United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
State and Local Funding Flexibility Act - Amends part A of title IV (Flexibility and Accountability) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to replace the existing program under subpart 2 with a new Funding Flexibility for State and Local Educational Agencies program. Allows states to use funds that they receive under certain ESEA and Education Jobs Fund programs to carry out state activities authorized or required under the following ESEA programs: school improvement programs, under part A of title I; the Reading First program, under subpart 1 of part B of title I; the Education of Migratory Children program, under part C of title I; Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk, under part D of title I; the Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund program, under part A of title II; the Mathematics and Science Partnerships program, under part B of title II; Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students programs, under title III; the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, under part B of title IV; Innovative programs, under part A of title V; Accountability programs, under subpart 1 of part A of title VI; the Rural and Low-Income School program, under subpart 2 of part B of title VI; and Special Programs and Projects to Improve Educational Opportunities for Indian Children, under subpart 2 of part A of title VII. Allows local educational agencies (LEAs) to use funds that they receive under certain ESEA and Education Jobs Fund programs to carry out local activities authorized or required under the following programs: school improvement programs, under part A of title I; the Reading First program, under subpart 1 of part B of title I; the Education of Migratory Children program, under part C of title I; Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk, under part D of title I; the Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund program, under part A of title II; the Mathematics and Science Partnerships program, under part B of title II; the English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act program, under part A of title III; the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, under part B of title IV; Innovative programs, under part A of title V; the Rural and Low-Income School program, under subpart 2 of part B of title VI; and Indian Education programs, under part A of title VII of the ESEA; and the Early Intervening Services program, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Prohibits states and LEAs from transferring the funds to such programs if the ESEA requires them to: (1) reserve, allocate, or spend the funds for required activities; (2) provide them to eligible entities; or (3) use them for technical assistance or monitoring.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 45 Bay Street, Suite 2, in Staten Island, New York, as the "Sergeant Angel Mendez Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011
Farmers' Freedom Act of 2011 - Exempts certain farm vehicles (including the individual operating the vehicle) from certain federal requirements (for a commercial driver's license, drug testing, medical certificates, and hours of service) governing the operation of motor vehicles. Prohibits federal transportation funding to a state from being terminated, limited, or otherwise interfered with as a result of the state's exempting a covered farm vehicle (including the individual operating that vehicle, but excluding any farm vehicle transporting hazardous materials requiring a placard) from any state requirements governing the operation of that vehicle.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Hallowed Grounds Act - Prohibits the remains of persons convicted of certain sex offenses (tier III sex offenders for purposes of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act) from being interred or memorialized in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries or in the Arlington National Cemetery. Applies such restrictions to interments and memorializations occurring on or after enactment of this Act.
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
Fighting Fraud in Transportation Act of 2011 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to establish procedures to screen annually its list of registered motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders to: (1) ensure the list accurately reflects only those entities with currently active operating authority; and (2) show as inactive any motor carriers, brokers, or freight forwarders that are no longer active or in compliance with federal registration and security requirements. Requires the FMCSA Administrator to issue a distinctive registration number for each activity or service of a person (including motor carrier, freight forwarder, or broker) registered to provide one or more such activities or services. Requires a registrant to specify, in writing, the authority under which it is providing required services for each shipment for which it seeks compensation. Revises federal motor carrier registration requirements to prohibit a motor carrier from brokering transportation services unless registered as a broker. Revises and consolidates federal registration and security requirements for freight forwarders and brokers. Prohibits a person from acting as a freight forwarder or broker unless that person: (1) holds a freight forwarder's permit or broker's license issued by the FMCSA; and (2) furnishes a bond, insurance policy, or other type of security from a provider determined by the FMCSA Administrator to be adequate to insure financial responsibility of $100,000. Prohibits a person acting as a broker (other than a non-vessel-operating common carrier), or an ocean freight forwarder providing brokerage as part of an international through movement involving ocean transportation between the United States and a foreign port, from providing interstate brokerage services unless that person: (1) is registered under and in compliance with this Act, and (2) has satisfied financial security requirements. Prescribes civil penalties for violators of such requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Stem Cell Research Advancement Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human stem cells, including human embryonic stem cells. Limits such research to human embryonic stem cells that meet the following requirements: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics, were created for the purposes of reproductive treatment, and were in excess of the clinical need of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) it was determined that the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) the individuals seeking reproductive treatment donated the embryos with written informed consent and without receiving any financial or other inducements. Requires the Secretary to maintain, review, and update as scientifically warranted guidelines applicable to the conduct or support of human stem cell research by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Prohibits the Secretary from using any funds for the conduct or support of human cloning. Defines “human cloning” to mean the implantation of the product of transferring the nuclear material of a human somatic cell into an egg cell from which the nuclear material has been removed or rendered inert into a uterus or the functional equivalent of a uterus. Requires the Secretary to update the guidelines maintained pursuant to this Act for consistency with such prohibition. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to include information on human stem cells in the biennial report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Equal Access to COBRA Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and Public Health Service Act to expand COBRA coverage (health insurance continuation benefits) to include an employee's domestic partner and any dependent child of the domestic partner.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Amends the Bretton Woods Agreements Act to repeal authority to: (1) provide certain loans to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), including loans related to the New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB); (2) increase the U.S. quota in the IMF; and (3) approve the sale of IMF gold. Rescinds related appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Memorialize Our Guardsmen and Reservists Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make available for purchase a memorial headstone or marker for the marked or unmarked grave of: (1) an individual who performed inactive duty training or active duty for training as a member of a reserve component, but did not serve on active duty and is not otherwise ineligible for a memorial headstone or marker on account of the nature of the individual's separation from the Armed Forces or other cause; or (2) such an individual whose remains are unavailable.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Ethanol Subsidy Repeal Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the income and excise tax credits for ethanol blenders. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to repeal the additional tariff on ethyl alcohol (ethanol).
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to reauthorize through FY2016 the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. Modifies the scope of the AFG program, including by permitting the use of grant funds for volunteer, non-fire service emergency medical services organizations and for certifying fire and building inspectors employed by a fire department or serving as a volunteer building inspector with a fire department. Prohibits providing program funds to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or allied organizations. Increases: (1) funding for fire prevention and firefighter safety programs, and (2) maximum AFG grant amounts. Lowers matching and maintenance of expenditure requirements and authorizes the Administrator of FEMA to waive or reduce such requirements for applicants facing demonstrated economic hardship. Revises grant allocation requirements to require 25% of grant amounts for a fiscal year to be allocated to each of: (1) career fire departments, (2) volunteer fire departments, and (3) combination fire departments. Requires remaining amounts to be awarded on a competitive basis among such fire departments. Revises grant limits based on jurisdiction populations. Sets forth new limits on awards to state fire training academies. Limits grant amounts used to obtain training to training that complies with applicable national voluntary consensus standards. Amends SAFER program provisions to: (1) limit the period of program grants to three years; (2) require grantees to commit to retaining firefighters hired for the entire grant period, with an economic hardship exception; and (3) limit to 80% the portion of the cost of hiring firefighters for each fiscal year that may be provided under a grant. Directs the Administrator of FEMA to make grants directly to career, volunteer, and combination fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards and to fulfill traditional missions of fire departments that antedate the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Authorizes the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association, to conduct and report to Congress on a study to: (1) define the current roles and activities associated with the fire services on a national, state, regional, and local level: (2) identify the equipment, staffing, and training required to fulfill such roles and activities; (3) conduct an assessment to identify gaps between what fire departments currently possess and what they require on a national and state-by-state basis; and (4) measure the impact of the AFG program in meeting the needs and filling the gaps identified.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 67 Castle Street in Geneva, New York, as the "Corporal Steven Blaine Riccione Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services. Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner, (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law, (3) a certified nurse-midwife, or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Improving Physician Access in Teaching Hospitals (PATH) Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to distribution of additional resident positions as they affect calculation of payments for direct graduate medical education (DME) costs. States that, if a hospital's resident level for each of the five most recent cost reporting periods is less than the otherwise applicable resident limit, then the otherwise applicable resident limit shall be reduced by the difference between it and the highest reference resident level for any of those five cost reporting periods. Excepts from this reduction requirement a hospital: (1) located in a rural area with fewer than 250 beds, or (2) that has had in effect a voluntary residency reduction plan. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to increase the otherwise applicable resident limit (create additional residency slots) for applicant hospitals according to a specified formula that takes into account the aggregate reduction in limits attributable to this Act. Expands the primary care bonus to certain underserved specialties, such as psychiatry or neurology. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a small physician practice residency credit.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Debt Elimination By Tax-Deductible Contribution Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers to designate a specified portion (not less than $1) of their income tax liability for deposit in the general fund of the Treasury to reduce the public debt. Allows any such gift to the United States for reduction of the public debt to be treated as a tax deductible charitable contribution.
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
Repeals certain Department of Education regulations that for purposes of determining whether a school is eligible to participate in programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA): (1) require institutions of higher education and postsecondary vocational institutions (except religious schools) to be legally authorized by the state in which they are situated, (2) delineate what such legal authorization requires of states and schools, and (3) define "credit hour." Prohibits the Secretary of Education from promulgating or enforcing any regulation or rule that defines "credit hour" for any purpose under the HEA.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
Calls for the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in implementing existing federal epilepsy public education, outreach, and awareness campaigns under the Public Health Service Act, to collaborate with the Secretaries of Defense (DOD), Veterans Affairs (VA), Education, Labor, and Homeland Security (DHS) and the Attorney General to deliver the campaign's educational materials and messages to individuals and organizations, including: (1) teachers, administrators, and other school or education personnel; (2) federal, state, county, and local law enforcement personnel and first responders; (3) employers and labor organizations; and (4) other individuals and organizations the HHS Secretary deems to have regular interaction with individuals who are subject to epilepsy and seizure incidents.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2011
Tax Parity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from an employee's gross income employer-provided accident and health plan benefits extended to a domestic partner or non-dependent, non-spouse beneficiary eligible to receive such benefits under an employer plan (i.e., "eligible beneficiary"); (2) exempt such benefits paid to eligible beneficiaries from otherwise applicable employment and unemployment taxes; (3) allow self-employed individuals a tax deduction for the health insurance costs of their eligible beneficiaries; (4) allow tax-exempt voluntary employees' beneficiary associations to provide sick and accident benefits to the domestic partners and non-dependent, non-spouse beneficiaries of their members; (5) allow reimbursement of the medical expenses of an eligible beneficiary from a health savings account (HSA); and (6) extend tax-exempt medical benefits to the eligible beneficiaries of retired employees Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to provide guidance relating to reimbursements from a flexible spending arrangement and a health reimbursement arrangement attributable to an eligible beneficiary as defined by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2011
Safe Building Code Incentive Act of 2011 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to increase the maximum total of contributions for a major disaster by an amount equal to 4% of the estimated aggregate amount of grants to be made under the Act, if at the time of a declaration of a major disaster the affected state has in effect and is actively enforcing an approved state building code. Requires a state, to be eligible for the increased federal share, to submit its state building code to the President for approval. Directs the President to approve a state building code submitted upon determining that it: (1) is consistent with the most recent version of a nationally recognized model building code, (2) has been adopted by the state within six years of the most recent version of the nationally recognized code, and (3) uses the nationally recognized code as a minimum standard. Requires the President, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to set appropriate standards for the periodic update, resubmittal, and approval of state building codes, consistent with similar mitigation planning requirements under the Stafford Act. Authorizes the use by states and local governments of technical and financial assistance to implement predisaster hazard mitigation measures to establish and operate a building department and carry out enforcement activities to implement an approved state building code. Directs the President, in determining whether to provide technical and financial assistance to a state or local government, to take into account the extent to which that government is carrying out activities to implement an approved state building code.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2011
Civilian Service Recognition Act of 2011 - Requires the head of an executive agency to furnish a U.S. flag to drape the casket of an employee who was killed while performing official duties or because of his or her status as a federal employee. Provides that such flag shall be furnished at the request of the next of kin or a close friend or associate of the employee and presented in the same manner as a flag for a deceased member of the Armed Services who dies while on active duty.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act of 2011 - Prohibits the head of an executive agency from: (1) requiring a contractor to submit political information as part of a soliticitation, request for bid, request for proposal, or any other communiction in connection with the award of a contract for procurement of property or services or during the course of the contract performance until the completion of a contract; (2) using such political information as a factor or consideration in the source selection process used to award a competitive or non-competitive contract; or (3) including such political information in a contracting past performance database. Defines "political information" as information relating to political spending, including any payment for an electioneering communication, by a contractor or persons related to such contractor to a candidate for federal office, a political commitee, a political party, or to a third party entity for political purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Family and Retirement Health Investment Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to health savings accounts (HSAs), to allow: (1) both spouses to make increased catch-up contributions to the same HSA; (2) Medicare Part A beneficiaries to establish and contribute to an HSA; (3) veterans eligible for service-connected disability benefits and individuals eligible for Indian health service assistance to establish an HSA; (4) individuals eligible to receive benefits under certain TRICARE plans to establish an HSA; (5) a carryforward of unused benefits, up to $500, in a flexible spending arrangement; (6) payments from an HSA for prescription and over-the-counter medicine or drugs; (7) the use of HSAs to purchase certain health insurance coverage and long-term care insurance; and (8) payment of certain medical expenses incurred before the establishment of an HSA. Amends the bankruptcy code to treat HSAs as tax-exempt individual retirement accounts (IRAs) for purposes of exempting them from creditor claims. Reauthorizes the use of Medicaid health opportunity accounts. Treats as medical care for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses certain exercise equipment and physical fitness programs, nutritional and dietary supplements, and periodic fees paid to a primary physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that impose annual limitations on deductibles for health plans offered in the small group market.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Preservation of Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend through 2013 the minimum payment amount for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) services for bone mass measurement.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2011
Cold War Service Medal Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to issue the Cold War Service Medal to members of the Armed Forces who were discharged or released under honorable conditions after having: (1) served on active duty for at least 24 consecutive months during the Cold War (September 2, 1945, through December 26, 1991), (2) deployed outside the continental United States for at least 30 days during such period, or (3) performed other Cold War service as the Secretary of Defense (DOD) may prescribe. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should expedite the design of the Medal as well its issuance to eligible members.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2011
Conservation Easement Incentive Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for charitable contributions by individuals and corporations of real property interests for conservation purposes.
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.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act of 2011 - Prohibits the Secretary of the Army from promulgating or enforcing any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm at a water resources development project administered by the Chief of Engineers if: (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm, and (2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the state in which the project is located.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of "marihuana." Defines "industrial hemp" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-nine tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. Deems Cannabis sativa L. to meet that concentration limit if a person grows or processes it for purposes of making industrial hemp in accordance with state law.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
Servicemembers' Telemedicine and E-Health Portability Act of 2011 or STEP Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to allow certain licensed health-care professionals to provide care to members of the Armed Forces at any location and regardless of where the professional or patient are located, so long as the practice is within the scope of authorized federal duties. Includes among authorized health-care professionals civilian DOD employees, DOD personal service contractors, or other health-care professionals credentialed and privileged at a federal health care institution or location specially designated by the Secretary for such purpose. Requires a report from the Secretary to Congress on plans to develop and expand programs to use new Internet and communication technologies, including telemedicine, telehealth care services, and telebehavioral health programs, to improve patient access to care and resources.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
Freedom to Invest Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the election allowed to a U.S. corporation to deduct dividends received from a controlled foreign corporation to the corporation's last taxable year beginning before the enactment of this Act or the first taxable year beginning during the one-year period beginning on such enactment date, and (2) reduce the amount of such tax deduction for corporations that fail to maintain specified employment levels for full-time U.S. employees.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2011
Lena Horne Recognition Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Lena Horne in recognition of her achievements and contributions to American culture and the civil rights movement.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2011
Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from state volume caps private facility bonds for sewage and water supply facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2011
Judgment Evading Foreign States Accountability Act of 2011 - States the policy of the United States regarding: (1) advocacy within the governing bodies of international organizations and other foreign policy settings for the full compensation and fair treatment of persons in whose favor judgments have been awarded by U.S. courts; (2) protection of economic interests of persons and nations that benefit from a reliable flow of foreign capital by restricting the access to U.S. capital markets of judgment evading foreign states (foreign states that fail to fully satisfy a final judgment exceeding a certain amount for more than two years) and their state-owned corporations, warning of the dangers of dealing financially with such states and state-owned corporations, and calling upon international financial institutions to vote against providing funding or foreign capital to judgment evading foreign states; and (3) further solidification of the authority of the U.S. courts by preventing such states from willfully flouting the judgments of those courts. Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to: (1) deny a judgment evading foreign state access to U.S. capital markets; and (2) require all periodic filings made by such a state with the SEC to bear prominently a warning describing its failure to satisfy outstanding judgments. Imposes similar restrictions on state-owned corporations of such states. Requires: (1) a proposal to extend bilateral or multilateral assistance to a judgment evading state to bear notice that such state is a judgment evading state; and (2) the Secretary of the Treasury to notify Congress promptly of the proposal.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Home Construction Lending Regulatory Improvement Act of 2011 - Directs the appropriate federal banking agencies to initiate a coordinated rulemaking with respect to financial institutions under their respective jurisdictions that make real estate loans to home builders. Requires such rulemaking to provide for: (1) elimination of the 100% of bank capital measurement, (2) realistic market-based appraisals, and (3) a prohibition against compelling lenders to call or curtail loans in good standing. Prohibits a federal banking agency also from preventing a qualified financial institution from making a real estate loan to a home builder that has a viable project.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
American Job Protection Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal provisions added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requiring certain employers who have a workforce of 50 or more full-time employees to provide health insurance coverage for their employees.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
National Oilheat Research Alliance Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2000 to adjust its focus upon oilheat to a focus upon oilheat fuel, a distillate liquid or a biobased liquid used as a fuel for nonindustrial commercial or residential space or hot water heating. Revises the membership of the National Oilheat Research Alliance. Expands the functions of the Alliance to include: (1) providing the cost of installing appliances in low-income households; and (2) prioritizing research, development, and demonstration projects that enhance efficiency through the use of biobased liquids and advanced biofuels. Requires the Alliance to: (1) contract with a qualified accounting firm to develop procedures to ensure statutory compliance; and (2) include in its annual report a detailed account of the amounts spent by each qualified state association that received funds on training, research, development, and demonstration, safety, and consumer education. Revises assessment requirements. States that the assessment rate for calendar years 2012 and 2013 shall be equal to two-tenths of 1% per gallon of oilheat fuel (currently, No. 1 distillate and No. 2 dyed distillate). Requires the annual assessment rate, beginning with calendar year 2014, to be sufficient to cover the costs of the plans and programs developed by the Alliance. Sets forth: (1) a maximum assessment rate; and (2) limitations on any assessment increase. Prohibits any increase in the assessment rate unless the Alliance has, by a specified deadline, notified certain congressional committees. Prohibits: (1) the Alliance from providing funds in response to a request from state, local, or regional programs unless it determines that the funds will be used to benefit consumers of oilheat fuel (instead of the oilheat industry); (2) certain lobbying activities; and (3) any consumer education activity from including a direct reference to a competing product if it is funded from Alliance assessments. Requires Alliance research activities to: (1) include development of renewable fuels, and (2) examine the compatibility of different renewable fuels with oilheat fuel utilization equipment, giving priority to advanced biofuels research. Requires the Alliance to: (1) report to state leaders, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to Congress on the use of biofuels in oilheat fuel utilization equipment; and (2) develop consumer education materials describing the benefits of using biofuels as, or in, oilheat fuel.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2011 - Amends Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for the expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, to: (1) increase the maximum dollar amount of such deduction to $500, (2) allow the deduction of professional development expenses, and (3) make such deduction permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2011
Civilian Property Realignment Act or CPRA - Establishes the Civilian Property Realignment Commission, headed by an Executive Director, to: (1) identify opportunities to reduce significantly the federal government's inventory and cost of federal civilian real property, (2) perform an independent analysis of such inventory, (3) transmit to the President its findings and recommendations for consolidating and otherwise reducing such inventory, and (4) establish and maintain a website for making relevant information about federal civilian real property publicly available. Exempts from the application of this Act certain military installations, properties necessary for national security, and properties reserved for national forest or national park purposes. Requires federal agencies to submit to the Administrator of General Services (GSA) and to the chairperson of the Federal Real Property Council current data on all federal civilian real property and recommendations for the sale or other disposition of such property and for operational efficiencies. Requires the Administrator to develop standards and criteria for the sale or disposal of federal civilian real property. Provides for a review of the Commission's recommendations by the President and by Congress. Establishes procedures for the approval or disapproval by the President and by Congress of, and for implementation of, such recommendations. Exempts properties included in the recommendations for disposal or realignment under this Act from certain public benefit conveyance requirements, including the McKinney-Vento Act (requiring surplus property to be used to assist the homeless). Limits the authority of executive agencies to lease space for the purposes of a public building.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2011
Community Banks Serving Their Communities First Act or Communities First Act - Revises regulatory requirements for community banks, including through amendments to: (1) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to permit certain insured depository institutions to submit a short form report of condition, and (2) the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to exempt certain small-sized depository institutions from the annual management assessment of internal controls requirements. Directs the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve Board) to publish in the Federal Register certain proposed revisions to the Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement on Assessment of Financial and Managerial Factors relating to: (1) certain bank holding companies with pro forma consolidated assets of less than $1 billion, and (2) an increased debt-to-equity ratio allowable for a small bank holding company. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to direct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to: (1) ensure that information, documents, and reports accurately and appropriately reflect the business model of a registered security issuer; (2) approve any new or amended generally accepted accounting principle only if it would have no negative economic impact on certain small-sized insured depository institutions; (3) increase the shareholder registration threshold for certain banks and bank holding companies; and (4) terminate the registration of any class of security, in the case of a bank or bank holding company, whose holders of record are reduced to less than 1700 persons. Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to: (1) authorize the Financial Stability Oversight Council to set aside a final regulation prescribed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) if the Council decides that it would be inconsistent with the safe and sound operation of U.S. financial institutions, or could adversely impact disproportionately a subset of the banking industry; and (2) repeal the authority of the Federal Reserve Board to delegate to the CFPB its authority to examine persons for compliance with federal consumer financial laws. Amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) to instruct the Federal Reserve Board to exempt from escrow or impound account requirements any loan secured by a first lien on a consumer's principal dwelling, if the loan is held by a creditor with assets of $10 billion or less. Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to exempt certain financial institutions from furnishing a mandatory annual privacy notice. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) assess, for certain guaranteed business and industry loans for rural communities under $5 million, a one-time fee of 1% or less of the loan's guaranteed principal; and (2) establish a preferred certified lender's program for specified lenders. Amends the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to require a government authority to reimburse fees incurred by certain small-sized financial institutions with assets of $10 billion or less for all records required to be furnished for federal law enforcement or investigative purposes. Authorizes specified institutions to amortize losses or write-downs on a quarterly straight-line basis over a 10-year period for purposes of capital calculation under the Financial Institutions Examination Council's Consolidated Reports of Condition. Authorizes an insured depository institution, for purposes of determining statutory capital requirements or measuring capital, to average, over a five-year period, the appraised value of any real estate securing a loan held by the institution. Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act regarding review of reliance on credit ratings to direct federal regulatory agencies to require, in specified circumstances, that ratings-based determinations be confirmed by an analysis of the probability of a loss from holding an asset. Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act with respect to requirements with which a financial institution must comply in collecting data for evaluation of a credit application by a women-owned, minority-owned, or small business. Applies such requirements only to financial institutions having over $1 billion in assets (thus exempting smaller financial institutions). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) defer income recognition on long-term certificates of deposit held by cash basis individuals, (2) exclude from gross income any interest on loans secured by agricultural real property, (3) increase the cap on qualified small issue bonds, (4) allow certain FDIC-insured financial institutions with $10 billion or less in gross assets to elect partnership (limited liability company) tax treatment, and (5) set forth special rules for Roth IRAs for individuals under age 26 (young savers' accounts). Reduces by 20% (up to $250,000) the aggregate tax for a community bank, and by 50% (up to $500,000) for community banks operating in specified distressed areas. Allows similar aggregate tax reductions for small-sized community banks that are subchapter S corporations. Subjects to certain IRS principles a qualifying investment in specified small bank issuers in the same manner as if such investment had been made by the Department of the Treasury. Prescribes requirements for a five-year net operating loss carryback for 2010 and 2011 for certain community banks. Increases to 200 the shareholder limit for small business subchapter S corporations. Permits the issuance of preferred stock for subchapter S corporations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2011
Annual National Classified School Employee of the Year Award Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award National Classified School Employee of the Year Awards to classified public school employees within certain occupational specialties who provide exemplary service to students in pre-kindergarten through higher education. Requires the Secretary to choose an awardee each year, out of nominations received from each state, from one of the following occupational specialties: (1) paraprofessional services, (2) clerical and administrative services, (3) transportation services, (4) food and nutrition services, (5) custodial and maintenance services, (6) security services, (7) health and student services, (8) technical services, and (9) skilled trades.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2011
Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities with respect to scleroderma, with particular emphasis on: (1) research focused on the etiology of scleroderma and the development of new treatment options; (2) clinical research to evaluate new treatments options; and (3) basic research on the relationship between scleroderma and secondary conditions, such as pulmonary hypertension, gastroparesis, Raynaud's phenomenon, and Sjogren's Syndrome. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to carry out an educational campaign to increase public awareness of scleroderma. Permits print, video, and web-based materials distributed through this campaign to include: (1) basic information on scleroderma and its symptoms; and (2) information on the incidence and prevalence of scleroderma, diseases and conditions affiliated with scleroderma, or the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of scleroderma.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, on an ongoing basis, to: (1) collect and report certain information on bullying and harassment by youth in their elementary and secondary schools and communities; (2) conduct, and report the results of, a needs assessment for bullying and harassment prevention programs; and (3) provide technical assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools in their efforts to thwart bullying and harassment. Requires LEAs to: (1) include clear prohibitions against bullying and harassment within their discipline policies; (2) establish and monitor performance indicators for incidents of bullying and harassment; and (3) establish grievance procedures students, parents, and educators can use to redress such conduct. Directs LEAs to notify parents, students, and educators annually on: (1) the bullying and harassment prohibited by their discipline policies, (2) the numbers and nature of bullying and harassment incidents for each of their schools, and (3) grievance procedures for redressing such conduct. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Education to conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools; and (2) the Commissioner for Education Statistics to collect data, that are subject to independent review, to determine the incidence and prevalence of bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools in this country.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to exempt traditional large and premium cigars from regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and from user fees assessed on tobacco products by the FDA.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to increase from $200 to $1,000 the aggregate retail value of articles that may be imported duty-free into the United States by one person on one day. Changes from a maximum of $2,500 to a minimum of $2,500 the threshold aggregate value of a shipment of merchandise for the declaration and entry of which the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to prescribe rules and regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans Act of 2011 or SERVE Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code concerning the prohibition on disruptions of funerals of members or former members of the Armed Forces to increase the period covered under such prohibition from one to two hours before and after a military funeral. Includes within such unlawful conduct any disturbance or disruption occurring within 500 feet of the residence of a surviving member of a deceased's immediate family. Provides civil remedies, including actual and statutory damages. Makes identical changes under federal veterans' provisions concerning the prohibition on certain demonstrations and disruptions at national cemeteries, including Arlington National Cemetery.
![Official portrait of Rep. Hanna, Richard L. [R-NY-22]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001051_200.jpg)