United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2012
Preserving Work Requirements for Welfare Programs Act of 2012 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from finalizing, implementing, enforcing, or otherwise taking any action to give effect to the Information Memorandum dated July 12, 2012 (Transmittal No. TANF-ACF-IM-2012-03), or to any administrative action relating to the same subject matter or that reflects the same or similar policies. Prohibits the Secretary also from authorizing, approving, modifying, or extending any experimental, pilot, or demonstration project under the Social Security Act (SSA) that: (1) waives compliance with mandatory work requirements of SSA title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF), or (2) authorizes an expenditure not otherwise allowable under a state TANF program with respect to compliance with such work requirements. Rescinds and nullifies any waiver relating to the subject matter of the Information Memorandum granted before the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2012
Repeal of Obamacare Act - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective as of its enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by such Act. Repeals the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of the Act's enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by the Act's health care provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2012
Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include as a health care provider behavioral and mental health professionals, substance abuse professionals, psychiatric hospitals, certain community mental health centers, and residential or outpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), with respect to incentives for meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHR) technology under the pay schedule for physician's services, to include as eligible professionals clinical psychologists providing qualified psychologist services. Makes inpatient psychiatric hospitals eligible for payment for inpatient hospital services. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to treat as Medicaid providers: (1) public and certain private hospitals that are principally psychiatric hospitals, (2) certain community mental health centers, and (3) certain residential or outpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities. Makes eligible professionals under the Medicaid program certain clinical psychologists providing qualified psychologist services. Authorizes a covered entity to submit to a Patient Safety Organization information on electronic health record (EHR)-related adverse events with respect to certified EHR technology the entity has used or provided. Specifies covered entities as certain EHR users, health information exchange entities, and health care professionals who use EHR technology. Defines an EHR-related adverse event as a defect, malfunction, or error in the certified health information technology or electronic health record used by a provider, or in the input or output of data maintained through such technology or record, that results or could reasonably result in harm to a patient. Limits electronic discovery (e-discovery) in any health care lawsuit against a covered entity relating to an Reallotted adverse event involving certified EHR technology to information: (1) related to that event, and (2) from the period in which the event occurred. Prohibits a claimant from commencing a lawsuit more than three years after the manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers, or should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first. Requires tolling of this limitation, however, to the extent that the claimant is able to prove: (1) fraud; (2) intentional concealment; or (3) the presence of a foreign body, with no therapeutic or diagnostic purpose or effect, in the injured person. Subjects each party to such a lawsuit which is not a covered entity to proportionate liability only. Allows punitive damages against a covered entity only upon proof by clear and convincing evidence that the entity acted with reckless disregard for the claimant's health or safety. Shields covered entities, employees, agents, and representatives from civil liability for libel or slander arising from information or entries made in certified EHR technology, or transferred to another eligible provider, if the information, entries, or transfer were made in good faith and without malice.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2012
Protecting In-Home Care from Government Intrusion Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Labor from finalizing or enforcing proposed Department of Labor rule "Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act to Domestic Service" (relating to companion care for the elderly and individuals with disabilities) issued pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and published on December 27, 2011, or any substantially similar rule.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2012
Ensuring Access to Affordable and Quality Companion Care Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, with respect to the exemption from minimum wage and maximum hour requirements of domestic service employment to provide companionship services for individuals who because of age or infirmity are unable to care for themselves, to provide detailed definitions of "companionship services" and "domestic service employment." Excludes from companionship services those relating to the care and protection of the aged or infirm which require and are performed by trained medical personnel. Extends the exemption to third-party employment of an employee to provide companionship services to such individuals, including non-medical in-home personal care or household work related to their care. Defines "third-party employment" to mean employees who provide companionship services while employed by an employer or agency other than the family or household using their services, whether or not such an employee is assigned to more than one household or family in the same workweek when providing such services. Exempts from the Act's maximum hour requirements third-party employment in domestic service of an employee who resides in the household in which the services are provided.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2012
Requires federal agencies, by January 1, 2013, to have in effect guidelines to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the scientific information upon which the agencies rely.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2012
Commonsense Legislative Exceptional Events Reforms Act of 2012 - Amends the Clean Air Act to revise provisions concerning state petitions to exclude air quality monitoring data influenced by exceptional events from determinations of exceedences or violations of the national ambient air quality standards by requiring criteria used in determining if there has been a demonstration of an exceptional event to be stated with specificity in order to minimize the discretion of the Administrator in approving or disapproving such demonstration. Requires: (1) the Administrator to develop such criteria in conjunction with input from states, and (2) such criteria to reflect the technical expertise and resources available in state and local agencies and the availability of meteorological and other monitoring data in rural areas. Authorizes such criteria to vary with respect to different regions. Requires the Administrator, in developing such criteria, to consider using an expedited or streamlined approval process and conditions under which such demonstrations may be suitable for such process. Requires the Administrator: (1) to approve or disapprove an exceptional event demonstration within 90 days of such demonstration; or (2) if the Administrator requests additional information from a state regarding such demonstration, to approve or disapprove such demonstration within 90 days of submission of such information. Considers such demonstrations to be approved if the Administrator does not take action within such time frames. Requires: (1) such approval or disapproval to be based on a preponderance of the evidence, and (2) the Administrator to accord substantial deference to state findings on such demonstration. Authorizes the Administrator to develop and use analyses and consider evidence not provided by such demonstration. Considers such approval or disapproval to be final action subject to judicial review. Requires the Administrator to revise regulations concerning air quality monitoring data influenced by exceptional events to meet the requirements of this Act within 180 days of this Act's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2012
Right to Habeas Corpus Act - States that nothing in the Authorization for Use of Military Force or the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 shall be construed to deny the availability of the writ of habeas corpus in a court ordained or established by or under Article III of the Constitution for any person detained in the United States pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2012
Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act or RAISE Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to declare that neither its prohibition against interference by an employer with employees' right to bargain collectively, nor the terms of a collective bargaining agreement entered into between employees and an employer after enactment of this Act, shall prohibit an employer from paying an employee higher wages, pay, or other compensation than the agreement provides for.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2012
Workforce Investment Improvement Act of 2012 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) to revise requirements and reauthorize appropriations for: (1) WIA title I, workforce investment systems for job training and employment services; and (2) WIA title II, adult education and family literacy education programs. Revises requirements to: (1) eliminate members of the state legislature and representatives of labor organizations from state workforce investment boards, and (2) specify that representatives of business on a board represent large and small businesses with immediate and long-term employment opportunities in in-demand industries and other occupations important to the state economy. Requires a state board to assist the state governor by developing: (1) policies and programs that support a comprehensive statewide workforce development system, and (2) a statewide workforce and labor market information system. Revises requirements for: (1) a state workforce development plan; (2) local workforce investment areas, boards, and plans; (3) one-stop delivery systems; and (4) the allotment of federal funds among states for employment and training activities. Eliminates specific funding for adult and dislocated worker employment and training. Specifies state use of federal funds to set up a Workforce Investment Fund. Revises requirements for: (1) within state allocations of funds; and (2) the use of funds for state and local employment and training activities, including statewide rapid response, youth challenge grants, and adults with barriers to employment grants. Converts the national emergency grants program into a national dislocated worker grants program. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to award national dislocated worker grants to spouses of active duty members of the Armed Forces or full-time duty members of the National Guard (or members who recently separated from such duties) and are in need of employment and training assistance to obtain or retain employment. Requires the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor to be the principal agency to administer WIA title I workforce investment systems for job training and employment services and title III (Job Corps). Revises requirements for the state unified plan for adult education and literacy programs. Amends the Wagner-Peyser Act to eliminate the U.S. Employment Service. Replaces the nationwide employment statistics system, which the Secretary is required to oversee, with a nationwide workforce and labor market information system. Repeals the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970 and specified other laws. Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require employment and training services to eligible members of households participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program be provided through the statewide workforce development system, including the One-Stop delivery system. Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA73) to: (1) redesignate the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration the Director, and (2) require an eligible state to use a certain percentage of the federal share of the cost of vocational rehabilitation services to award grants to create practical job and career readiness and training programs and provide job placements and career advancement. Repeals the authority of the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration in the Department of Education to make grants and contracts for: (1) vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities who are migrant or seasonal farmworkers; (2) recreational programs for such individuals; and (3) in-service training of vocational rehabilitation personnel. Repeals title VI (Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities) of the RA73. Revises requirements and reauthorizes appropriations for vocational rehabilitation services under the RA73.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2012
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should not interpret or construe the Defense Production Act of 1950 to authorize the President or any federal department or agency to confiscate personal or private property, to force conscription into the Armed Forces on the American people, to force civilians to engage in labor against their will or without compensation, or to force private businesses to relinquish goods or services without compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2012
Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to prohibit the Secretary of Energy (DOE), except in the case of a severe energy supply interruption, from executing the first drawdown of petroleum products in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) after enactment of this Act until the Secretary has developed a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands (including submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf) under the jurisdiction of DOE, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) leased for oil and gas production by the same percentage as the percentage of petroleum in the SPR that is to be drawn down in such first and subsequent drawdowns. Prohibits such plan from providing for a total increase of more than 10% in the percentage of such federal lands leased for oil and gas production.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Affirms that it is a vital national interest of the United States to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability and warns that time is limited to prevent that from happening. Urges increasing economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran to secure an agreement that includes: (1) suspension of all uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, (2) complete cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding Iran's nuclear activities, and (3) a permanent agreement that verifiably assures that Iran's nuclear program is entirely peaceful. Supports: (1) the universal rights and democratic aspirations of the Iranian people, and (2) U.S. policy to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. Rejects any U.S. policy that would rely on efforts to contain a nuclear weapons-capable Iran. Urges the President to reaffirm the unacceptability of an Iran with nuclear-weapons capability and oppose any policy that would rely on containment as an option in response to the Iranian nuclear threat.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2012
Pro Football Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5-gold coins, 400,000 $1-silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins emblematic of the game of professional football. Requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to help finance the construction of a new building and the renovation of existing Pro Football Hall of Fame facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2012
Condemns Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of religious minorities and its continued violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Calls for Iran to release Youcef Nadarkhani and all other individuals held or charged on account of their religion. Recognizes that religious freedom is a universal human right and a fundamental individual freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2012
Health Information Technology Reform Act - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to exclude pathologists from Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments and, in particular, penalties relating to the meaningful use of electronic health records.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2012
Disapproves and nullifies the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and published December 22, 2011, relating to representation election procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2012
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Jack Nicklaus in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike such gold medal and to strike and sell duplicate bronze medals at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the gold and bronze medals.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2012
Prohibits federal funds from being used by a federal agency or instrumentality to participate in a lawsuit to overturn, enjoin, or otherwise invalidate specified immigration-related laws in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arizona, Utah, Indiana, Alabama, South Carolina, or Georgia.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2012
Drug Shortage Prevention Act of 2012 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) define the term "critical drug" based on the medical necessity and vulnerability to shortage of a drug or biological product; (2) establish, make publicly available, and update semiannually a list identifying each critical drug and its manufacturers; (3) promptly remove from such list any drug or biological product that no longer meets such definition; and (4) establish, make publicly available, and update monthly a list identifying each critical drug that is in a critical drug shortage in the United States, the severity of and reason for the shortage, alternate therapies and regions particularly affected, and an estimated date by which the necessary quantities of the drug will begin reaching providers. Allows manufacturers to request removal of a drug from such lists on the basis that it doesn't meet the definition of "critical drug" or is not in a critical drug shortage. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a proactive system for giving notice to the public concerning modifications to the critical drug shortage list, (2) establish a system for giving notice of any imminent critical drug shortage to critical drug manufacturers and wholesale distributors and manufacturers of alternative therapies, (3) notify the Attorney General of any critical drug shortage, (4) study the feasibility of creating a national contingency plan addressing critical drug shortages, (5) expedite the review of applications for approval of critical drugs and requests by sponsors of such drugs to approve manufacturing process changes or alternate suppliers of active ingredients, and (6) improve the process for regulating critical drugs. Express the sense of Congress that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should increase the number of personnel responsible for identifying and addressing critical drug shortages. Amends the Controlled Substances Act to direct the Attorney General to increase a quota as appropriate for a drug listed in a critical drug shortage that is or contains a controlled substance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2012
Pilot's Bill of Rights - Requires National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) proceedings for the review of decisions of the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to deny, amend, modify, suspend, or revoke an airman's certificate to be conducted, to the extent practicable, in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. Requires the Administrator to: (1) advise the subject of an investigation involving the approval, denial, suspension, modification, or revocation of an airman certificate of specified information pertinent to the investigation; and (2) provide him or her with access to relevant air traffic data. Allows an individual to elect to file an appeal of a certificate denial, a punitive civil action, or an emergency order of revocation in the U.S. district court in which individual resides, in which the action in question occurred, or the district court for the District of Columbia. Allows an adversely affected individual who elects not to file an appeal in a federal district court to file such appeal with the NTSB. Directs the Administrator to begin a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Improvement Program to improve the system of providing airmen with pertinent and timely information before a flight in the national airspace system. Makes Flight Service Station briefings and other air traffic services performed by any government contractor available to airmen under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Requires the Administrator to review the FAA system for the medical certification of airmen in order to: (1) revise the medical application form, (2) align medical qualification policies with present-day qualified medical judgment and practices, and (3) publish objective medical standards to advise the public of the criteria determining an airman's medical certificate eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2012
District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit any person from performing or attempting to perform an abortion within the District of Columbia except in conformity with this Act's requirements. Requires the physician to first make a determination of the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child, or reasonably rely upon such a determination made by another physician, by making inquiries of the pregnant woman and performing such medical examinations and tests as a reasonably prudent physician would consider necessary. Prohibits the abortion from being performed if the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child is 20 weeks or greater. Makes an exception where necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury, excluding psychological or emotional conditions or any claim or diagnosis that the woman will engage in conduct intended to result in her death. Permits a physician to terminate a pregnancy under such exception only in the manner which provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive, unless termination of the pregnancy in that manner would pose a greater risk of the death or substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions, of the pregnant woman than would other available methods. Prescribes penalties for violations. Bars prosecution of a woman upon whom an abortion is performed in violation of this Act, but authorizes such a woman or the father or maternal grandparent of the unborn child to obtain appropriate relief through a civil action. Provides for injunctive relief to prevent violations. Sets forth specified privacy protections in court proceedings for the woman upon whom an abortion has been performed. Requires any physician who performs an abortion within the District to report it to the Department of Health of the District of Columbia, which shall issue annual public reports.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2012
Volunteer Freedom Act - Repeals the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA) one year after this Act's enactment. (The NCSA authorizes the Learn and Serve America, AmeriCorps, and National Civilian Community Corps [NCCC] programs. The DVSA authorizes the Volunteers in Service to America [VISTA] and National Senior Service Corps programs.) Preserves the educational awards volunteers earn before the NCSA and DVSA are repealed.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2012
Disapproves of the President's appointment of four federal officers or employees during a period when no congressional recess of more than three days was authorized by concurrent resolution. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that those appointments were made in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2011
Mine Safety Accountability and Improved Protection Act - Amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to establish an independent National Mine Safety Board, which shall conduct an independent investigation of any coal or other mine accident involving three or more deaths. Authorizes the Board to issue subpoenas for the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of information. Directs each mine operator to require each of its miners to designate a next of kin or other representative to act on behalf of the miner who is entrapped or otherwise prevented by an accident from acting on the miner's own behalf during a mine inspection. Requires mine inspections to be conducted during various shifts and days of the week when miners are normally present. Prohibits an attorney from representing both a mine operator and a miner during an inspection, investigation, or litigation, unless such miner willfully waives all possible conflicts of interest. Requires the Secretary of Labor to issue regulations establishing certain initial screening criteria for determining whether to place a mine on pattern (of violation) status. Prescribes remediation requirements for mine operators having a pattern of recurring accidents, citations, and withdrawal orders. Establishes in the Treasury the Mines in Pattern Status Inspection Fund for deposit of fees collected from mines in pattern status for the costs of additional inspections. Requires the Secretary to: (1) revoke the approval of mine operator plans or programs based on certain criteria, and (2) provide the operator with a detailed explanation of the reasons approval was revoked. Prescribes a process for the Secretary's approval of proposed operator programs, plans, or plan revisions. Revises civil and criminal penalties and related administrative procedures. Grants an operator who has been issued a citation or order during an inspection the right to a review with a designated Conference Litigation Representative of the Secretary prior to the assessment of any penalty. Establishes a process for requesting a conference review. Revises certain miner protections against discrimination. Prohibits discriminating against a miner or other employee of a mine operator for refusing to perform duties out of a good-faith and reasonable belief that performing such duties would pose a safety or health hazard. Entitles a miner to full compensation by a mine operator at the regular rate of pay for the remainder of the current shift and the next eight hour shift for which the miner is idled because of a Secretary's withdrawal order. (Under current law, miners are entitled to full compensation only for the balance of their shift, and up to four hours of the next working shift if an order is not terminated beforehand.) Requires each underground coal mine operator to implement a communication program to ensure that each miner entering a mine is made aware, at the start of a shift, of current mine conditions. Requires the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), acting through the Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, to issue recommendations to the Secretary regarding the use of atmospheric monitoring systems in the underground coal mining industry. Revises mine operator health and safety training program requirements. Increases from 8 to 9 the minimum number of hours of refresher training all miners must receive at least once every 12 months, including 1 hour of training on miners statutory rights and responsibilities. Requires the Secretary to order a mine operator to provide its miners with additional training if: (1) it has a history of inadequately training them in mine health and safety; (2) a serious or fatal accident has occurred at the mine; or (3) the mine has experienced above-average accident and injury rates, citations, or withdrawal orders. Requires the Secretary to issue mandatory standards to establish certification requirements and procedures for persons authorized by a coal mine operator to perform duties or provide training under such Act. Establishes in the Treasury a Mine Safety and Health Certification Fund for deposit of operator fees to fund the certification program. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to states to assist them in developing and implementing miner certification programs. Revises eligibility requirements for scholarships to eligible individuals enrolled at community colleges or other universities to increase the skilled workforce for both private sector coal mine operators and mine safety inspectors and other regulatory personnel for the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Repeals requirements for a minimum length of full-time employment in mining or mining-related activities. Directs the Secretary to require each mine inspector to receive a full week of training in addition to the training required before enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2011
Amends detainee and military custody provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, with respect to the authority of the President and the U.S. Armed Forces pursuant the Authorization for Use of Military Force (P.L. 107-40), to specify that no U.S. citizen may be detained against his or her will without all the rights of due process afforded to the citizen in a court ordained or established by or under Article III of the U.S. Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2011
Budget Process Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to require: (1) the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to include a descriptive analysis for the second decade budget impact of a measure when submitting a cost estimate of it, and (2) the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) to provide such an analysis when its submitting revenue estimates to CBO. Requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to publish a report on the size, scope, risk, and cost of the contingent federal liabilities, including the implicit guarantees to government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to conduct performance reviews of JCT identified tax expenditures on an ongoing basis. Requires OMB to: (1) develop a proposal for the implementation of an accrual-based accounting system for certain portions of the budget, and (2) report to Congress on legislation necessary to implement such system. Requires CBO, in conjunction with JCT, to publish a report that projects annual federal revenues by source over the next 10 fiscal years and includes a discussion of the assumptions used to project such revenues. Amends the CBA to require: (1) biennial (instead of annual) budget resolutions, (2) biennial appropriations Acts, and (3) biennial government strategic and performance plans. Makes conforming amendments to the Rules of the House of Representatives. Defines the budget biennium as the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. Requires: (1) a federal agency, upon request by a congressional committee, to provide appropriate information regarding its appropriations requests and program administration; (2) the Comptroller General to furnish to such committee summaries of any audits or reviews of such program which the Comptroller General has completed during the preceding six years; and (3) the Comptroller General, Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Director of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) to furnish such committee appropriate information, studies, analyses, and reports. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine and report to Congress on the impact and feasibility of changing the definition of a fiscal year, and the budget process based on that definition, to a two-year fiscal period with a biennial budget process based on such period. Requires the President's budget submission for FY2014 to include: (1) an identification of the budget accounts for which an appropriation should be made for each fiscal year of the FY2014-FY2015 biennium, and (2) budget authority that should be provided for each such fiscal year for the budget accounts. Directs: (1) the House and Senate committees, during the first session of the 113th Congress, to work with the Comptroller General to develop plans to transition program authorizations to a multi-year schedule; and (2) the Comptroller General, during such Congress, to continue to provide assistance to Congress with respect to programmatic oversight, and in particular to assist the congressional committees in designing and conforming programmatic oversight procedures for FY2014-FY2015 biennium.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2011
Streamlining Workforce Development Programs Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to: (1) eliminate members of the state legislature and representatives of labor organizations from state workforce investment boards, and (2) specify that representatives of business on a board represent large and small businesses with immediate and long-term employment opportunities in in-demand industries and other occupations important to the state economy. Requires a state board to assist the state governor by developing: (1) policies and programs that support a comprehensive statewide workforce development system, and (2) a statewide employment statistics system. Revises requirements for: (1) a state workforce development plan; (2) local workforce investment areas, boards, and plans; (3) one-stop delivery systems; and (4) the allotment of federal funds among states for employment and training activities. Eliminates specific funding for adult and dislocated worker employment and training. Specifies state use of federal funds to set up a Workforce Investment Fund, a Youth Workforce Investment Fund, a Veterans Workforce Investment Fund, and a Targeted Populations Workforce Investment Fund. Revises requirements for: (1) within state allocations of funds; (2) the use of funds for state and local employment and training activities, including the hiring of local veterans' employment representatives; and (3) state performances measures Requires state governors to use funds to award competitive grants for programs and activities to assist eligible youth in acquiring the education and skills, credentials, and employment experience necessary to succeed in the labor market. Revises requirements for the state unified plan for adult education and literacy programs. Repeals the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970, the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993, the Snyder Act of 1921, the Indian Adult Vocational Training Act of 1956, and the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, as well as the Job Corps, the YouthBuild program, and other job programs under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and other specified Acts, including the National Guard Youth Challenge Program of opportunities for civilian youth. Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA73) to require an eligible state to use a certain percentage of the federal share of the cost of vocational rehabilitation services to award grants to create practical job and career readiness and training programs and provide job placements and career advancement. Repeals the authority of the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration in the Department of Education to make grants and contracts for: (1) vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities who are migrant or seasonal farmworkers; (2) recreational programs for such individuals; and (3) in-service training of vocational rehabilitation personnel. Repeals title VI (Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities) of the RA73.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2011
School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in awarding grants to states under the children's asthma treatment grants program, to favor states that require their public elementary and secondary schools to: (1) permit authorized personnel to administer epinephrine to any student believed to be having an anaphylactic reaction, and (2) maintain a supply of epinephrine that is prescribed by a licensed physician and is stored in a secure and easily accessible location. (States given this preference are also required by current law to require those schools to authorize students, under certain conditions, to self-administer medication to treat their asthma or anaphylaxis.) Requires such states to also have a Good Samaritan law protecting school employees and agents from liability related to the administration of epinephrine to students believed, in good faith, to be having an anaphylactic reaction.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2011
Local Job Opportunities and Business Success Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to limit the required composition of local workforce investment boards (local boards) to business representatives. Requires two-thirds of the members of a local board to be business owners or officers. Requires local boards to conduct and regularly update analyses of: (1) local economic conditions, (2) immediate and long-term skilled workforce needs in the area, (3) the knowledge and skills of the local workforce, and (4) local workforce development activities. Requires local boards to lead efforts to engage employers in the area to ensure that workforce investment activities meet their needs and support local economic growth. Includes as part of those efforts the development or implementation of industry or sector partnerships that lead to collaborative planning, resource alignment, and training efforts across multiple firms to address the immediate and long-term skilled workforce needs of the local economy. Requires local boards to develop strategies for using technological improvements to facilitate access to workforce development services. Eliminates the requirement that each local board appoint a youth council as a subgroup of the board and select providers of youth activities on the basis of its recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2011
Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2011 - Makes specified provisional (automatic) continuing appropriations in the event that any regular appropriation bill for a fiscal year is not enacted before the beginning of such fiscal year, or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations is not in effect. (Thus prevents a federal government shutdown.)
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2011
Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2011 - Imposes criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly or knowingly attempts to: (1) perform an abortion knowing that the abortion is sought based on the sex, gender, color or race of the child, or the race of a parent; (2) use force or the threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion; (3) solicit or accept funds for the performance of such an abortion; or (4) transport a woman into the United States or across a state line for the purpose of obtaining such an abortion. Authorizes civil actions, for verifiable money damages for injuries and punitive damages, by: (1) fathers, or maternal grandparents if the mother is an unemancipated minor, of unborn children who are the subject of an abortion performed or attempted through any of the above violations; and (2) women upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted with a knowing or attempted use of force or threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion. Authorizes, to prevent an abortion provider from performing or attempting further abortions in violation of this Act, injunctive relief to be obtained by the women upon whom such an abortion is performed or attempted, spouses or parents of a woman upon whom such an abortion is performed, or the Attorney General (DOJ). Deems a violation of this Act to be prohibited discrimination under title VI (Federally Assisted Programs) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Violators of title VI lose federal funding.) Requires a medical or mental health professional to report known or suspected violations to law enforcement authorities. Imposes criminal penalties for a failure to so report. Prohibits a woman having such an abortion from being prosecuted or held civilly liable. Excludes from the definition of "abortion" actions taken to terminate a pregnancy if the intent is to save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child, remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion, or remove an ectopic pregnancy.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2011
Amends the Railway Labor Act to require the National Mediation Board to apply the same procedures, including voting standards, to the direct decertification of a labor organization as are applied to elections to certify a representative.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2011
Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to expand immunity from civil liability related to automated external defibrillator devices (AEDs), including by giving immunity to: (1) a person who owns, occupies, or manages the premises from which an AED is taken or at which an AED is used or attempted to be used on a victim of a perceived medical emergency; and (2) the owner-acquirer of an AED for any harm resulting from the use or attempted use of such device, unless the harm was proximately caused by the failure of the owner-acquirer to properly maintain the device according to the guidelines of the device manufacturer. Applies immunity regardless of whether: (1) the AED is marked with cautionary signage or registered with any government; or (2) the person who used or attempted to use the AED complied with such signage, had received training on such use, or was assisted or supervised by any other person, including a licensed physician.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2011
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is unconstitutional in its entirety, and (2) the Anti-Injunction Act applies to neither the individual mandate nor to the penalty provision that enforces it and thus does not preclude the federal courts from finding PPACA unconstitutional in its entirety.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 125 Kerr Avenue in Rome City, Indiana, as the "SPC Nicholas Scott Hartge Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Modernizing Our Drug & Diagnostics Evaluation and Regulatory Network Cures Act of 2011 or the MODDERN Cures Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish the Advanced Diagnostics Education Council to recommend standard terms and definitions related to innovative diagnostics for use by patients, physicians, health care providers, payers, and policy makers.; and (2) publish a guide regarding such terms and definitions. Sets forth additional factors for the Secretary to consider in determining the payment amount for new clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under gap filling procedures which are used when no comparable existing test is available. Extends the exclusivity period for a drug or biological product if the diagnostic test related to such drug has been determined by the Secretary to have been developed by, or with the participation of, the manufacturer or sponsor of the drug or biological product, and use of the diagnostic tests provides for or improves: (1) the identification of a patient population for the drug or biological product; or (2) the determination of the most appropriate treatment option for a patient population with the drug or biological product. Establishes a dormant therapy designation for drugs or biological products that address unmet medical needs. Gives such a drug or biological product 15 years of data exclusivity under which no drug can be approved by relying on the approval or licensure of the dormant therapy.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Invest in America First Act of 2011 - Prohibits foreign assistance from being provided to a country with a GDP of $1.5 trillion or more. Exempts from such prohibition military, security, or humanitarian assistance. Defines "GDP" as a country's gross domestic product on a purchasing power parity basis divided by the population of the country, as determined by the most recent publication of the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) The World Factbook.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2011
Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act - Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior, before December 31, 2013, from issuing or approving any proposed or final regulation under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 that would: (1) adversely impact employment in coal mines in the United States; (2) cause a reduction in revenue received by the federal government or any state, tribal, or local government, by reducing through regulation the amount of coal in the United States that is available for mining; (3) reduce the amount of coal available for domestic consumption or for export; (4) designate any area as unsuitable for surface coal mining and reclamation operations; or (5) expose the United States to liability for taking the value of privately owned coal through regulation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2011
Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of congressional gold medals in honor of the men and women who perished as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, and the Pentagon Memorial at the Pentagon. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals, with amounts received from the sale to be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Amtrak Food and Beverage Service Savings Act - Revises the authority of Amtrak to provide food and beverage services on its trains. Allows Amtrak to provide food and beverage service on its trains only if the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) selects a qualified bidder whose bid would result in the lowest cost, or the greatest source of revenue, to Amtrak. (Under current law, Amtrak may provide such services on its trains only if revenues from the services each year at least equal the cost of providing them.) Authorizes the FRA to exempt Amtrak from such requirement if no qualified bidder responds to FRA requests for proposals. Requires the FRA to pay directly to the entity providing food and beverage service on Amtrak trains any portion of Amtrak appropriations necessary to cover a net loss, but only to the extent that it was anticipated in the bid selected.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
State Transportation Emergency Flexibility Act of 2011 - Authorizes a state, after declaring an emergency regarding any component of the National Highway System, to repair or replace such component using any funds apportioned to the state under: (1) the federal-aid highway program; or (2) the coordinated border infrastructure or safe routes to school programs under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2011
Diagnostic Imaging Services Access Protection Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from applying a multiple procedure payment reduction policy to the professional component of imaging services furnished: (1) in 2012; or (2) in 2013 or a subsequent year unless the reduction is based on the data, analysis, and conclusions of a study completed by an expert panel of physician members from a national medical speciality society expert in the field of diagnostic imaging services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to disallow the refundable portion of the child tax credit to taxpayers who use individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITINs) issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) instead of social security account numbers to claim such credit on their tax returns.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2011
Amends the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 to revise exemptions from federal maximum driving and on-duty time motor carrier regulations for drivers transporting agricultural commodities and farm supplies during planting and harvest periods. Extends the exemptions to drivers transporting agricultural farm supplies: (1) from a wholesale or retail distribution point of the farm supplies to a farm or other location where such supplies are intended to be used within a 100 air-mile radius from the distribution point, or (2) from a wholesale distribution point of the farm supplies to a retail distribution point of the farm supplies within a 100 air-mile radius from the wholesale distribution point.
United States · United States Congress · 14 October 2011
VHA Ophthalmologic Service Establishment Act of 2011 - Establishes an ophthalmologic service in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Adds a Director of Ophthalmologic Service to the VA's Office of the Under Secretary for Health.
United States · United States Congress · 14 October 2011
Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from being provided access to data in individually identifiable form for purposes of establishing standards relating to the collection and sharing of risk-related data to carry out risk adjustment activities.
United States · United States Congress · 14 October 2011
Cultivating Scientific Expertise to Foster Innovation for Patients Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise provisions related to financial interests of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee members to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that individual appointments to advisory committees are made to promote scientific and technical expertise while at the same time minimizing any potential conflicts of interest. Requires the Secretary to consider, with respect to any financial interest constituting a potential conflict of interest, the type, nature, and magnitude of the financial interest. Declares that no specific factor shall be dispositive in the Secretary's evaluation of a particular financial interest. Repeals the prohibition specifically applicable to FDA that prevents a member of an advisory committee from participating with respect to a particular matter if such individual or an immediate family member of such individual has a financial interest that could be affected by the advice given to the Secretary.
![Official portrait of Rep. Bucshon, Larry [R-IN-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_in_8_bucshon_larry_200.jpg)