United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2011 - Establishes the U.S. Office for Native Hawaiian Relations within the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. Establishes the Native Hawaiian Interagency Coordinating Group. Recognizes the right of the qualified Native Hawaiian constituents to reorganize the single Native Hawaiian governing entity to provide for their common welfare and to adopt appropriate organic governing documents. Establishes a Commission to: (1) prepare and maintain a roll of such constituents, and (2) certify that individuals on the roll meet the definition of qualified Native Hawaiian. Outlines the process for the reorganization, which includes forming a Native Hawaiian Interim Governing Council. Reaffirms the special political and legal relationship between the United States and the Native Hawaiian people upon the Secretary's approval of the organic governing documents and the installation of officers elected to the Native Hawaiian governing entity. Extends federal recognition to the governing entity as the representative sovereign governing body of the Native Hawaiian people. Authorizes the United States, upon the reaffirmation of such political and legal relationship, together with the state of Hawaii, to enter into negotiations with the governing entity for an agreement addressing matters that include: (1) land, natural resource, and asset transfers; (2) governing powers and responsibilities; and (3) grievances. Prohibits Native Hawaiians or their governing entity from conducting gaming activities as a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority of federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act or the Small BREW Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the rate of the excise tax on beer produced within or imported into the United States for brewers who produce not more than 6 million barrels of beer a year.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Optometric Equity in Medicaid Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require coverage under Medicaid of services of optometrists.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Supports the goals and ideals of National Tsunami Awareness Week. Encourages the staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), especially the National Weather Service, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, and other appropriate federal agencies, to continue their work in educating people in the United States about tsunami preparedness. Endorses the efforts of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program to assess tsunami threats, prepare community response, issue timely warnings, and mitigate damage.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Marine Debris Act Reauthorization Amendments of 2011 - Reauthorizes appropriations through FY2016 for, and revises provisions of, the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act. Replaces provisions establishing within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Program with provisions establishing the Marine Debris Program. Revises provisions governing such Program, including by requiring the Administrator of NOAA to: (1) investigate, identify sources of, assess, reduce, remove, and prevent the occurrence of marine debris and to address and prevent adverse impacts of such debris on the marine environment, navigation safety, and the economy; (2) address land-based sources of marine debris, develop fishing gear modifications or alternatives to conventional fishing gear posing a threat to the marine environment, and develop effective nonregulatory measures and incentives to cooperatively reduce the volume of lost and discarded fishing gear and to aid in its recovery; (3) undertake national and regional coordination to assist states, Indian tribes, and regional organizations to address marine debris issues that are particular to their areas; (4) develop tools and products to improve efforts to address marine debris and make them available to researchers, the marine debris community, and the general public; and (5) lead the development and implementation of a strategy to promote international action to reduce the incidence of marine debris. Requires the Administrator to host a Global Marine Debris Coordination Conference in 2015 and at least every four years thereafter. Defines "marine debris" to mean any man-made object that: (1) intentionally or unintentionally, is discarded, disposed of, or abandoned; and (2) enters the coastal or marine environment directly from a vessel, a facility, or shore or indirectly, by being carried via a river, stream, or storm drain or by other means.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Commodity Exchange Act to direct both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to prohibit purchase or sale of either securities, security-based swaps, or commodities for future delivery or swap by a person in possession of material nonpublic information regarding pending or prospective legislative action if the information was obtained: (1) knowingly from a Member or employee of Congress, (2) by reason of being a Member or employee of Congress, or (3) from other federal employees and derived from their federal employment. Amends the Code of Official Conduct of the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit any Member, officer, or employee of the House from disclosing material nonpublic information relating to any pending or prospective legislative action relating to any publicly-traded company or to any commodity if such person has reason to believe that the information will be used to buy or sell the securities of that publicly traded company or that commodity for future delivery based on such information. Directs both the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives to hold hearings on the implementation by the CFTC and the SEC of such financial transaction prohibitions. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require formal disclosure of certain securities and commodities futures transactions to either the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to subject to its registration, reporting, and disclosure requirements, as well as requirements for identification of clients and covered legislative and executive officials, all political intelligence activities, contacts, firms, and consultants. Requires the Comptroller General to include political intelligence activities, contacts, firms, and consultants in its annual compliance audits and reports.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
National Health Service Corps Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps to include optometry health services. Includes optometrists within: (1) the fellowship program for the delivery of primary health services in health professional shortage areas, (2) the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, and (3) the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Fix HIT Act of 2011 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require direct Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments to federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Amends the Clean Air Act to include algae-based biofuel in the renewable fuel program. Defines "algae-based biofuel," for purposes of such Act, as liquid fuel derived from the biomass of single- or multi-cellular organisms which are inherently aquatic and classified as non-vascular plants and that have lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions that are at least 60% less than the baseline for such emissions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) expand the definition of cellulosic biofuel to include algae-based biofuel for purposes of the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credit; and (2) allow accelerated depreciation of property used to produce algae-based biofuel. Defines "algae-based biofuel" as any liquid fuel which is produced from the biomass of an algal organism (i.e., an organism that is primarily aquatic and classified as a non-vascular plant).
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2011
Respect for Marriage Act - Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse" to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2011
Fair Employment Act of 2011 - Amends title VII (Equal Employment Opportunities) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to add unemployment status to the categories of prohibited discrimination. Defines "unemployment status" as being unemployed, having actively looked for employment during the then most recent four-week period, and currently being available for employment.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2011
Tsunami Forecasting and Warning Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Tsunami Warning and Education Act to direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the National Weather Service, to establish or maintain a Caribbean Tsunami Warning Center in Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2011
Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2011 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal the exemption from restrictions on underground injection of fluids or propping agents granted to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities under such Act. Requires: (1) state underground injection programs to direct a person conducting hydraulic fracturing operations to disclose to the state (or the Administrator if the Administrator has primary enforcement responsibility in such state) the chemicals intended for use in underground injections prior to the commencement of such operations and the chemicals actually used after the end of such operations; and (2) a state or the Administrator to make such disclosure available to the public. Requires a person conducting hydraulic fracturing operations, when a medical emergency exists and the proprietary chemical formula of a chemical used in such operations is necessary for medical treatment, to disclose such formula or the specific chemical identity of a trade secret chemical to the state, the Administrator, or the treating physician or nurse upon request, regardless of whether a written statement of need or a confidentiality agreement has been provided. Authorizes such person to require a written statement of need and a confidentiality agreement as soon thereafter as circumstances permit.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2011
Sergeant Coleman S. Bean Reserve Component Suicide Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to ensure that each of the following individuals receive, at least once every 90 days, a telephone call from properly-trained DOD personnel to determine their emotional, psychological, medical, and career needs and concerns: (1) members of the Individual Ready Reserve who deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq in support of a contingency operation, (2) a member of a reserve component who the Secretary determines is an individual mobilization augmentee who has so deployed, or (3) a member of the inactive National Guard. Requires the person making the call to refer a member identified as being at-risk of self-caused harm to the nearest military medical treatment facility or accredited TRICARE (a DOD managed health care program) provider for immediate evaluation and necessary treatment. Directs the Secretary to refer such member to a private provider upon determining that such provider will ensure that the member will receive treatment and assistance without delay. Requires annual reports from the Secretary to Congress on the number of members so referred, their health and career status, and any situations that may be impeding the counseling calls from reaching all appropriate members. Requires a one-time report from the Comptroller General to Congress on suicide among such members. Directs the Secretary to develop, evaluate, and more widely disseminate programs that promote: (1) connectivity between members of the Armed Forces and their family, peers, and immediate chain of command; and (2) suicide risk identification and response, with particular emphasis on members of reserve components.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2011
Mourns with the people of Japan and all the countries affected for the horrific loss of life caused by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. Expresses deepest condolences to the victims' families. Applauds the commitments of support and humanitarian efforts by the international community, relief agencies, and private citizens. Reaffirms the longstanding friendship between the United States and Japan. Pledges full support and solidarity with the people of Japan and all others affected by this tragedy as they struggle to rebuild their lives. Urges the U.S. government to continue to provide assistance to Japan and damaged U.S. communities during their recovery and reconstruction efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Strengthening Medicare And Repaying Taxpayers Act of 2011- Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to any settlement, judgment, award, or other payment between a Medicare claimant and an applicable plan involving a payment made for items and services by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Declares that, in the case of a payment to the claimant by the Secretary, and beginning 120 days before the reasonably expected date of a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment, the claimant or applicable plan may at any time but only once: (1) notify the Secretary that a payment is reasonably expected, and (2) request a statement of the conditional payment reimbursement amount for any payments subject to the required reimbursement. Requires the Secretary to respond to such a request, within 65 days after receiving it, with a statement of reimbursement amount. Prescribes procedures for the claimant, an applicable plan, or specified related entities to follow if the Secretary fails to provide such a statement. Specifies circumstances: (1) in which the claimant, an applicable plan, or specified related entities are shielded from liability for certain payments; and (2) in which the Secretary shall be exempt from any obligation for a statement of reimbursement. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations establishing a right of appeal and appeals process, with respect to any determination for a payment made under such title for an item or service under a primary plan, under which the applicable plan involved, or an attorney, agent, or third party administrator on behalf of such applicable plan, may appeal such determination. Exempts a primary plan, and an entity receiving payment from a primary plan, from any obligation to reimburse the appropriate Trust Fund for a Medicare payment by the Secretary with respect to any settlement, judgment, award, or other payment by an applicable plan constituting a total payment obligation to a claimant of not more than the single threshold amount calculated by the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Requires the Chief Actuary to calculate and publish the single threshold amount annually. Makes discretionary rather than mandatory the current civil money penalty for an applicable plan's noncompliance with requirements to submit insurance information about a claimant. Requires the severity of each penalty to be based on the knowing, willful, and repeated nature of the violation. Prescribes requirements for the specification of practices for which sanctions will not be imposed on a plan (safe harbors). Directs the Secretary to modify insurance information reporting requirements so that a plan, in complying with them, is permitted but not required to access or report beneficiary Social Security account numbers or health identification claim numbers. Sets a three-year statute of limitations on a Medicare secondary payer claim by the Secretary for reimbursement against an applicable plan that becomes a Medicare primary payer pursuant to a settlement, judgment, award, or other judicial action.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act or FIT Kids Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require annual state and local educational agency report cards to include specified information on school health and physical education programs. Includes the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles by students within ESEA grant programs that support school counseling, smaller learning communities, community learning centers, and parental involvement in their childrens' education. Revises the professional development program for teachers and principals to include training for physical and health education teachers, and training on improving students' health habits and participation in physical activities. Directs the Secretary of Education to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for a study that: (1) assesses the effect health and physical education have on students' ability to learn; and (2) makes recommendations for improving, and measuring improvements to, their health and physical education in schools.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2011
Medicaid Coverage for Citizens of Freely Associated States Act of 2011 - Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 to permit coverage under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act for citizens of the Freely Associated States lawfully residing in the United States under the Compacts of Free Association between the United States Government and the Governments of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Permits Medicaid coverage also to lawful residents, in accordance with such Compacts, but only at the option of the governor, of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or American Samoa. Exempts such citizens from the five-year limited eligibility of qualified aliens for federal means-tested public benefits with respect to Medicaid benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2011
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Women's History Month. Recognizes and honors the women and organizations in the United States that have fought for and continue to promote the teaching of women's history.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2011 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
K-9 Companion Corps Act - Directs the Secretaries of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to jointly establish the K-9 Companion Corps program for the awarding of grants to nonprofit organizations to assist them in establishing programs to provide assistance dogs to certain members of the Armed Forces and veterans who have certain disabilities. Defines the term "assistance dog" to mean a dog specifically trained to perform physical tasks to mitigate the effects of such a disability, except that such term does not include a dog specifically trained for comfort or personal defense.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
Embedded Mental Health Providers for Reserves Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to provide to each reserve member performing inactive-duty training during scheduled unit training assemblies access to mental health assessments with a licensed mental health professional, who shall be available for referrals during duty hours at the principal duty location of the member's unit. Requires all mental health services provided to be subject to and comply with applicable federal privacy and security rules. Requires each reserve member participating in annual training or individual duty training to have access, during such participation, to specified behavioral health support programs, including: (1) suicide prevention and post-suicide response, and (2) psychological health programs.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2011
Maternal Health Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to states for: (1) mandatory reporting to the state department of health by health care providers and other entities of pregnancy-related deaths; (2) establishment of a state maternal mortality review committee on pregnancy-related deaths occurring within such state; (3) implementation and use of the comprehensive case abstraction form by such committee to preserve the uniformity of the information collected; and (4) annual public disclosure of committee findings. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to: (1) organize a national workshop to identify definitions for severe maternal morbidity and make recommendations for a research plan to identify and monitor such morbidity in the United States; and (2) develop uniform definitions of severe maternal morbidity, a research plan, and possible data collection protocols to assist states in identifying and monitoring such cases. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to carry out specified research and demonstration activities to eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2011
Amends the Impact Aid program (which compensates local educational agencies [LEAs] for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their areas) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to compensate LEAs for educating children who are admitted into this country as citizens of one of the Freely Associated States (the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau).
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2011
Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a geography education grant program under title II (Teacher Quality Enhancement). Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to a national nonprofit educational organization or consortium, with 75% to be used for matching subgrants to institutions of higher education associated with state geographic alliances, nonprofit educational organizations, or state or local educational agencies. Requires program participants to use their grants and subgrants to enhance the geographic literacy of students in kindergarten through grade 12 by supporting specified activities, including: (1) educational research; (2) teacher training; (3) the development of effective teaching tools and learning materials; (4) the application of rigorous academic standards and assessment techniques; (5) comparative studies of world cultures, economies, and environments; and (6) the exchange of information regarding the state of geographic literacy and strategies for its improvement.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2011
Authorizes the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate the formation of the Peace Corps and the ideals of world peace and friendship upon which it was founded.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the charitable tax deduction for contributions of qualified vehicles (i.e., highway motor vehicles, boats, or airplanes) to: (1) set forth revised acknowledgment requirements for vehicles valued at $2,500 or less and vehicles valued at more than $2,500; and (2) revise the penalty for submitting a fraudulent acknowledgment.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2011
Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to define a "high volume retail breeder" as a person who, in commerce, for compensation or profit: (1) has an ownership interest in or custody of one or more breeding female dogs; and (2) sells, via any means of conveyance, more than 50 of the offspring of such dogs for use as pets in any one-year period. Considers such a breeder of dogs to be a dealer. Requires dealers to include on licensing applications and annual renewals the total number of dogs exempted from exercise on the premises of the dealer in the preceding year by a licensed veterinarian. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to promulgate requirements for the exercise of dogs at facilities owned or operated by a dealer, including requiring daily access to exercise that: (1) allows the dogs to move sufficiently in a way that is not forced, repetitive, or restrictive; and (2) is in an area that is spacious, cleaned at least once a day, free of infestation by pests or vermin, and designed to prevent the dogs from escaping. Allows an exemption if: (1) a licensed veterinarian determines that a dog should not exercise because of the health, condition, or well-being of the dog; and (2) such determination is reviewed and updated at least once every 30 days by the veterinarian, unless the basis for the determination is a permanent condition. Subjects such a determination to review and approval by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2011
Prescribe A Book Act - Creates a Pediatric Early Literacy program under which the Secretary of Education awards matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of three-part models through which: (1) health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer them recommendations and strategies for doing so; (2) health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five-years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and (3) volunteers reading to children in health care facility waiting areas show parents the techniques and pleasures of reading aloud to children. Requires that the books provided to children under the program be obtained at a discount.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Mental Health in Schools Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate and age appropriate. Makes only a partnership between a local educational agency and at least one community program or agency that is involved in mental health eligible for such funding. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with relevant community-based entities that clearly states the responsibilities of each partner; (2) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act - States that it is the policy of the United States to ensure that funds made available for operations of the Armed Forces in Afghanistan are to be used only for providing for the safe and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. military personnel and Department of Defense (DOD) contractor personnel in Afghanistan. Allows such funds to be obligated and expended only for such purpose.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Recognizes the historical significance of February 19, 1942, the date Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Roosevelt, restricting the freedom of Japanese Americans, German Americans, and Italian Americans, and legal resident aliens through required identification cards, travel restrictions, seizure of personal property, and internment. Supports the goals of the Japanese American, German American, and Italian American communities in recognizing a National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness of these events.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2011
Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and implement a Pancreatic Cancer Initiative to assist in coordinating activities to address the high mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to establish the Interdisciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Coordinating Committee to: (1) provide advice on overall research objectives and benchmarks for pancreatic cancer research; (2) develop and update not less than every five years a strategic plan for pancreatic cancer research awareness; and (3) conduct evaluations and make recommendations as needed to the Secretary, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) regarding the prioritization and award of NIH research grants relating to pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to develop a primary care provider education program on pancreatic cancer. Requires the Director of NCI and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a communication tool kit for patients and their families that focuses on specific pancreatic cancer issues relating to patient choices and patient care. Allows the Secretary to award grants to research institutions for use in developing innovative compounds or technologies for the prevention, early detection, or treatment of those cancers with five-year survival rates of less than 50%. Requires the Secretary to focus on pancreatic cancer during the initial five fiscal years of awarding such grants. Allows the Secretary to designate two additional Specialized Programs of Research Excellence focusing solely on pancreatic cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2011
Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 2011 - Amends the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to extend the award of remaining coral reef conservation program grant funds to appropriate projects, including monitoring and assessment, research, pollution reduction, education, and technical support. Authorizes actions to: (1) minimize injury to a coral reef or loss of an ecosystem function resulting from human activities; and (2) stabilize, repair, or restore the reef. Deems specified terms (such as "sanctuary resources" and "national marine sanctuary") to include any coral reef that is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or (subject to state consent) any state, regardless of whether the reef is in a national marine sanctuary. Makes the destruction, loss, or injury of a coral reef not unlawful in certain circumstances, including if it was: (1) from permitted usage of fishing gear; (2) caused by an authorized activity; (3) subject to exception, the necessary result of marine scientific research; (4) caused by a federal agency in certain circumstances; or (5) unavoidable. Modifies the Act's purposes, the goals and objectives of the national coral reef action strategy, and the Act's authorized activities. Allows the Coral Reef Conservation Fund to be used to address emergency response actions. Authorizes the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to: (1) make community-based planning grants for increased protection of high priority coral reefs; (2) maintain an inventory of all coral reef vessel groundings; (3) identify all coral reefs with a high incidence of vessel impacts; and (4) identify measures to reduce such impacts. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to submit an international coral reef ecosystem strategy to Congress and authorizes the Secretary to establish an international coral reef ecosystem partnership program. Establishes the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to coordinate federal actions. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, subject to appropriations, to provide financial assistance for coral reef conservation.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2011
Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to arrange for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to honor collectively the World War II members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) in recognition of their military service and exemplary record during World War II. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the CAP. 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 · 15 February 2011
Youth Corps Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Labor to make grants to eligible public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations to carry out Youth Corps programs that utilize the Youth Corps model to provide eligible youth age 16 through 24 with education and work readiness training to enable them to find employment in the economy of the 21st century, and instill in them a sense of civic engagement and environmental stewardship. Defines "Youth Corps model" as a youth education and training program for which an eligible entity provides eligible youth, among other things, with stipended or paid work experience and basic and technical skills training leading to: (1) enrollment in postsecondary education or training, (2) attainment of an industry-recognized certification or credential, (3) meaningful employment in the economy of the 21st century, or (4) military service.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2011
States that the House of Representatives: (1) stands in solidarity with the people of Egypt in their democratic aspirations; (2) condemns the use of violence against unarmed protestors by the Egyptian security services and hired gangs of thugs, urges the release of any peaceful protestors who remain in custody, and calls for an end to the imposition of emergency or martial law; (3) deplores the targeted beatings and arrests of Egyptian and international journalists, as well as human rights and democracy advocates; (4) expresses its gratitude to the Egyptian army for its restraint and for remembering that its mission is to safeguard the Egyptian people; and (5) calls upon the government of Egypt and the political opposition to work together to transition Egypt to a credible democracy and a new era for the Egyptian people.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to include as a "countervailable subsidy" requiring action under a countervailing duty or antidumping duty proceeding the benefit conferred on merchandise imported into the United States from foreign countries with fundamentally undervalued currency. Defines "benefit conferred," in cases where the currency of a foreign country is exchanged for foreign currency (i.e., U.S. dollars) obtained from export transactions, as the difference between: (1) the amount of currency provided by a foreign country in which the subject merchandise is produced; and (2) the amount of currency such country would have provided if the real effective exchange rate of its currency were not fundamentally undervalued. Declares that the fact that such a subsidy is also provided in circumstances not involving export shall not, for that reason alone, mean it cannot be considered export contingent and actionable under a countervailing duty and antidumping duty proceeding. Requires the administering authority to determine that the currency of a foreign country is fundamentally undervalued if for an 18-month period: (1) the government of the country engages in protracted, large-scale intervention in one or more foreign exchange markets; (2) the country's real effective exchange rate is undervalued by at least 5%; (3) the country has experienced significant and persistent global current account surpluses; and (4) the country's government has foreign asset reserves exceeding the amount necessary to repay all its debt obligations falling due within the coming 12 months, 20% percent of the country's money supply, and the value of the country's imports during the previous 4 months. Requires the use, for calculating a country's "real effective exchange rate undervaluation," of certain guidelines of the Consultative Group on Exchange Rate Issues of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or, if those guidelines are not available, generally accepted economic and econometric techniques and methodologies. Requires the use, also, of inflation-adjusted, trade-weighted exchange rates. Applies the amendments made by this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Build America Bonds to Create Jobs Now Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the Build America Bond program, to: (1) extend until December 31, 2012, the authority to issue such bonds and the authority for payments to issuers of such bonds, (2) reduce the percentage rate of payments to issuers in 2011 and 2012, (3) allow refundings of currently issued bonds, and (4) allow the use of Build America bonds to fund capital expenditures for levees and flood control projects.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal a provision (added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) that extends to corporations that are not tax-exempt the requirement to report payments of $600 or more. Rescinds $44 billion of appropriated but unobligated discretionary funds. Exempts unobligated funds of the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or the Social Security Administration. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine and identify from which appropriation accounts such rescissions shall apply and report to the Secretary of the Treasury and Congress on such rescissions.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Assessment Accuracy and Improvement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow states to require the use of adaptive assessments of student progress toward state academic performance standards that accurately assess student achievement above and below grade level while also measuring grade-level performance. Defines an "adaptive assessment" as one that changes in difficulty in accordance with a student's performance, but reports its outcome on a scale common to all students.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Impact Aid Fairness and Equity Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, with respect to the Impact Aid program (which compensates local educational agencies (LEAs) for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their areas), to alter the formula for determining the payments due LEAs for federal ownership of property in their areas. Prohibits LEAs from being paid amounts that: (1) exceed their total current expenditures in the second prior fiscal year; or (2) are less than 85% of their payment for the prior fiscal year, in FYs 2012, 2013, and 2014. Requires the ratable reduction of payments due LEAs for federal ownership of property when appropriations for a fiscal year are insufficient to provide them with full compensation. Alters the formula for determining the payments due LEAs for eligible federally-connected children. Includes not only children in average daily attendance, but also those enrolled pursuant to a state open enrollment policy. Caps such payments for heavily impacted LEAs at the amount needed to raise their per-pupil expenditures to the higher of 110% of the average per-pupil expenditure of their state or the average per-pupil expenditure of three comparable LEAs. Continues a heavily impacted LEA's eligibility for such payments while activities associated with military base closures and realignments or force structure changes or relocations are ongoing. Alters the formula for determining the construction payments due LEAs that are eligible for other Impact Aid payments. Requires the Secretary of Education to use all Impact Aid construction appropriations to award: (1) emergency construction grants to LEAs that have no practical capacity, or minimal capacity, to issue bonds or are otherwise eligible for Impact Aid and have a school facility emergency; and (2) modernization grants to LEAs that are eligible for other Impact Aid payments.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act of 2011 - Requires each state educational agency, in order to be eligible to receive funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in FY2013 or subsequent fiscal years, to issue regulations establishing the following minimum requirements for the prevention and treatment of concussions. Requires each local educational agency in the state to develop and implement a standard plan for concussion safety and management that includes: (1) the education of students, parents, and school personnel about concussions; (2) supports for students recovering from a concussion; and (3) best practices designed to ensure the uniformity of safety standards, treatment, and management. Requires each public elementary and secondary school to post on school grounds and make publicly available on the school website information on concussions, including information on risks, responses, symptoms, and effects. Requires public school personnel who suspect that a student has sustained a concussion during a school-sponsored activity to: (1) remove the student from the activity and prohibit such student from participating in school athletic activities until the student submits a written release from a health care professional; and (2) report to the student's parent or guardian regarding such injury and the treatment provided. Prohibits a student who has sustained a concussion in a school-sponsored athletic activity from resuming participation in school-sponsored athletic or academic activities until the school receives a written release from a health care professional that: (1) states that the student is capable of resuming participation; and (2) may require the student to follow a plan designed to aid such individual in recovering and resuming participation in a manner that is coordinated with periods of cognitive and physical rest, and that reintroduces cognitive and physical demands on a progressive basis, based on the student's symptoms.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
High School Athletics Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct coeducational elementary and secondary schools that participate in any ESEA program to: (1) report annually certain information on equality in their school athletic programs to the Commissioner for Educational Statistics; and (2) make such information available, upon request, to their students, potential students, and the public. Directs the Commissioner to ensure that such data are posted on the Department of Education's Web site within a reasonable period of time.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the income tax deduction for business meals and entertainment expenses from 50 to 75% of such expenses in calendar year 2011 and 80% in 2012 and thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2011
Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act - Amends federal military retired pay provisions to: (1) permit veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 50% to concurrently receive both retired pay and disability compensation; (2) eliminate provisions requiring a phase in between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2013, of concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation; (3) eliminate a phase-in of concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation for disabled veterans determined to be individually unemployable; and (4) require a limited reduction in retired pay for qualified disability retirees with less than 20 years of retirement-creditable service.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2011
Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit: (1) the transfer or possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, except for its lawful possession within the United States on or before the date of this Act's enactment; and (2) the importation or bringing into the United States of such a device. Sets forth exceptions to such ban. Sets penalties for violations. Requires a large capacity ammunition feeding device manufactured after this Act's enactment to be identified by a serial number that clearly shows that the device was manufactured after enactment and such other identification as the Attorney General may prescribe.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2011
Renewable Energy Applied Partnerships (REAP) Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to establish a research pilot program for awarding grants to certain partnerships to improve education and training in support of applied sciences in renewable energy as part of a comprehensive program to enhance the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction at the secondary school and undergraduate levels of education.
![Official portrait of Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001050_200.jpg)