United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2011
Fix America's Schools Today (FAST) Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Education to allocate grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to modernize, renovate, or repair early learning or elementary or secondary education facilities. Requires the Secretary to allocate grants directly to the 100 LEAs with the largest numbers of children aged 5-17 living in poverty to modernize, renovate, or repair such facilities. Requires allocation of such funds among these LEAs in proportion to each LEA's respective share of school improvement funds under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Requires states to give subgrant priority to projects that comply with certain green building standards. Prohibits the use of such grants for new construction or routine maintenance costs. Reserves funds for a survey, by the National Center for Education Statistics, of nationwide public school construction, modernization, renovation, and repair needs. Directs the Secretary to allocate grants to states to modernize, renovate, or repair existing facilities at community colleges. Prohibits the use of such grants: (1) for routine maintenance costs, (2) on facilities used for events for which the public is charged admission, or (3) on facilities which are used for sectarian purposes. Requires states, in providing assistance to community college projects, to consider the extent to which the project complies with certain green building standards. Limits the amount of time states and LEAs have to obligate this Act's grants and subgrants. Requires, with certain exceptions, the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in projects funded by this Act to be domestic. Applies the prevailing wage rate requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act to projects assisted pursuant to this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2011
Fair and Equitable Postal Service Access Act - Expands the criteria that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) must consider in determining whether to close or consolidate a post office to include: (1) whether such closing or consolidation will decrease access to postal or nonpostal services by individuals who are elderly, economically disadvantaged, limited in mobility, or without reliable and affordable Internet access; and (2) during the previous five years, the number of, and revenue derived from, money-order transactions, the volume of processed international mail, and the number of customers served at such post office. Prohibits the USPS from closing or consolidating a post office if it would result in a disproportionate, unreasonable, or undue burden on a class of individuals who are elderly, economically disadvantaged, limited in mobility, or without reliable and affordable Internet access. Applies this Act to any post office: (1) determined necessary for closing or consolidation under existing criteria, or (2) included in a proposal to change the nature of postal services on a nationwide or substantially nationwide basis and for which the USPS has requested a related advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2011
Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act - Requires the Secretary of Education to make grants to states for the modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, including early learning facilities and charter schools, to make them safe, healthy, high-performing, and technologically up-to-date. Allocates grant funds among states on the basis of the relative portion of school improvement funds provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) in each state under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Reserves 2% of the grant funds for assistance to outlying areas and Indian schools. Reserves 5% of the grant funds for LEAs serving geographic areas: (1) with significant economic distress, (2) recovering from a natural disaster, or (3) containing a military installation selected for closure. Requires states to reallocate such grant funds to LEAs on the basis of each LEA's share of school improvement funds received by LEAs in the state for the previous fiscal year. Allows LEAs to give priority to projects involving the abatement, removal, or interim control of asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, mold, mildew, lead-based hazards, or a proven carcinogen. Requires the iron and steel used in projects funded under this Act to have been produced in the United States, subject to specified exceptions. Directs LEA grantees to use their grants for public school modernization, renovation, repairs, construction, or maintenance that meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System standards, Energy Star standards, Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) criteria, Green Building Initiative environmental design and rating standards (Green Globes), or equivalent standards adopted by the entities that have jurisdiction over such LEAs. Requires the Secretary to work with grant recipients to promote appropriate opportunities for individuals enrolled in YouthBuild, Job Corps, junior or community college, or preapprenticeship programs to gain employment experience on projects funded under this Act. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) grants to institutions of higher education to provide an additional 250,000 part-time work-study jobs; (2) creation of an additional 100,000 Public Lands Corps positions; (3) the retention, rehiring, and hiring of 300,000 education jobs; (4) grants to state, local, and Indian tribal governments to hire and rehire overall an additional 40,000 career law enforcement officers; and (5) the hiring and rehiring of an additional 12,000 firefighters. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to eligible health care and long-term care (LTC) providers to hire and retain 40,000 health care and LTC professionals. Authorizes appropriations for state and local government units to establish a Community Corps to create an additional 750,000 jobs for unemployed individuals to carry out specified activities. Amends the Head Start Act to authorize appropriations to employ an additional 100,000 full-time infant and toddler Head Start specialists.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2011
Detroit Jobs Trust Fund Act - Establishes in the Treasury the Detroit Jobs Trust Fund to finance projects and activities undertaken by the city of Detroit, Michigan, including payment of debt obligations and projects for jobs development, public safety, education, business infrastructure, or public infrastructure. Requires the city to create a five-year plan describing development goals.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2011
Wounded Veteran Job Security Act - Expands the definition of "service in the uniformed services" for the purposes of uniformed servicemembers' employment and reemployment rights to include a period for which a person is absent from a position of employment to obtain medical treatment for an injury or illness recognized as service connected by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), or for which a line-of-duty document has been granted by the Secretary of Defense (DOD). Directs such a person intending to return to a position of employment to notify the employer within a specified time period. Requires a person submitting an application for reemployment due to such an absence for medical treatment to provide the employer, upon request, with documentation to establish eligibility for reemployment, including a link between the injury or illness and the medical treatment obtained.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2011
Emergency Medic Transition (EMT) Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to state emergency medical services offices or other state entities with jurisdiction over emergency medical personnel to provide for the expedited training and licensing, as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), of veterans who received training as EMTs while serving in the Armed Forces. Directs an eligible entity to give priority to providing training to individuals who will serve as EMTs in areas that provide a high volume of emergency medical services and trauma care.
United States · United States Congress · 9 August 2011
Revises the membership eligibility requirements of the federal charter for the Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. Redefines "mother" to mean a woman who filled the role of birth mother. Adds, in addition to adoptive mother and stepmother (as in the current charter), foster-mother, grandmother, or legal guardian of a person who is serving in the Armed Forces or has served in, or has been honorably discharged from it (as in the current charter). Repeals the limitation to service in World War II or the Korean hostilities of the Armed Forces service of the eligible mother's son or daughter. Allows the eligible mother to be a U.S. citizen living outside the United States. (Currently the charter limits membership to eligible mothers living in the United States.)
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2011
Microenterprise and Youth Entrepreneurship Development Act of 2011 - Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 for purposes of the microenterprise technical assistance and capacity building grant program to include in the definition of "disadvantaged entrepreneur" a microentrepreneur operating or intending to operate a business in an investment area. Increases to 60% (currently, 50%) the minimum percentage of such grants required to be used to benefit very low-income persons, including those residing on Indian reservations. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to consider the impact of the 2007-2009 economic crisis on an applicant's geographic area when deciding whether to reduce or eliminate matching requirements for applicants with severe constraints on available funding sources. Directs the Administrator to establish an SBA Microenterprise Coordinator position. Requires the Administrator to establish an Office of Youth Entrepreneurship and appoint a Director to carry out: (1) the youth entrepreneur technical assistance grant program to make grants to assist entities, including nonprofit microenterprise development organizations, to provide individuals under 25 years of age with technical assistance related to entrepreneurship; and (2) the youth entrepreneurship curriculum grant program to make grants to applying local educational agencies of states and federally recognized Indian tribes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to designate one city in the United States each year as an "American World War II City" based on: (1) contributions to the war effort during World War II; and (2) efforts to preserve the history of such contributions, including preservation organizations or museums, restoration of World War II facilities, and recognition of World War II veterans. Designates Wilmington, North Carolina, as the first such city.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Joining Forces for Military Mental Health Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense, through community partnerships with private nonprofit organizations, to carry out a three-year pilot program assessing the enhancement of Department of Defense (DOD) efforts in research, treatment, education, and outreach on mental health and substance use disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in members of the National Guard and Reserves and their family members and caregivers. Allows the Secretary, using a competitive or merit-based award process, to award up to five grants to such community partners, provided that the awardee agrees to make matching contributions from nonfederal sources (whether public or private) of at least $3 for each $1 provided under the grant. Requires grant-seeking organizations to submit an application including a description of proposed collaboration initiatives and existing research efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth Promise Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention and intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) any deficit reduction plan put forward by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not balance the budget by eroding America's hard-earned retirement plan and social safety net; (2) Medicare's ability to deliver high quality health care in a cost-efficient manner should be strengthened and its benefits should be preserved for current and future retirees; (3) appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security's long-term outlook should ensure that it remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits; and (4) federal funding for the Medicaid program should be maintained so that senior citizens, poor and disabled children, and others with disabilities are able to gain and retain access to affordable health care.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to impose restrictions on foreign jurisdictions or financial institutions operating in the United States that are of prime money laundering concern or that impede U.S. tax enforcement. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a rebuttable presumption against the validity of transactions by institutions that do not comply with reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), (2) treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for tax purposes, (3) require tax withholding agents and financial institutions to report certain information about beneficial owners of foreign-owned financial accounts, (4) treat credit default swap payments sent offshore as taxable U.S. source income, (5) allow the use of tax return information to evaluate foreign financial account reports, (6) increase penalties for promoting abusive tax shelters and for aiding and abetting the understatement of tax liability, (7) prohibit tax advisor contingent fee agreements for obtaining a tax savings or benefit, and (8) impose additional requirements for third party summonses used to obtain information in tax investigations that do not identify the person with respect to whose liability the summons is issued (i.e., John Doe summons). Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to: (1) require corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report annually, on a country-by country basis, on employees, sales, financing, tax obligations, and tax payments; and (2) authorize a fine of up to $1 million for failure to disclose any holding or transaction involving equity or debt instruments known to involve a foreign entity that would otherwise be subject to disclosure requirements. Requires the Secretary to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register requiring unregistered investment companies, including hedge funds or private equity funds, to establish anti-money laundering programs and submit suspicious activity reports. Extends anti-money laundering requirements to persons engaged in the business of forming new businesses or other legal entities. Requires federal banking agencies and the SEC to develop examination techniques to detect and prevent abusive tax shelter activities or the aiding or abetting of tax evasion by financial institutions. Requires the Secretary to: (1) disclose tax return information to federal financial regulators for purposes of tax shelter investigations; (2) disclose to Congress documents relating to a determination to grant, deny, revoke, or restore the tax-exempt status of an organization; and (3) expand the standards applicable to tax practitioners for issuing written advice on transactions which have a potential for tax avoidance or evasion.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
Recognizes there are American and South Korean prisoners of war (POWs) and civilian abductees from the Korean War who are still alive in North Korea and who want to be repatriated. Calls upon the U.S. government to resume search and recovery operations in North Korea for remains of American POWs. Recommends that the United States and South Korea jointly investigate reports of sightings of American POW/MIAs. Encourages North Korea to repatriate American and South Korean POWs. Calls upon North Korea to: (1) admit to the abduction of more than 100,000 South Korean civilians and reveal the status of the abductees; and (2) agree to family reunions and repatriation of the abductees.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2011
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 122 North Holderrieth Boulevard in Tomball, Texas, as the "Tomball Veterans Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2011
Aviation Jobs and Safety Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through September 30, 2011, increased excise taxes on aviation fuels, the excise tax on air transportation of persons and property, and the expenditure authority for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. Extends through September 30, 2011: (1) the authorization of appropriations for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning projects (known as airport improvement projects [AIPs]), and (2) the authority of the Secretary of Transportation to make new AIP grants. Extends until October 1, 2011: (1) the pilot program for passenger facility fee authorizations at non-hub airports, and (2) disclosure requirements for large and medium hub airports applying for AIP grants. Directs the Secretary to extend through September 30, 2011, the termination date of insurance coverage for domestic or foreign-flag aircraft. Grants the Secretary discretionary authority to further extend such coverage through December 31, 2011. Extends through December 31, 2011, the authority of the Secretary to limit air carrier liability for claims arising out of acts of terrorism. Extends through September 30, 2011: (1) grant eligibility for airports located in the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau; (2) grants to state and local governments for land use compatibility AIPs; and (3) authority for approving an application of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for an airport development grant or for permission to impose a passenger facility fee. Amends the Vision 100 - Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act to extend through September 30, 2011: (1) the temporary increase to 95% of the federal government's share of certain AIP costs, and (2) funding for airport development at Midway Island Airport.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2011
Neighborhood Preservation Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to authorize any depository institution (or affiliate) to lease, including lease with an option to purchase, to any individual for up to five years an interest in residential property which: (1) was or is security for an extension of credit by such depository institution (or affiliate), and (2) came under the institution's or affiliate's ownership or control through foreclosure (or a deed in lieu of foreclosure) on the extension of credit. Directs the federal banking agencies to jointly prescribe specified safety and soundness regulations, including minimum capital requirements for such institutions or affiliates. Permits extension of such a lease beyond five years if any federal or state law, including the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, so permits. Applies this Act only to leases entered into during the three-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. Declares it is the intent of Congress that: (1) no permanent change in policy on leasing foreclosed property is being established with respect to depository institutions and depository institution holding companies, and (2) bank leasing of foreclosed property authorized under this Act should not apply to leases entered into after such three-year period. Authorizes a government-sponsored enterprise (the Federal National Mortgage Association [Fannie Mae] or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation [Freddie Mac]) to market for rental, before sale, any of its real estate owned properties and assets as the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) determines appropriate. Restricts lease agreements to five years.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2011
Authorizes Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center to be used on August 27, 2011, for a ceremony to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and recognize the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity for its work to erect a monument to the civil rights leader. Directs all physical preparations for the conduct of the ceremony to be carried out in accordance with such conditions as may be prescribed by the Architect of the Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2011
National Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury Plan Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make a payment for each fiscal year from FY2012-FY2018 to the State Lead Center in each state for implementation of the National Acquired Brain Injury Plan, as developed by the International Advisory Board of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2011
Commends: (1) the Administration for providing assistance in response to the drought and famine-like conditions in the Horn of Africa, and (2) the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for providing assistance in Somalia in order to mitigate conflict and promote stability. Encourages international humanitarian organizations to continue to provide food and humanitarian assistance to the regions in need, mindful of the need for relief workers' safety. Calls on: (1) the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and other local Somali authorities to make additional efforts to provide support and humanitarian relief to the people of Somalia; and (2) the U.S. government and the international community to remain focused on those most vulnerable to the current drought and famine-like conditions, especially women and children. Encourages increased water conservation. Reaffirms the commitment of the United States to promoting the safety, health, and well-being of refugees around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2011
Stop Gun Trafficking and Strengthen Law Enforcement Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit any person from: (1) receiving, or transferring or otherwise disposing of to one or more individuals, two or more firearms that have been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such conduct will result in the disposing of one or more such firearms to an individual whose possession or receipt of the firearm would be unlawful or who intends to or will use, carry, possess, or dispose of the firearm unlawfully; (2) knowingly directing, promoting, or facilitating such conduct; or (3) conspiring to commit such conduct.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2011
Applauds the U.N. General Assembly for uniting to honor Nelson Mandela's contribution to international peace and freedom. Recognizes the global impact of President Mandela's legacy and commitment to nonviolence, respect, and dialogue. Supports the international community's recognition of Nelson Mandela International Day. Urges all U.S. citizens to reflect on the importance of peace, tolerance, democracy, human rights, and reconciliation in honor of Nelson Mandela International Day.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2011
National Youth Summer Jobs Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to award 5-year competitive grants to eligible local government units to provide summer employment, including job readiness activities, work experiences, and job placement, for out-of-school youths age 14 to 21 who are enrolled in a public or private secondary school or have received a secondary school diploma or its equivalent but are basic-skills deficient, unemployed, or underemployed. Allows eligible entities that operate existing youth summer jobs programs to use grants to expand their programs, in lieu of establishing new job placement programs, by providing job training and support services, including health and nutrition referral, housing referral, financial literacy, and instruction on basic daily living skills.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2011
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into a contract or agreement with each state home to pay for nursing home care provided in the home to certain veterans with service-connected disabilities. Requires such payment to be based on a methodology, developed by the Secretary in consultation with the home state, to adequately reimburse the state home for the care provided under such contract or agreement. (Current law requires payment at the lesser of the prevailing rate in the geographic area for non-VA nursing homes or the daily cost of care, both of which are determined by the Secretary.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2011
Calls for Congress to consider and pass critical jobs legislation to address: (1) the crisis facing communities of color disproportionately, and (2) the nationwide economic crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2011
Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 - Declares it an unlawful practice for certain employers with at least 15 employees for each working day in each of at least 20 calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year to: (1) refuse to consider or offer employment to an individual based on present or past unemployment regardless of the length of time such individual was unemployed; (2) publish an advertisement or announcement for any job with provisions indicating that such an unemployed status disqualifies an individual and that an employer will not consider an applicant based on such status; and (3) direct or request that an employment agency account for such status when screening or referring applicants. Prohibits an employment agency (including agents and persons maintaining a website publishing job advertisements or announcements), based on such an individual's status as unemployed, from: (1) refusing to consider or refer an individual for employment; (2) limiting, segregating, or classifying individuals in any manner limiting access to job information; or (3) publishing an advertisement or announcement for any job vacancy that includes provisions indicating that such an individual is disqualified and that an employer will not consider such individuals. Allows consideration of an individual's status as unemployed where an individual's employment in a similar or related job for a period of time reasonably proximate to the hiring of such individual is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to successful performance of the job being filled. Authorizes, subject to termination upon the filing of certain complaints by the Secretary of Labor, one or more persons for and in behalf of the affected individual, or the affected individual and other individuals similarly situated, to bring actions in federal or state court for specified actual damages and equitable relief including employment and compensatory and punitive damages. Directs the Secretary to: (1) receive, investigate, and attempt to resolve complaints according to specified provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; and (2) pay directly to each affected individual applicable sums recovered in any civil actions brought by the Secretary under this Act. Sets forth a two-year statute of limitations period (three years for willful violations) for specified civil actions under this Act, subject to tolling when the Secretary is considering certain complaints.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security's long-term outlook should happen in a bipartisan fashion and should ensure that Social Security remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the Montford Point Marines, U.S. Marine Corps, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. (Camp Montford Point, North Carolina, was the site for the training of the first African-American Marines.) Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011
False Travel Documents Prohibition Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the production, transfer, possession, and use of false travel documents. Directs the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Transportation Security [ sic ] to provide recurring training to transportation security officers on methods to identify false travel documents and false identification documents.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Authorizes the American Legion under its federal charter to provide guidance and leadership to the individual Departments and Posts. Prohibits it from controlling or otherwise influencing the specific activities and conduct of independent, autonomous Departments and Posts.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Commends the government of Japan for extending an official apology to all U.S. former prisoners of war from the Pacific War and establishing a visitation program to Japan for surviving veterans, their families, and descendants. Appreciates the government of Japan's efforts toward historic apologies for the war crimes of Imperial Japan. Requests that the government of Japan: (1) continue its Japanese/American POW Friendship Program of reconciliation and remembrance and expand it to educate the public and its school children about the history of prisoners of war in Imperial Japan, and (2) respect the wishes and sensibilities of the U.S. former prisoners of war by requesting successor Japanese firms of private entities that used U.S. prisoner of war labor to emulate their government's sincerity by offering an apology and supporting programs for lasting remembrance and reconciliation. Acknowledges the work of the Department of State in advocating for the U.S. prisoners of war from the Pacific War. Applauds the dedication and patriotism of the members and descendants of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor for their pursuit of justice and lasting peace.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Balancing Act of 2011 - Family Leave Insurance Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a Family and Medical Insurance Program, which may involve contracts with state programs, under which, for specified reasons, an eligible employee of a covered employer shall be entitled to family and medical leave insurance benefits for a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month program. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to establish a similar Civil Service Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program for federal employees. Creates in the Treasury the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a family and medical leave premium on employees and employers. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act - Amends the FMLA to increase the number of employers to which it applies by reducing from 50 to 25 employees the threshold number triggering application of the Act. Entitles eligible employees and federal employees to take specified additional leave for parental involvement and family wellness. Domestic Violence Leave Act - Entitles eligible employees, including federal employees, to leave to address domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Includes within the purview of FMLA same-sex spouses and domestic partners and their children. Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers to provide paid sick time to their employees, including time to address domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits such employers from discriminating against employees for their legitimate use of paid sick time. Directs the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to compile specified information relating to use of paid sick time. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to authorize additional funds for expanding child care activities for young children under age three. Authorizes the Secretary to allot funds to eligible states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations for the federal share of access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers. Establishes: (1) the Child Care Provider Development and Retention Grant Program; and (2) the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program. Healthy Early Education Workforce Grant Program Act - Requires a state receiving certain funds to expend them for the federal share of the cost of providing access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers and, at state discretion, their spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. Child Care Facilities Financing Act - Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive technical and financial assistance grants to Department of the Treasury-certified community development financial institutions and other specified organizations for the acquisition, construction, or renovation of child care facilities. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to award competitive grants to assist states in providing incentive funds to encourage the establishment and operation of employer-operated child care programs. Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the Secretary to make grants to state agencies to develop high-quality full-day, full-year universal prekindergarten programs for all children three, four, and five years old. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the school breakfast program to provide free breakfasts to school children without regard to family income. Afterschool Education Enhancement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 with respect to requirements for state applications for 21st century community learning center grants. Repeals the restriction in such applications to students attending schools: (1) eligible for certain schoolwide programs; (2) serving a high percentage of students from low-income families; or (3) in need of academic improvement. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require that certain employees working at less than full-time under participation, vesting, and accrual rules governing pension plans be treated as meeting full-time year-of-service criteria. Qualifies such workers for group health plans. Extends ERISA coverage to certain individuals whose services are leased or contracted for. United States Business Telework Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a pilot program in up to five states to raise awareness about telework among employers and to encourage them to offer telework options to employees.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
TANF Supplemental Grants Extension Act - Makes appropriations through FY2011, at the same level as provided through the fourth quarter of FY2010, for supplemental grants for population increases in qualifying states under title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Commends the government of Japan for extending an official apology to all U.S. prisoners of war from the Pacific War and moving forward in planning to invite surviving members to Japan. Requests that the government of Japan respect the wishes and sensibilities of the U.S. prisoners of war by providing an appropriate program for lasting remembrance and reconciliation that recognizes their sacrifices and forced labor. Acknowledges the work of the Department of State in advocating for the U.S. prisoners of war from the Pacific War. Applauds the dedication and patriotism of the members and descendants of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor for their pursuit of justice and lasting peace.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2011
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act - Reauthorizes the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004 for FY2012-FY2016. Directs the Secretary of State to act through the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs in awarding grants or entering agreements with Special Olympics for activities outside the United States. Includes community-based prevention among the activities for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants or enter into agreements with Special Olympics. Requires grant or agreement applications to include a description of specific measurable annual benchmarks, as well as long-term goals and objectives, to be achieved through specified activities, which must include: (1) activities to increase the full participation of people with intellectual disabilities in inclusive school and community activities with people without disabilities, (2) education programs that dispel negative stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities, and (3) activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in Special Olympics outside of the United States. Requires annual reports by Special Olympics to describe demographic data about Special Olympics participants. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements to promote the expansion of Best Buddies, including activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other aspects of community life, including education and employment, within the United States. Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education to establish Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institutes for Sport and Social Impact. Requires recipients to use grant funds to advance the quality of life and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities through research and evaluation, technical assistance, training, data collection, evaluation, collaboration, and dissemination of evidence-based best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
Lions Clubs International Century of Service Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue as legal tender $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Lions Clubs International. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the centennial. Permits the Secretary to issue such coins only during calendar 2017. Requires sales of the coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, to be paid by the Secretary to the Lions Clubs International Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
Syria Freedom Support Act - Maintains certain U.S. restrictions against the government of Syria and related persons until the President certifies that Syria: (1) has ended support for terrorism; (2) has dismantled biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear weapons programs and has committed to combat their proliferation; (3) respects the boundaries and sovereignty of all neighboring countries; (4) does not pose a threat to U.S. national interest and allies; and (5) upholds human rights and civil liberties. Maintains certain restrictions against the government of Syria based upon its support for international terrorism until the President certifies that Syria: (1) is not engaged in the illegal transfer of missiles or nuclear technology, (2) is not not supporting foreign terrorist organizations, and (3) has ended assistance to insurgents and terrorists in Iraq. Imposes: (1) specified export, financial, procurement, banking, and property sanctions on persons that transfer goods or technology contributing to Syria's biological, chemical, nuclear, or advanced conventional weapons programs; and (2) additional sanctions (including military items and imports) relating to the transfer of nuclear or related weapons technology. Urges the President to begin diplomatic efforts to establish a multilateral sanctions regime against Syria (including limiting the development of petroleum resources) that will inhibit Syria's efforts to support terrorism and develop missile and nuclear capabilities. Imposes specified export, financial, procurement, banking, and property sanctions aimed at Syria's energy sector, including sanctions relating to the development of Syria's petroleum resources and its production and export of refined petroleum products. Terminates such petroleum-related sanctions if the President certifies that Syria: (1) has ended support for terrorism; (2) has dismantled biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear weapons programs and has committed to combat their proliferation; (3) respects the boundaries and sovereignty of all neighboring countries; (4) does not pose a threat to U.S. national interest and allies; and (5) upholds human rights and civil liberties. Amends the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 to: (1) increase the number of sanctions the President must implement against the government of Syria, and (2) eliminate presidential authority to waive such sanctions. Sets forth restrictions on nuclear cooperation with countries assisting Syria's nuclear program. Directs the Secretary of State to deny a visa to, and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to exclude from the United States, any alien listed in a report identifying persons involved in specified weapons proliferation activities with Syria. Sets forth diplomatic measures intended to isolate the government of Syria. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to support a democratic transition in Syria. States that it shall be U.S. policy to condemn in all appropriate international fora, including the United Nations (U.N.), the government of Syria's violations of internationally recognized human rights. Directs the President to impose admission, financial, and property sanctions on certain Syrian government and military officials responsible for, or complicit in, human rights abuses committed against Syrian citizens or their family members. Directs the President to freeze U.S. or U.S.-controlled assets of a person determined to have been involved in the transfer of goods or technologies to Syria that may be used to commit human rights abuses. Prohibits the Secretary of State from issuing a visa to a person of a country designated as supporting acts of international terrorism if such person: (1) is an agent, instrumentality, or official of the government of Syria; (2) provides material support to Syrian policies; or (3) presents a threat to the United States or who has participated in terrorist acts or is affiliated with terrorist organizations. Terminates the provisions of this Act 30 days after the Secretary certifies that the government of Syria has taken specified actions with respect to: (1) support for terrorism and terrorist organizations; (2) weapons proliferation; (3) relations with neighboring countries; and (4) human rights, political freedom, and democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2011
Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health for Military Women Act or the MARCH for Military Women Act - Amends the prohibition on using funds available to the Department of Defense (DOD) to perform abortions by adding an exception for cases where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. (Current law provides an exception only where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.) Repeals a statutory restriction on using a medical treatment facility or other facility of the DOD to perform an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Prohibits any entity that receives funds from the federal government from using such funds to file a class action lawsuit involving the residents of an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded (ICF/MR) unless the resident (or the resident's legal representative), after receiving notice of the proposed class action lawsuit, has the opportunity to elect not to have the action apply to the resident. Directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to consult with ICF/MR residents among all other interested parties before taking actions (including investigations and actions under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Civil Rights for Institutionalized Persons Act) involving such residents. Permits a resident to intervene in any such DOJ action. Prohibits this Act from requiring a state to include ICFs/MR services as an option under its Medicaid plan under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Transportation Opportunity and Accountability Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to ensure administrative compliance with title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination by recipients of federal transportation funding. Allows a person aggrieved by violation of such nondiscrimination regulations to bring a civil action in federal or state court for equitable or legal relief, including reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees, and costs. Directs the Secretary to carry out research and demonstration activities relating to the impact of transportation planning, investment, and operations on low-income and minority populations, including populations that are transit dependent. Directs the Secretary to assess the extent to which nondiscrimination and equal opportunity exist in the United States in the construction and operation of federally-funded transportation projects.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Modifies the requirement that the Secretary concerned provide preseparation counseling to members of the Armed Forces whose discharge or release from active duty is anticipated as of a specific date. Directs the Secretary concerned, including the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), to require such members to receive, as part of their preseparation counseling, employment assistance, job training assistance, and other transitional services under a specified program established by the Secretary of Labor.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) investigations into radicalization in the United States should focus on the criminal behavior of individuals and avoid creating the impression of unconstitutional profiling based on constitutionally protected beliefs and activities; and (2) the federal government should take steps to counter the growth in anti-Muslim sentiments, targeted rhetorical attacks, and violence against the Muslim, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian American communities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
States that the House of Representatives: (1) acknowledges that the framework of past anti-Chinese legislation, including the Chinese Exclusion Act, is incompatible with the basic founding principles of equality recognized in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution; (2) regrets passing six decades of legislation targeting the Chinese people for physical and political exclusion; and (3) reaffirms its commitment to preserving the same civil rights and constitutional protections for people of Chinese or other Asian descent in the United States accorded to all others.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2011
Recognizes the historic significance of the 113th anniversary of the independence of the Philippines on June 12, 1898. Reaffirms the friendship which has existed between the United States and the Philippines. Commends the people of the Philippines for enduring through struggle and hardship. Reaffirms support for the Philippines to defend its internal security from terrorism. Recognizes the courage of the Filipino and Filipino American servicemen and servicewomen who have fought alongside and in the U.S. Armed Forces. Supports: (1) increased public awareness of the events surrounding the Philippine Declaration of Independence, and the vibrant culture of the Philippines; and (2) the continuing development of the Filipino American community as a integral part of America's cultural fabric.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2011
Hiring Heroes Act of 2011- Amends the Wounded Warriors Act to extend until January 1, 2015, the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide the same rehabilitation and vocational benefits to members of the Armed Forces with severe injuries or illnesses as are provided to veterans. Expands the authority of the VA Secretary to make payments to employers to provide on-job training to veterans to include veterans who have not been rehabilitated to the point of employability. Entitles certain veterans with service-connected disabilities who have exhausted their rights to unemployment benefits to participation in an additional VA rehabilitation program. Limits the duration of such a program to 24 months. Makes the 12-year period of eligibility for a VA rehabilitation program inapplicable under such an additional program. Instructs the VA Secretary to follow-up on the employment status of veterans who participate in a VA rehabilitation program. Requires (current law encourages) participation by eligible members in the Transitional Assistance Program (TAP) of the Department of Defense (DOD). Requires (under current law, authorizes) the provision of preseparation counseling to members whose discharge or release is anticipated. Instructs the Secretary of Labor to follow-up on the employment status of members who complete their participation in the TAP. Directs the VA Secretary to award grants to up to three nonprofit organizations under a collaborative veterans' training, mentoring, and placement program for eligible veterans seeking employment. Requires participants in the TAP to receive individualized assessments of civilian positions for which they may be qualified based on a joint DOD, VA, and Department of Labor study of the equivalencies between military skills and civilian employment requirements. Authorizes the appointment of an honorably discharged member of the uniformed services to a position in the civil service, without regard to specified civil service examination, certification, and appointment provisions, if otherwise qualified. Requires executive agencies to establish programs to provide employment assistance to members who are being separated from active duty. Directs the Secretary of Labor to carry out an outreach program to provide employment assistance to certain veterans who have been receiving assistance under the Unemployment Compensation for Ex-servicemembers program. Authorizes a pilot program to assess the feasibility of providing work experience to certain members of the Armed Forces who are on terminal leave. Requires (under current law, authorizes) a VA demonstration project on the credentialing and licensing of veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2011
Iran Threat Reduction Act of 2011 - Declares that it is U.S. policy to deny Iran the ability to support acts of foreign terrorist organizations and develop unconventional weapons and ballistic missiles. Urges the President to initiate diplomatic efforts to expand the multilateral sanctions regime regarding Iran. Directs the President to initiate an investigation into the imposition of sanctions upon receipt of credible information that a person is engaged in a sanctionable activity under this Act. Directs the President to impose specified sanctions on a person who knowingly: (1) makes specified investments with respect to Iran's ability to develop petroleum resources; (2) sells, leases, or provides to Iran goods, services, technology, information, or support that could facilitate Iran's domestic production of refined petroleum products; (3) sells or provides to Iran refined petroleum products, or provides goods, services, technology, information, or support that could contribute to Iran's ability to import refined petroleum products; or (4) exports or otherwise facilitated transshipment to Iran of any goods, services, technology, or other items that would contribute to Iran's ability to acquire or develop chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, or acquire or develop destabilizing numbers and types of advanced conventional weapons. Sets forth exceptions to such sanctions for: (1) the procurement of certain defense articles or services; (2) eligible products to designated countries or instrumentalities; (3) products, technology, or services under contracts entered into before the date on which the President publishes in the Federal Register the name of the person on which the sanctions are to be imposed; (4) spare or component parts, or information and technology that are essential to U.S. products or production, and related servicing and maintenance; or (5) medicines, medical supplies, or other humanitarian items. Defines sanctions to include: (1) prohibitions on Export-Import Bank assistance, (2) prohibitions on loans from U.S. financial institutions and other financial services, (3) prohibitions on foreign exchange and other banking transactions, (4) prohibitions on property transactions, and (5) export and procurement sanctions. Authorizes: (1) the Secretary of State to issue, upon request, an advisory opinion with respect to whether a proposed activity would be sanctionable, and (2) a person to rely in good faith on such opinion and proceed without being subject to sanctions. Imposes sanctions under this Act for at least two years. Authorizes the President to terminate sanctions after one year if the sanctioned person is no longer engaging in a sanctionable activity and the President has received reliable assurances that the person will not knowingly engage in such future activity. Authorizes the President to waive imposition of sanctions if in the national security interest of the United States. States that a determination to impose sanctions under this Act shall not be reviewable in any court. Repeals the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996. Authorizes the President to provide financial and political assistance to certain foreign and domestic individuals, organizations, and entities that support democracy in Iran. Imposes visa, property, and financial sanctions on persons identified as officials of the government of Iran, security services, or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who were complicit in the commission of serious human rights abuses against citizens of Iran or their family members on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Iran. Directs the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress regarding the promotion of Internet freedom and information access in Iran. Imposes specified sanctions on a person that knowingly assisted in the exportation of petroleum, oil, or natural gas produced by the IRGC or its affiliates. Blocks the U.S. property interests of foreign persons or their affiliates that have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of violence threatening the peace or economic stability of Iraq or Afghanistan. Directs the President to develop a National Strategy to Counter Iran. Amends the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to require any person owned or controlled by a domestic financial institution to certify that such person is not engaged in corresponding relations or business activity with the IRGC. Requires a report on the Central Bank of Iran's activities to facilitate Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear missile capacities and promote terrorism. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require securities issuers to disclose in their mandatory annual or quarterly reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whether they or their affiliates have: (1) engaged in certain activities relating to Iran, terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; (2) knowingly engaged in specified activities, or knowingly violated certain regulations prescribed under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010; (3) knowingly conducted any transaction or dealing with a person whose property and interests in property are blocked by certain Executive Orders; or (4) knowingly conducted a transaction or dealing with any person listed in the Iranian Transactions Regulations. Requires the President to: (1) initiate an investigation into the possible imposition of sanctions when the SEC receives a report that an issuer or its affiliate has engaged in the cited activities, and (2) determine whether sanctions should be imposed on the issuer or the affiliate concerned. States that, except to meet U.S. international obligations, the Secretary of State shall deny a visa to, and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) shall exclude from U.S. entry, a person who is an agent, official, or a representative of the government of Iran; and (2) presents a threat to the United States or is affiliated with terrorist organizations. Restricts the movement of such persons in the United States. Terminates the provisions of this Act when Iran: (1) has dismantled its efforts to develop or acquire nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons; (2) no longer provides support for acts of international terrorism; and (3) poses no threat to U.S. national security, interests, or allies.
![Official portrait of Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_tx_9_green_al_200.jpg)