United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Expresses support for the designation of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Encourages people across the United States to support programs to assist those in need of adult education and family literacy programs. Requests that the President issue a proclamation recognizing the importance of adult education and family literacy programs, calling upon the federal government, states, localities, schools, libraries, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, consumer advocates, institutions of higher education, labor unions, and businesses to support increased access to adult education and family literacy programs to ensure a literate society.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2012
Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes Act of 2012 - Amends federal patent law to allow a court, upon finding that a party does not have a reasonable likelihood of succeeding in an action disputing the validity or alleging infringement of a computer hardware or software patent, to award the recovery of full litigation costs to the prevailing party, including reasonable attorney's fees, other than the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2012
Verifying Official Totals for Elections Act - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit a voting system used in a federal election from containing or using any election-dedicated voting system technology which is not deposited by the state (or at the state's option by the vendor of the technology) with the National Software Reference Library of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) before the election. Requires the Director of NIST to: (1) hold the technology in escrow; and (2) disclose it and information about it to a qualified person who has entered into a nondisclosure agreement with respect to it, or to whom the Director is permitted or required to disclose the technology under state law.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2012
Condemns the atrocities that occurred in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20, 2012. Offers condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who were killed and expresses hope for the rapid and complete recovery of the wounded. Applauds the hard work and dedication exhibited by the hundreds of officials and others who offered their support and assistance. Honors the resilience of the community of Aurora and Colorado.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2012
Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act of 2012 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require amounts received through FY2020 (currently, through FY2010) from leases under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to be available to the Secretary of the Interior to spend in such amounts as are provided in advance appropriations acts for implementing such Acts. Requires the Secretary of Interior to establish a wind and solar leasing pilot program under which lease sales are conducted on covered public lands administered by the Secretary to carry out wind and solar energy projects. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to jointly determine as to whether to expand the pilot program to apply to all covered public lands. Defines "covered land" to mean land that is: (1) public land administered by the Secretary of the Interior, or National Forest System land administered by the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) not excluded from development of solar or wind energy under a final land use plan established under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, a final land and resource management plan established under the National Forest Management Act of 1976, or federal law. Establishes in the Treasury the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior for mitigating the impacts of renewable energy on federal land and carrying out any activity authorized under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, with the exception of the acquisition of land, water, or interests therein within that state. Requires the Secretaries to determine the feasibility of carrying out a mitigation banking program on federal lands administered by the Secretaries to offset the impacts of wind or solar energy on such lands.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2012
Transferring Credits for College Completion Act of 2012 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to include on the College Navigator website the percentage of undergraduates at an institution of higher education (IHE) who have transferred from another IHE and earned their degree or certificate in their program of study within: (1) the normal time for its completion, (2) 150% of the normal time for its completion, and (3) 200% of the normal time for its completion. Requires IHEs, to the extent practicable, to include in their course schedule publications information on whether each listed course or program of study is transferable for credit toward the completion of a degree at a public IHE located in their state. Requires each public IHE, by July 1, 2014, to enter into an articulation agreement with the other public IHEs located in its state. Requires those agreements to include: (1) a common general education core curriculum consisting of at least 30 credit hours or equivalent coursework that are fully transferable toward meeting specific degree or certificate requirements at other public IHEs in the state, (2) common course numbering for substantially similar courses in that curriculum, and (3) a guarantee that an associate degree in an academic major in the arts and sciences at a public IHE in the state will be credited as the first 2 years of a related baccalaureate program at other public IHEs in the state. Excepts Tribal Colleges or Universities from those articulation agreement requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2012
Truth in Trials Act - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) allow any person on trial for a federal marijuana-related offense to introduce evidence that the alleged marijuana-related activities were performed in compliance with state law regarding the medical use of marijuana, (2) allow an affirmative defense to a marijuana prosecution that the alleged marijuana-related activities complied with state law regarding the medical use of marijuana, (3) limit the criminal liability of persons convicted of federal marijuana-related offenses, (4) require the preservation and return (if a defendant is acquitted) of property seized in connection with a marijuana prosecution, and (5) prohibit the seizure of plants grown or stored under a physician's recommendation or by order of a state or municipal agency in accordance with state law regarding the medical use of marijuana.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2012
Help Separated Families Act of 2012 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to: (1) require state child protection standards to ensure that the immigration status alone of a parent, legal guardian, or relative shall not disqualify the parent, legal guardian, or relative from being a placement for a child; and (2) require the state procedures for criminal records checks to require the state to accept foreign identification documents as sufficient identification for purposes of initiating a criminal records check or a fingerprint-based check. Expresses the sense of Congress that the child welfare agency of a state, or of any county or other political subdivision of a state, should grant a waiver of any requirement which would prevent the placement of a child with a relative of the child, on the basis of a minor legal infraction, if the relative would otherwise be considered eligible for such a placement. Requires the state plan for foster care and adoption assistance to notify relatives seeking placement of a child that their immigration status will not be questioned, except to the extent necessary in determining eligibility for relevant services or programs. Prohibits a state or local government agency from filing for termination of parental rights in foster care cases based on the removal of the parent from the United States or the parent's involvement in an immigration proceeding, unless: (1) the state (or local agency) has made reasonable efforts to notify of the intention to file such a petition any parent of the child who has been removed from the United States, and any adult relative of the child, including through the diplomatic or consular offices of the country to which the parent was removed, and to reunify the child with any such parent or relative; or (2) the parent is unfit or unwilling to be a parent of the child.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2012
Supporting Entrepreneurial Economic Development Act of 2012 or the SEED Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to prohibit a recipient of an economic adjustment grant from making, but permits a venture development organization to make, a grant, equity investment, or convertible loan to a private for-profit entity. Requires such an organization that assists a private for-profit entity with funds made available from an economic adjustment grant and that receives funds from such entity at any time as a result of such assistance to use such funds only to assist other private for-profit entities. Defines a "venture development organization" as a public entity or private, nonprofit entity that provides to an early-stage technology business, to promote the growth of that business: (1) financial investment or assistance acquiring financial investment, (2) expert mentoring, and (3) assistance to speed the commercialization of technology.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2012
Student Veteran Academic Counseling Enhancement Act or Student Veteran ACE Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to make educational counseling available to students pursuing an approved program of education while using educational assistance provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requires the Secretary to: (1) assign one educational counselor per 100 of such students in a geographical area, and (2) provide adequate opportunities for such counseling to such students in remote areas. Requires a student who is a veteran to receive such counseling, unless the student specifically declines, while allowing non-veteran students to elect to receive such counseling. Outlines counselor responsibilities, including assistance with applications for such educational assistance, as well as academic counseling and transition assistance. Requires each student to attend at least one counseling session per quarter, semester, or term, unless such attendance would place an undue hardship on the student. Requires an annual report from the Secretary to the congressional veterans committees on such counseling. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense to provide individualized, one-on-one educational counseling to an individual considering pursuing a program of education with assistance furnished through the VA or the Department of Defense (DOD), unless such individual declines. Outlines counseling elements. Repeals the fiscal year funding limit ($6 million) for VA contract educational and vocational counseling. Requires the Secretary to establish a system to collect, process, and track complaints submitted by individuals enrolled in VA programs of education and reporting instances of fraud, waste, and abuse by the educational institutions with respect to benefits and services provided.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2012
Wildland Firefighters Health Protection Act - Defines "wildland firefighter" as an employee of a federal land management agency who performs work directly related to the prevention, control, suppression, and management of wildfires, including an employee who is assigned to support wildland fire suppression activities and an employee who is transferred to a supervisory or administrative position. Directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in cooperation with such agencies, to commence development of a separate wildland firefighter occupational series that will more accurately reflect the variety of duties performed. Requires a wildland firefighter's hours of work officially ordered or approved in excess of 40 hours per week or 8 hours per day to be considered overtime work. Makes time the firefighter is away from his or her official duty station assigned to an emergency incident, in support of an emergency incident, or pre-positioned for emergency response compensable as work time. Includes hazardous duty differentials as basic pay for retirement purposes. Prohibits OPM from excluding wildland firefighters from federal employees' group life insurance (FEGLI) and from federal health care benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2012
Public Access to Congressional Research Service Reports Resolution of 2012 or the Congressional Research Service Electronic Accessibility Resolution of 2012 - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives, in consultation with the Director of the Congressional Research Service (CRS), to establish and maintain a centralized, searchable, bulk downloadable, electronic database consisting of: (1) CRS Issue Briefs, Reports, Authorization of Appropriations Products and Appropriations Products, and other materials intended or available for general congressional distribution through the CRS website; and (2) an index of such information. Exempts: (1) any information determined to be confidential by the CRS Director or the head of the agency that provided it to CRS; and (2) any document produced in response to a confidential research request made by a House Member, officer, employee, or office, provided that the document has not been distributed and is not intended for distribution to anyone other than the individual or office making the request. Directs the Clerk, in addition to the database, to establish and maintain contemporaneously a website containing a searchable, sortable index of all of the information in the database in both human- and machine-readable formats (such as Extensible Markup Language [XML]). Authorizes the Clerk, on the basis of information provided by the Director, to: (1) remove from the database, and from related CRS products, the name and contact information of CRS employees or material that may infringe the copyright of a protected work; and (2) make any changes that the Director determines are necessary to ensure that information in the database is accurate and current. Requires each official public website of a House Member, House committee, or joint committee of Congress to permit public use to obtain the information contained in such database to the same extent as House users may obtain such information through the CRS website.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2012
Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Extension Act of 2012 - Extends through FY2019 the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to use power revenues collected pursuant to the Colorado River Storage Project Act for annual base funding of endangered fish recovery implementation programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins. Sets forth restrictions with respect to the indirect cost recovery rate for any transfer of funds to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from another federal agency for the purpose of funding any activity associated with such programs. Prohibits the use of federal funds to cover expenses incurred by an employee or detailee of the Department of the Interior to travel to any location (other than the field office to which that individual is otherwise assigned) to advocate, lobby, or attend meetings that advocate or lobby for such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2012
Supports the XIX International AIDS Conference and the goal of bringing renewed awareness of, and commitment to, addressing the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States and abroad. Recognizes that continued U.S. commitment to HIV/AIDS research, prevention, and treatment programs is crucial to protecting global health and commits to supporting a stronger global response to HIV/AIDS. Encourages public and private sector development of innovative therapies and advances in clinical treatment for HIV/AIDS.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2012
Mental Health First Aid Higher Education Act of 2012 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to carry out a demonstration program awarding grants to 10 institutions of higher education (IHEs) to implement a mental health first aid training program. Directs that training toward: (1) on-campus counseling center personnel; (2) dormitory resident advisers; (3) members of threat assessment and disciplinary committees; (4) faculty members; (5) coaches and other athletic department employees; (6) members of threat assessment teams; and (7) other administrators and personnel of the IHE, as determined appropriate by the Secretary. Requires that the program be designed to train those individuals to: (1) safely ameliorate crisis situations, (2) recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness, and (3) refer students to mental health services in the early stages of developing mental disorders so they can avoid more costly behavioral health care down the road and stay enrolled in school.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2012
Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act of 2012 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require amounts received through FY2020 (currently, through FY2010) from leases under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to be available to the Secretary of the Interior for implementing the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as well as the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. Requires the Secretary to: (1) complete and finalize the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to analyze the potential impacts of a program to develop solar energy on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and any necessary amendments to land use plans for such land, and (2) amend any land use plans to provide for the development of renewable energy. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to: (1) prepare and publish a notice of intent to prepare a programmatic EIS to analyze the potential impacts of a program to develop solar and wind energy on National Forest System land and any necessary amendments to land use plans for such land, and (2) amend such plans to provide for the development of renewable energy on completion of the programmatic EIS. Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to submit a report that: (1) identifies locations on land withdrawn from the public domain and reserved for military purposes that could be developed for renewable energy production, and (2) describes the administration of public land withdrawn for military purposes for the development of commercial-scale renewable energy projects. Requires the Secretary of Interior to establish a wind and solar leasing pilot program on: (1) public land administered by the Secretary or National Forest System land administered by the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) land not excluded from the development of solar or wind energy under a land use plan established under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the National Forest Management Act of 1976, or other law. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) make a joint determination on whether to establish such program within two years, (2) establish such program unless they determine that the program is not in the public interest and does not provide an effective means of developing such energy, and (3) require as a condition for any authorization for the development of such energy on such land the payment of a royalty. Establishes in the Treasury the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in regions impacted by the development of wind or solar energy for addressing and offsetting the impacts of such development on federal land, securing recreational access to federal land to provide enhanced public access to existing federal land that is inaccessible or significantly restricted, and carrying out activities authorized under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. Requires such Secretaries to determine the feasibility of carrying out a conservation banking program. Prohibits wind or solar generation projects with a capacity of 20 megawatts or more that are issued a lease, right-of-way, permit, or other authorization from being subject to the rental fee exemption for rights-of-way under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2012
Depleting Risk from Insect Infestation, Soil Erosion, and Catastrophic Fire Act of 2012 - Amends the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to state findings concerning the threat to forests in the Western region of the United States posed by the mountain pine beetle. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) or the Secretary of the Interior, as appropriate, to designate as part of an insect and disease treatment and research pilot program at least one subwatershed in at least one national forest in each state that is experiencing an insect or disease epidemic and characterized by: (1) substantially increased tree mortality due to infestation; (2) the risk of substantially increased tree mortality over the next 15 years due to infestation; or (3) presence in an area in which the risk of hazard trees poses an imminent risk to public infrastructure, health, or safety. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out priority projects on federal land in the designated subwatersheds to reduce the risk or extent of, or increase the resilience to, insect or disease infestation in the subwatersheds. Deems such projects to be authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects. Extends the authorization of appropriations for the insect infestation and related diseases program through FY2017. Allows the Secretary to use amounts appropriated to carry out the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act to cover the costs of technical assistance, management, and enforcement responsibilities for land enrolled in the healthy forests reserve program. Authorizes the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to enter into stewardship contracting projects to perform services to achieve land management goals for the national forests and the public lands that meet local and rural community needs. Replaces a similar program established by the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999. Allows the Secretary to issue a task order for, or enter into a good neighbor agreement or a cooperative agreement or contract with, a governor for purposes of carrying out similar and complementary forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services on adjacent federal and non-federal land (with exceptions). Amends emergency runoff retardation and soil erosion preventive provisions of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to give priority consideration to applications for assistance submitted by landowners and land users for measures needed to remediate the effects of catastrophic wildfire on federal land that is the source of drinking water for the landowners and land users.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2012
Appalachian Communities Health Emergency Act or the ACHE Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct or support comprehensive studies on the health impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining on individuals in the surrounding communities. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), upon receipt of a report on study results, to publish a determination of whether such mining presents any health risks to individuals in those communities. Defines "mountaintop removal coal mining" as surface coal mining that uses blasting with explosives in the steep slope regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia. Prohibits issuance of an authorization for any mountaintop removal coal mining project (or expansion), under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) or the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, until and unless the Secretary publishes a determination that such mining does not present any health risk to individuals in the surrounding communities. Imposes requirements for continuous monitoring of air, noise, and water pollution and frequent monitoring of soil until a determination by the Secretary is made. Assesses a one-time fee upon persons that conduct such mining projects, sufficient to cover the federal cost of the health studies and pollution monitoring required by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2012
Supports: (1) the ideals and values of the Refugee Congress and the Proclamation adopted by the Refugee Congress Delegates, and (2) the objectives and principles of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2012
Recognizes and commends the nation's Catholic sisters, whose inspiring legacy of service continues to enrich our nation. Honors the contributions of Catholic sisters to this country. Stands in solidarity with Catholic sisters' mission to work toward a more just society for all of God's people.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2012
Today's Entrepreneurs are America's Mentors Act or TEAM Act - Amends the Small Business Act to establish in the Small Business Administration (SBA) an Office of Entrepreneurial Education, headed by a Director, to develop and provide innovative entrepreneurial information, education, and resources to promote prospective entrepreneurs and successful small businesses. Directs the SBA's Associate Administrator for Entrepreneurial Development to establish a program of grants to nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance to primary and secondary schools for the development and implementation of curricula and mentoring programs designed to promote entrepreneurship. Requires the Director to submit to the congressional small business committees best practices of U.S. entrepreneurial education and training programs. Authorizes a small business development center to apply for an SBA grant to carry out a university and college entrepreneurial education program. Directs the SBA's Associate Administrator for Entrepreneurial Development to establish an entrepreneurial innovators partnership program of grants to nonprofit organizations and specified SBA entities to carry out innovative programs that expand entrepreneurship, improve partnerships between nonprofit organizations and entrepreneurs, and promote job creation by small businesses. Directs the Administrator to establish a program to host regional competitions and a national conference to address regional challenges through entrepreneurial research and business planning. Requires the Administrator to recommend to Congress legislation for establishing programs to forgive or defer student loan payments in order to assist youth entrepreneurship by making capital available for business formation.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2012
Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2012 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) U.S. ability to attract inbound investment is directly linked to U.S. long-term economic prosperity, competitiveness, and security; (2) Congress and federal departments and agencies should consider potential impact upon U.S. ability to attract foreign direct investment when evaluating proposed legislation or regulatory policy; and (3) it is a top national priority to enhance U.S. competitiveness, prosperity, and security by removing unnecessary barriers to inward global investment and the U.S. jobs it creates and promoting policies to ensure the United States remains the premier destination for global companies to invest, hire, innovate, and manufacture their products. Amends the Foreign Direct Investment and International Financial Data Improvements Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct an interagency review of U.S. laws and policies on foreign direct investment in the United States and develop recommendations to make the United States more competitive in attracting and retaining strong investment flows from abroad.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2012
National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial Act - Authorizes the National Desert Storm Memorial Association to establish a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate and honor those who, as members of the Armed Forces, served on active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield. Prohibits the use of federal funds to pay any expense to establish the commemorative work.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2012
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the excise tax on medical devices; (2) exclude from the gross receipts of major integrated oil companies (defined as companies with an average daily worldwide production of crude oil of at least 500,000 barrels and gross receipts in excess of $1 billion), for purposes of the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities, receipts from the production, transportation, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any primary product thereof; and (3) prohibit the use of the last-in, first-out (LIFO) accounting method by major integrated oil companies.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2012
Startup Act 2.0 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to adjust to conditional permanent resident status up to 50,000 aliens who have earned a master's or doctorate degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field (STEM field) and permit such an alien to remain in the United States: (1) for up to one year after the expiration of the alien's student visa, if the alien is searching for STEM field employment; and (2) indefinitely if the alien remains actively engaged in a STEM field. Removes a STEM alien's conditional status after five years of maintaining eligibility during the entire five-year period. Authorizes the Secretary to issue conditional immigrant visas to up to 75,000 qualified alien entrepreneurs. Removes such conditional basis after four years of maintaining qualified entrepreneur status. Eliminates the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based visas. Increases the per country numerical limitation for family based immigrants from 7% to 15% of the total number of family-sponsored visas. Amends the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 to eliminate the provision requiring the reduction of annual People's Republic of China immigrant visas to offset status adjustments under such Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide a permanent full tax exclusion on gain from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock held for more than five years, (2) repeal the minimum tax preference and the 28% capital gains rate on such stock, and (3) provide a limited tax credit for certain startup small businesses. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to use certain federal agency extramural budget funds to award grants to institutions of higher education for initiatives to improve commercialization and transfer of technology. Requires the head of any federal or independent regulatory agency, before issuing a notice of rulemaking in connection with the issuance of a proposed major rule, to complete a review that, among other things, analyzes the problem that the rule intends to address, and identifies and analyzes the rule's expected impact on state, local, and tribal governments, as well as on the ability of new businesses to form and expand. Requires a cost-benefit analysis before rule issuance. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to regularly compile: (1) information from each of the states and the District of Columbia on laws that affect the formation and growth of new businesses, and (2) quantitative and qualitative information on U.S. businesses that are not more than one year old.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2012
Access to Papers Leads to Uninterrupted Scholars Act or the A Plus Act - Amends provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 that prohibit the Department of Education from funding educational agencies or institutions that release student educational records (or personally identifiable information other than certain directory information) to any individual, agency, or organization without written parental consent. Expands the list of organizations exempt from such prohibitions (thereby permitting the educational agencies or institutions participating in a Department of Education program to release records or identifiable information to such organizations without parental consent) to include: (1) organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, child welfare agencies to improve educational outcomes for students in foster care; and (2) state or local child welfare agencies or tribal organizations responsible for a student's placement and care. Permits the release of such records and information without additional notice to parents and students when a parent is a party to a child welfare court proceeding and a court order has already been issued in the context of that proceeding.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2012
American Entrepreneurship and Investment Act of 2012 - Amends the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 to: (1) make the alien investor visa (EB-5) regional center program permanent, (2) establish a $2,500 regional center designation fee, and (3) increase visa set-asides for such program. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding EB-5 provisions to: (1) establish a $2,500 premium processing fee, (2) establish in the Treasury the Immigrant Entrepreneur Regional Account Center, (3) permit concurrent filing for EB-5 petitions and status adjustment applications, (4) expand the definition of "targeted employment area" for purposes of visa set-asides, and (5) expand EB-5 eligibility to include investors who have completed investment agreements with a qualified venture capital operating company or with an "angel investor" (U.S. citizen- or permanent resident-owned entity or an entity that has made specified commercial enterprise investments).
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2012
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information should continue working to implement the position of the United States on Internet governance that articulates the consistent and unequivocal policy of the United States to promote a global Internet free from government control and preserve and advance the multistakeholder model that governs the Internet today.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2012
Voter Empowerment Act of 2012 - Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2012 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) to require each state to make available official public websites for online voter registration. Authorizes automated voter registration of certain individuals and establishes other initiatives to promote voter registration, such as same day registration and voter registration of individuals under 18 years of age. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit hindering, interfering with, or preventing voter registration. Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to establish requirements for states to promote access to voter registration and voting for individuals with disabilities, including a single office for providing related information. Directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to make grants to eligible states to conduct pilot programs enabling individuals with disabilities to register to vote and vote privately and independently at their own residences (including by telephone). Amends HAVA to reauthorize the program of grants to state and local governments to assure voting access for individuals with disabilities. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit state or local election officials from preventing an individual from registering or voting in any federal election (voter caging), or from permitting a formal challenge under state law to an individual's registration status or eligibility to vote, if the basis for such decision is evidence consisting of: (1) a voter caging document or voter caging list, (2) an unverified match list, (3) an error or omission on voter application or registration documents that is not material to an individual's eligibility to vote, or (4) any other evidence so designated by the Commission. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit a person, including an election official, from knowingly and willfully attempting to or depriving or defrauding the residents of a state of their free and fair exercise of the right to vote by the communication of election-related information that is known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent. Increases the penalty for voter intimidation. Declares that the right of an individual U.S. citizen to vote in any federal election shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless he or she is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution at the time of the election. Prescribes enforcement of this right by public or private civil action. Requires each state to notify in writing any individual convicted of a criminal offense under state law, upon release from state custody or upon sentence to probation, that he or she has the right to vote in a federal election and so may register to vote. Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2012 - Amends HAVA to revise requirements for the audit capacity of voting systems, particularly those for a permanent paper record. Requires the voting system to require the use of an individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot of the voter's vote that shall be marked and made available for inspection by the voter before the voter's vote is cast and counted, and which shall be counted by hand or read by an optical character recognition device or other counting device. Requires the voting system to provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any system-made error in the voter-verified paper ballot before it is permanently preserved. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make grants to eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Prescribes requirements for: (1) publication of poll tapes, (2) treatment of ballots cast at early voting sites and of absentee ballots, and (3) the counting of provisional ballots that will be treated as votes. Prescribes laboratory conflict-of-interest requirements and prohibitions. Requires the NSF Director to make grants to eligible entities to conduct research on the development of election-dedicated voting system software. Requires each state, except when the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the votes, to administer audits of federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected, consisting of random hand counts of the voter-verified paper ballots. Requires the Election Auditor of a state, as soon as practicable after the completion of an audit, to submit the results to EAC for publication. Prohibits certification of the results of any election until completion of audits. Amends HAVA to: (1) add requirements for counting provisional ballots, (2) require each state to allow early voting and facilitate the ability of voters to vote by mail. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend the guarantee of voting residency to family members of absent military personnel. Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) with respect to pre-election reports on availability and transmission of absentee ballots. Revises the 45-day absentee ballot transmission rule. Permits: (1) use of a single absentee ballot application for subsequent elections, and (2) application of the UOCAVA to Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Entitles to leave a federal employee who serves as a poll worker. Directs the EAC to: (1) make a grant to each eligible state for poll-worker recruitment and training, and (2) develop materials for a model state poll worker training program. Amends HAVA to make available to any person aggrieved by a violation of uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration requirements the option to file a complaint with the Attorney General or pursue a private right of action to enforce such requirements. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful for a chief state election administration official, unless he or she or a family member is a candidate, to take an active part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which such official has supervisory authority. Amends the NVRA to treat universities as voter registration agencies. Amends the HAVA to establish minimum notification requirements on behalf of voters affected by polling place changes. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) coordinate the establishment of a state-based response system for responding to questions and complaints from individuals voting or seeking to vote, or registering to vote or seeking to, in federal elections; (2) establish and operate a toll-free telephone service to connect directly to such response system; and (3) appoint a Voter Hotline Task Force. Amends HAVA to: (1) reauthorize and extend the EAC, and (2) repeal its exemption from certain government contracting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2012
Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2011 [ sic ] - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to revise requirements for the audit capacity of voting systems, particularly those for a permanent paper record. Requires the voting system to require the use of an individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot of the voter's vote that shall be marked and made available for inspection by the voter before the voter's vote is cast and counted, and which shall be counted by hand or read by an optical scanner or other counting device. Requires the voting system to provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any system-made error in the voter-verified paper ballot before it is permanently preserved. Requires each paper ballot used to be: (1) suitable for a manual audit, and (2) counted by hand in any recount or audit conducted with respect to any federal election. Sets forth a special rule for treatment of disputes when paper ballots have been shown to be compromised. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make grants to eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Specifies additional voting system requirements and prohibitions. Requires the NSF Director to make grants to eligible entities to conduct research on the development of election-dedicated voting system software. Makes available additional funding to enable states to meet the costs of the requirements imposed by this Act. Provides for complaints to the Attorney General by persons aggrieved by violations of HAVA. Requires each state to administer audits of federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected, consisting of random hand counts of the voter-verified paper ballots. Makes an exception from this requirement for elections in which the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the vote total. Prescribes requirements for determination of the number of ballots counted under the audit. Prescribes the process for administering audits. Requires the Election Auditor of a state, as soon as practicable after the completion of an audit, to submit the results to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) for publication. Prohibits certification of the results of any election until completion of audits. Provides for payments to states for the costs of conducting audits. Exempts from this Act any election for which a recount under state law will commence before certification of the election results. Repeals the EAC's exemption from certain federal government contracting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2012
School Lunch Improvements for Children's Education Act or SLICE Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to implement an interim or final rule regarding the school lunch and child nutrition programs that: (1) requires the crediting of tomato paste and puree as a vegetable serving based on the volume of tomato paste or puree served, (2) implements science-based sodium reduction targets, and (3) establishes a whole grain requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2012
Arms Sale Responsibility Act of 2012 - Expresses the sense of Congress that it should be U.S. policy to adhere to a policy of restraint in transferring conventional arms if evidence exists of substantial risk that such arms will be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international human rights law or international humanitarian law. Urges the President, in negotiating any conventional arms control agreement, to: (1) encourage the national control list of each party to an agreement to cover all types of weaponry, munitions, armaments and related material used for potentially lethal force in military and law enforcement operations; (2) assess each application or proposal to export or internationally transfer arms on a case-by-case basis; (3) deny an arms transfer authorization if there is a substantial risk that the arms will be used to commit or facilitate violations of international human rights law or international humanitarian law; (4) require import and transit state authorizations and certified end use assurances before issuing an export license or authorization for any international transfer of conventional arms; and (6) require each party to an agreement to establish a legal framework for lawful brokering and shipping activities relating to conventional arms transfers. Prohibits, with certain exemptions, the transfer of defense articles or defense services to the government of a foreign country under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 or the Arms Export Control Act unless the President certifies to Congress that such government is not: (1) engaging in gross violations of internationally-recognized human rights, and (2) identified by the Secretary of State as having governmental armed forces or government supported armed groups that recruit or use child soldiers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2012
Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act of 2012 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise requirements for payments for physician's services to eliminate the sustainable growth rate system from the formula for determination of the fee schedules for such services. Sets at 0.0 the 2013 update to the single conversion factor in such formula. Includes the program of Osteopathic Continuous Certification of the American Osteopathic Association as a Maintenance of Certification Program with respect to any plan of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to integrate reporting on quality measures with reporting requirements relating to the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR). Establishes updates for separate primary care and other service categories beginning January 1, 2014, as well as separate conversion factors and separate updates through 2017 for each service category. Directs the Secretary, through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, to: (1) expand testing of each payment and service delivery model in at least three geographic regions; and (2) include analysis of average implementation costs, per physician, in evaluations of models in phase 1 testing. Directs the Comptroller General to study the evaluations of each model tested. Directs the Secretary to release to the public a comprehensive list of such health care delivery models identified as likely to: (1) reduce spending without reducing quality of care, or (2) improve the quality of patient care without increasing spending. Requires the Secretary to inform physicians, nurse practitioners, group practices, and institutions employing Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) providers on how best to transition to alternative health care delivery and payment models aimed at improving the coordination, quality, and efficiency of health care. Freezes the physician fee schedule for 2018 by requiring 0.0 updates to the relevant conversion factors. Directs the Secretary to: (1) contract and agree with regional extension centers to provide guidance and assistance on how physicians may transition to implementation of alternative health care delivery models identified as representating best practices; and (2) make certain funding available to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Care Technology to award grants and incentive payments under a competitive process to regional extension centers and other qualified entities for such activities. Requires the Office to: (1) establish a process for the competitive selection of regional extension centers (and other qualified entities) in the third quarter of 2014; and (2) authorize the initial distribution of funds to such centers and entities. Prescribes updates to conversion factors for 2019-2022, but freezes them again beginning in 2023. Requires the Secretary to consider certain factors in determining the growth rates to be recognized beginning with 2019 for alternative payment and delivery models. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the impact on spending and on access to services under Medicare resulting from changes to the Medicare delivery and payments systems, including those made by this Act. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Graham-Rudman-Hollings Act), with respect to adjustments to discretionary spending limits in sequestration reports, to prescribe FY2013-FY2021 levels for overseas contingency and related activities for appropriations Acts. Requires any amount of budget authority for overseas contingency operations and related activities for such fiscal years in excess of such levels to be counted, in determining whether a breach has occurred in the security category and the nonsecurity category, on a proportional basis to the total spending for overseas contingency operations in those respective categories.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2012
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act - Declares it an unlawful employment practice for employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and other specified entities to: (1) not make reasonable accommodations to known limitations related to the pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions of job applicants or employees, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on such an entity's business operation; (2) deny employment opportunities based on the need of the entity to make such reasonable accommodations; (3) require such job applicants or employees to accept an accommodation that they choose not to accept; or (4) require such employees to take leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to their known limitations. Sets forth enforcement procedures and remedies under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and the rights and protections extended to presidential offices. Directs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to issue regulations to carry out this Act, including the identification of reasonable accommodations addressing known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2012
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend temporarily the duty on certain rolling duffel bags without a removable backpack or daypack.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2012
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend temporarily the duty on certain rolling duffel bags with a removable backpack or daypack.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2012
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend temporarily the duty on certain rolling backpacks without a removable backpack or daypack.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2012
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend temporarily the duty on certain rolling backpacks with a removable backpack or daypack.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2012
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend temporarily the duty on certain rolling travel bags without a removable backpack or daypack.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2012
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend temporarily the duty on certain rolling travel bags with a removable backpack or daypack.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2012
Engaging Students Through Service Learning Act - Amends title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish an Enhancing the Effectiveness of K-12 Education through Service Learning grant program. Directs the Secretary of Education to reserve a portion of program funds to: (1) establish a National Center for K-12 Service Learning; and (2) conduct research and evaluation activities, including a study on the effects of academic service-learning on instructional quality and the success of students in low-performing schools; and (3) assist states in developing exemplary service-learning programs. Requires the Secretary to award grants to states to: (1) support a service-learning specialist who acts as a conduit of information between the state and local level, (2) implement a statewide cascade professional development model and support local service-learning efforts, and (3) award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies. Requires subgrantees to use: (1) the service-learning model to strengthen the content area disciplines and implement key educational innovations in areas with a high percentage of underperforming youth, and (2) a cascade professional development model to bring practice to scale. Describes the cascade professional development model as one that trains high-quality professional development specialists who then train educators who are then responsible for training, mentoring, and supporting their peers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2012
Violence Against Immigrant Women Act of 2012 - Amends provisions regarding violence against immigrant women in the following areas: (1) employment of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and U-visa (victims of certain crimes) nonimmigrant aliens, (2) self-petitioning, (3) protections for children and family members from traffickers and criminals, (4) recapture of unused U-visas, (5) battered spouse and family member protections, (6) asylum, (7) removal, (8) naturalization, (9) VAWA confidentiality, (10) services for trafficking victims, (11) fiancee/fiance protections and marriage broker regulation, and (12) sexual abuse in custodial settings.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2012
Expresses support for: (1) the designation of Mental Health Month, and (2) the finding of the President's Commission on Mental Health that the nation's failure to prioritize mental health is a national tragedy. Recognizes that mental well-being is as important as physical well-being for citizens, communities, businesses, and the economy. Applauds the coalescing of national and community organizations in working to promote public awareness of mental health and in providing critical information and support to the people and families affected by mental illness. Encourages organizations and health practitioners to use Mental Health Month as an opportunity to promote mental well-being and awareness, ensure access to appropriate services, and support overall quality of life for those living with mental illness.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2012
Social Security Equality Act of 2012 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to authorize the treatment of permanent partnerships between individuals of the same gender as marriage for purposes of determining entitlement to OASDI benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2012
Four Corners Television Access Act of 2012 - Amends federal copyright law and the Communications Act of 1934 to allow satellite carriers or cable operators to offer certain Colorado-based television broadcast stations to eligible Colorado counties located in a New Mexico-based designated market area if the counties meet specified criteria according to Nielsen Media Research statistics.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2012
Ensuring Access to Quality Complex Rehabilitation Technology Act of 2012 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover, as medical and other health services, complex rehabilitation technology items designed and configured for a specific qualified individual to meet that individual's unique: (1) medical, physical, and functional needs related to a medical condition; and (2) capacities for basic activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) designate complex rehabilitation technology items (excluding adaptive equipment to operate motor vehicles or certain prosthetic devices and orthotics); and (2) establish eligibility criteria for them. Prescribes requirements for payments for CRT items. Directs the Secretary to establish standards for clinical conditions for CRT item payment as well as quality standards for suppliers of such items. Directs the Secretary to establish a Healthcare Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) coding subset that uses specified HCPCS codes for CRT items. Requires payment for replacement of a CRT item (or any part of one), without regard to certain continuous use or useful lifetime restrictions established for items of durable medical equipment (DME), if a qualified ordering practitioner determines that a replacement item (or part) is necessary.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2012
Disabled Military Child Protection Act of 2012 - Authorizes monthly annuity payments under the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) to a supplemental or special needs trust established for the sole benefit of a disabled dependent child who is incapable of self-support because of mental or physical incapacity.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2012
Includes as a homeless veteran, for purposes of eligibility for benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a veteran or veteran's family fleeing domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions in the current housing situation, including where the health and safety of children are jeopardized, there is no other residence, and there is a lack of resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2012
School Environment Protection Act - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to require each local educational agency (agency) of a school district to implement an integrated pest management (IPM) program that: (1) applies to school buildings and school ground, (2) establishes an IPM coordinator within the agency, and (3) follows an IPM plan for addressing school pest problems. Prohibits agencies or schools from using: (1) pesticides other than nontoxic or least toxic (as defined in this Act) pesticides, or (2) synthetic fertilizers. Permits an agency or school to use: (1) a least toxic pesticide as part of the IPM program only as a last resort and only if the area or room treated is unoccupied or not in use, and (2) only natural organic fertilizers. Authorizes a school to use a pesticide otherwise if: (1) the school or agency determines that a pest in the school or on school grounds cannot be controlled after having used the IPM program and least toxic pesticides and it is a public health emergency, (2) the IPM coordinator approves of the application of the pesticide product, (3) the area or room treated is vacant during the application and for 24-hours after the application, (4) the application is made by a certified pesticide applicator, and (5) the school notifies the parents or guardians of each student 24 hours before application of the pesticide. Sets forth requirements for such notification. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a National School Integrated Pest Management Advisory Board to: (1) establish uniform standards and criteria for developing IPM, and (2) develop standards for the use of least toxic pesticides in schools. Requires the Administrator to: (1) appoint an official for school pest management within EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs to coordinate the implementation of IPM programs in schools, and (2) publish an IPM plan and a list of products containing the least toxic pesticides and restrictions on their use. Requires each agency, state pesticide lead agency, and the Administrator to create school environments that are protected from pesticides that drift from treated land to school grounds. Establishes the Integrated Pest Management Trust Fund. Requires the Administrator to provide grants to agencies to implement IPM systems.
![Official portrait of Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000598_200.jpg)