United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2011
Shareholder Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require that any solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any security of an issuer: (1) describe the specific nature (to the extent known) and total amount of expenditures proposed for political activities for the forthcoming fiscal year but not yet authorized by a vote of the issuer's shareholders, and (2) provide for a separate shareholder vote to authorize such proposed expenditures. Prohibits an issuer from making an expenditure for political activities in any fiscal year unless: (1) such expenditure is of the nature of those proposed by the issuer according to the requirements of this Act; and (2) authorization for such expenditure has been granted by votes representing a majority of outstanding shares. Deems a violation of this requirement to be a breach of the fiduciary duty of the officers and directors who authorized such expenditure. Subjects officers and directors who authorize the expenditure without prior shareholder authorization to joint and several liability to any shareholder or class of shareholders for the amount of such expenditure. Requires certain institutional investment managers to disclose annually in mandatory reports how they voted (proxies) in certain shareholder votes. Prohibits any person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against an institutional investment manager, or any of its employees, officers, or directors, based solely upon the investment manager's decision to divest from, or not to invest in, securities of an issuer because of expenditures for political activities made by that issuer. Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to direct the national securities exchanges and national securities associations to prohibit the listing of any equity security of an issuer whose corporate bylaws do not expressly provide for a vote of the issuer's directors on any individual expenditure for political activities in excess of $50,000. Requires an issuer to make public, within 48 hours, the individual votes of the directors regarding any such expenditure. Directs the SEC to: (1) require issuers to disclose expenditures for political activities made during the preceding quarter and the individual votes by board members authorizing such expenditures; and (2) make such reports publicly available through the SEC website. Requires the SEC to make annual assessments of the compliance by public corporations and their management with the reporting and disclosure requirements of this Act, and the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate periodically the effectiveness of SEC oversight of these requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2011
Calls for Congress to consider and pass critical jobs legislation to address: (1) the crisis facing communities of color disproportionately, and (2) the nationwide economic crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2011
Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 - Declares it an unlawful practice for certain employers with at least 15 employees for each working day in each of at least 20 calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year to: (1) refuse to consider or offer employment to an individual based on present or past unemployment regardless of the length of time such individual was unemployed; (2) publish an advertisement or announcement for any job with provisions indicating that such an unemployed status disqualifies an individual and that an employer will not consider an applicant based on such status; and (3) direct or request that an employment agency account for such status when screening or referring applicants. Prohibits an employment agency (including agents and persons maintaining a website publishing job advertisements or announcements), based on such an individual's status as unemployed, from: (1) refusing to consider or refer an individual for employment; (2) limiting, segregating, or classifying individuals in any manner limiting access to job information; or (3) publishing an advertisement or announcement for any job vacancy that includes provisions indicating that such an individual is disqualified and that an employer will not consider such individuals. Allows consideration of an individual's status as unemployed where an individual's employment in a similar or related job for a period of time reasonably proximate to the hiring of such individual is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to successful performance of the job being filled. Authorizes, subject to termination upon the filing of certain complaints by the Secretary of Labor, one or more persons for and in behalf of the affected individual, or the affected individual and other individuals similarly situated, to bring actions in federal or state court for specified actual damages and equitable relief including employment and compensatory and punitive damages. Directs the Secretary to: (1) receive, investigate, and attempt to resolve complaints according to specified provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; and (2) pay directly to each affected individual applicable sums recovered in any civil actions brought by the Secretary under this Act. Sets forth a two-year statute of limitations period (three years for willful violations) for specified civil actions under this Act, subject to tolling when the Secretary is considering certain complaints.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2011
Lymphedema Diagnosis and Treatment Cost Savings Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend coverage to lymphedema diagnosis and treatment services. including lymphedema compression treatment items.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2011
Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) establish the National Pulmonary Fibrosis Advisory Board, (2) develop a system to collect data on pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung diseases, and (3) establish the National PF Registry. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in developing the Registry, to: (1) expand and coordinate existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure; and (2) provide for research access to pulmonary fibrosis data. Directs the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information are made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requires the Director of CDC to prepare the National Pulmonary Fibrosis Education and Awareness Plan, which shall: (1) focus on strategies to increase public education and awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, (2) address the need for new physician education strategies to improve diagnosis and treatment standards, and (3) assess and monitor the costs of pulmonary fibrosis and its burden on patients and families. Encourages the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to expand, intensify, and coordinate Institute pulmonary fibrosis research activities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2011
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit any person from knowingly attending an animal fighting venture or causing a minor (a person under the age of 18) to attend such a venture. Subjects any person who: (1) knowingly attends such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to a year for each violation, and (2) causes a minor to attend such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to three years for each violation.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2011
Reducing the Deficit through Eliminating Agriculture Direct Payment Subsidies Act of 2011 or REAPS Act of 2011 - Amends the the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to terminate direct payments for covered commodities and peanuts. Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to limit to $65,000 per crop year: (1) average crop revenue election (ACRE) and counter-cyclical payments for one or more covered commodities, and (2) ACRE payments for peanuts. Applies such provisions to the 2012 crop year.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2011
Tax Equity and Middle Class Fairness Act of 2011 - Repeals or revises tax expenditure provisions in the Internal Revenue Code relating to: (1) the production of oil and gas; (2) the production and development of coal resources; (3) individuals, including a phase-out of health savings and Archer medical savings accounts; (4) business taxpayers, including the elimination of certain expensing allowances and the repeal of capital gain treatment for the sale of timber; and (5) certain international tax preferences.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2011
Families Beyond Bars Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to qualified organizations to carry out, directly or through subgrants to other entities, child-parent visitation programs that foster and develop familial ties between eligible children and their incarcerated parents.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income payments received by a student under a comprehensive student work-learning-service program operated by a work college.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security's long-term outlook should happen in a bipartisan fashion and should ensure that Social Security remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Mark Twain. Limits issuance of such coins to calendar year 2016. Requires specified surcharges in the sale of such coins, which shall be promptly paid, in specified percentages, to: (1) the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, to support the continued restoration of the house and grounds, and ensure continuing growth and innovation in museum programming to research, promote, and educate on the legacy of Mark Twain; (2) the Mark Twain Project at the Bancroft Library of University of California, Berkeley, California, to support programs to study and promote Mark Twain's legacy; (3) the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, New York, for the same purposes; and (4) the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, to preserve historical sites related to Mark Twain and help support study and promotion programs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the Montford Point Marines, U.S. Marine Corps, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. (Camp Montford Point, North Carolina, was the site for the training of the first African-American Marines.) Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Fresh Start Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to allow an individual convicted of a nonviolent criminal offense to file a petition for expungement of the record of such conviction. Allows expungement if such individual: (1) has never been convicted of any criminal offense other than the nonviolent offenses committed in a single criminal episode that includes the offense for which expungement is sought; (2) has fulfilled all requirements of the sentence of the court, including payment of all fines, restitution, or assessments and completion of terms of imprisonment and probation; and (3) has remained free (if required by the court's sentence) from dependency on or abuse of alcohol or a controlled substance for at least one year. Requires the Attorney General to maintain an unaltered nonpublic copy of expunged criminal records, to be disclosed for limited purposes to federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to increase by 5% grant funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to states that implement expungement procedures substantially similar to the procedures enacted by this Act. Decreases such grant funding by 5% for states that fail to adopt expungement procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Expresses support for the designation of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Recognizes the importance of preventing childhood obesity and decreasing its prevalence in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011
College Debt Swap Act of 2011 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow certain borrowers to consolidate their private education loans as Direct Consolidation Loans. Limits such borrowers to those who: (1) are not in default on a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under title IV, except in certain instances of economic hardship; (2) were enrolled, between July 1, 1994, and July 1, 2010, as students eligible for unsubsidized Stafford loans or PLUS loans under the Federal Family Education Loan or Direct Loan programs; (3) borrowed at least one private education loan during such enrollment period; (4) are repaying their private education loan or are in a grace period preceding such repayment; (5) do not have an adverse credit history with respect to Direct Plus loans; and (6) have not previously obtained a Direct Consolidated Loan under title IV. Makes the program applicable only to private education loans disbursed to borrowers between July 1, 1994, and July 1, 2010. Directs the Secretary of Education to inform and educate students and their families about this loan consolidation program. Terminates the authority to make Consolidation loans under such program on June 30, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011
Layoff Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set forth requirements relating to short-time compensation programs to allow employers to reduce the workweek of their employees in lieu of layoffs. Provides for federal financing of state short-time compensation programs. Requires the Secretary of Labor to: (1) award grants to states that enact such programs; (2) develop model legislative language for use by states in developing, enacting, and implementing such programs; and (3) report to Congress and the President on their implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2011
Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 to authorize FY2012-FY2013 appropriations for: (1) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for grants to domestic treatment centers for the costs of services provided in the rehabilitation of victims of torture (including treatment of the physical and psychological effects of torture), social and legal services, and research and training of health care providers outside of treatment centers or programs; and (2) the President for grants to foreign treatment centers and programs for activities designed to treat victims for the physical and psychological effects of torture. Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress annually regarding: (1) Foreign Service officer training about torture victims, and (2) the percentage and number of torture victims who are approved for refugee entry into the United States. Directs the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide support for indigenous foreign treatment centers and programs for torture victims in order to increase such centers' capacities to train other local health care providers. Authorizes FY2012-FY2013 appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Rating and Processing Individuals' Disability Claims Act or the RAPID Claims Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), if a veteran's claim is submitted that is determined to be a fully developed claim, to provide: (1) the claimant with the opportunity to waive any claim development period with respect to such claim, and (2) expeditious treatment of such claim. Provides that: (1) if a person notifies the Secretary of the intention to submit a fully developed claim and does so within a one-year period thereafter, the Secretary shall provide expeditious treatment to the claim; and (2) if the Secretary determines that a claim submitted as fully developed is not fully developed, the Secretary shall notify such person within 30 days of the information and evidence required to fully develop the claim. Requires the Secretary, when denying a benefit, to notify the claimant of any form or application required to appeal such decision.
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
Put America to Work Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to states, local government units, and Indian tribes to create employment opportunities for unemployed and underemployed residents of distressed communities. Specifies grant uses, including funding of fast-track jobs for: (1) painting and repair of schools, community centers, and libraries; (2) restoration of abandoned and vacant properties; (3) expansion of emergency food programs to reduce hunger; (4) augmentation of staffing in Head Start and other early childhood education programs; and (5) renovation and maintenance of parks, playgrounds, and other public spaces. Requires grant recipients to use remaining grant funds to make grants to public entities, nonprofit organizations, public-private partnerships, or small businesses to create employment opportunities in: (1) construction, rehabilitation, and improvements in energy efficiency of residences or public facilities; (2) the provision of human services; (3) remediation and demolition of vacant and abandoned properties; and (4) programs that provide opportunities for employment, education, and training for disadvantaged youth.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to provide for employee leave to care for a domestic partner or his or her child, parent-in-law, adult child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law (as well as for a spouse, child, or parent), if such person has a serious health condition. Amends federal civil service law to apply the same leave allowance to federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Fair Debt Collection Improvement Act - Amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to prohibit a debt collector from bringing, or threatening to bring, legal action against any consumer on a debt in which the statute of limitations has expired. Requires a debt collector, in connection with the collection of debt in which the statute of limitations has expired, to disclose to the consumer that: (1) the debt has been transferred to the debt collector, (2) the creditor no longer holds the debt, (3) the debt collector may not bring legal action against the consumer to collect the debt because the statute of limitations has expired, and (4) any payment by the consumer towards the debt may cause the statute of limitations to reset.
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 · 24 June 2011
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of National HIV Testing Day, and (2) the implementation of the National AIDS Strategy with clear goals and objectives to reduce new HIV infections. Encourages: (1) state and local governments to encourage individuals to undergo counseling and testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and (2) the use of rapid test kits approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for HIV testing. Commends the President for emphasizing the importance of addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic among all Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Balancing Act of 2011 - Family Leave Insurance Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a Family and Medical Insurance Program, which may involve contracts with state programs, under which, for specified reasons, an eligible employee of a covered employer shall be entitled to family and medical leave insurance benefits for a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month program. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to establish a similar Civil Service Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program for federal employees. Creates in the Treasury the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a family and medical leave premium on employees and employers. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act - Amends the FMLA to increase the number of employers to which it applies by reducing from 50 to 25 employees the threshold number triggering application of the Act. Entitles eligible employees and federal employees to take specified additional leave for parental involvement and family wellness. Domestic Violence Leave Act - Entitles eligible employees, including federal employees, to leave to address domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Includes within the purview of FMLA same-sex spouses and domestic partners and their children. Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers to provide paid sick time to their employees, including time to address domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits such employers from discriminating against employees for their legitimate use of paid sick time. Directs the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to compile specified information relating to use of paid sick time. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to authorize additional funds for expanding child care activities for young children under age three. Authorizes the Secretary to allot funds to eligible states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations for the federal share of access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers. Establishes: (1) the Child Care Provider Development and Retention Grant Program; and (2) the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program. Healthy Early Education Workforce Grant Program Act - Requires a state receiving certain funds to expend them for the federal share of the cost of providing access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers and, at state discretion, their spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. Child Care Facilities Financing Act - Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive technical and financial assistance grants to Department of the Treasury-certified community development financial institutions and other specified organizations for the acquisition, construction, or renovation of child care facilities. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to award competitive grants to assist states in providing incentive funds to encourage the establishment and operation of employer-operated child care programs. Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the Secretary to make grants to state agencies to develop high-quality full-day, full-year universal prekindergarten programs for all children three, four, and five years old. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the school breakfast program to provide free breakfasts to school children without regard to family income. Afterschool Education Enhancement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 with respect to requirements for state applications for 21st century community learning center grants. Repeals the restriction in such applications to students attending schools: (1) eligible for certain schoolwide programs; (2) serving a high percentage of students from low-income families; or (3) in need of academic improvement. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require that certain employees working at less than full-time under participation, vesting, and accrual rules governing pension plans be treated as meeting full-time year-of-service criteria. Qualifies such workers for group health plans. Extends ERISA coverage to certain individuals whose services are leased or contracted for. United States Business Telework Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a pilot program in up to five states to raise awareness about telework among employers and to encourage them to offer telework options to employees.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 with respect to the exemption from minimum wage and maximum hour requirements of any employee employed on a casual basis in domestic service employment to provide companionship services for individuals who because of age or infirmity are unable to care for themselves. Extends the same exemption to a casual employee in domestic service employment to provide companionship services for disabled individuals unable to care for themselves. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a direct care workforce monitoring program. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require a state Medicaid plan to require the state to report annually to the Secretary on the adequacy of its direct care workforce to provide long-term care (LTC) services. Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require the National Health Care Workforce Commission, as a high priority, to review, analyze, and report annually to Congress and the Health Resources and Services Administration on the current and projected direct care workforce supply and demand. Directs the Secretary to award grants to states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to develop data collection and monitoring systems to assess the adequacy of a state's or tribe's direct care workforce to meet current and future demand for LTC services. Directs the Secretary to award competitive three-year grants to states and other eligible entities to improve the recruitment, retention, and education of direct care workers.
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 · 22 June 2011
America Rx Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the America Rx program to provide qualified residents with access to discounted prices for outpatient prescription drugs through rebate agreements that the Secretary negotiates with prescription drug manufacturers. Makes eligible only those residents that are not covered under any public or private program that provides substantial benefits towards the purchase of outpatient prescription drugs. Requires rebates to be payable to the Secretary at least quarterly and to be paid, directly or through states, to participating pharmacies that provide discounts to qualified residents. Denies manufacturers who do not participate in the rebate program a tax deduction for advertising and marketing expenses of drugs. Authorizes the Secretary to suspend or terminate the America Rx program if the Secretary determines that American Health Benefit Exchanges (health insurance exchanges) are operational, and the America Rx program is no longer needed to ensure that qualified residents have access to outpatient prescription drugs at affordable prices.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Offshoring Prevention Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include in foreign base company income, for purposes of determining the foreign trade income of controlled foreign corporations, imported property income. Defines "imported property income" as, with certain exceptions, income attributable to property manufactured outside of the United States and imported for sale into the United States. Provides for a separate application of limitations on the foreign tax credit for imported property income.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to: (1) award grants to encourage the establishment and operation of Teachers Institutes; and (2) provide technical assistance, all or some of which may be provided through the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education (IHEs) in establishing and operating Teachers Institutes. Sets forth selection criteria, including consideration of the extent to which the proposed Institute will serve schools that have a significant low-income population. Defines a Teachers Institute as a partnership or joint venture between one or more IHEs and one or more LEAs serving one or more schools with significant low-income populations that is established to improve the quality of teaching and learning through collaborative seminars.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Innovation Inspiration School Grant Program Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to: (1) promote science, technology, engineering (including robotics), and mathematics (STEM) in secondary schools; (2) support the participation of secondary school students in nontraditional STEM teaching methods; and (3) broaden secondary school students' access to STEM careers. Gives priority to grant applications that target: (1) a rural or urban school, (2) a low-performing school or LEA, or (3) an LEA or school that serves students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches under the school lunch program. Authorizes the Secretary to waive all or part of the matching requirement for financially-strapped LEAs. Directs the Secretary to evaluate the efficacy of the grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to list permissible sources of dogs and cats used by research facilities to include dogs and cats obtained: (1) from a licensed dealer, (2) from a publicly owned and operated pound or shelter that meets specified requirements, (3) by donation from a person who bred and raised the dog or cat or owned it for not less than one year, or (4) from a research facility licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Sets forth additional monetary penalties for related violations. Prohibits federal facilities from purchasing or otherwise acquiring dogs or cats for exhibition purposes (currently, for research, experimentation, or exhibition purposes) except from: (1) the operator of an auction that comports with legal requirements, or (2) a person holding a valid dealer or exhibitor license. Prohibits dealers from selling or otherwise providing any research facility (currently, any individual or entity) with random source dogs or cats unless specified certification requirements are met.
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 · 21 June 2011
Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2011 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices that may be charged to Medicare part D prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors and MedicareAdvantage (MA) organizations for covered part D drugs for part D eligible individuals who are enrolled under a PDP or under an MA-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plan.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Children's Act for Responsible Employment of 2011 or the CARE Act of 2011 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to define "oppressive child labor," for purposes of the Act's child labor prohibitions, as the employment of any employee who is: (1) 16 or 17 in any occupation found by the Secretary of Labor to be particularly hazardous for their employment or detrimental to their health or well-being; (2) 14 or 15, unless the employment is confined to periods which do not interfere with the employee's schooling, health, or well-being; or (3) under 14. Revises the Act's exemptions to make the restrictions on oppressive child labor inapplicable to the following: (1) employment in agriculture of an employee under 18 years of age by his or her parent, or by a person standing in the place of the parent, on a farm owned by the parent or person (current law uses an age- and consent-based scheme); and (2) employment of an employee under age 16 by a parent, or a person standing in place of a parent, other than in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, or any other employment the Secretary finds to be particularly hazardous for the employment of children age 16 or 17 or detrimental to their health or well-being (current law applies the child labor restrictions to particularly hazardous agricultural employment, except where the child is employed by a parent or a person standing in place of the parent on a farm owned or operated by such person). Eliminates any waiver of such prohibitions for hand-harvesting of certain crops. Increases civil and establishes criminal penalties for child labor violations. Directs the Secretary to revise federal child labor regulations to prohibit the employment of children under 18 in duties involving the handling of pesticides.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make matching demonstration grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) in which the student-to-school nurse ratio in each of their public elementary and secondary schools is 750 or more students to every school nurse to reduce such ratio. Gives grant priority to LEAs that serve a high number or percentage of impoverished students and demonstrate the greatest need for new or additional nursing services for their students.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend coverage to custom fabricated breast prostheses after a mastectomy.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities with respect to functional gastrointestinal and motility disorders (FGIMDs), including by: (1) expanding basic and clinical research into FGIMDs by implementing the research recommendations of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases, (2) providing support for the establishment of centers of excellence on FGIMDs, (3) directing the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to provide the necessary funding for the continued expansion and advancement of the FGIMDs research portfolio through intramural and extramural research, and (4) directing such Institute and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to expand research into FGIMDs that impact children. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to engage in public awareness and education activities to increase understanding and recognition of FGIMDs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the United States recommits to fighting discrimination, xenophobia, human and civil rights abuses in both domestic and foreign policy; (2) it is U.S. policy to oppose slavery, torture, racism, discrimination, and xenophobia; and (3) the Senate should give its advice and consent to ratification of certain international conventions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2011
Julia Carson Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act of 2011 - Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act to condition continued approval of a state plan upon state assessment of its policies with respect to barriers to employment and financial support of children. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to states for an employment demonstration project involving a court- or state child support agency supervised-employment program for noncustodial parents who have barriers to employment and a history of nonpayment, so that they can pay their child support obligations. Directs the Secretary of Labor to award grants for transitional jobs programs and for public-private career pathways partnerships. Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to: (1) funding for responsible fatherhood programs, (2) activities promoting responsible fatherhood, and (3) elimination of a separate TANF work participation rate for two-parent families. Prohibits a state from conditioning receipt of TANF or certain other benefits on: (1) participation in a healthy marriage or responsible fatherhood program, or (2) assignment to the state of certain support rights. Amends SSA title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) to prohibit a state from collecting any amount owed it by reason of costs it has incurred for the birth of a child for whom support rights have been assigned. Requires a state to make a full distribution of collected child support to the family. Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 with respect to: (1) deductions from family income for child support received in order to qualify for food stamps, (2) verification of child support payments, and (3) inclusion of economic opportunities programs in qualifying work programs. Amends SSA title IV part A with respect to: (1) grants to healthy family partnerships for domestic violence intervention and prevention, and (2) grant recipients and their procedures for responding to the risks of domestic violence. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the credit percentage under the earned income tax credit for eligible individuals with no qualifying children.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2011
Gestational Diabetes Act of 2011 or the GEDI Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a multisite gestational diabetes research project within the diabetes program of the CDC to expand and enhance surveillance data and public health research on gestational diabetes. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand and intensify public health research on gestational diabetes, including; (1) developing and testing novel approaches for improving postpartum testing or screening and for preventing type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes; and (2) conducting research to further understanding of the factors and health systems that influence the risk of gestational diabetes and the development of type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes. Requires the Director to: (1) award grants for demonstration projects to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes, the recurrence of such disease in subsequent pregnancies, and the development of type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes; and (2) work with state and Indian tribal-based diabetes prevention and control programs assisted by the CDC to encourage postpartum follow-up after gestational diabetes to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes and its recurrence, the development of type 2 diabetes in at-risk women, and related complications.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2011
Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act or the POWER Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exclude from the definition of "immigrant" under such Act a nonimmigrant alien who files a petition for status if the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) determines that the alien: (1) has suffered abuse or harm as a result of having been a victim of criminal activity; (2) has suffered substantial abuse or harm related to specified labor or employment violations related to a workplace claim (workplace violation); (3) is a victim of specified criminal activity and would suffer extreme hardship upon removal; (4) has suffered a workplace violation and would suffer extreme hardship upon removal; (5) has been helpful to a local judge, DHS, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Department of Labor, or the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) or to other authorities investigating, prosecuting, or seeking civil remedies for workplace violation; or (6) has filed, is a material witness in, or is likely to be helpful in the investigation of, a bona fide workplace claim and reasonably fears, has been threatened with, or has been the victim of, an action involving force, physical restraint, retaliation, or abuse of the immigration or other legal process by the employer in relation to acts underlying or related to the filing of the claim. Authorizes the Secretary to permit an alien to temporarily remain in the United States and grant the alien employment authorization upon determining that the alien: (1) has filed for relief under such provisions; (2) has filed, or is a material witness to, a bona fide workplace claim; and (3) has been helpful to a federal, state, or local law enforcement official, prosecutor, or judge, to DHS, EEOC, the Department of Labor, or NLRB, or to other federal, state, or local authorities investigating, prosecuting, or seeking civil remedies related to the claim. Sets forth provisions governing procedural requirements and protections in an enforcement action leading to a removal proceeding taken against an alien: (1) as a result of information provided to DHS in retaliation against an individual for exercising or attempting to exercise employment or other legal rights; (2) at a facility about which a workplace claim has been filed; or (3) who has filed a workplace claim, who is a material witness in any proceeding involving a bona fide workplace claim, or who has filed for relief under this Act. Makes exceptions to any entitlement to a stay of removal or other specified relief where DHS establishes, by a preponderance of the evidence in proceedings before the immigration judge presiding over that alien's removal hearing, that: (1) the alien has been convicted of a felony, or (2) the workplace claim was filed in bad faith with intent to delay or avoid the alien's removal.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2011
Shelter, Land, and Urban Management (SLUM) Assistance Act of 2011 - Authorizes the President to furnish technical assistance and financial support to developing countries for affordable housing and urban development. Directs the President, through the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to develop a strategy to provide affordable housing and sustainable urban development in developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2011
Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution - Calls upon the President to: (1) ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide; and (2) accurately characterize in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide and to recall the proud history of U.S. intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2011
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act - Reauthorizes the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004 for FY2012-FY2016. Directs the Secretary of State to act through the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs in awarding grants or entering agreements with Special Olympics for activities outside the United States. Includes community-based prevention among the activities for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants or enter into agreements with Special Olympics. Requires grant or agreement applications to include a description of specific measurable annual benchmarks, as well as long-term goals and objectives, to be achieved through specified activities, which must include: (1) activities to increase the full participation of people with intellectual disabilities in inclusive school and community activities with people without disabilities, (2) education programs that dispel negative stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities, and (3) activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in Special Olympics outside of the United States. Requires annual reports by Special Olympics to describe demographic data about Special Olympics participants. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements to promote the expansion of Best Buddies, including activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other aspects of community life, including education and employment, within the United States. Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education to establish Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institutes for Sport and Social Impact. Requires recipients to use grant funds to advance the quality of life and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities through research and evaluation, technical assistance, training, data collection, evaluation, collaboration, and dissemination of evidence-based best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
Lions Clubs International Century of Service Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue as legal tender $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Lions Clubs International. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the centennial. Permits the Secretary to issue such coins only during calendar 2017. Requires sales of the coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, to be paid by the Secretary to the Lions Clubs International Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
21st Century Global Health Technology Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) the Health Technology Program which shall: (1) develop and introduce technologies designed to improve health and nutrition in developing countries, reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality, and improve disease diagnosis and prevention, especially HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases; and (2) be carried out under a cooperative agreement between USAID and one or more institutions with a successful record of advancing such technologies and integrating practical field experience into the research and development process. Codifies the Program.
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