United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2011 - Amends provisions of federal civil service law to extend employment-related and retirement benefits to domestic partners of federal employees and to set forth requirements for establishing a domestic partnership, including the filing of an affidavit attesting to the existence and legitimacy of the partnership. Modifies provisions relating to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) to extend eligibility for annuity and survivor benefits to domestic partners of federal employees on the same basis as married employees. Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations to provide that domestic partners and former domestic partners shall be considered as spouses or former spouses for purposes of creditable service determinations under CSRS and FERS. Makes domestic partners of federal employees eligible for: (1) the federal employee group life insurance (FEGLI) program, (2) federal employees health benefits (FEHB), (3) dental and vision benefit plans, and (4) long-term care insurance coverage. Grants the head of an federal agency authority to reimburse an employee for taxes incurred the domestic partner of such employee for travel or transportation reimbursements. Modifies provisions of the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to make domestic partners of federal employees eligible for worker compensation benefits under such Act. Adds "domestic partner" to the list of relatives subject to restrictions on federal employment of relatives and related prohibitions. Includes a biological, adopted, or foster child of a domestic partner as a "son or daughter" for purposes of federal employee family and medical leave provisions. Allows a federal employee family and medical leave to care for a domestic partner. Requires the President to prescribe regulations necessary to ensure that specified provisions relating to the following are administered in a manner consistent with the purposes of this Act: (1) the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; (2) travel, transportation, and related payments and benefits under the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and for civilian employees of the Department of Defense (DOD); (3) certain benefits for members of the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and (4) benefits related to federal employees or annuitants and benefits necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to make provisions of that Act applicable to domestic partners of federal employees to the same extent as married employees, including provisions relating to financial disclosure, government-wide limitations on outside earned income and employment, gifts to superiors and to federal employees, bribery, acceptance of travel expenses from nonfederal sources, taxes on self-dealing, and disqualification of a justice, judge, or magistrate judge. Requires reporting by: (1) the President on the implementation of this Act, and (2) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the effect of this Act on premiums or other periodic charges under FEHB and the impact of extending benefits to domestic partners on federal employee retention and recruitment efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Veterans Education Equity Act of 2011 - Revises the formula for the payment by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of tuition and fees for individuals entitled to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program and pursuing programs of education at public institutions of higher learning to include, as an additional payment formula, the greater of: (1) the actual net costs for in-state tuition after applying the receipt of any tuition waivers, reductions, scholarships, or other assistance; or (2) $17,500 for the academic year beginning on August 1, 2011 (such amount to be increased each subsequent year by the average percentage increase in undergraduate tuition costs).
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Modernizing Our Drug & Diagnostics Evaluation and Regulatory Network Cures Act of 2011 or the MODDERN Cures Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish the Advanced Diagnostics Education Council to recommend standard terms and definitions related to innovative diagnostics for use by patients, physicians, health care providers, payers, and policy makers.; and (2) publish a guide regarding such terms and definitions. Sets forth additional factors for the Secretary to consider in determining the payment amount for new clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under gap filling procedures which are used when no comparable existing test is available. Extends the exclusivity period for a drug or biological product if the diagnostic test related to such drug has been determined by the Secretary to have been developed by, or with the participation of, the manufacturer or sponsor of the drug or biological product, and use of the diagnostic tests provides for or improves: (1) the identification of a patient population for the drug or biological product; or (2) the determination of the most appropriate treatment option for a patient population with the drug or biological product. Establishes a dormant therapy designation for drugs or biological products that address unmet medical needs. Gives such a drug or biological product 15 years of data exclusivity under which no drug can be approved by relying on the approval or licensure of the dormant therapy.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that the rights protected by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons and do not extend to for-profit corporations, limited liability companies, or other private entities established for business purposes or to promote business interests under the laws of any state, the United States, or any foreign state. Declares that such corporate and other private entities are subject to regulation by the people through the legislative process so long as such regulations are consistent with the powers of Congress and the states and do not limit the freedom of the press. Prohibits such corporate and other private entities from making contributions or expenditures in any election of any candidate for public office or the vote upon any ballot measure submitted to the people. Grants Congress and the states the power to regulate and set limits on all election contributions and expenditures, including a candidate's own spending, and to authorize the establishment of political committees to receive, spend, and publicly disclose the sources of those contributions and expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act - Identifies roadless areas within the National Forest System set forth in specified maps as National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to manage such Areas to maintain their roadless character. Authorizes the Forest Service to modify such maps for the sole purpose of improving their accuracy or inclusiveness. Requires any substantial modification of those maps to be made through the national forest management planning process and documented in an environmental impact statement.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make tuition payments for veterans enrolled in institutions of higher education and receiving assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program by not later than the tuition due date for the quarter, semester, or term. Directs the Secretary, in determining payment amount, to take into consideration any waiver of or reduction in tuition and fees, and any scholarship or other federal, state, institutional, or employer-based aid or assistance made or awarded as of the payment due date. Requires repayment to the Secretary of any waiver, reduction, or other assistance amount made or awarded after such date.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish new estate tax rates of between 37% (for estates with a value in excess of $500,000) and 55% (for estates with a value in excess of $10 million), (2) allow a $1 million estate tax exclusion, and (3) provide for an inflation adjustment to such amounts for decedents dying after 2012. Repeals the termination date applicable to the estate and gift tax provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (i.e., December 31, 2012). Restores the estate tax credit for any estate, inheritance, legacy, or succession taxes paid to a state (expired after 2004). Repeals the deduction currently allowed for such taxes. Sets forth estate valuation rules for certain transfers of nonbusiness assets and limits estate tax discounts for certain individuals with minority interests in a business acquired from a decedent. Requires that the value of the basis in any property acquired from a decedent or by gift be consistent with the basis as determined for estate and gift tax purposes. Requires executors of estates and donors of gifts required to file a gift tax return to disclose to the Secretary of the Treasury, and to recipients of any interest in an estate or a gift, information identifying the value of each interest received. Expands rules for valuing assets in grantor retained annuity trusts to require that: (1) the right to receive fixed amounts from an annuity last for a term of not less than 10 years and that such fixed amounts not decrease during the first 10 years of the annuity term, and (2) the remainder interest have a value greater than zero when transferred. Terminates the generation-skipping transfer exemption for certain long-term trusts (perpetual dynasty trusts) 90 years after the establishment of such trusts.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2011
Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act or STOP Act - Establishes a Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Council, composed mainly of civilians, as an independent entity from the chain of command of the Department of Defense (DOD). Directs the Council to: (1) appoint personnel to the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, and advise such Office; (2) appoint the Director of Military Prosecutions (Director); (3) review each request of the Director with respect to a case stemming from a sexual-related offense that has been referred to a military appellate court or to the Department of Justice (DOJ); and (4) submit to the Secretary of Defense, Congress, and the Attorney General a report on each Director request for referral to a higher court. Requires the Council to advise on the development of sexual assault reporting protocols, risk-reduction and response training, and policy. Establishes within DOD the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, headed by an Executive Director, to undertake specified duties and responsibilities relating to the investigation, prevention, and reduction of sexual assault incidents within the Armed Forces. Requires the Office to establish protocols to ensure that all reports of sexual assault are taken out of the chain of command and reported directly to the Office. Establishes the position of Director of Military Prosecutions, appointed by the Council, to have independent and final authority to oversee the prosecution of all sexual-related offenses committed by a member of the Armed Forces, and to refer such cases to trial by courts-martial. Amends the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 to require the Secretary to implement a centralized database, known as the Military Sexual Registry, for the collection of information regarding sexual assaults within the military, including the nature of the assault, the victim, the offender, and the outcome of associated legal proceedings. Requires the Registry to be housed and maintained within the Office.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2011
Eva M. Clayton Fellows Program Act - Amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to require the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the Eva M. Clayton Fellows Program to provide for fellowships to conduct research and education on the eradication of world hunger and malnutrition. Requires the President to use U.S. influence at the United Nations (U.N.) to urge the creation within the Food and Agriculture Organization of fellowship positions for Clayton Fellows to conduct research and education programs on the eradication of world hunger and malnutrition.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2011
Honors General Brigadier Hazel Johnson-Brown for outstanding achievements in and significant contributions to the nursing profession and her dedication to the U.S Army. Recognizes General Johnson-Brown as the first African-American woman to hold the rank of General in the U.S. Armed Forces and the first African-American Chief of the Army Nurse Corps. Advocates for women of color to enter nursing and supports strategies to remedy the national shortage of nurses.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2011
Startup Technical Assistance for Reemployment Training and Unemployment Prevention Act or the STARTUP Act - Amends the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 to authorize states to establish a self-employment assistance program (a program to provide unemployed individuals with an allowance in lieu of extended unemployment compensation to establish a business and become self-employed). Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to allow individuals receiving emergency unemployment compensation to participate in a self-employment assistance program. Directs the Secretary of Labor to: (1) award grants to states for self-employment assistance programs; (2) develop model language that may be used by states in enacting such programs and provide technical assistance to states in establishing, improving, and administering such programs; (3) establish reporting requirement for states that have established such programs; and (4) report to Congress on the effectiveness of such programs. Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 to repeal the program for investment in microentrepreneurs. Limits and rescinds funding for the Loan Modernization and Accounting System established by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Directs the Administrator of SBA to terminate the Special Purpose Counseling Grant program under the Small Business Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2011
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2011 or the ABLE Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts to assist an individual with a disability in building an account to pay for qualified disability expenses. Defines "qualified disability expenses" to include expenses for education, a primary residence, transportation, obtaining and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Treats a qualified ABLE program and an ABLE account in the same manner as a qualified tuition program for income tax purposes (i.e., allowing a tax exemption for such program and an exclusion from gross income of amounts attributable to a contributor to or a beneficiary of a program account). Defines "qualified ABLE program" as a program established and maintained by a state agency under which a person may make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses. Requires amounts in ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. Suspends the payment of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to an individual during any period in which such individual has excess resources attributable to an ABLE account.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2011
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1449 West Avenue in Bronx, New York, as the "Private Isaac T. Cortes Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2011
Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of congressional gold medals in honor of the men and women who perished as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, and the Pentagon Memorial at the Pentagon. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals, with amounts received from the sale to be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2011
Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education, and Awareness Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants for: (1) improving state comprehensive death scene investigations for sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) and sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC), and (2) increasing the rate of comprehensive and standardized autopsies for such deaths. Requires the Director to: (1) develop national guidelines for a standard autopsy protocol for such deaths, and (2) commission a study on the benefits and appropriateness of genetic testing for infant and early childhood deaths that remain unexplained after investigation and autopsy. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) award grants for death scene investigation training specific for SUID and SUDC, (2) establish a population-based case registry for SUID and SUDC deaths, (3) conduct a needs assessment for investigations and determinations of such deaths, and (4) develop public education and prevention programs to reduce stillbirths and address the racial and ethnic disparities in occurrence. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to: (1) award grants for child death review programs and prevention strategies; (2) establish a public health awareness and education campaign on SUID and SUDC; and (3) award grants for support services to families who have experienced SUID, SUDC, or stillbirth. Provides for surveillance and data collection on stillbirths. Requires the Secretary to establish a task force to develop a national research plan to determine the causes of, and how to prevent, stillbirths.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2011
Medicare and Medicaid Fighting Fraud and Abuse to Save Taxpayers' Dollars Act or Medicare and Medicaid FAST Act - Amends part D (Prescription Drug Benefits) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prohibit sponsors of prescription drug plans (PDPs) from paying claims for prescription drugs that do not include the valid National Provider Identifier for the drug's prescriber. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish procedures and rules to restrict access to the National Provider Identifier Registry in order to deter fraudulent use of it. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid), for any state that has established a State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program meeting certain requirements, to decrease by 10% the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) with respect to any amounts recovered by or paid to the state related to an overpayment due to fraud, waste, or abuse. Allows the state to use such amounts to support its State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Directs the Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General jointly to establish a Commission to examine interoperability and other issues related to State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) update daily the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) database of persons registered to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act to reflect any changes in the information in the Death Master File of the Social Security Administration; (2) agree with the Commissioner of Social Security to obtain death information in order to update such database; (3) establish procedures and rules to restrict access to the database to deter its fraudulent use; and (4) establish procedures and rules to review and investigate pharmacy claims under Medicare part D that contain a registration number not assigned to a practitioner by the Attorney General under the Controlled Substances Act. Amends SSA title XVIII to require certain annual reports to describe the types and financial costs to the Medicare program of improper payment vulnerabilities identified by Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs). Requires the Secretary of HHS to develop a plan to revise the beneficiary incentive program under the Health Instance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to encourage greater participation by individuals in reporting fraud and abuse in the Medicare program. Requires the Secretary of HHS to: (1) establish and implement procedures to eliminate the unnecessary collection, use, and display of Social Security account numbers of Medicare beneficiaries; and (2) ensure that each newly issued Medicare identification card meets specified requirements. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a pilot program utilizing smart card technology to evaluate its applicability to the Medicare program and whether such cards would be effective in preventing Medicare fraud. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish policies and procedures for a process to require prior authorization for initial claims for reimbursement for standard power wheelchairs. Requires the Secretary of HHS, the HHS Inspector General, and the Attorney General to increase coordination and data sharing. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish: (1) automated prepayment review of all Medicare claims, (2) a plan to facilitate the inclusion of states in the Medicare-Medicaid Data Match Program, and (3) a plan that allows each state Medicaid agency access to relevant data on improper or erroneous Medicare payments for items or services for dual eligible individuals. Prohibits Medicaid payments as well as payments under SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP) unless a claim contains a valid beneficiary identification number and a valid National Provider Identifier. Directs the Secretary to establish Medicare administrative contractor error reduction incentives. Requires the provider enrollment process and provider screening to be separate from any contract to serve as a Medicare administrative contractor. Directs the Secretary of HHS to report to Congress on measurable metrics for improving Medicare contractor performance. Amends SSA title XI to establish penalties for the illegal distribution of a Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP beneficiary identification number or billing privileges.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Navy should provide an appropriate site at the former Navy Dive School at the Washington Navy Yard (District of Columbia) for a memorial to honor members of the Armed Forces who have served as divers and whose service in defense of the United States has been carried out beneath the waters of the world.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2011
American Microturbine Manufacturing and Clean Energy Deployment Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a 30% energy tax credit for qualified microturbine property, (2) revise the definition of "qualified microturbine property" to increase the maximum nameplate capacity of such property to 5,000 kilowatts, and (3) eliminate the limitation on such credit based upon kilowatt capacity.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2011
Latin America Military Training Review Act - Directs the Secretary of the Army to suspend operation of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (Institute). Suspends the authority of the Secretary of Defense to operate such an education and training facility until submission of a report containing the results of an investigation in response to violations of human rights to which training at such Institute contributed. Establishes: (1) a joint congressional task force to assess appropriate education and training for DOD to provide to military personnel of Latin American nations; and (2) a commission to investigate activities of the United States Army School of the Americas and its successor institution, the Institute.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2011
Disabled Public Safety Officers Fairness Act of 2011 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide for payment of disability benefits to public safety officers who became permanently and totally disabled prior to the enactment of such Act. Allows a public safety officer seeking a benefit on the basis of having been permanently and totally disabled as the direct result of a catastrophic injury sustained in the line of duty before the date of enactment of such Act to file a claim during the same period that would be applicable to an officer disabled after the date of enactment, except that in lieu of such a period beginning on the date of the injury it shall begin on the date of the enactment of this Act. Applies this Act to any public safety officer alive on or after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2011
Safe Transportation of Hazardous Materials Act of 2011 - Requires railroad carriers engaged in the transportation of hazardous materials (hazmats) to submit to the Secretary of Transportation, and update annually, a plan for providing at least 48 hours notification to requesting local emergency responders before transporting hazmats through their jurisdictions. Directs the Secretary to require carriers to demonstrate periodically that the plan's procedures are adequate to give appropriate notice to such responders.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2011
Viral Hepatitis Testing Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to carry out surveillance, education, and testing programs with respect to hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) virus infections. Requires the Secretary to establish a national system with respect to HBV and HCV to: (1) determine the prevalence of such infections, (2) carry out testing programs to increase the number of individuals who are aware of their infection, (3) disseminate public information and education programs for the detection and control of such infections, (4) provide referrals for counseling and medical treatment and ensure the provision of follow-up services, and (5) improve the training of health professionals in the treatment of such infections. Directs the Secretary to determine the populations that are considered at high risk. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to complete the revision of CDC guidelines for screening individuals with HCV, taking into account: (1) the effectiveness issues that have been raised with respect to the current CDC guidelines for screening, (2) the importance of responding to the perception that receiving such screening may be stigmatizing, and (3) whether age-based screening would be effective. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to: (1) develop HCV screening recommendations, taking into account the guidelines established by CDC and new and improved treatments for HCV; and (2) develop HBV screening recommendations, taking into account the guidelines the CDC recommended in 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2011
Recognizes the importance of empowering girls to lead with courage, confidence, and character. Congratulates Girl Scouts of the USA on its 100th anniversary. Expresses support for the Year of the Girl.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) establish and maintain an open pit burn registry for members of the Armed Forces deployed in a contingency operation in Iraq or Afghanistan who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals and fumes caused by open burn pits used for disposing solid waste, (2) include in such registry information necessary to ascertain and monitor the health effects of such exposure, (3) develop a public information campaign to inform eligible individuals about the registry, and (4) periodically notify such individuals of significant developments in the study and treatment of conditions associated with such exposure. Requires the Secretary to: (1) contract with an independent scientific organization to develop a report assessing the effectiveness of actions taken to collect and maintain information on the health effects of such exposure, and (2) submit the completed report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Child Marriage Violates the Human Rights of Girls Act of 2011 - Defines "child marriage" as the marriage of a girl or boy not yet the minimum age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident, or where there is no such law, under the age of 18. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) child marriage is a violation of human rights and its prevention and elimination should be a U.S. foreign policy goal; and (2) educational opportunities for girls, economic opportunities for women, and reducing maternal and child mortality are critical to U.S. global health and development objectives, including efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS. Directs the Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the heads of other relevant departments and agencies to collect and make available data on the incidence of child marriage in specified countries that receive U.S. foreign or development assistance where the practice of child marriage is prevalent. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require that Department of State reports on human rights practices for specified countries include a description of the status of child marriage for each country in which child marriage is prevalent.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit an exhibitor from allowing for the participation of an exotic or wild animal (including a non-human primate) in an animal act if, during the 15-day period preceding such participation, such animal was traveling in a mobile housing facility, unless the use of such animal is: (1) in an exhibition at a non-mobile, permanent institution or facility; (2) a part of an outreach program for educational or conservation purposes by an accredited zoo or aquarium and such animal is not kept in a mobile housing facility for more than 12 hours a day; (3) by a university, college, laboratory, or other research facility registered with the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA); (4) in film, television, or advertising if such use does not involve a live public exhibition; or (5) in a rodeo. Subjects a traveling circus or exhibitor that fails to comply with this Act to specified penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Foster Children Opportunity Act - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require state plans for foster care and adoption assistance to have procedures to assist alien children in the child welfare system achieve special immigrant juvenile status and lawful permanent resident status before exiting foster care. Requires case plans to include documentation of the steps the state child welfare agency is taking in assisting children obtain lawful immigrant status before exiting foster care. Requires a permanency hearing to determine whether a petition for special immigrant juvenile status or lawful permanent resident status has been filed on behalf of an alien foster child and, if it has not been filed, whether it is in the child's best interest to have such a petition filed or to have immigration counsel appointed. Authorizes the use of court improvement program grant funds to educate and train child welfare and court staff to assist alien children in achieving special immigrant juvenile status, lawful permanent resident status, and other forms of relief under immigration law. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), on the request of a child welfare agency, to provide technical assistance in carrying out this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to and contract with qualified non-profit or other community-based service providers to perform the assistance. Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to make an exception to the five-year limited eligibility of qualified aliens for federal means-tested public benefits for individuals who have obtained special immigrant juvenile status. Makes a similar exception for such individuals with respect to the limited eligibility of qualified aliens for certain Federal programs.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish in the Treasury the Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund, and (2) allow individual taxpayers to designate on their tax returns a specified portion (not less than $1) of any overpayment of tax to be paid over to such Fund to provide services to homeless veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Extends the final date for entering a federal-state agreement under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program through January 3, 2013. Postpones the termination of the program until June 8, 2013. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until January 4, 2013, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and June 10, 2013, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 to authorize a state by law to apply certain requirements of the Act, with specified substitutions, for determining an extended unemployment compensation period. Requires the state's "on" and "off" indicators to be based on its rate of insured unemployment and rate of total unemployment for the period between enactment of this Act (or, if later, the date established pursuant to state law), and ending on or before December 31, 2012. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 31, 2012, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits for employees with 10 or more years of service and for those with less than 10. Amends title XII (Advances to State Unemployment Funds) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend through FY2012 the waiver on payment of interest by a state in repayment to the federal Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF) of advances from it. Denies this extension, however, to any state that has not entered a voluntary agreement with the Secretary of Labor to refrain from modifying state unemployment compensation law to lower its unemployment compensation benefits. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to reductions in credits against the federal unemployment tax for an employer's contributions to a state unemployment fund in a state which has received advances from the UTF. Postpones the commencement of such reductions until January 1, 2013, for any state entering such an agreement with the Secretary. Amends SSA title IX (Employment Security Administrative Financing) to require the payment of a solvency bonus for any quarter to the book account in the UTF of the state unemployment compensation agency of a solvent state (whose outstanding balance of advances from the UTF is zero). Makes the bonus equal to two percentage points above the average rate of interest of special obligations of the United States in which the UTF is invested.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Encourages every civilian to observe Veterans Day by offering to listen to a veteran tell the story of the veteran's time at war and experience since returning home.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2011
Extends from 12 to 15 years after discharge or release from active-duty service the authorized period for veterans with service-connected disabilities to enroll in certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) vocational training and rehabilitation programs.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2011
Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out programs to provide adolescents with comprehensive sex education that: (1) replicate evidence-based sex education programs, (2) substantially incorporate elements of evidence-based sex education programs, or (3) create a demonstration project based on generally accepted characteristics of effective sex education programs. Sets forth provisions regarding evaluation of such programs. Requires the Secretary to establish a common set of performance measures to assess the implementation and impact of grant programs funded under this Act. Requires the Secretary to award competitive grants to: (1) enable institutions of higher education to provide young people with comprehensive sex education with an emphasis on reducing HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy; and (2) eligible entities to train targeted faculty and staff in order to increase effective teaching of comprehensive sex education for elementary and secondary school students. Prohibits programs funded under this Act from discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. Prohibits federal funds provided under this Act from being used for health education programs that: (1) deliberately withhold life-saving information about HIV; (2) are medically inaccurate or have been scientifically shown to be ineffective; (3) promote gender stereotypes; (4) are insensitive and unresponsive to the needs of sexually active youth or lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender youth; or (5) are inconsistent with the ethical imperatives of medicine and public health. Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal a provision that prohibits the use of funds appropriated for the prevention of AIDS to provide education or information designed to promote or encourage, directly, homosexual or heterosexual activity or intravenous substance abuse. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to repeal a provision that prohibits the use of funds authorized under such Act to operate a program of contraceptive distribution in schools.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2011
Extends through FY2017 the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) demonstration projects on the guaranteeing of veterans' adjustable rate and hybrid adjustable rate mortgage loans in a manner similar to which the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) insures such mortgages under the National Housing Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2011
American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016 the date by which specified alternative or renewable energy facilities (i.e., wind, biomass, geothermal or solar energy, landfill gas, trash, qualified hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy facilities) must be placed in service to qualify for the electricity production tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
Haitian Emergency Life Protection Act of 2011 or the H.E.L.P. Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to V-visa nonimmigrants (spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents who come to the United States to wait for completion of the immigrant visa process) to include certain Haitian nationals whose petition for a family-sponsored immigrant visa was approved on or before January 12, 2010. Authorizes the Secretary of State to use secondary evidence to verify eligibility for such status or for immediate relative status. Sunsets the provisions of this Act two years after its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to apply the requirement for a health plan to provide dependent coverage until an adult child turns 26 years of age to plans that do not have any participants who are current employees (retiree-only plans).
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
Half in Ten Act of 2011 - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a Federal Interagency Working Group on Reducing Poverty, which shall develop a National Plan or Strategy to reduce the number of persons living in poverty in America in half within 10 years after release of the 2011 Census report on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
Recognizes the importance labor unions play in ensuring a strong middle class by advocating for more equitable wages, humane working conditions, improved benefits, and increased civic engagement by everyday workers.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
Recognizes the unprecedented impact on the pursuit of social equity for marginalized communities, underserved populations, and above all disenfranchised women. Honors and pays tribute to Mrs. Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm, on the occasion of the 87th year of her birth, for a lifetime of exemplary public service.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2011
Revises the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program which guarantees veterans' loans for the purchase of residential cooperative housing to remove a provision which limits to five years after a loan is guaranteed the use of loan proceeds to purchase stock or membership in a cooperative housing corporation. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that a loan used for such purchase in a corporation that has been reviewed and approved by a lender approved by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) is not denied. Authorizes the Secretary to advertise the availability of such loan guarantees.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2011
Diagnostic Imaging Services Access Protection Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from applying a multiple procedure payment reduction policy to the professional component of imaging services furnished: (1) in 2012; or (2) in 2013 or a subsequent year unless the reduction is based on the data, analysis, and conclusions of a study completed by an expert panel of physician members from a national medical speciality society expert in the field of diagnostic imaging services.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2011
Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to apply it specifically to American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, or the United States Virgin Islands. Applies to such jurisdictions specified criminal penalties relating to the intimidation of voters, interference by government employees, and voting by aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2011
Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations to carry out lifespan respite care programs for FY2012-FY2016.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2011
Rabbi Arthur Schneier Congressional Gold Medal Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to Rabbi Arthur Schneier in recognition of his pioneering role in promoting religious freedom and human rights throughout the world.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2011
Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones College Fire Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make competitive demonstration grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs), fraternities, and sororities for up to half the cost of installing approved fire suppression systems in student housing and dormitories owned or controlled by such entities. Gives grant priority to applicants that demonstrate the greatest financial need. Reserves the following portions of grant funds made available for each fiscal year: (1) at least 10% for historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and IHEs that are eligible for Institutional Aid under the Higher Education Act of 1965; and (2) at least 10% for social fraternities and sororities. Provides that any application for assistance under this Act, any negative determination on the part of the Secretary with respect to such application, or any statement of reasons for the determination, shall not be admissible as evidence in any proceeding of any court, agency, board, or other entity (except a proceeding to enforce an agreement entered into between the Secretary and a grantee under this Act).
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2011
Save Our Climate Act of 2011- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on the carbon content of any taxable fuel sold by a manufacturer, producer, or importer. Sets the amount of such tax at $10 per ton of the carbon dioxide produced by combustion in such fuel, with annual increases in the amount of such tax until the level of carbon dioxide emissions for a calendar year does not exceed 20% of the level of such emissions for calender year 1990 (target attainment year). Exempts from such tax the sale or in-kind exchange of fuel for deposit in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and certain exports or resales of such fuel. Defines "taxable fuel" as coal (including lignite and peat), petroleum and any petroleum product, natural gas, biomass, municipal solid waste, and any organic material other than coal, petroleum, and natural gas that is sold for the purpose of energy production, which is extracted, manufactured, or produced in the United States or entered into the United States for consumption, use, or warehousing.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2011
Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a 30% tax credit for investment in a qualifying offshore wind facility (an offshore facility using wind to produce electricity), and (2) direct the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a qualifying credit for offshore wind facilities program to consider and award certifications for investments eligible for such a credit to qualifying offshore wind facility sponsors. Requires the Secretary to review credits allocated under this Act and authorizes the Secretary to reallocate such credits upon determining that: (1) there is an insufficient quantity of qualifying applications for certification pending at the time of the review, or (2) scheduled placed-in-service dates of previously certified facilities have been significantly delayed and the applicant will not meet the required timeline.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011- Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 500,000 $1 coins emblematic of the mission and programs of the March of Dimes. Permits issuance of such coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2014. Requires all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of such coins to be promptly paid to the March of Dimes to help finance research, education, and services aimed at improving the health of women, infants, and children. Subjects the March of Dimes to federal audit requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
Teaching Children to Save Lives Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to local educational agencies or public elementary or secondary schools to implement nationally recognized cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training courses. Allows a grant to be used to purchase an AED training device if the grantee implements or has implemented an AED training program in conjunction with a CPR training program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
Local Flexibility for Transit Assistance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to make urbanized area formula grants for the operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population over 200,000 to a designated recipient, direct recipient, or subrecipient that provides public transportation in the area operating less than 100 buses in fixed-route service in the area during peak service hours. Authorizes a designated recipient or direct recipient that operates at least 100 buses in fixed-route service during peak service hours in an urbanized area with a population of more than 200,000 to use grant funds for the operating costs of public transportation equipment and facilities in such projects if: (1) the recipients are certified by the Secretary as being in a crisis period; and (2) the recipients' percentage of revenue for the operating costs of public transportation equipment and facilities from non-federal sources (excluding system-generated revenue) is equal to the previous fiscal year's revenue, or the revenue is derived from dedicated sources. Specifies percentage limitations on the use of funds for urbanized areas with populations between 200,000 and 500,000, between 500,000 and 1 million, and over 1 million. Defines "crisis period" to mean that: (1) the unemployment rate within the recipients' service area is 7% or higher for the preceding month, or (2) the national average retail price of regular gasoline during a quarter has increased by more than 10%.
![Official portrait of Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000053_200.jpg)