder each to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in support of the National Law Enforcement Museum and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, and to the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the $5 gold coins.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2011
Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act or Work Opportunities and Revitalizing Our Communities Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a Full Employment National Trust Fund with two separate accounts for: (1) Employment Opportunity Grants to states, local governments, and Indian tribes for job-creating activities in communities whose economy is not at a level of full employment; and (2) Workforce Investment programs. Directs the Secretary to convene a national employment conference to bring together leaders of small, medium, and large businesses, labor, government, and other parties to discuss employment, with particular attention to structural unemployment and the plight of disadvantaged youth. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to revise member composition requirements for state and local workforce investment boards to include at least 25% of the chief executive officers of minority-serving, community-based organizations. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on certain covered securities transactions, payable by trading facilities that deal in such transactions.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income-based tax credit, up to $5,000 in a taxable year, for legal expenses paid to establish a legal guardianship of a disabled individual.
![Official portrait of Rep. Brown, Corrine [D-FL-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000911_200.jpg)