United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2011
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Expansion Act of 2011 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Revises the formula for making Tier-1 credits in an applicant's EUCA for a benefit year. Increases the figures in the formula (the lesser of which shall be the amount credited): (1) from 80% to 131% of the total amount of regular compensation (including dependents' allowances) payable to the individual during the benefit year, and (2) from 20 to 34 times the individual's average weekly benefit amount for the benefit year. Authorizes a state to elect to pay Tier-2, Tier-3, or Tier-4 extended unemployment compensation (EUC), or a combination of them, before payment of an increased Tier-1 EUC until the state determines that such increased Tier-1 EUC may be paid without undue delay. Authorizes a state to pay extended compensation to an otherwise eligible individual before any additional EUC is paid under this Act, if the individual claimed extended compensation for at least one week of unemployment after the initial exhaustion of EUC. Extends the program until September 22, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2011
Jane's Law - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or a prison term of up to two years on any person who travels in interstate or foreign commerce to evade compliance with a court-ordered property distribution in a divorce proceeding involving more than $5,000. Requires payment of restitution equal to the total unpaid property distribution from any person convicted of evading payment.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2011
Clean Ports Act of 2011 - Declares that federal preemption of state and local law relating to a price, route, or service of any motor carrier of property shall not apply to the authority of a state, local government, or the political authority of two or more states to adopt requirements for motor carriers providing services at port facilities that are reasonably related to the reduction of environmental pollution, traffic congestion, the improvement of highway safety, or the efficient utilization of such port facilities, provided adoption or enforcement of such requirements does not conflict with federal law. Declares that nothing in this Act shall limit the rights reserved to any state or political subdivision of such state under the Clean Air Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2011
Preserving Our Promise to Seniors Act - Directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the Department of Labor to prepare and publish for each calendar month a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPIEC) that indicates changes over time in consumption expenditures typical for individuals in the United States 62 years of age or older. Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to tie the CPIEC to computation of cost-of-lving increases in OASDI benefits. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to disburse a cash payment of $250 (adjusted for inflation) for each non-COLA year to certain recipients of OASDI benefits, railroad retirement benefits, veterans disability compensation or pension benefits, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits under SSA title XVI. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe special rules for the determination of wages and self-employment income above the contribution and benefit base after 2011. Amends SSA title II to include surplus average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) in the determination of primary OASDI amounts. Develops points of order in the House of Representatives and the Senate with respect to consideration of any legislation whose effect would be a program: (1) reducing OASDI benefits in connection with contributions to individual beneficiary accounts in the private sector; or (2) providing for investment of amounts in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund in any investment vehicle other than interest-bearing U.S. obligations or U.S.-guaranteed obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2011
Honor and Remember Flag Recognition Act - Designates the Honor and Remember Flag, created by Honor and Remember, Inc., as the official symbol of our country's concern and commitment to honoring and remembering all members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives in the line of duty. Provides days of the year, and memorials and other locations, on or at which the Flag shall be displayed.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011 - Amends the Hoover Power Plant Act of 1984 (HPPA) to modify, commencing October 1, 2017, certain statutory schedules governing contracts for delivery to specified localities in Arizona, California, and Nevada of hydroelectric power generated at Hoover Dam. Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) create, from certain apportioned allocations of contingent capacity and firm energy, a resource pool equal to 5% of the full rated capacity of 2.074 million kilowatts and associated firm energy; (2) offer Schedule D contingency capacity and firm energy to new allottees not receiving contingent capacity and firm energy for delivery commencing October 1, 2017; and (3) allocate through the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) for delivery, commencing October 1, 2017, 66.7% of Schedule D contingent capacity and firm energy to specified new allottees located within the marketing area for the Boulder City Area Projects. Requires each contract offered under HPPA to: (1) authorize and require WAPA to collect from new allottees a pro rata share of Hoover Dam repayable advances paid for by contractors before October 1, 2017, and to remit such amounts to the contractors that paid such advances in proportion to the amounts paid by them as specified in a certain Implementation Agreement; (2) permit transactions with an independent system operator; and (3) contain the same material terms included in those long-term contracts for purchases from the Hoover Power Plant that were made in accordance with HPPA and are in existence on the date of enactment of this Act. Subjects the contractual obligation of the Secretary to deliver contingent capacity and firm energy under HPPA to the availability of the water needed to produce such contingent capacity and firm energy. Continues through FY2067 the requirements of HPPA as the exclusive method for (in effect, congressional oversight of) the disposal of capacity and energy from Hoover Dam.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
High School Athletics Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct coeducational elementary and secondary schools that participate in any ESEA program to: (1) report annually certain information on equality in their school athletic programs to the Commissioner for Educational Statistics; and (2) make such information available, upon request, to their students, potential students, and the public. Directs the Commissioner to ensure that such data are posted on the Department of Education's Web site within a reasonable period of time.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Expresses support for the goals of Catholic Schools Week, an event cosponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and established to recognize the vital contributions of the thousands of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in this country.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2011
Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit: (1) the transfer or possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, except for its lawful possession within the United States on or before the date of this Act's enactment; and (2) the importation or bringing into the United States of such a device. Sets forth exceptions to such ban. Sets penalties for violations. Requires a large capacity ammunition feeding device manufactured after this Act's enactment to be identified by a serial number that clearly shows that the device was manufactured after enactment and such other identification as the Attorney General may prescribe.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2011
Veterans, Women, Families with Children, and Persons With Disabilities Housing Fairness Act of 2011 - Instructs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to conduct a nationwide testing program to: (1) detect and document differences in the treatment of persons seeking to rent or purchase housing or obtain or refinance a home mortgage loan; (2) measure patterns of adverse treatment because of the race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability status, or national origin of a renter, home buyer, or borrower; and (3) measure the prevalence of such discriminatory practices across housing and mortgage lending markets. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 to require that only qualified private nonprofit fair housing enforcement organizations receive funds under the fair housing initiatives program for investigations of violations of the rights granted under the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Requires the design of the national education and outreach program to provide for the development and dissemination of websites and other media outlets among its fair housing media products. Requires private entities that formulate or carry out programs to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices to be nonprofit in order to be eligible for contracts to establish or support education and outreach programs and to support community-based education and outreach activities. Requires the Secretary to establish minimum standards for the training of testers of organizations funded with any amounts made available under this Act. Directs the Secretary to implement a competitive matching grant program to assist public and private nonprofit organizations in: (1) conducting comprehensive studies of the causes and effects of housing discrimination and segregation on education, poverty, and economic development or on veterans and military personnel; and (2) implementing pilot projects that test solutions to help prevent or alleviate housing discrimination and segregation.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2011
Fire Sale Loophole Closing Act - Amends the federal criminal code to make it unlawful for: (1) anyone whose federal license to import, manufacture, or deal in firearms has been revoked, or whose license renewal application has been denied, to transfer business inventory firearms into a personal collection or to an employee of such person or to receive a firearm that was a business inventory firearm as of the date of a revocation or renewal denial notice; and (2) anyone who has received a license revocation or renewal denial notice to transfer to any other person a firearm that was a business inventory firearm. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of not more than one year (five years for willful violations) for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2011
Honors: (1) those who lost their lives due to the tragic earthquake of January 12, 2010; and (2) the sacrifice of the men and women of the government of Haiti, the U.S. government, the United Nations (U.N.), and the international community for their response to the calamity. Expresses solidarity with the people of Haiti as they work to rebuild their neighborhoods, livelihoods, and country. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to support long-term Haitian reconstruction. Supports the Administration's efforts to prevent the spread of cholera, treat persons who contract the disease, provide technical assistance to the Haitian Ministry of Public Health, and improve water, sanitation, and health systems. Urges the President and the international community to: (1) focus assistance on the government of Haiti's priorities, (2) develop and improve communications and participatory mechanisms to more substantially involve Haitian civil society at all stages of the cholera and post-earthquake responses, and (3) give priority to programs that protect vulnerable populations. Urges the President to: (1) make necessary resources available to U.S. and U.N. agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private volunteer organizations, and regional institutions; (2) assess the long-term needs for confronting the cholera epidemic in Haiti; and (3) lead humanitarian and development efforts with the government of Haiti, the Haitian Diaspora, and international actors who share in the goal of a better future for Haiti.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2011
Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2011 - Deems certain service performed before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts as active military service for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in determining eligibility under this Act, to take into account any relevant service documentation, including documentation other than the Missouri List (the list of all discharged and deceased veterans from the 20th century).
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2011
Simplifying The Ambiguous Law, Keeping Everyone Reliably Safe Act of 2011 or the STALKERS Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to revise the definition of stalking and impose criminal penalties on anyone who, with intent to kill, physically injure, harass, or intimidate a person or to place a person under surveillance with the intent to kill, physically injure, harass, or intimidate such person, travels in interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or enters or leaves Indian country and: (1) causes or attempts to cause bodily injury or serious emotional distress to another person; or (2) engages in conduct that would be reasonably expected to cause serious emotional distress to another person. Imposes the same criminal penalties on anyone who, with intent to kill, physically injure, harass, or intimidate a person, engages in a course of conduct in or substantially affecting interstate or foreign commerce that: (1) causes or attempts to cause bodily injury or serious emotional distress to another person; or (2) occurs in circumstances where the conduct would be reasonably expected to cause another person serious emotional distress. Increases penalties for stalking offenses if: (1) the offense involves conduct in violation of a protection order; or (2) the victim of the offense is under the age of 18 or over the age of 65. Requires the annual report of the Attorney General to include an evaluation of efforts to enforce laws relating to stalking and to identify and describe elements of such efforts that constitute the best practices for the enforcement of such laws. Provides for compliance of the budgetary effects of this Act with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that the current federal income tax deduction for mortgage interest paid on a first or second home should not be further restricted.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Public Option Deficit Reduction Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to offer through Exchanges a health benefits plan (public health insurance option) that ensures choice, competition, and stability of affordable, high-quality coverage throughout the United States. Declares that the Secretary's primary responsibility is to create a low-cost plan without compromising quality or access to care. Sets forth provisions related to the establishment and governance of the public health insurance option, including that such plan: (1) may be made available only through Exchanges; (2) must comply with requirements applicable to other health benefits plans offered through such Exchanges, including requirements related to benefits, benefit levels, provider networks, notices, consumer protections, and cost sharing; and (3) must offer bronze, silver, and gold plan levels. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish an office of the ombudsman for the public health insurance option; (2) collect such data as may be required to establish premiums and payment rates; (3) establish geographically adjusted premiums at a level sufficient to fully finance the costs of the health benefits provided and administrative costs related to the operation of the plan; and (4) establish payment rates and provide for greater payment rates for the first three years. Requires repayment of start-up costs for the public health insurance option. Authorizes the Secretary to utilize innovative payment mechanisms and policies to determine payments for items and services under the public health insurance option.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act - Declares that it is U.S. policy to protect and preserve living and other resources of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (Farallones NMS) and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Cordell Bank NMS) marine environments. Makes certain adjustments to expand the boundaries of the Farallones NMS and the Cordell NMS. Prohibits the issuance of a lease or permit authorizing mineral or hydrocarbon exploration, development, production, or transportation by pipeline within the boundaries of the sanctuaries, as modified by this Act. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to complete: (1) a draft supplemental management plan for each of the sanctuaries that focuses on management in the areas added by this Act; and (2) a revised management plan for each of the sanctuaries. Directs the Secretary to carry out an assessment of necessary revisions to the regulations for the sanctuaries, including considering regulations regarding the deposit or release of introduced species and the alteration of stream and river drainage into the sanctuaries.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act - Designates specified lands within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Act of 2011 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group or individual health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection, insofar as the attending physician, in consultation with the patient, determines such stay to be medically necessary; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act; and (2) ensure that coverage is provided for secondary consultations. Prohibits a health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Allows a health insurance issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage to nonrenew or discontinue an individual's coverage based on the intentional concealment of material facts regarding a health condition related to the condition for which coverage is being claimed.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2011 - Establishes in the Treasury the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund for payments by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) of a monthly benefit of $1,000 to each individual who, between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, was a documented member of the U.S. merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crewmember of a vessel that was operated in U.S. waters by the War Shipping Administration or the Office of Defense Transportation and under contract to, or the property of, the United States. Requires such individuals to: (1) apply for such benefit within one year after the enactment of this Act; and (2) not have received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. Requires the Secretary to include, in annual budget documents submitted to Congress, detailed information on the Fund's operation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Lumbee Recognition Act - Extends federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, which makes its members eligible for the services and benefits provided to Indians because of their status as members of a federally recognized tribe. Deems members of the Tribe residing in Robeson, Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland Counties in North Carolina to be within the delivery area for such services. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for the Tribe. Prohibits the Tribe from conducting gaming activities. Requires North Carolina to exercise jurisdiction over all criminal offenses committed, and all civil actions that arise, on North Carolina lands owned by, or held in trust for, the Lumbee Tribe or any dependent Indian community of the Tribe.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act of 2011 - Amends the Omnnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) allow the use of juvenile accountability block grants for bullying prevention and intervention programs; (2) require the Attorney General to establish voluntary guidelines for use by states and local governments in developing such programs; and (3) authorize appropriations for FY2012-FY2016 for the juvenile accountability block grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Redesignates: (1) the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps; and (2) the Secretary of the Navy as the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps. Makes similar redesignations with respect to the Department Under Secretary, the Department Assistant Secretaries, and the General Counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the full realization of the rights of women is vital to the development and well-being of people of all nations; and (2) the Senate should, therefore, give its advice and consent to the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2010
National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half dollar coins in recognition of the National Baseball Hall of Fame during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2015. Directs the Secretary to hold a competition to design the obverse of the coins. Requires the design on the reverse side to depict a baseball similar to those used by Major League Baseball. Requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the National Baseball Hall of Fame to help finance its operations. Requires the budgetary effects of this Act to be determined by reference to the latest statement titled "Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation" for this Act, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2010
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 - Provides for repeal of the current Department of Defense (DOD) policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces, to be effective 60 days after the Secretary of Defense has received DOD's comprehensive review on the implementation of such repeal, and the President, Secretary, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) certify to the congressional defense committees that they have considered the report and proposed plan of action, that DOD has prepared the necessary policies and regulations to exercise the discretion provided by such repeal, and that implementation of such policies and regulations is consistent with the standards of military readiness and effectiveness, unit cohesion, and military recruiting and retention. Provides that, until such time as the above conditions are met, the current policy shall remain in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2010
Recognizes the 22nd anniversary of observing World AIDS Day. Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of World AIDS Day; (2) continued funding for prevention, care, treatment services, and research programs for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the United States and for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; (3) implementation of a national AIDS strategy; (4) the goals of providing universal access to comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care, and support programs and protecting human rights for all people, including vulnerable and marginalized populations; and (5) efforts to address the factors that make populations vulnerable to HIV/AIDS by decreasing poverty and hunger, expanding educational opportunities for children, and empowering women. Commends: (1) the President and state and local governments for recognizing World AIDS Day and for encouraging individuals to undergo HIV testing; (2) media organizations for carrying messages in support of World AIDS Day; and (3) the work of AIDS service organizations and community and faith based organizations that are providing treatment, care, and support services to people living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2010
Partnering to Improve Maternity Care Quality Act of 2010 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a maternity care quality measurement program for care provided to childbearing women and newborns for use by: (1) a state in administering a state Medicaid plan or a state child health plan under SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP); (2) health insurance issuers and managed care entities contracting with states to administer such plans; and (3) providers of items and services. Directs the Secretary to identify and publish an initial core set of maternity care quality measures for use in data collection and reporting by such entities. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to enter into grants, contracts, or intergovernmental agreements with qualified measure development entities for the purpose of developing, testing, and validating maternity care quality measures, including eMeasures (for which measurement data will be collected electronically), in areas not adequately covered by the measures identified. Directs the AHRQ, in order to measure the care experiences of childbearing women and newborns, to adapt the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems program surveys of providers, facilities, and health plans. Directs the Secretary to encourage voluntary and standardized reporting on their performance by clinicians, facilities, accountable care organizations, and health plans. Requires report data to be made available to: (1) patients to use in maternity care decision making; and (2) policymakers and purchasers to assess the quality of maternity care services under Medicaid and CHIP. Prescribes requirements for conversion of endorsed measures for the care of childbearing women and newborns to eMeasures. Directs the Secretary to establish a demonstration project to evaluate the use of alternative Medicaid payment methods. Directs the Secretary to seek to enter an agreement with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies to identify essential services for childbearing women and newborns.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 337 West Clark Street in Eureka, California, as the "Sam Sacco Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants Access Act of 2009 [ sic ] - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the state option to include nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and physician assistants as primary care case managers. Specifies as primary care case managers any nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant that provides primary care case management services under a primary care case management contract. Revises the coverage of certain nurse practitioner services under the Medicaid fee-for-service program to remove the specification of certified pediatric nurse practitioner and certified family nurse practitioner in order to extend such coverage to services furnished by a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist. Includes nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, and certified registered nurse anesthetists in the mix of service providers which Medicaid managed care organizations are required to maintain.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Maternity Care Improvement Act of 2010 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish and maintain a national registry of maternal and infant health information; (2) expand, enhance, and ensure the coordination of programs of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) relating to the reporting and collection of information on maternal and infant health; (3) award grants to vital records jurisdictions for the development and implementation of electronic birth and death systems to collect 2003 standard certificate data and for the training of individuals responsible for completing birth and death certificates; (4) enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to conduct an in-depth analysis of federal, state, and local programs that mitigate maternal mortality and morbidity; and (5) conduct or support research on the comparative effectiveness of clinical practices related to childbirth. Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out services and programs for maternal and infant health education and training equivalent to PHSA services and programs of education and training relating to geriatrics; and (2) award grants to eligible entities to develop and implement, in coordination with such programs, initiatives to train and educate individuals in providing evidence-based maternal and infant health care. Requires the Secretary to: (1) seek to enter into an arrangement with the Institute of Medicine to prepare a report on the creation of a uniform maternity care core curriculum to foster a shared knowledge base among maternity care professionals; (2) make grants to eligible entities or consortia to carry out demonstration projects in academic educational programs to develop, implement, and evaluate such curriculum and interdisciplinary team teaching and learning in maternity care education; and (3) allocate amounts for activities relating to maternity care workforce development. Requires the National Health Care Workforce Commission to conduct an assessment of current and projected workforce needs for achieving the optimal delivery of maternity care services. Amends the PHSA to require each center for research and demonstration of health promotion and disease prevention to conduct community-based participatory research on maternal and infant health. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to eligible entities or consortia to carry out demonstration projects to increase recruitment of underrepresented minorities into the maternity care professions. Directs the Secretary to designate an official within the Office of the Secretary to coordinate HHS programs and activities relating to maternal health.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Nursing Home Patient Protection and Standards Act - 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 · 29 September 2010
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act or the STOP Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise and expand the program to reduce underage drinking by: (1) expressing the sense of Congress that the age-21 minimum drinking law has been an effective public health and safety policy and has reduced drinking and driving traffic fatalities; (2) expanding the national media campaign to prevent underage drinking; (3) authorizing the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in coordination with the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, to make supplemental grants to eligible entities to enhance collaboration between communities and institutions of higher education to prevent and reduce underage alcohol use; (4) requiring the Administrator to make grants to professional pediatric provider organizations to increase effective practices, including the screening of children and adolescents for alcohol use, to reduce the prevalence of alcohol use among individuals under the age of 21, including college students; (5) expanding data collection and research activites with respect to underage drinking; and (6) requiring the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a review of the research on the influence of drinking alcohol on adolescent brain development and the public policy implications of such research.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Fit for LIFE Act of 2010 or the Fit for Local Investments in the Future of Every Child Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the offering of fruits and vegetables in communities through convenience stores, virtual farmers markets, community gardens, and supermarkets. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to expand reimbursements for programs providing care to at-risk school children, provide free fresh fruits and vegetables in secondary schools and child care centers, and initiate and maintain summer food service programs for children. Amends the Child Nutrition Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to expand free breakfast programs in schools with a higher number of low-income children. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish programs to reduce and prevent obesity in children. Expands coverage of obesity treatment and prevention programs and services in federal programs. Establishes the National Commission on Child Obesity. Sets forth grant programs to increase physical activities in low-income communities and prevent childhood obesity.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Recognizes and expresses support for the efforts of the USA Bid Committee to bring the 2018 or 2022 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World CupTM competition to the United States. Encourages the President and appropriate federal agencies to support the Committee's efforts. Welcomes a request by the President to provide authorizations and appropriations necessary to fulfill guarantees or other obligations in support of the 2018 or 2022 competition, if the United States is selected.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2010
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 867 Stockton Street in San Francisco, California, as the "Tom Kongsgaard Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2010
Housing Opportunity and Mortgage Equity Act of 2010 - Directs the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (government-sponsored enterprises or GSEs) each to carry out a one-year program providing for the refinancing of qualified single-family housing mortgages it owns through a refinancing mortgage (and for the purchase of and securitization of such refinancing mortgages) in accordance with this Act and the policies and procedures of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Defines a qualified mortgage as one, regardless of whether the mortgagor is current on payments due or in default, that: (1) is an existing first mortgage for purchase of, or refinancing another first mortgage on, a one- to four-family dwelling, including a condominium or a share in a cooperative ownership housing association, that is occupied by the mortgagor as principal residence; (2) is owned or guaranteed by the particular GSE; and (3) was originated on or before enactment of this Act. Specifies the terms and conditions of a refinancing mortgage, including a 40-year term to maturity and a prohibition on borrower fees. Requires waiver or forgiveness of all fees and penalties related to any default or delinquency on the original mortgage. Requires a GSE to pay a fee of up to $1,000 to the servicer of a qualified mortgage refinance. Prohibits any requirement of a property appraisal.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2010
Honors Latinos for their continued service in the U.S. Armed Forces. Recognizes past service of Latinos who have sacrificed their lives to defend freedom and democracy. Commends leading Latino members of the Armed Forces for their long-time commitment to securing and defending the United States. Recognizes the significant role of Latino members of the Armed Forces to the success of ongoing military operations. Urges the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to support and encourage Latino members of the Armed Forces and promote leadership amongst them.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2010
Supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Recognizes Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day) as an awareness-raising day to reach members of the health care community and educate them about the critical importance of assessing for domestic violence, as well as the long-term health implications of domestic violence and lifetime exposure to violence. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should: (1) continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating effects on families and communities; and (2) support programs designed to end domestic violence.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2010
Fair Playing Field Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the classification of workers for employment tax purposes, to: (1) repeal the prohibition against issuance of regulations and guidance by the Secretary of the Treasury on workers' employment tax status (i.e., as an employee or as an independent contractor) enacted by the Revenue Act of 1978; (2) direct the Secretary to issue regulations and other guidance to clarify the proper employment status of workers for employment tax purposes; (3) prohibit a retroactive assessment of employment tax, except with respect to certain skilled workers, for tax periods after December 31, 1978, and before a specified reclassification date for worker misclassifications, unless the taxpayer had no reasonable basis for not treating a worker as an employee; (4) require taxpayers who hire independent contractors on a regular and ongoing basis to provide such contractors with notice of their federal tax obligations, the labor and employment law protections that do not apply to them, and their right to seek a status determination from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); and (5) eliminate reduced penalty provisions for failure to withhold income taxes for taxpayers who lack a reasonable basis for treating a worker as other than an employee (i.e., as an independent contractor).
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Dr. Balazs "Ernie" Bodai in recognition of his many outstanding contributions to the nation, including a tireless commitment to breast cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Neglected Infections of Impoverished Americans Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to report to Congress on the epidemiology of, impact of, and appropriate funding required to address neglected diseases of poverty, including neglected parasitic diseases such as Chagas disease, cysticercosis, toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, trichomoniasis, the soil-transmitted helminths, and other related diseases. Requires the report to provide the information necessary to guide future health policy to: (1) accurately evaluate the current state of knowledge concerning such diseases and define gaps in such knowledge; and (2) address the threat of such diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Recognizes the service of the medical and air crews in helping our wounded warriors make the trip home. Commends the personnel of the Air Force for their commitment to the well-being of all our service men and women.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Joins the people of Mexico in celebrating the bicentennial anniversary of Mexican independence and the centennial anniversary of the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. Recognizes the contributions that Mexican-Americans have made to life in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Supreme Court tradition of openness as symbolized by its open front doors should be honored and continued to be upheld; (2) even in the face of threats from enemies, it is of critical and symbolic importance that the United States demonstrates to the world that its most sacred institutions will continue to be open for business to all who seek justice; and (3) the Supreme Court should act with great dispatch to take every step to open its main doors as a public entrance.
![Official portrait of Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000486_200.jpg)