United States · United States Congress · 30 August 2011
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of State to: (1) limit to one year or such period of time as appropriate the period of validity of a passport issued to a sex offender, and (2) revoke the passport or passport card of an individual who has been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction in a foreign country of a sex offense. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) to rename the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking as the Office to Monitor and Combat Modern Slavery and Other Forms of Human Trafficking. Authorizes the Office's Director to provide assistance on an urgent basis for vulnerable populations at risk of severe forms of trafficking in persons in conjunction with post-conflict situations and humanitarian emergencies. Includes public-private partnerships to generate youth employment opportunities among the international initiatives to enhance economic opportunity for potential victims of trafficking that the President shall carry out as a method to deter trafficking. Authorizes the President to give priority to specified categories of persons who are potential trafficking victims, such as stateless persons. Amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Wilberforce Act) to terminate an authorized fee increase for certain consular services on September 30, 2013. Directs the head of the Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs to identify: (1) goods produced with forced labor or child labor, and (2) persons or businesses that produce goods with inputs from forced labor or child labor. Includes the United States among countries with respect to which the Bureau shall carry out activities to monitor and combat forced labor or child labor. Requires the list of goods the Bureau has reason to believe are produced by forced labor or child labor in violation of international standards to: (1) identify persons or businesses that produce such goods; and (2) be made available to the public and Congress by April 1, 2012, and updated at least every two years. Amends the federal criminal code to expand the scope of the prohibition against a U.S. citizen or alien admitted for permanent residence travelling in foreign commerce and engaging in illicit sexual conduct to include such individuals engaging in travel affecting foreign commerce and to apply even if such an individual is residing temporarily or permanently in a foreign jurisdiction. Provides that it is not a defense that a defendant is not criminally liable or is subject to reduced criminal liability due to the de jure or de facto acceptance of the illicit conduct in the foreign jurisdiction in which the defendant travels or resides. Amends the TVPA to include the Director of the Peace Corps as a member of the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking. Sets forth reporting requirements regarding the activities of: (1) U.S. government contractors and subcontractors and establishes a zero tolerance policy for their trafficking in persons, and (2) Bureau of Justice Assistance grant assistance for human trafficking task forces and information about trafficking victims. Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to designate a Director of Anti-Trafficking Policies. Amends the TVPA to provide benefits and services for non-immigrants who are victims of criminal trafficking. Authorizes the Secretary to permit an alien to remain in the United States, if a federal law enforcement official files an application stating that an alien may be a victim of a severe form of trafficking and may be a potential witness to such trafficking, to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for such crime. Requires such official to respond to a request for continued presence in the United States within 15 days and to approve or deny the application for continued presence within 1 month. Directs the Secretary of State to include in specified required reports a description of U.S. efforts to comply with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Prohibits knowingly destroying or concealing or confiscating for more than 48 hours the passport or other immigration or personal identification document of an individual: (1) in violation of specified provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or (2) in order to, without lawful authority, maintain, prevent, or restrict the labor or services of the individual. Makes fraud in foreign labor contracting a predicate offense under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit the adjustment of status of a nonimmigrant to that of a person admitted for permanent residence if the activities rendering the alien inadmissible were caused by, or incident to, victimization under provisions regarding victims of trafficking in persons. Amends the Wilberforce Act to: (1) provide that, to the extent feasible, unaccompanied alien children from countries that are contiguous with the United States should be housed and screened by an immigration officer with expertise in child welfare in separate child-friendly facilities conducive to disclosing information related to human trafficking or exploitation; and (2) require each federal agency to notify the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within 24 (currently 48) hours regarding the apprehension or discovery of an unaccompanied alien child or regarding any claim or suspicion that an alien in custody is under age 18. Amends Social Security Act provisions regarding federal payments for foster care and adoption assistance to require state plans for such assistance, by January 1, 2013, to describe state child welfare existing practice and future plans regarding prevention measures and victim assistance related to the human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of foreign, U.S. citizen, and legal resident children. Directs the Attorney General to consult with the HHS Secretary to distribute information to enable grantees under the TVPA to publicize the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline on their websites. Requires any person who engages in foreign labor contracting activity to ascertain and disclose in writing in English and in the language of the worker being recruited specified information, including the identity of the employer and the recruiter and a signed copy of the work contract. Prohibits certain recruitment fees. Requires the Secretary to maintain a list of all foreign labor contractors registered. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a process for the receipt, investigation, and disposition of complaints. Authorizes appropriations for FY2012-FY2015 for the TVPA and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2011
Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program Reauthorization of 2011 - Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to reauthorize the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program through FY2018 and to revise program requirements to: (1) provide for competitive grants to nonprofit organizations to assist in locating missing patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; (2) expand such program to include locating other missing elderly individuals; (3) require the Attorney General to solicit grants for program applications in the Federal Register and on the Department of Justice (DOJ) website; and (4) establish a preference in awarding grants to national nonprofit organizations that have a direct link to patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and their families (currently, grants may be awarded to only such organizations).
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2011
Minority Diabetes Initiative Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to provide treatment for diabetes in minority communities. Requires the Secretary to ensure that such grants cover a variety of diabetes-related health care services, including routine care for diabetic patients, public education on diabetes prevention and control, eye care, foot care, and treatment for kidney disease and other complications of diabetes.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2011
Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to expand training and support services for families and caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2011 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include lactation (i.e., breastfeeding or the expressing of milk from the breast) as protected conduct under such Act (specifically, an amendment to such Act commonly known as the Pregnancy Discrimination Act). Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to extend the requirement that certain employers provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child to bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity employees or outside salesmen who are exempt from federal labor laws that limit the number of hours in a workweek.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth Promise Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention and intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Medicare Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to recognize state-licensed or -registered health care professionals who are certified diabetes educators in an outpatient setting as authorized providers of Medicare diabetes outpatient self-management training services, including as part of telehealth services, under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Directs the Comptroller General to study the barriers that exist for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes in accessing diabetes self-management training services under the Medicare program. Directs the Director of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a series of recommendations on effective outreach methods to educate primary care physicians and the public about the benefits of diabetes self-management training.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
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 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) any deficit reduction plan put forward by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not balance the budget by eroding America's hard-earned retirement plan and social safety net; (2) Medicare's ability to deliver high quality health care in a cost-efficient manner should be strengthened and its benefits should be preserved for current and future retirees; (3) appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security's long-term outlook should ensure that it remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits; and (4) federal funding for the Medicaid program should be maintained so that senior citizens, poor and disabled children, and others with disabilities are able to gain and retain access to affordable health care.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2011
Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Reauthorization Act or the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities with respect to research on the causes of preterm labor and delivery, tools to detect, prevent, or reduce prevalence of preterm labor and delivery, and the care and treatment of preterm infants. Establishes within NIH a multicenter clinical program to investigate problems in clinical obstetrics, improve the care and outcomes of neonates, and enhance the understanding of DNA and proteins as they relate to the underlying processes that lead to preterm birth. Requires the Director to award grants for planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic operating support for transdisciplinary research centers for prematurity. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Surgeon General, to establish and implement a national science-based provider and consumer education campaign on promoting healthy pregnancies and preventing preterm birth. Reauthorizes provisions related to research on prematurity and preterm births and sets forth specific areas for such research. Requires the Director of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to award grants to establish demonstration projects for: (1) obstetrical services for high risk women of child bearing age remotely using telehealth; and (2) educational activities regarding risk factors for preterm birth. Expands a demonstration project to inform health care providers and the public and improve treatment and outcome for babies born preterm. Requires the Secretary to establish the Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality. Requires a study on hospital readmissions of preterm births.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2011
Communities of Color Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for programs to provide youth in racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities the information and skills needed to avoid teenage pregnancy and develop healthy relationships. Allows up to 10% of amounts made available for this Act to be allotted for a rigorous, independent evaluation of grant activities. Requires the Secretary to award grants for multimedia campaigns to provide public education and increase public awareness regarding teenage pregnancy and related social and emotional issues. Requires the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to make grants for research on teenage pregnancy, dating violence, and healthy relationships among racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities. Requires the Secretary to direct the interagency adolescent health workgroup within the Office of Adolescent Health to include in the work of the group strategies for teenage dating violence prevention and healthy teenage relationships, with a particular focus among racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities, in consultation with the Federal Interagency Workgroup on Teen Dating Violence in the Department of Justice (DOJ).
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2011
Aviation Jobs and Safety Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through September 30, 2011, increased excise taxes on aviation fuels, the excise tax on air transportation of persons and property, and the expenditure authority for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. Extends through September 30, 2011: (1) the authorization of appropriations for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning projects (known as airport improvement projects [AIPs]), and (2) the authority of the Secretary of Transportation to make new AIP grants. Extends until October 1, 2011: (1) the pilot program for passenger facility fee authorizations at non-hub airports, and (2) disclosure requirements for large and medium hub airports applying for AIP grants. Directs the Secretary to extend through September 30, 2011, the termination date of insurance coverage for domestic or foreign-flag aircraft. Grants the Secretary discretionary authority to further extend such coverage through December 31, 2011. Extends through December 31, 2011, the authority of the Secretary to limit air carrier liability for claims arising out of acts of terrorism. Extends through September 30, 2011: (1) grant eligibility for airports located in the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau; (2) grants to state and local governments for land use compatibility AIPs; and (3) authority for approving an application of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for an airport development grant or for permission to impose a passenger facility fee. Amends the Vision 100 - Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act to extend through September 30, 2011: (1) the temporary increase to 95% of the federal government's share of certain AIP costs, and (2) funding for airport development at Midway Island Airport.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2011
New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the new markets tax credit through 2016, (2) provide for an inflation adjustment to the limitation amount for such credit after 2012, and (3) allow an offset against the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for such credit (determined with respect to qualified equity investments made before January 1, 2017).
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2011
Developing Innovative Partnerships and Learning Opportunities that Motivate Achievement Act or DIPLOMA Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award renewable five-year grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local consortia that include a local educational agency (LEA) and other community partners to: (1) ensure the academic, physical, social, emotional, and civic development of disadvantaged youth; and (2) strengthen their families and communities. Requires each state grantee to develop and implement a state child and youth strategy that assesses children's needs and the assets within the state that can be mobilized, coordinated, and integrated to achieve quantifiable progress toward goals that include ensuring that: (1) children are ready for school; (2) students are engaged and achieving in school; (3) students are physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally healthy; (4) schools and neighborhoods are safe and provide a positive climate for learning; (5) families are supportive and engaged in their children's education; (6) students are ready for postsecondary education and 21st Century careers; and (7) students are contributing to their communities. Directs the consortia to develop and implement a local child and youth strategy that integrates multiple private and public services into a comprehensive, coordinated continuum of services directed toward achieving quantifiable progress toward such goals. Requires the Secretary to award competitive grants directly to local consortia if appropriated funds fall below a specified amount.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2011
Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make formula grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish or enhance educational programs and related services that enable pregnant and parenting students to enroll in, attend, and succeed in school. Requires state grantees to: (1) designate a Coordinator for Education of Pregnant and Parenting Students who is to develop and implement a state plan for educating pregnant and parenting students, and (2) develop and implement high-quality professional development programs for LEAs and school personnel. Requires subgrantees to: (1) provide academic support services to pregnant and parenting students; (2) assist such students in accessing quality, affordable child care, and early childhood education services; (3) provide transportation services or assistance to such students and their children; (4) educate students, parents, and community members regarding the educational rights of such students; (5) train school personnel regarding the challenges facing pregnant and parenting students and their educational rights; (6) revise school policies and practices that hinder or discourage such students from continuing their education; (7) provide student parents with training and support in parenting, healthy relationship, and other life skills; and (8) provide educational and career mentoring services and peer groups to pregnant and parenting students. Gives subgrant priority to LEAs in geographic areas with teen birth rates that: (1) exceed the state average; or (2) are below the state average, but higher than the state average for one or more racial or ethnic groups. Directs the Secretary to conduct national activities that include: (1) providing technical assistance to states and reviewing their plans for educating pregnant and parenting students, (2) evaluating subgrantees' programs and education program service delivery models for such students, and (3) gathering and disseminating information regarding the education of such students and best practices in facilitating it.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2011
Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections for Separated Children Act or the HELP Separated Children Act - Sets forth: (1) apprehension procedures for immigration enforcement-related activities engaged in by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or by other entities under agreement with DHS, and (2) related protections for apprehended persons who belong to specified vulnerable population groups. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) authorize an alien who has been arrested or detained pending a removal determination to be represented by counsel (at no cost to the government), and (2) require that an alien who has been in such custody for more that 48 hours be brought for a custody determination not later than 72 hours after commencement of detention. Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require that state plans for foster care and adoption assistance include provisions regarding foster care children with a parent, legal guardian, or primary caregiver relative who is in immigration detainment or has been removed from the United States. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) mandate vulnerable population and child welfare training for immigration enforcement personnel, and (2) ensure that immigration detention facilities take steps to preserve family unity.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2011
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of the fourth annual National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day. Encourages: (1) primary care physicians and other clinicians nationwide to become actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services; and (2) individuals to get tested for HIV and educate themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2011
National Neurological Diseases Surveillance System 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: (1) enhance and expand infrastructure and activities to track the epidemiology of neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease; and (2) incorporate information obtained through such activities into a National Neurological Diseases Surveillance System. Requires the Secretary to ensure that the System is designed in a manner that facilitates further research on neurological diseases. Requires the Secretary to provide for the collection and storage of information on the incidence and prevalence of neurological diseases in the United States and other information on neurological diseases, such as demographics information, risk factors, or diagnosis and progression markers. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide for the collection and storage of information relevant to analysis on neurological diseases, such as information concerning the epidemiology, natural history, prevention, detection, management, and treatment of the diseases and the development of outcomes measures; and (2) address issues identified through consultations with individuals with appropriate expertise. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities to carry out activities under this Act. Requires the Secretary to: (1) make information and analysis in the System available to federal agencies and to the public, including researchers; and (2) ensure that privacy and security protections applicable to the System are at least as stringent as the protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2011
Applauds the U.N. General Assembly for uniting to honor Nelson Mandela's contribution to international peace and freedom. Recognizes the global impact of President Mandela's legacy and commitment to nonviolence, respect, and dialogue. Supports the international community's recognition of Nelson Mandela International Day. Urges all U.S. citizens to reflect on the importance of peace, tolerance, democracy, human rights, and reconciliation in honor of Nelson Mandela International Day.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2011
Shareholder Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require that any solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any security of an issuer: (1) describe the specific nature (to the extent known) and total amount of expenditures proposed for political activities for the forthcoming fiscal year but not yet authorized by a vote of the issuer's shareholders, and (2) provide for a separate shareholder vote to authorize such proposed expenditures. Prohibits an issuer from making an expenditure for political activities in any fiscal year unless: (1) such expenditure is of the nature of those proposed by the issuer according to the requirements of this Act; and (2) authorization for such expenditure has been granted by votes representing a majority of outstanding shares. Deems a violation of this requirement to be a breach of the fiduciary duty of the officers and directors who authorized such expenditure. Subjects officers and directors who authorize the expenditure without prior shareholder authorization to joint and several liability to any shareholder or class of shareholders for the amount of such expenditure. Requires certain institutional investment managers to disclose annually in mandatory reports how they voted (proxies) in certain shareholder votes. Prohibits any person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against an institutional investment manager, or any of its employees, officers, or directors, based solely upon the investment manager's decision to divest from, or not to invest in, securities of an issuer because of expenditures for political activities made by that issuer. Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to direct the national securities exchanges and national securities associations to prohibit the listing of any equity security of an issuer whose corporate bylaws do not expressly provide for a vote of the issuer's directors on any individual expenditure for political activities in excess of $50,000. Requires an issuer to make public, within 48 hours, the individual votes of the directors regarding any such expenditure. Directs the SEC to: (1) require issuers to disclose expenditures for political activities made during the preceding quarter and the individual votes by board members authorizing such expenditures; and (2) make such reports publicly available through the SEC website. Requires the SEC to make annual assessments of the compliance by public corporations and their management with the reporting and disclosure requirements of this Act, and the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate periodically the effectiveness of SEC oversight of these requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2011
Nursing Home Patient Protection and Standards Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require testing programs in skilled nursing facility (SNF) survey and certification techniques to be sufficiently rigorous to ensure that surveyors are adequately prepared to survey and certify SNFs in a consistent and accurate manner. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish requirements: (1) for the qualification and compensation of members of a survey team, and (2) that a state employs an adequate number of individuals as members of survey teams to ensure adequate oversight of SNFs. Requires the Secretary, in addition to the training and testing program, to require that state and federal surveyors regularly complete an adequate number of continuing education courses meeting certain requirements for content and rigor of material. Requires covered individuals to report to the Secretary instances where surveys fail to report or under report an issue in a facility that could impact the safety or quality of care of its residents. Adds whistleblower protections for such individuals. Adds penalties for inappropriately influencing a surveyor. Requires the Secretary to establish an advisory committee on surveys. Requires survey team supervisors to review each conducted survey to ensure that any identified issues affecting quality of care are consistently and appropriately described and rated.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2011
Lymphedema Diagnosis and Treatment Cost Savings Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend coverage to lymphedema diagnosis and treatment services. including lymphedema compression treatment items.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2011
Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) establish the National Pulmonary Fibrosis Advisory Board, (2) develop a system to collect data on pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung diseases, and (3) establish the National PF Registry. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in developing the Registry, to: (1) expand and coordinate existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure; and (2) provide for research access to pulmonary fibrosis data. Directs the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information are made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requires the Director of CDC to prepare the National Pulmonary Fibrosis Education and Awareness Plan, which shall: (1) focus on strategies to increase public education and awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, (2) address the need for new physician education strategies to improve diagnosis and treatment standards, and (3) assess and monitor the costs of pulmonary fibrosis and its burden on patients and families. Encourages the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to expand, intensify, and coordinate Institute pulmonary fibrosis research activities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2011
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit any person from knowingly attending an animal fighting venture or causing a minor (a person under the age of 18) to attend such a venture. Subjects any person who: (1) knowingly attends such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to a year for each violation, and (2) causes a minor to attend such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to three years for each violation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security's long-term outlook should happen in a bipartisan fashion and should ensure that Social Security remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Mark Twain. Limits issuance of such coins to calendar year 2016. Requires specified surcharges in the sale of such coins, which shall be promptly paid, in specified percentages, to: (1) the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, to support the continued restoration of the house and grounds, and ensure continuing growth and innovation in museum programming to research, promote, and educate on the legacy of Mark Twain; (2) the Mark Twain Project at the Bancroft Library of University of California, Berkeley, California, to support programs to study and promote Mark Twain's legacy; (3) the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, New York, for the same purposes; and (4) the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, to preserve historical sites related to Mark Twain and help support study and promotion programs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the Montford Point Marines, U.S. Marine Corps, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. (Camp Montford Point, North Carolina, was the site for the training of the first African-American Marines.) Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Expresses support for the designation of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Recognizes the importance of preventing childhood obesity and decreasing its prevalence in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Authorizes the American Legion under its federal charter to provide guidance and leadership to the individual Departments and Posts. Prohibits it from controlling or otherwise influencing the specific activities and conduct of independent, autonomous Departments and Posts.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of National HIV Testing Day, and (2) the implementation of the National AIDS Strategy with clear goals and objectives to reduce new HIV infections. Encourages: (1) state and local governments to encourage individuals to undergo counseling and testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and (2) the use of rapid test kits approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for HIV testing. Commends the President for emphasizing the importance of addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic among all Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 with respect to the exemption from minimum wage and maximum hour requirements of any employee employed on a casual basis in domestic service employment to provide companionship services for individuals who because of age or infirmity are unable to care for themselves. Extends the same exemption to a casual employee in domestic service employment to provide companionship services for disabled individuals unable to care for themselves. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a direct care workforce monitoring program. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require a state Medicaid plan to require the state to report annually to the Secretary on the adequacy of its direct care workforce to provide long-term care (LTC) services. Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require the National Health Care Workforce Commission, as a high priority, to review, analyze, and report annually to Congress and the Health Resources and Services Administration on the current and projected direct care workforce supply and demand. Directs the Secretary to award grants to states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to develop data collection and monitoring systems to assess the adequacy of a state's or tribe's direct care workforce to meet current and future demand for LTC services. Directs the Secretary to award competitive three-year grants to states and other eligible entities to improve the recruitment, retention, and education of direct care workers.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Women and Workforce Investment for Nontraditional Jobs or Women WIN Jobs - Requires the Secretary of Labor, in any fiscal year in which the total authorization of appropriations to carry out this Act exceeds $50 million, to allocate grants to states with approved state plans to provide funding to eligible entities (partnerships) to increase low-income women's participation in high-wage, high-demand occupations in which women make up less than 25% of the current workforce. Authorizes states to use grants for statewide activities, including to: (1) provide technical assistance to eligible entities and to state registered apprenticeship programs and sponsors and joint apprenticeship training councils in meeting their enrollment goal for low-income women in nontraditional occupations, (2) develop policies and protocols that set goals for hiring specific percentages of women into registered apprenticeships and permanent employment openings in publicly assisted projects, and (3) engage in outreach activities and provide training to overcome stereotypes about women in nontraditional occupations as well as gender inequity among employers. Authorizes the allocation of grant funds to eligible entities to support the recruitment, training, placement, and retention of low-income women in nontraditional occupations. Directs the Secretary to convene a national commission to examine and make recommendations for improving the status of women in high-demand, high-wage nontraditional occupations. Directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to collect data on the status of women's participation in underrepresented sectors of the economy, and examine the status of women in relation to that of men. Directs the Secretary to establish a national clearinghouse to collect and distribute best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to list permissible sources of dogs and cats used by research facilities to include dogs and cats obtained: (1) from a licensed dealer, (2) from a publicly owned and operated pound or shelter that meets specified requirements, (3) by donation from a person who bred and raised the dog or cat or owned it for not less than one year, or (4) from a research facility licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Sets forth additional monetary penalties for related violations. Prohibits federal facilities from purchasing or otherwise acquiring dogs or cats for exhibition purposes (currently, for research, experimentation, or exhibition purposes) except from: (1) the operator of an auction that comports with legal requirements, or (2) a person holding a valid dealer or exhibitor license. Prohibits dealers from selling or otherwise providing any research facility (currently, any individual or entity) with random source dogs or cats unless specified certification requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services. Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner, (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law, (3) a certified nurse-midwife, or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Children's Act for Responsible Employment of 2011 or the CARE Act of 2011 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to define "oppressive child labor," for purposes of the Act's child labor prohibitions, as the employment of any employee who is: (1) 16 or 17 in any occupation found by the Secretary of Labor to be particularly hazardous for their employment or detrimental to their health or well-being; (2) 14 or 15, unless the employment is confined to periods which do not interfere with the employee's schooling, health, or well-being; or (3) under 14. Revises the Act's exemptions to make the restrictions on oppressive child labor inapplicable to the following: (1) employment in agriculture of an employee under 18 years of age by his or her parent, or by a person standing in the place of the parent, on a farm owned by the parent or person (current law uses an age- and consent-based scheme); and (2) employment of an employee under age 16 by a parent, or a person standing in place of a parent, other than in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, or any other employment the Secretary finds to be particularly hazardous for the employment of children age 16 or 17 or detrimental to their health or well-being (current law applies the child labor restrictions to particularly hazardous agricultural employment, except where the child is employed by a parent or a person standing in place of the parent on a farm owned or operated by such person). Eliminates any waiver of such prohibitions for hand-harvesting of certain crops. Increases civil and establishes criminal penalties for child labor violations. Directs the Secretary to revise federal child labor regulations to prohibit the employment of children under 18 in duties involving the handling of pesticides.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Child Trafficking Victims Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to require live training of all DHS personnel who come into contact with unaccompanied alien children. Sets forth related protections for such children regarding: (1) prompt placement with the Office of Refugee Resettlement, (2) qualified resources at appropriate ports of entry, (3) confidentiality, and (4) access to counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2011
Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution - Calls upon the President to: (1) ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide; and (2) accurately characterize in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide and to recall the proud history of U.S. intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2011
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14901 Adelfa Drive in La Mirada, California, as the "Wayne Grisham Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
Lions Clubs International Century of Service Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue as legal tender $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Lions Clubs International. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the centennial. Permits the Secretary to issue such coins only during calendar 2017. Requires sales of the coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, to be paid by the Secretary to the Lions Clubs International Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services for the 21st Century or the MOMS for the 21st Century Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Office on Women's Health to: (1) establish the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Promotion of Optimal Maternity Outcomes, and (2) develop and implement a consumer education campaign to promote understanding and acceptance of evidence-based maternity practices and models of care for optimal maternity outcomes among women of childbearing ages and families of such women. Requires the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to make publicly available and update an online bibliographic database identifying systematic reviews, including an explanation of the level and quality of evidence, for care of childbearing women and newborns. Requires the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration to: (1) designate maternity care health professional shortage areas under the National Health Service Corps program, (2) establish a loan repayment program to alleviate critical shortages of maternal care professionals, and (3) award planning and implementation grants to address workforce disparities for such professionals. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support the establishment of two additional Centers for Excellence on Optimal Maternity Outcomes to conduct research to improve maternity outcomes. Requires the Secretary to convene a Maternity Curriculum Commission to discuss and make recommendations for: (1) a shared core maternity care curriculum that takes into account the core competencies for basic midwifery practice and the educational objectives in obstetrics and gynecology, (2) strategies to integrate and coordinate education across maternity care disciplines, and (3) pilot demonstrations of interdisciplinary educational models. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover services provided by a supervised student midwife or an intern or resident-in-training under a teaching program under certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
Medicare Hearing Health Care Enhancement Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the definition of Medicare-covered audiology (hearing and balance assessment) services provided by a qualified and legally authorized audiologist to stipulate that such services are covered without regard to any requirement that: (1) the individual receiving them be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care practitioner, or (2) such services are provided under the supervision of a physician or other health practitioner. Includes audiology services as medical services, as so redefined, under Medicare part B.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011
Nationally Enhancing the Wellbeing of Babies through Outreach and Research Now Act or the NEWBORN Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award five-year grants to eligible entities to create, implement, and oversee infant mortality pilot programs. Defines "eligible entity" to mean a county, city, territorial, or tribal health department that has submitted a proposal to the Secretary that the Secretary deems likely to reduce infant mortality rates within the standard metropolitan statistical area involved. Requires the Secretary to give preference to eligible entities proposing to serve any of the 15 counties or groups of counties with the highest rates of infant mortality in the United States in the past three years. Sets forth uses of grant funds, which may include: (1) developing a plan that identifies the individual needs of each community to be served and strategies to address those needs; (2) providing outreach to at-risk mothers; (3) developing and implementing standardized systems for improved access, utilization, and quality of social, educational, and clinical services to promote healthy pregnancies, full-term births, and healthy infancies delivered to women and their infants; (4) establishing a rural outreach program to provide care to at-risk mothers in rural areas; (5) establishing a regional public education campaign; and (6) coordinating efforts between health departments to be served through the infant mortality program and existing entities that work to reduce the rate of infant mortality within an area.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2011
Tax Parity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from an employee's gross income employer-provided accident and health plan benefits extended to a domestic partner or non-dependent, non-spouse beneficiary eligible to receive such benefits under an employer plan (i.e., "eligible beneficiary"); (2) exempt such benefits paid to eligible beneficiaries from otherwise applicable employment and unemployment taxes; (3) allow self-employed individuals a tax deduction for the health insurance costs of their eligible beneficiaries; (4) allow tax-exempt voluntary employees' beneficiary associations to provide sick and accident benefits to the domestic partners and non-dependent, non-spouse beneficiaries of their members; (5) allow reimbursement of the medical expenses of an eligible beneficiary from a health savings account (HSA); and (6) extend tax-exempt medical benefits to the eligible beneficiaries of retired employees Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to provide guidance relating to reimbursements from a flexible spending arrangement and a health reimbursement arrangement attributable to an eligible beneficiary as defined by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and reauthorize through FY 2014: (1) the surveillance and research program for autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities; (2) the education, early detection, and intervention program for autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities; and (3) the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Transportation Opportunity and Accountability Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to ensure administrative compliance with title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination by recipients of federal transportation funding. Allows a person aggrieved by violation of such nondiscrimination regulations to bring a civil action in federal or state court for equitable or legal relief, including reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees, and costs. Directs the Secretary to carry out research and demonstration activities relating to the impact of transportation planning, investment, and operations on low-income and minority populations, including populations that are transit dependent. Directs the Secretary to assess the extent to which nondiscrimination and equal opportunity exist in the United States in the construction and operation of federally-funded transportation projects.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to establish and implement a birth defects prevention and public awareness program, which includes: (1) a nationwide media campaign to increase awareness among health care providers and at-risk populations about pregnancy and breastfeeding information services; (2) grants for the provision of, or campaigns to increase awareness about, pregnancy and breastfeeding information services; and (3) grants for the conduct or support of surveillance of or research on maternal exposures and maternal health conditions that may influence the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and maternal exposures that may influence health risks to a breastfed infant, or of networking to facilitate such surveillance or research.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2011
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 281 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, as the "First Lieutenant Oliver Goodall Post Office Building."
![Official portrait of Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000486_200.jpg)