United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2012
Diabetes Prevention Act of 2012 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make payments from the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund to qualified third-party intermediaries for diabetes prevention services furnished to prediabetic Medicare beneficiaries by eligible entities in local communities that are networked and managed by such third-party intermediaries.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2012
Medicare DMEPOS Market Pricing Program Act of 2012 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a market pricing program for durable medical equipment (DME), prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) as a replacement for the competitive acquisition program for DMEPOS, which is hereby terminated. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct annual market-priced auctions from among entities supplying market priced items and services in an eligible market area selected in the auction design, (2) establish a lead product for each of specified product categories, and (3) award a contract to any entity in an eligible market area in which an auction is conducted whose bid is below a clearing price equal to the highest cost bid that will meet capacity targets in the market area. Requires the Secretary to contract with an auction expert to assist in, and a market monitor to monitor, the design, development, and functioning of the auction. Adjusts the covered DME item update for 2012 through 2014 and each subsequent year.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction and Graduate Medical Education Accountability and Transparency Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to distribution of additional resident positions as they affect calculation of payments for direct graduate medical education (DME) costs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for each of FY2013-FY2017 (and each succeeding fiscal year if additional residency positions are available to distribute), to increase the otherwise applicable resident limit for each qualifying hospital. Directs the Secretary to determine the total number of additional residency positions available for distribution, in accordance with guidelines for allocating 33% to hospitals already operating over the resident limit, and generally setting the aggregate number of increases in the resident limit to 3,000 in each year. Specifies the process for distributing positions. Directs the Secretary to establish and implement procedures under which the amount of payments that a hospital would otherwise receive for indirect medical education (IME) costs for discharges occurring during a fiscal year is adjusted based on the reporting of measures and the performance of the hospital on measures of patient care priorities specified by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress and the National Health Care Workforce Commission on the graduate medical education (GME) payments, including both direct GME payments and IME payments, that hospitals receive under the Medicare program. Directs the Comptroller General to study: (1) the physician workforce, and (2) strategies for increasing the diversity of the health profession workforce.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Calls on all parties in the conflict in Syria to respect the human rights and religious freedom of Syrian citizens. Calls: (1) Secretary of State to predicate future discussions with all Syrian groups on their obligation to respect the rights of all Syrians, and (2) for future aid to Syria to be preconditioned on the Syrian government's protection of religious minorities and human rights. Calls on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to monitor the situation in Syria and offer policy recommendations on how to ensure the protection of religious freedom and human rights for all Syrians.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2012
Reaffirms the important role of frontline health workers in saving lives and fostering a healthier and more secure world. Commends the progress made by the United States in helping to build local capacity and to save lives in the world's most vulnerable communities by training and supporting frontline health care workers. Calls on all relevant federal agencies to develop a comprehensive health workforce strengthening strategy for increasing access to qualified health workers in developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2012
Recognizes, in light of the upheaval brought by the Arab Spring, that religious freedom is critical to democratization, so that: (1) all people can freely associate, speak, and peacefully participate equally in the political process; and (2) religious minorities are protected during the time of transition in the region. Calls upon the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to press all member nations to protect the rights of religious minorities within their borders and to treat such minorities as equal citizens. Calls for the prosecution of any crimes against such minorities. Urges the U.S. government to lead an international effort to support legal and political reforms for the equal protection of religious freedom as a foundation for a stable, peaceful, and lasting democracy in the region by: (1) making legal protection for the freedom of religion and for all who peacefully practice their faith a top priority in all meetings with senior foreign officials; (2) supporting and directing U.S. officials with international programs in the Middle East to work with officials, civil society actors, and ethno-religious communities to educate all sectors of society that religious freedom provides a foundation for democratic freedoms; (3) supporting Internet freedom throughout the region to provide access to information and the free exchange of ideas; and (4) encouraging the protection of places of worship and historic religious and cultural sites against terrorist attacks. Encourages the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and the newly elected Egyptian President to ensure that the constituent assembly will draft a new constitution representing all parts of Egyptian society, including religious minorities. Calls on the Egyptian government and the local and federal governments of Iraq to prosecute acts of violence against Christians and to make the protection of religious minorities a priority.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2012
Victory for Veterans Stamp Act of 2012 - Directs the Postal Service to issue a special stamp, to be called the Victory for Veterans Stamp, at a cost of 25 cents each. Makes such Stamp invalid for postage. Requires Stamp sale proceeds to be used as follows: (1) one-third for funding Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) veterans' vocational rehabilitation programs, (2) one-third to the general fund of the Treasury for deficit reduction, and (3) one-third for the Postal Service for modernization and fiscal administration. Requires such Stamp to be made available to the public within six months after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2012
Morris Soskil Path to the Purple Heart Act - Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned, in the case of an individual who served as a member of the Armed Forces during World War II and whose service records are incomplete because of damage while in the possession of the Department of Defense (DOD), to provide an exception to the standards for awarding the Purple Heart and consider unofficial sources of information, including eyewitness statements, to determine whether the individual is so eligible as a member killed or wounded in action as the result of an enemy act. Directs the Secretary of Defense to make such an award based upon a positive determination by the Secretary concerned. Allows such an award to be made posthumously.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2012
Child Protection Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or prison term of up to 20 years for transporting, receiving, distributing, selling, or possessing pornographic images of a child under the age of 12. Requires a U.S. district court to issue a protective order prohibiting harassment or intimidation of a minor victim or witness if the court finds evidence that the conduct at issue is reasonably likely to adversely affect the willingness of the minor witness or victim to testify or otherwise participate in a federal criminal case or investigation. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements to ensure that such guidelines provide an additional penalty for sex trafficking of children and other child abuse crimes. Allows the Director of the U.S. Marshals Service to issue an administrative subpoena for the investigation of unregistered sex offenders by the U.S. Marshals Service. Amends the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 to: (1) double the amount that the Attorney General may award a non-law enforcement agency entity annually to establish and conduct training courses for National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program task force members and other law enforcement officials, (2) require the Attorney General to designate a senior official at the Department of Justice (DOJ) with experience in investigating or prosecuting child exploitation cases as the National Coordinator for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction to be responsible for coordinating the development of the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, (3) authorize appropriations for carrying out such strategy for FY2014-FY2018, (4) delete a requirement that the National Internet Crimes Against Children Data System identify high-priority suspects based on the volume of suspected criminal activity, and (5) require the Attorney General to report within 90 days after enactment of this Act on the status of the establishment of such System.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2012
Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2012 - Waives a state's sovereign immunity with respect to the enforcement of uniformed services members' employment or reemployment rights or benefits under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). Makes unenforceable agreements between an employer and employee requiring arbitration of disputes arising under USERRA. Provides exceptions. Requires the validity and enforceability of such an agreement to be determined by a court (as opposed to the arbitrator). Provides increased liquidated damages, and authorizes punitive damages, against state or private employer violations of USERRA. Provides a right to a jury trial in such cases. Requires (under current law, authorizes) the award of attorney fees in actions to enforce USERRA. Requires (under current law, authorizes) a court to use equitable relief, including injunctions and restraining orders when appropriate, for USERRA violations. Requires federal procurement contracts to include a notice that the contractor may have USERRA obligations. Requires a Comptroller General study on the effectiveness of federal education and outreach programs on employer obligations under USERRA.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2012
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow decedent estates to base the value of qualified historic property on the net earnings of such property for estate and gift tax purposes. Defines "qualified historic property" as any building designated as a national historic landmark for at least 25 years prior to the death of a decedent and originally used for residential or farming purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2012
Recognizes and commends the nation's Catholic sisters, whose inspiring legacy of service continues to enrich our nation. Honors the contributions of Catholic sisters to this country. Stands in solidarity with Catholic sisters' mission to work toward a more just society for all of God's people.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2012
National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service (NPS). Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one-year period, beginning on January 1, 2016. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, and $5 per half-dollar clad coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National Park Foundation for projects and programs to help preserve and protect resources under the stewardship of the NPS and to promote public enjoyment and appreciation of those resources. Prohibits the surcharges paid to the Foundation from being used for land acquisition.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2012
Eliminate Privacy Notice Confusion Act - Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to exempt from its annual privacy policy notice requirement any financial institution which: (1) provides nonpublic personal information only in accordance with specified requirements, (2) does not share information with affiliates under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and (3) has not changed its policies and practices with regard to disclosing nonpublic personal information from those disclosed in the most recent disclosure sent to consumers. Relieves a financial institution from being required to provide any disclosure if it is licensed by a state and is either subject, or becomes subject in the future, to existing regulation of consumer confidentiality that prohibits disclosure of nonpublic personal information without knowing and express consent of the consumer in the form of laws, rules, or regulation of professional conduct or ethics promulgated either by the court of highest appellate authority or by the principal legislative body or regulatory entity of any state.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2012
Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2011 [ sic ] - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to revise requirements for the audit capacity of voting systems, particularly those for a permanent paper record. Requires the voting system to require the use of an individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot of the voter's vote that shall be marked and made available for inspection by the voter before the voter's vote is cast and counted, and which shall be counted by hand or read by an optical scanner or other counting device. Requires the voting system to provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any system-made error in the voter-verified paper ballot before it is permanently preserved. Requires each paper ballot used to be: (1) suitable for a manual audit, and (2) counted by hand in any recount or audit conducted with respect to any federal election. Sets forth a special rule for treatment of disputes when paper ballots have been shown to be compromised. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make grants to eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Specifies additional voting system requirements and prohibitions. Requires the NSF Director to make grants to eligible entities to conduct research on the development of election-dedicated voting system software. Makes available additional funding to enable states to meet the costs of the requirements imposed by this Act. Provides for complaints to the Attorney General by persons aggrieved by violations of HAVA. Requires each state to administer audits of federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected, consisting of random hand counts of the voter-verified paper ballots. Makes an exception from this requirement for elections in which the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the vote total. Prescribes requirements for determination of the number of ballots counted under the audit. Prescribes the process for administering audits. Requires the Election Auditor of a state, as soon as practicable after the completion of an audit, to submit the results to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) for publication. Prohibits certification of the results of any election until completion of audits. Provides for payments to states for the costs of conducting audits. Exempts from this Act any election for which a recount under state law will commence before certification of the election results. Repeals the EAC's exemption from certain federal government contracting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2012
Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2012 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to National Forest System lands, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public lands, (the Secretaries) to implement authorized wildfire prevention projects in at-risk forests and threatened and endangered species in a manner that focuses on surface, ladder, and canopy fuels reduction activities. Requires projects carried out on threatened and endangered species habitat to: (1) provide enhanced protection from wildfire, including catastrophic wildfire, for the endangered species, threatened species, or their habitat; and (2) comply with applicable recovery plan guidelines. Requires projects carried out in at-risk forests to move the federal land from condition class II or III toward condition class I. Permits use in a project of: (1) domestic livestock grazing to reduce surface fuel loads and to recover burned areas; and (2) timber harvesting and thinning to reduce ladder and canopy fuel loads for the prevention of wildfire, including catastrophic wildfires. Directs the Secretaries to review public petitions for, and make determinations with respect to, the designation of federal lands as at-risk forests or as threatened and endangered species habitats. Requires notice in the Federal Register of proposed projects and final designated projects and permits public comment on projects as specified. Instructs the Secretaries to prepare an environmental assessment for projects that include timber harvesting or grazing. Instructs the Secretaries to research what impact any listing of a species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 would have on both forage and timber forest fuel loads. Requires endangered species recovery plans and critical habitat determinations to include a wildfire risk assessment analysis.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2012
Amends Rule III (Calendars and Committee Reports) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require the report accompanying each public bill or joint resolution reported by any committee to contain: (1) an analysis by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) to determine if the bill or joint resolution creates any new federal program, office, or initiative that would duplicate or overlap any existing federal entity with similar mission, purpose, goals, or activities, along with a listing of all such overlapping or duplication; and (2) an explanation provided by the committee as to why the creation of each new program, office, or initiative is necessary if a similar program, office, or initiative exists. Makes it out of order to consider such a measure unless the committee of jurisdiction has prepared and posted on its website an overlapping and duplicative program analysis and explanation for the legislation that contains the same CRS analysis and committee explanation.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2012
Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act with respect to mandatory fee disclosures on automated teller machines (ATMs) operated by a person other than a financial institution holding a consumer's account. Repeals the requirement that such a fee disclosure appear in a prominent and conspicuous location on or at the ATM. Limits such requirement to appearance of a fee disclosure on the ATM screen.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2012
Includes as a homeless veteran, for purposes of eligibility for benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a veteran or veteran's family fleeing domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions in the current housing situation, including where the health and safety of children are jeopardized, there is no other residence, and there is a lack of resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2012
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century or MAP-21 - Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (other than the Mass Transit Account) equal to current federal highway spending levels plus inflation for FY2012 and FY2013 for: (1) certain new and existing core federal-aid highway programs, and (2) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) administrative expenses. Revises the National Highway System (NHS) program. Prescribes requirements for acceleration of project delivery. Jason's Law - Declares a national priority to address specified kinds of projects for the shortage of long-term parking for commercial motor vehicles on the NHS. Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 - Establishes a Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund for deposit of administrative and civil penalties paid in connection with the Deepwater Horizon incident. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require Gulf Coast state allocation and expenditures from the Fund for specified recovery activities. Establishes within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) a Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology Program. Extends the Land and Water Conservation Fund through FY2022. America Fast Forward Financing Innovation Act of 2011 [ sic ]- Amends the the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act to revise the Department of Transportation (DOT) program of direct loans, loan guarantees, and credit for surface transportation projects. Federal Public Transportation Act of 2012 - Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to repeal specified programs and revise other specified public transportation policies and programs. Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety Improvement Act of 2012 or Mariah's Act - Authorizes appropriations for specified highway safety programs and grants through FY2013. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) improve public accessibility to information on the publicly accessible vehicle safety databases of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and (2) establish within NHTSA a Council for Vehicle Electronics, Vehicle Software, and Emerging Technologies to build, integrate, and aggregate NHTSA expertise in passenger motor vehicle electronics and other new and emerging technologies. Requires the Secretary to issue a final rule to establish frontal crash protection requirements for child restraint systems for children weighing over 65 pounds. Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act of 2012 - Revises requirements for: (1) commercial motor vehicle registration, (2) commercial motor vehicle safety, and (3) driver safety. Safe Roads Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary to establish a national clearinghouse for records relating to alcohol and controlled substances testing of commercial motor vehicle operators. Revises requirements for enforcement of various specified regulations regarding commercial motor vehicles. Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations requiring: (1) installation of safety belts in motorcoaches at each designated seating position, and (2) other elements of motorcoach safety. Prescribes additional registration requirements for household goods motor carriers. Surface Transportation and Freight Policy Act of 2012 - Declares a national surface transportation and freight policy. Directs the Secretary to develop and implement a National Surface Transportation and Freight Performance Plan. Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2012 - Revises hazardous material (hazmat) transportation safety requirements. National Rail System Preservation, Expansion, and Development Act of 2012 - Revises requirements regarding: (1) federal and state roles in rail planning and development tools, (2) the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission and Amtrak, (3) rail safety, and (4) freight rail. Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2012 - Amends the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act to extend through FY2013 allocations to states for fish restoration and management projects. Highway Investment, Job Creation, and Economic Growth Act of 2012 - Extends Highway Trust Fund expenditure authority and related highway taxes. Amends the Internal Revenue Service to require transfers of specified funds and taxes as well as a 100% levy on payments to Medicare providers and suppliers. Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Act of 2012 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2012-FY2013 for specified transportation research and innovative technology programs, including intelligent transportation systems research. Reauthorizes certain programs and activities under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, the Internal Revenue Code, and federal civil service law (regarding phased retirement). Authorizes certain special measures to counter money laundering and efforts to impede significantly U.S. tax enforcement. Revises requirements for overflights of National Parks.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2012
Weekend Voting Act - Amends the Revised Statutes with respect to the time of election to establish the first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November, in every even numbered year, as the days for the election, in each state and territory, of Delegates to, or Members of, Congress. Amends federal law with respect to presidential elections and vacancies to establish the first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November, in every fourth year, as the days for the election of the President and Vice President of the United States. Amends such federal laws to establish the same polling place hours in the United States for both congressional and presidential elections, namely from 10:00 a.m. EST on Saturday till 6:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, with polls allowed to close between the hours of 10:00 p.m. local time on Saturday and 6:00 a.m. local time on Sunday as provided by the law of the state in which the polling place is located.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2012
United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 - States that it is U.S. policy to: (1) reaffirm the commitment to Israel's security as a Jewish state, (2) provide Israel with the military capabilities to defend itself and help preserve its qualitative military edge, (3) expand military and civilian cooperation, (4) assist in a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that results in two states living side by side in peace and security, and (5) encourage Israel's neighbors to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should take specified actions to assist in Israel's defense.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Affirms that it is a vital national interest of the United States to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability and warns that time is limited to prevent that from happening. Urges increasing economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran to secure an agreement that includes: (1) suspension of all uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, (2) complete cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding Iran's nuclear activities, and (3) a permanent agreement that verifiably assures that Iran's nuclear program is entirely peaceful. Supports: (1) the universal rights and democratic aspirations of the Iranian people, and (2) U.S. policy to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. Rejects any U.S. policy that would rely on efforts to contain a nuclear weapons-capable Iran. Urges the President to reaffirm the unacceptability of an Iran with nuclear-weapons capability and oppose any policy that would rely on containment as an option in response to the Iranian nuclear threat.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2012
Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 regarding the imposition of countervailing duties on imports into the United States from a country subsidizing, directly or indirectly, the manufacture, production, or export of merchandise which materially injures a U.S. industry or threatens to. Declares that merchandise on which countervailing duties must be imposed includes merchandise from a nonmarket country, unless the administering authority cannot identify and measure subsidies provided by the government of the nonmarket economy country (or a public entity within its territory) because the economy of that country is essentially composed of a single entity. Requires the administering authority to reduce the antidumping duty on a class or kind of merchandise from a nonmarket economy country in cases where: (1) such country (or a public entity within its territory) has provided the merchandise with a countervailable subsidy (other than an export subsidy); (2) the subsidy has reduced the average price of imports of that class or kind of merchandise during the relevant period; and (3) the extent to which the subsidy, in combination with the use of normal value, has increased the weighted average dumping margin for such merchandise can be reasonably estimated. Requires the administering authority, in such cases, to reduce the antidumping duty by the amount of the increase in the weighted average dumping margin estimated (but not by more than the portion of the countervailing duty rate attributable to the countervailable subsidy).
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2012
Pro Football 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 emblematic of the game of professional football. Requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to help finance the construction of a new building and the renovation of existing Pro Football Hall of Fame facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2012
Online Pharmacy Safety Act - Amends the the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to permit the dispensing of drugs only pursuant to a "valid prescription" and requires such a prescription to include at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient by a licensed health care practitioner. Requires the the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Registry of Legitimate Online Pharmacy Websites for the purpose of educating consumers and promoting public health and safety. Allows only those pharmacies designated as legitimate by the Secretary on the site. Sets forth criteria for determining the legitimacy of a pharmacy. Requires the Secretary to: (1) engage in a campaign to educate consumers on the availability and use of the Registry to promote public health and safety; and (2) make consumer education materials available, on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) website, regarding how to safely purchase drugs over the Internet.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2012
Sportsmen's Heritage Act of 2012 - Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Requires federal public land management officials to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public lands and waters for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting, except as restricted by specified limitations, including statutory authority that authorizes or withholds action for reasons of national security, public safety, or resource conservation. Requires that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service lands, excluding lands on the Outer Continental Shelf, be open to recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity for specified purposes, including resource conservation, public safety, energy production, water supply facilities, or national security. Allows federal agencies to: (1) lease their lands for shooting ranges, and (2) designate specific lands for recreational shooting activities. Sets forth requirements for a withdrawal, change of classification, or change of management status that effectively closes or significantly restricts 640 or more contiguous acres of federal public lands or waters for fishing or hunting or related activities. Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Requires National Monument land under BLM's jurisdiction to be open to access and use for recreational shooting, except as limited by the Director of BLM for reasons of national security and public safety and to comply with an applicable federal statute. Prohibits the issuance of closures or restrictions on such land that are substantially similar to those that were previously issued and not approved by federal law. Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act of 2012 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of any polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person: (1) who submits proof that the polar bear was legally harvested before February 18, 1997; or (2) who has submitted, in support of an application submitted before May 15, 2008, proof that the bear was legally harvested before such date from a polar bear population from which a sport-hunted trophy could be imported before such date. Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax and sport fishing equipment components.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2012
Condemns Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of religious minorities and its continued violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Calls for Iran to release Youcef Nadarkhani and all other individuals held or charged on account of their religion. Recognizes that religious freedom is a universal human right and a fundamental individual freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2012
Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012- Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) identify, on an annual basis, a list of high-priority federal programs for greater levels of oversight and review of improper payments; (2) coordinate with agencies responsible for administering high-priority programs to establish annual targets and semi-annual or quarterly actions for reducing improper payments; and (3) provide guidance to agencies for improving estimates of improper payments. Requires federal agencies to: (1) report to their Inspectors General on an annual basis on any high-dollar improper payments identified by such agencies and make such reports available to the public, and (2) review prepayment and preaward procedures and available databases to determine program or award eligibility and prevent improper payments before releasing any federal funds. Establishes a Do Not Pay Initiative based on information from databases maintained by the federal government, including the database of the Social Security Administration (SSA) reporting deaths of social security recipients. Requires the Director to: (1) determine the current and historical rates and amounts of recovery of improper payments and targets for recovering improper payments, and (2) establish a plan for at least 10 Recovery Audit Contracting programs to identify and recover overpayments and underpayments in 10 agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2012
Health Information Technology Reform Act - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to exclude pathologists from Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments and, in particular, penalties relating to the meaningful use of electronic health records.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2012
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Jack Nicklaus in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike such gold medal and to strike and sell duplicate bronze medals at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the gold and bronze medals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2012
Investing for Tomorrow's Schools Act of 2012 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into cooperative agreements with states to establish state and multistate infrastructure banks that make loans to local educational agencies, public libraries, and charter schools or their developers to construct or renovate public elementary or secondary schools and public libraries. Grants congressional consent to states for interstate compacts to establish multistate infrastructure banks. Directs the Secretary to make grants to such banks to provide initial capital for such loans. Requires states to contribute from nonfederal sources at least 25% of the amount of each federal capitalization grant made to the state and contributed to the bank. Lists types of projects eligible for such bank loans. Requires borrowers to use, to the maximum extent practicable, green construction or renovation practices that are consistent with: (1) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating standards, (2) Energy Star standards, (3) Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) criteria, (4) Green Building Initiative environmental design and rating standards (Green Globes), or (5) equivalent standards adopted by the entities that have jurisdiction over them.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2011
Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 - Title I: Temporary Payroll Tax Relief - Amends the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 to: (1) extend through 2012 the 2% reduction in the self-employment tax rate for self-employment income not exceeding the excess of $18,350 over any wages and compensation paid to a self-employed taxpayer, and (2) extend through February 29, 2012, the 2% reduction in employment tax rates for employee wages and compensation not exceeding $18,350. Title II: Temporary Extension of Unemployment Compensation Provisions - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Extends the final date for entering a federal-state agreement under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program through March 6, 2012. Postpones the termination of the program until August 15, 2012. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until March 7, 2012, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and August 15, 2012, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2011, to February 29, 2012, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, as amended by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, to extend through February 29, 2012, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits for employees with 10 or more years of service as well as for those with less than 10 years. Title III: Temporary Extension of Health Provisions -Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to set the update to the single conversion factor in the formula for the physicians' fee schedules for the first two months of 2012 at zero (thus freezing the physician payment update for the first two months of 2012). Requires the conversion factor for the remaining portion of 2012 and subsequent years to be computed as if the zero update for the first two months of 2012 had never applied. Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, as modified by other federal law, to extend section 508 hospital reclassifications for two months through November 30, 2011. ("Section 508" refers to Section 508 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 [MMA], which allows the temporary reclassification of a hospital with a low Medicare area wage index, for reimbursement purposes, to a nearby location with a higher Medicare area wage index, so that the "Section 508 hospital" will receive the higher Medicare reimbursement rate.) Extends through February 29, 2012, the 1.0 floor on geographic indexing adjustments to the work portion of the physician fee schedule. Extends through February 29, 2012, the process allowing exceptions to limitations on medically necessary therapy caps. Amends the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 to extend until February 29, 2012, an exception to a payment rule that permits laboratories to receive direct Medicare reimbursement when providing the technical component of certain physician pathology services that had been outsourced by certain (rural) hospitals. Amends SSA title XVIII to extend the bonus and increased payments for ground ambulance services until March 1, 2012. Amends the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) to extend the payment of certain urban air ambulance services until February 29, 2012. Extends increased payments for super rural ambulance services until March 1, 2012. Amends MIPPA to extend the physician fee schedule mental health add-on payment provision through February 29, 2012. Extends through February 29, 2012, hold harmless provisions under the prospective payment system (PPS) for hospital outpatient department (OPD) services. Extends the minimum payment for bone mass measurement through the first two months of 2012. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to extend the Qualifying Individual (QI) Program through February 29, 2012, at specified allocations. xtends the Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA) Program through February 29, 2012. Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of SSA title IV to extend the TANF program through February 29, 2012. Title IV: Mortgage Fees and Premiums - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to require the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to require each government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) (the Federal National Mortgage Association [Fannie Mae] and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation [Freddie Mac]) to charge a guarantee fee in connection with any guarantee of the timely payment of principal and interest on securities, notes, and other obligations based on or backed by mortgages on residential real properties designed principally for the occupancy of from one to four families. Requires the FHFA Director to prohibit a GSE from consummating any offer for a guarantee to a lender for mortgage-backed securities if: (1) the guarantee is inconsistent with the requirements of this Act; or (2) the risk of loss is allowed to increase, through the lowering of the underwriting standards or other means, for the primary purpose of meeting the requirements of this Act. Requires direct deposit into the Treasury of any amounts received from fee increases imposed by this Act that are necessary to comply with the minimum increase required by this Act. Requires the Director to require each GSE, as part of its annual report, to: (1) describe changes made to up-front fees and annual fees as part of the guarantee fees negotiated with lenders, changes to the riskiness of the new borrowers compared to previous origination years or book years, and any adjustments required to improve for future origination years or book years, in order to be in complete compliance with guarantee fee requirements; and (2) assess how the changes in such guarantee fees met the requirements of this title. Amends the National Housing Act with respect to requirements for each mortgage secured by a 1- to 4-family dwelling that is an obligation of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in addition to other required or authorized premiums, to establish and collect through FY2021 annual premium payments of up to 10 basis points of the remaining insured principal balance for any mortgage for which the Secretary collects an annual premium on the remaining insured principal balance. Title V: Other Provisions - Subtitle A: Keystone XL Pipeline - Directs the President, acting through the Secretary of State, to grant a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project application filed on September 19, 2008. Waives such requirement if the President determines that the Keystone XL pipeline would not serve the national interest. Requires the President, in that case, to report to certain congressional committees and officials a justification for his determination, including consideration of economic, employment, energy security, foreign policy, trade, and environmental factors. Declares that a permit for such pipeline shall take effect by operation of law if after 60 days following enactment of this Act the President fails to: (1) determine that the Keystone XL pipeline would not serve the national interest, or (2) grant the permit. Subtitle B: Budgetary Provisions - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to make it out of order in the Senate to consider a bill, resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report that includes an emergency designation. Permits waiver or suspension of such prohibition, or successful appeals from a ruling of the Chair, only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60 votes) of the Senate. Prohibits the budgetary effects of this Act from being entered on either PAYGO scorecard maintained pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2011
Farmers Disaster Assistance Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make supplemental payments to agricultural producers receiving direct payments for covered commodities, direct payments for peanuts, or average crop revenue election (ACRE) payments in disaster counties that had qualifying losses for the 2011 crop year. Sets forth related insurance requirements. Directs the Secretary to provide grants to qualifying states through September 30, 2012, to assist specialty crop producers for losses due to excessive rainfall and related conditions affecting the 2011 crops. Eliminates numerical and durational limitations on operating loan waivers for a farm or a ranch in a county which in 2011: (1) has been substantially affected by a natural disaster, or (2) is included in a presidentially-designated major disaster or emergency area. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to suspend through December 31, 2013, the limitation on the period for which borrowers are eligible for guaranteed farm operating loans in a county which in 2011: (1) has been substantially affected by a natural disaster, or (2) is included in a presidentially-designated major disaster or emergency area.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2011
Welcomes: (1) the historic meeting between Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I; and (2) the positive gestures by the government of Turkey towards the Ecumenical Patriarch, including allowing the liturgical celebration by the Ecumenical Patriarch at the historic Sumela Monastery and returning the former Greek Orphanage on Buyukada Island to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Urges the government of Turkey to facilitate the reopening of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Theological School of Halki and to address other longstanding concerns relating to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2011
Equitable Treatment for the Living Victims of Lockerbie Act - Directs the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission to: (1) determine the validity and amount of plaintiff claims for loss of wages and other property in the case Bruce D. Abbott et al. v. Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , (2) publish notice in the Federal Register of the time within which such claims may be filed, and (3) consider such claims as soon as practicable after filing. Requires such claims to be paid from the appropriate Treasury fund before any corporate claims are paid from such fund.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2011
No Budget, No Pay Act - Prohibits the payment of any pay to any Member of Congress (excluding the Vice President): (1) if both houses of Congress have not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget for a fiscal year before October 1 of that fiscal year and have not passed all the regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year by such date, or (2) until both houses of Congress approve such a budget resolution and pass all such appropriations bills. Prohibits any retroactive pay for such a period.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2011
Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2011 - Amends federal criminal code provisions relating to Federal Prison Industries (FPI) to establish governmentwide procurement policies for purchases from FPI based upon competitive procedures. Authorizes contract awards on a noncompetitive basis if the Attorney General determines that FPI cannot reasonably expect fair consideration to receive a contract award on a competitive basis and the contract award is necessary to maintain inmate work opportunities. Specifies conditions under which a contract award may be made to FPI using other than competitive procedures. Provides that a timely offer received from FPI to furnish a product or service to a federal agency shall be considered for award without limitation as to the dollar value of the proposed purchase, unless the contract opportunity has been reserved for competition for small businesses under the Small Business Act and its regulations. Allows FPI to exclude from its bids certain costs relating to security, educating and training inmates, and excess capital costs of machinery and inventories used in prisons. Makes decisions by a federal contracting officer regarding the award of a contract to FPI or the performance of such contract final, unless reversed on appeal. Requires federal agencies to report purchases from FPI to the Federal Procurement Data System. Requires FPI to publish and maintain a catalogue of its products and services. Imposes federal occupational, health, and safety standards on FPI with respect to its industrial operations. Revises rulemaking procedures for approving new FPI products or services. Requires the Chief Operating Officer of FPI to submit a proposal to the Board of Directors of FPI with a detailed analysis of the probable impact on the private sector of a proposed expansion of sales from such new products or services. Requires a federal agency that has a requirement for a product that is authorized for sale by FPI and is listed in its catalog to first solicit an offer from FPI and make purchases on a noncompetitive basis. Requires, subject to specified limitations, a contract award to be made on a noncompetitive basis to FPI if the contracting officer determines that: (1) the FPI product will meet the procurement requirements, (2) timely performance of the contract by FPI can be reasonably expected, and (3) the negotiated price does not exceed a fair and reasonable price. Requires that the terms and conditions of a procurement contract and the price to be paid to FPI be determined by negotiation between FPI and the federal agency making the purchase. Prohibits the negotiated price from exceeding a fair and reasonable price as determined by the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Prohibits the total dollar value of FPI sales to the federal government in FY2012-FY2016 from exceeding specified percentages of FPI sales for the base period. Sets limits on FPI sales within various business sectors, relating to specific products, and arising from changes in design specifications. Prohibits the use of such preferential contracting authorities on or after October 1, 2015. Requires the Attorney General to make specified findings on the effect of such percentage limitations. Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to require the head of an executive agency, before purchasing a product listed in the latest FPI catalog, to conduct market research to determine whether the FPI product is comparable to products available from the private sector that best meet the agency's needs in terms of price, quality, and time of delivery. Prohibits the head of an executive agency from entering into a contract with FPI under which an inmate would have access to sensitive or classified information. Authorizes FPI to enter into a contract with a federal contractor or subcontractor to produce products as a subcontractor or supplier, but restricts FPI products or services from a subcontractor from entering the commercial market or infringing on procurement preferences for the blind or disabled or on certain Buy America requirements. Specifies that use of FPI as a subcontractor or supplier cannot be imposed upon prospective or actual federal prime contractors or subcontractors. Requires the Board of Directors of FPI to prescribe hourly wage rates for inmates performing work for or through FPI. Requires an hourly minimum rate of $2.50 for inmates whose term of imprisonment will expire in two years or less. Requires a biannual review of inmate wage rates. Directs the Board of Directors of FPI, not later than September 30, 2012, to increase the maximum wage rate for inmates to 50% of the minimum wage rate under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, and to 100% of such wage rate not later than September 30, 2017. Limits to 80% the maximum amount of deductions from inmates' gross. Includes services furnished by such convicts or prisoners within the prohibition against the transportation or importation of goods produced by prisoners or convicts in interstate or foreign commerce. Allows for the completion of existing contracts and programs involving federal inmates who are furnishing services in commerce. Provides that nothing in this Act shall establish: (1) an entitlement of any federal prison inmate to employment in a FPI facility or any particular wage or benefit, (2) inmates as employees for purposes of any law or program, or (3) any cause of action against the United States. Establishes within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBP) the Enhanced In-Prison Educational and Vocational Assessment and Training Program to provide: (1) in-prison assessments of inmates' needs and aptitudes, (2) a full range of educational opportunities, (3) vocational training and apprenticeships, and (4) comprehensive release-readiness preparation. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal years after FY2011. Expresses the sense of Congress that FPI should use some of its net earnings to accomplish the purposes of this program. Phases in the implementation of the program in all federal prisons within eight years. Amends the federal criminal code to authorize inmates with work assignments within FPI to perform work for a tax-exempt charity, religious organization, or local governmental unit or school district (eligible entities) that have an agreement with FPI. Establishes the position of Inmate Work Training Administrator to create alternative inmate work opportunities with eligible entities. Sets forth requirements for proposals by eligible entities for participation in inmate work programs, including certain representations regarding the charitable nature of the entities' work, protections for non-inmate workers, wage rates for inmates, and deductions from inmate wages. Directs the Chief Operating Officer of FPI to develop proposals to have FPI donate products and services to charitable entities that provide goods or services to low-income individuals. Establishes with the FBP the Cognitive Abilities Assessment Demonstration Program to assess the cognitive abilities and perceptual skills of inmates to prepare such inmates to return to society and reduce recidivism. Requires such demonstration program to be conducted for three consecutive fiscal years beginning during FY2012 at 12 federal correctional institutions and to be offered to 6,000 inmates who are within five years of release. Requires the Director of the FBP to offer prerelease employment assistance to inmates upon release. Authorizes private for-profit business entities to participate in work-based training and apprenticeship programs for federal prison inmates. Sets forth requirements relating to training and wage rates for inmates. Prohibits FPI from offering for commercial sale products produced or services furnished by federal inmates. Terminates authority for programs after September 30, 2020, and requires all agreements relating to programs to be performed before October 1, 2025. Requires the Attorney General to meet with officials of FPI to review inmate work-based training programs and report to specified congressional committees on program progress. Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) undertake an on-going assessment of inmate work-based training programs; (2) provide an opportunity for public comment on the scope and methodology of such assessment; and (3) make interim and final reports to Congress on such assessment. Revises the membership structure and terms of the Board of Directors of FPI. Permits FPI to: (1) locate more than one workshop at a federal correctional facility, and (2) operate a workshop outside a facility if all inmates working in such workshop are classified as minimum security inmates. Directs FPI to establish a cost accounting system. Directs that correctional officers or other employees of FPI who are separated from employment due to reductions in FPI revenues be: (1) eligible for appointment in the competitive civil service, (2) registered on a Bureau of Prisons reemployment priority list, and (3) given priority for appropriate positions in the Bureau of Prisons. Revises and expands FPI annual reporting requirements to Congress. Requires copies of FPI's annual reports to be made available to the public. Provides for proposed revisions to the Governmentwide Federal Acquisition Regulation for implementing this Act and final regulations within 180 days of enactment of this Act. Requires the Board of Directors of FPI to issue regulations defining "prison-made product," "prison-furnished service," " specific product," and "specific service." Requires the Board of Directors to use means designed to most effectively solicit public comment on proposed regulations, procedures, and policies and to conduct open meetings. Requires the Secretary of Labor to establish an inmate training wage pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. States that provisions of this Act relating to FPI bid protests are not intended to alter the protest rights of any other offeror of a federal contract bid. States that nothing in this Act is intended to modify the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act (concerning procurement from persons who are blind or severely disabled).
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2011
Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2011 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to require: (1) biennial (instead of annual) budget resolutions, (2) biennial appropriations Acts, and (3) biennial government strategic and performance plans. Defines the budget biennium as the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. Makes conforming amendments to the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), and the CBA.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2011
Native Culture, Language, and Access for Success in Schools Act - Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to facilitate the inclusion of Indian tribes in the school improvement process. Establishes an Indian School Turn Around grant program to assist tribes in implementing transformation, restart, or turnaround school intervention models at low-performing Indian schools. Requires states to develop standards-based assessments and classroom lessons that accommodate diverse learning styles. Excepts Native language teachers from the requirement that teachers be highly qualified. Requires states to develop alternative licensure or certification requirements for those teachers. Amends part D (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk) of title I of the ESEA to facilitate the participation of Indian tribes in part D programs. Establishes: (1) an Indian Children and Youth At-Risk Education grant program to assist tribes in providing education and other services to Indian youth in correctional facilities, and (2) a grant program to assist tribes in providing educational alternatives for Indian youth who have been sentenced to incarceration or juvenile detention. Amends part A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund) of title II of the ESEA to enhance teacher and principal training and recruiting for Indian schools. Establishes an Indian Educator Scholarship program for Indians who are studying to be elementary or secondary school teachers and agree to serve in an Indian school or public school serving a significant number of Indian students. Includes Indian schools in the program to recruit and train mathematics and science teachers under part B and in the Troops-to-Teachers program under part C of title II. Amends title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students) of the ESEA to require the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to award grants to Indian and educational organizations for Native American language programs. Authorizes tribes to enter into agreements with states to assume state responsibilities and receive a portion of their funding for administering and implementing specified education programs on tribal lands. Requires the Secretary to establish a Safe and Healthy Schools for Native American Students program under title IV (21st Century Schools) of the ESEA. Amends part A (Indian Education) of title VII (Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native Education) of the ESEA to facilitate the participation of Indian tribes in Indian elementary and secondary education grant programs and fund Native American Language programs. Authorizes tribes to enter into a cooperative agreement with a state or local educational agency (LEA) to assume the role of the state or LEA with respect to schools on Indian land. Establishes the Tribal Education Agency Pilot Project that provides selected Indian tribes with federal funding, and allows them to administer all state functions authorized under the ESEA, for Indian schools, or schools on Indian lands or serving Indian students. Establishes a program awarding grants to LEAs, institutions of higher education (IHEs), or nonprofit organizations to create or expand teacher and administrator pipelines for teachers and administrators of Native American students. Establishes the National Board Certification Incentive Demonstration program to cover the costs teachers of Indians incur in obtaining such certification and boost their compensation. Establishes the Tribal Language Immersion Schools program to assist elementary and secondary schools and Tribal Colleges or Universities in using an American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian language as the primary language of instruction at the schools. Establishes a grant program to improve the collection, coordination, and electronic exchange of Indian student records between states, LEAs, and Indian schools. Reauthorizes appropriations under part A through FY2017. Amends the Impact Aid program to require the Secretary to complete Impact Aid payments to eligible LEAs that claim children residing on Indian lands within three fiscal years of their appropriation. Considers teachers of Native American language, history, or culture in a state or any Indian school to be highly qualified for purposes of the ESEA if they are certified by a tribe as highly qualified to teach those subjects. Gives Indian schools the same eligibility and consideration for any competitive program under the ESEA as LEAs are given. Requires all ESEA public school assistance programs to reserve 1% of their funding to provide Indian schools with the technical expertise and capacity to compete for such assistance. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to require the Secretary to reserve for Indian schools a portion of the amounts appropriated for the State Incentive Grants and Innovation Fund programs. Requires states to ensure that high-quality early learning services are provided to Indian children. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude certain educational benefits provided to members of Indian tribes from gross income. Amends the Education Amendments of 1978 to require the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Tribal Education Policy Advisory Group. Amends the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a qualified school construction bond escrow account. Amends the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 to make Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College a 1994 Land Grant Institution. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish an American Indian Tribal College or University Adult Education and Family Literacy program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) expand programs for Native American school children that support learning in their Native language and culture and provide English language instruction, and (2) conduct research on culture- and language-based education. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish: (1) a grant program to assist Native Americans in ensuring the survival and continuing vitality of Native American languages, and (2) an in-school facility innovation program contest to encourage IHEs to solve the problem of how to improve Indian school facilities for problem-based learning. Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior to establish a Department of the Interior and Department of Education Joint Oversight Board to coordinate Indian education policies and assistance. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the feasibility of transferring the Bureau of Indian Education from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Education. Requires the Secretary of Education to study the feasibility of entering into self-governance compacts and contracts with Indian tribal governments that wish to operate public schools on their lands. Establishes the Center for Indigenous Excellence to support the development and demonstration of Native American language and culture-based education.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2011
Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to add provisions concerning cyber threat intelligence and information sharing. Defines "cyber threat intelligence" as information in the possession of an element of the intelligence community directly pertaining to a vulnerability of, or threat to, a system or network of a government or private entity, including information pertaining to the protection of a system or network from: (1) efforts to degrade, disrupt, or destroy such system or network; or (2) theft or misappropriation of private or government information, intellectual property, or personally identifiable information. Requires the Director of National Intelligence to: (1) establish procedures to allow intelligence community elements to share cyber threat intelligence with private-sector entities, and (2) encourage the sharing of such intelligence. Requires the procedures established to ensure that such intelligence is only: (1) shared with certified entities or a person with an appropriate security clearance, (2) shared consistent with the need to protect U.S. national security, and (3) used in a manner that protects such intelligence from unauthorized disclosure. Provides for guidelines for the granting of security clearance approvals to certified entities or officers or employees of such entities. Authorizes a cybersecurity provider (a non-governmental entity that provides goods or services intended to be used for cybersecurity purposes), with the express consent of a protected entity (an entity that contracts with a cybersecurity provider) to: (1) use cybersecurity systems to identify and obtain cyber threat information in order to protect the rights and property of the protected entity; and (2) share cyber threat information with any other entity designated by the protected entity, including the federal government. Regulates the use and protection of shared information, including prohibiting the use of such information to gain a competitive advantage and, if shared with the federal government, exempts such information from public disclosure. Prohibits a civil or criminal cause of action against a protected entity, a self-protected entity (an entity that provides goods or services for cybersecurity purposes to itself), or a cybersecurity provider acting in good faith under the above circumstances. Directs the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to submit annually to Congress a review of the sharing and use of such information by the federal government, as well as recommendations for improvements and modifications to address privacy and civil liberties concerns. Preempts any state statute that restricts or otherwise regulates an activity authorized by the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2011
Expedited Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act of 2011 - Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (CBICA) to authorize the President to propose the rescission (line item veto) of all or any dollar amount of funding provided by any enacted bill or joint resolution. Sets forth requirements for the President's transmittal to Congress of a special message regarding the proposed rescission. Authorizes the President, except for his deferral of budget authority provided in CBICA, to withhold such rescinded funding temporarily from obligation, but only once per proposed rescission. Dedicates the rescinded funds solely to deficit reduction or increase of a surplus. Provides for adjustment of: (1) committee allocations resulting from such a rescission, and (2) applicable limits under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) revised downward by the amount of the rescissions. Sets forth procedures for expedited congressional consideration of a proposed rescission. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require the House Committee on the Budget, whenever an approval bill passes the House of Representatives, to reduce the applicable committee allocations immediately by the total amount of reductions in budget authority and in outlays resulting from such approval.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2011
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act - Amends the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2010 to require such stamp to be: (1) made available to the public for an additional four years; and (2) offered in a a choice of five versions depicting an African or Asian elephant, a rhinoceros, a tiger, a marine turtle, or a great ape.
![Official portrait of Rep. Shuler, Heath [D-NC-11]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001171_200.jpg)