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United States · Official source
9,732 records where Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [D-CA-13] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2011
No Loopholes in Social Security Taxes Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the definition of "wages" for employment tax purposes to increase the level of remuneration to which such taxes shall apply.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 12781 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Inverness, California, as the "Specialist Jake Robert Velloza Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Mental Health in Schools Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate and age appropriate. Makes only a partnership between a local educational agency and at least one community program or agency that is involved in mental health eligible for such funding. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with relevant community-based entities that clearly states the responsibilities of each partner; (2) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Investing in Our Future Act of 2011- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on currency transactions exceeding $10,000 equal to 0.005% of the value of the currency acquired in the transaction (currency transaction tax). Establishes in the Treasury: (1) the Child Care Assistance Trust Fund, which shall be funded with 10% of the revenues from the currency transactions tax and which shall be used to provide increased allocations to states for child care assistance; (2) the Multilateral Global Health Trust Fund, which shall be funded with 25% of the revenues from such tax and from which the Secretary of State shall make grants to assist developing countries in addressing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal mortality, family planning, neglected diseases, and other health issues; and (3) the Global Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Trust Fund, which shall be funded with 25% of the revenues from such tax and which shall be used for contributions to the Green Climate Fund, and the Adaptation Fund, established pursuant to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Requires remaining tax revenues to be used for federal budget deficit reduction or reduction of the federal debt.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act - States that it is the policy of the United States to ensure that funds made available for operations of the Armed Forces in Afghanistan are to be used only for providing for the safe and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. military personnel and Department of Defense (DOD) contractor personnel in Afghanistan. Allows such funds to be obligated and expended only for such purpose.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Honors the life of David Kato and victims of violence in Uganda because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Urges the Ugandan government to thoroughly investigate Mr. Kato's death and to share its findings with the international community. Calls on the global community to continue advocating for the human rights of all individuals and condemns the atmosphere of anti-gay sentiment that supports and endorses violence against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2011
Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and implement a Pancreatic Cancer Initiative to assist in coordinating activities to address the high mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to establish the Interdisciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Coordinating Committee to: (1) provide advice on overall research objectives and benchmarks for pancreatic cancer research; (2) develop and update not less than every five years a strategic plan for pancreatic cancer research awareness; and (3) conduct evaluations and make recommendations as needed to the Secretary, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) regarding the prioritization and award of NIH research grants relating to pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to develop a primary care provider education program on pancreatic cancer. Requires the Director of NCI and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a communication tool kit for patients and their families that focuses on specific pancreatic cancer issues relating to patient choices and patient care. Allows the Secretary to award grants to research institutions for use in developing innovative compounds or technologies for the prevention, early detection, or treatment of those cancers with five-year survival rates of less than 50%. Requires the Secretary to focus on pancreatic cancer during the initial five fiscal years of awarding such grants. Allows the Secretary to designate two additional Specialized Programs of Research Excellence focusing solely on pancreatic cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2011
Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to arrange for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to honor collectively the World War II members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) in recognition of their military service and exemplary record during World War II. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the CAP. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2011
Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act - Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to promulgate regulations establishing an urban revitalization and livable communities program to provide federal grants to eligible local governments for various park and recreation purposes, including grants for rehabilitation and construction, innovation, at-risk youth recreation, and recovery action programs. Authorizes the Secretary to authorize local governments not meeting program eligibility requirements required to be established in standard metropolitan statistical areas to receive up to a specified portion of such grants, if such a government applies for a partial eligibility waiver. Authorizes the Secretary, upon approval of an application by the chief executive of an eligible applicant, to provide 70% matching rehabilitation and construction, innovation, and at-risk youth recreation grants directly to such applicant. Allows a recipient, at its discretion, to transfer a grant in whole or in part to private nonprofit agencies for recreational areas and facilities they own or operate which offer recreational opportunities to the general population. Requires an applicant, for project approval, to submit to the Secretary evidence of its commitment to ongoing planning, rehabilitation, service, operation, and maintenance programs for its park and recreation systems, expressed in a five-year local park and recreation recovery action program. Requires an eligible applicant for an at-risk youth recreation grant to include in its five-year program the goal of, and implementation strategies for, reducing crime and juvenile delinquency. Authorizes the Secretary to increase all grants to a state under this Act by up to 15% (but not more than 85%) of total project or program cost. Prohibits the conversion of any property improved or developed with assistance under this Act, without HUD approval, for uses other than for public recreation. Limits to 10% the use of funds appropriated for rehabilitation and construction grants for acquisition of land or interests in land.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2011
Airline Passenger Bill of Rights Act of 2011 - Requires each air carrier and airport operator to submit for approval by the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) a proposed contingency plan meeting minimum standards established by the Secretary. Requires an air carrier to provide passengers on a departure- or arrival-delayed grounded aircraft with: (1) adequate food, water, restrooms, ventilation, and medical services; as well as (2) a time frame under which passengers may deplane a delayed aircraft after three hours, except in specified circumstances. Requires an airport operator plan to describe: (1) how passengers will be deplaned following a long tarmac delay, and (2) how facilities will be shared and gates made available to aircraft that experience such delays. Authorizes the Secretary to assess a civil penalty against air carriers and airport operators that fail to submit, obtain approval of, or adhere to a contingency plan. Requires public access to such plans. Directs the Secretary to establish a consumer hotline telephone number for air passenger complaints.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2011
Constitutional Amendment - Grants all U.S. citizens who are 18 years of age or older the right to vote in any public election held in the jurisdiction in which the citizen resides. Prohibits the United States, any state, or any other public or private person or entity from denying or abridging the right to vote, but allows regulations narrowly tailored to produce efficient and honest elections. Requires each state to: (1) administer public elections in the state in accordance with election performance standards established by Congress, and (2) provide any eligible voter the opportunity to register and vote on the day of any public election.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2011
Expanded & Improved Medicare for All Act - Establishes the Medicare for All Program to provide all individuals residing in the United States and U.S. territories with free health care that includes all medically necessary care, such as primary care and prevention, dietary and nutritional therapies, prescription drugs, emergency care, long-term care, mental health services, dental services, and vision care. Prohibits an institution from participating unless it is a public or nonprofit institution. Allows nonprofit health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that deliver care in their own facilities to participate. Gives patients the freedom to choose from participating physicians and institutions. Prohibits a private health insurer from selling health insurance coverage that duplicates the benefits provided under this Act. Allows such insurers to sell benefits that are not medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery benefits. Sets forth methods to pay institutional providers of care and health professionals for services. Prohibits financial incentives between HMOs and physicians based on utilization. Establishes the Medicare for All Trust Fund to finance the Program with amounts deposited: (1) from existing sources of government revenues for health care; (2) by increasing personal income taxes on the top 5% income earners; (3) by instituting a modest and progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income; (4) instituting a modest tax on unearned income; and (5) by instituting a small tax on stock and bond transactions. Transfers and appropriates to carry out this Act amounts that would have been appropriated for federal public health care programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP). Requires the Medicare for All Program to give first priority in retraining and job placement and employment transition benefits to individuals whose jobs are eliminated due to reduced administration. Requires creation of a confidential electronic patient record system. Establishes a National Board of Universal Quality and Access to provide advice on quality, access, and affordability. Provides for: (1) the eventual integration of the Indian Health Service into the Program; and (2) evaluation of the continued independence of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health programs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2011
Strengthening Medicare Anti-Fraud Measures Act of 2011 - Amends title XI of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to exclude from participation in any federal health care program entities affiliated with a sanctioned entity, as well as any officer or managing employee of an affiliated entity (currently, only individuals with an ownership or control interest in a sanctioned entity), if the affiliated entity was so affiliated at the time of any of the conduct forming the basis for the conviction or exclusion of the sanctioned entity.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2011
Do Not Track Me Online Act - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate regulations to establish standards for the required use of an online opt-out mechanism to allow a consumer to prohibit the collection or use of any covered information and to require a covered entity to respect the choice of such consumer to opt-out of such collection or use. Authorizes the FTC to exempt from such regulations certain commonly accepted commercial practices, including: (1) providing, operating, or improving a product or service used, requested, or authorized by an individual; (2) protecting or defending rights or property against security threats, fraud, theft, unauthorized transactions, or other illegal activities; and (3) preventing imminent danger to the personal safety of individuals. Treats such regulations as regulations defining unfair and deceptive acts or practices affecting commerce prescribed under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Defines "covered entity" as a person engaged in interstate commerce that collects or stores data containing covered information, excluding a government or any person that: (1) stores covered information from or about fewer than 15,000 individuals, (2) collects covered information from or about fewer than 10,000 individuals during any 12-month period, (3) does not collect or store sensitive information, and (4) does not use covered information to monitor or analyze the behavior of individuals as the person's primary business. Defines "covered information" as any of the following that is transmitted online: (1) the online activity of the individual; (2) any unique or substantially unique identifier, such as a customer number or Internet protocol address; and (3) personal information. Excludes from such term: (1) specified information associated with an individual's status as an employee of an organization, or an individual's name when collected, stored, used, or disclosed in connection with such employment status; or (2) any information collected from or about an employee by an employer that directly relates to the employee-employer relationship. Defines "sensitive information" as: (1) any information that is associated with covered information of an individual and relates directly to that individual's medical history, race, religious beliefs and affiliation, sexual orientation or sexual behavior, financial information (except when financial account information is provided by the individual and is used only to process an authorized credit or debit to the account), or geological information; or (2) an individual's unique biometric data or Social Security number.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2011
States that the House of Representatives: (1) stands in solidarity with the people of Egypt in their democratic aspirations; (2) condemns the use of violence against unarmed protestors by the Egyptian security services and hired gangs of thugs, urges the release of any peaceful protestors who remain in custody, and calls for an end to the imposition of emergency or martial law; (3) deplores the targeted beatings and arrests of Egyptian and international journalists, as well as human rights and democracy advocates; (4) expresses its gratitude to the Egyptian army for its restraint and for remembering that its mission is to safeguard the Egyptian people; and (5) calls upon the government of Egypt and the political opposition to work together to transition Egypt to a credible democracy and a new era for the Egyptian people.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2011
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month to raise awareness of teen dating violence in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2011
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should immediately update its collection policies and procedures to more adequately protect and assist taxpayers suffering an economic hardship.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on acquired bone marrow failure diseases, (2) establish the National Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Registry, and (3) establish the Advisory Committee on Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Diseases to provide recommendations to the Secretary on the Registry. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to, and enter to contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the management of the Registry. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, to conduct pilot studies to determine which environmental factors may cause acquired bone marrow failure diseases. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, to: (1) establish outreach and information programs targeted to minority populations affected by such diseases; (2) undertake a coordinated outreach effort to connect Hispanic, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities with comprehensive services focused on treatment of, and information about, such diseases; and (3) awards grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, entities to perform research on such diseases. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to award grants to entities to improve diagnostic practices and quality of care with respect to patients with such diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to include as a "countervailable subsidy" requiring action under a countervailing duty or antidumping duty proceeding the benefit conferred on merchandise imported into the United States from foreign countries with fundamentally undervalued currency. Defines "benefit conferred," in cases where the currency of a foreign country is exchanged for foreign currency (i.e., U.S. dollars) obtained from export transactions, as the difference between: (1) the amount of currency provided by a foreign country in which the subject merchandise is produced; and (2) the amount of currency such country would have provided if the real effective exchange rate of its currency were not fundamentally undervalued. Declares that the fact that such a subsidy is also provided in circumstances not involving export shall not, for that reason alone, mean it cannot be considered export contingent and actionable under a countervailing duty and antidumping duty proceeding. Requires the administering authority to determine that the currency of a foreign country is fundamentally undervalued if for an 18-month period: (1) the government of the country engages in protracted, large-scale intervention in one or more foreign exchange markets; (2) the country's real effective exchange rate is undervalued by at least 5%; (3) the country has experienced significant and persistent global current account surpluses; and (4) the country's government has foreign asset reserves exceeding the amount necessary to repay all its debt obligations falling due within the coming 12 months, 20% percent of the country's money supply, and the value of the country's imports during the previous 4 months. Requires the use, for calculating a country's "real effective exchange rate undervaluation," of certain guidelines of the Consultative Group on Exchange Rate Issues of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or, if those guidelines are not available, generally accepted economic and econometric techniques and methodologies. Requires the use, also, of inflation-adjusted, trade-weighted exchange rates. Applies the amendments made by this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
United States-Afghanistan Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) Act of 2011 - Directs the President to seek to enter into a bilateral status of forces agreement with the government of Afghanistan which shall: (1) prohibit the permanent basing or military presence of U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan; (2) provide, no later than one year after the date on which such agreement is entered into, for the complete redeployment from Afghanistan of the U.S. Armed Forces and Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employees and contractors; and (3) establish that the temporary presence of U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan is at the request of the government of Afghanistan. Authorizes such agreement to provide for specific activities or missions of the U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should submit such agreement to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification as a treaty or alternatively the President should request statutory authorization for such agreement by Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Dependent Coverage Improvement Act - Amends the veterans' post-9/11 educational assistance program to extend the age of eligibility of dependent children for receipt of transferred educational assistance under the program to such children under the age of 26 (under current law, under the age of 23).
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
National Commission on State Workers' Compensation Laws Act of 2011 - Establishes the National Commission on State Workers' Compensation Laws. Requires the Commission to: (1) review the findings and recommendations of the previous National Commission on State Workmen's Compensation Laws, and (2) study and evaluate state workers' compensation laws to determine their adequacy and whether additional remedies should be available to ensure the payment of benefits and medical care.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in any area of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, or Washington.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2011 - Allows federal employees to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay available for either the: (1) birth of a child; or (2) placement of a child with the employee for either adoption or foster care. Makes available (subject to specified requirements) for any of the 12 weeks of leave an employee is entitled to for such purposes: (1) four administrative weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth or placement involved; and (2) any accumulated annual or sick leave. Authorizes the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to promulgate regulations to increase the amount of paid parental leave available to such an employee to a total of eight administrative workweeks, based on the consideration of: (1) the benefits to the federal government, including enhanced recruitment and employee retention; (2) the cost to the government; (3) trends in the private sector and in state and local governments; (4) the federal government's role as a model employer; and (5) the impact of increased paid parental leave on lower-income and economically disadvantaged employees and their children. Amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow the same substitution for covered congressional employees, Government Accountability Office (GAO) employees, and Library of Congress employees. Counts certain service by an employee of the executive branch, Congress, GAO, or the Library of Congress while on active duty as a member of the National Guard or Reserves as service for that branch or agency for purposes of determining such employee's eligibility to take or substitute leave as provided under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
End Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act of 2011- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require seven-year amortization of the geological and geophysical expenditures of covered large oil companies. Defines "covered large oil company" as a taxpayer which is a major integrated oil company or which has gross receipts in excess of $50 million in a taxable year. Denies certain tax benefits to any taxpayer that is not a small, independent oil and gas company, including: (1) the tax credits for producing oil and gas from marginal wells and for enhanced oil recovery, (2) expensing of intangible drilling and development costs in the case of gas wells and geothermal wells, (3) percentage depletion, (4) the tax deduction for qualified tertiary injectant expenses, (5) the exemption from limitations on passive activity losses, and (6) the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities. Prohibits the use of the last-in, first-out (LIFO) accounting method by major integrated oil companies. Limits or denies the foreign tax credit and tax deferrals for amounts paid or accrued by a dual capacity taxpayer to a foreign country or U.S. possession for any period with respect to combined foreign oil and gas income. Defines "dual capacity taxpayer" as a person who is subject to a levy of a foreign country or U.S. possession and receives (or will receive) directly or indirectly a specific economic benefit from such county or possession..
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Recognizes the contributions of nurses to the U.S. health care system. Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2011
Redistricting Reform Act of 2011- Prohibits a state that has been redistricted after an apportionment from being redistricted again until after the next apportionment of Representatives, unless the state is ordered by a court to conduct such a subsequent redistricting in order to: (1) comply with the U.S. Constitution, or (2) enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Requires such redistricting to be conducted according to: (1) a plan developed by the independent redistricting commission established in the state; or (2) if such plan is not enacted into law, the redistricting plan selected by the state's highest court or developed by a U.S. district court. Provides for: (1) establishment by each state of an independent redistricting commission; (2) development by such commission of a redistricting plan; (3) submission of the plan to, and consideration and enactment of a plan by, the state legislature; (4) selection of a plan by the state's highest court or development of a plan by the U.S. district court, under specified conditions; (5) special rules for redistricting conducted under a federal court order; (6) Election Assistance Commission payments to states for carrying out redistricting; (7) civil enforcement to carry out this Act; and (8) the right of civil action for a person who is aggrieved by a violation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2011
Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2011 - Amends the federal judicial code to prohibit a court, in any civil action in which the pleadings state facts relevant to the protection of public health or safety, from entering an order restricting the disclosure of information obtained through discovery, approving a settlement agreement that would restrict such disclosure, or restricting access to court records, unless in connection with such order the court has first made independent findings of fact that: (1) the order would not restrict the disclosure of information relevant to the protection of public health or safety; or (2) the public interest in the disclosure of past, present, or potential health or safety hazards is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information, and the requested protective order is no broader than necessary to protect the confidentiality interest asserted. Prohibits a court, again in any such civil action, from: (1) enforcing any provision of an agreement between or among parties to the civil action, or an order entered under this Act, that restricts a party from disclosing information to any federal or state agency with authority to enforce laws regulating an activity relating to such information; or (2) enforcing any provision of a settlement agreement between or among parties to such civil action that prohibits a party from disclosing that a settlement was reached or the terms of the settlement (excluding any money paid) that involve matters relevant to the protection of public health or safety, or from discussing matters relevant to the protection of public health or safety involved in such civil action. Excepts from this enforcement prohibition (thus allowing enforcement of) a settlement agreement provision about which the court finds that the public interest in the disclosure of past, present, or potential public health or safety hazards is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information in question, and the requested protective order is no broader than necessary to protect the confidentiality interest asserted. Creates a rebuttable presumption that the interest in protecting personally identifiable information of an individual outweighs the public interest in disclosure. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to permit, require, or authorize the disclosure of classified information, as defined under the Classified Information Procedures Act.
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
Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce from issuing any permit or in any other way authorizing commercial finfish aquaculture operations in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), except in accordance with law enacted after enactment of this Act.
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 · 9 February 2011
Supports the designation of February 12, 2011, the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin in 1809, as Darwin Day. Recognizes Charles Darwin as a worthy symbol on which to celebrate the achievements of reason, science, and the advancement of human knowledge.
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
Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide grants to a designated state agency for development of universal prekindergaten programs for all children three, four, and five years old in the state. Requires the state to: (1) match federal funds by at least 20%; and (2) submit with its grant application a plan to establish, coordinate, and implement a statewide universal prekindergarten program. Authorizes state agencies to set aside up to 5% of a grant for ongoing professional development activities for teachers and staff of prekindergarten programs that wish to participate.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2011
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem genetically-engineered fish to be unsafe under provisions related to new animal drugs and adulterated food.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2011
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem a food to be misbranded if it contains genetically-engineered fish unless the food bears a label stating that it contains genetically-engineered fish.
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
Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2011 - Directs the Comptroller General to complete, before the end of 2012, an audit of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and of the federal reserve banks, followed by a detailed report to Congress. Repeals specified limitations on such an audit.
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
Keep Kids Safe Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the possession of a firearm by, or the sale or transfer of a firearm to, any person who has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor sex offense against a minor.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Extends, for four years, the authority of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to issue a semipostal to contribute to funding for breast cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to remove the limit on liability (currently, the total of all removal costs plus $75 million) of a party responsible for an offshore facility except a deepwater port, from which oil is discharged into or upon navigable waters or adjoining shorelines. Makes this Act effective on April 15, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act - Authorizes the President, in order to relieve widespread unemployment, restore depleted natural resources in the United States, and advance public works programs, to establish a Civilian Conservation Corps to employ unemployed or underemployed U.S. citizens in the construction, maintenance, and carrying on of works of a public nature, such as forestation of U.S. and state lands, prevention of forest fires, floods, and soil erosion, and construction and repair of National Park System paths and trails. Authorizes the President to extend Corps activities to state- and private-owned lands to prevent and control forest fires and floods and attacks of forest tree pests and diseases. Requires the President, based on certain criteria, to give preference to the employment of additional persons in the Corps in the following order: (1) unemployed Armed Forces veterans (including Reserve members); (2) unemployed U.S. citizens who have exhausted their unemployment compensation; (3) unemployed U.S. citizens who are eligible for unemployment compensation immediately before employment in the Corps, including any additional compensation or extended compensation; and (4) other unemployed or underemployed U.S. citizens. Authorizes the President to provide housing and transportation for Corps employees. Prohibits discrimination in the hiring of Corps employees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Restorative Justice in Schools Act of 2011 - Amends title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow local educational agencies to use title II subgrants to train school personnel in restorative justice and conflict resolution.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Remove Incentives for Producing Ethanol Act of 2011 or the RIPE Act of 2011- Amends the Clean Air Act to repeal the renewable fuel standard. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate the excise tax credit for alcohol fuel mixtures and the income tax credit for alcohol used as fuel. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide for the duty free treatment for ethyl alcohol or a mixture containing ethyl alcohol if it is to be used as fuel. Applies such treatment to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouses for consumption, on or after the 15th day after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Health Insurance Rate Review Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to declare that federal provisions requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review unreasonable premium increases in health care coverage shall not be construed to prohibit a state from imposing additional rate requirements on health insurance issuers that are more protective of consumers. Expands such review to include all rate increases, not only premium increases. Directs the Secretary or the relevant state insurance commissioner (or state regulator) to take corrective actions to ensure that any excessive, unjustified, or unfairly discriminatory rates are corrected prior to, or as soon as possible after, implementation, including through mechanisms such as denying rates, modifying rates, or requiring rebates to consumers. Requires the Secretary to determine whether the state insurance commissioner or regulator or the Secretary will undertake such corrective actions based on whether the state can adequately undertake such actions. Applies these provisions to grandfathered health plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Defense and Deficit Reduction Act - Prohibits the aggregate funds appropriated or otherwise made available for military functions administered by the Department of Defense (DOD) from exceeding: (1) in the case of FY2011, the aggregate for FY2008; and (2) in the case of FY2012-FY2016, the aggregate for the previous fiscal year. Excludes military personnel pay and benefits in the determination of such aggregate funds. Requires all resulting savings to be used for deficit reduction.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2011
Stopping Trained in America Ph.D.s From Leaving the Economy Act of 2011 or the STAPLE Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from: (1) direct numerical limitations aliens who have earned a Ph.D. degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from a U.S. institution of higher education and who have an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to such degree; and (2) H-1B visa (specialty occupation) numerical limitations aliens who have a U.S. STEM Ph.D. and with respect to whom the petitioning employer requires such an education.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2011
Housing Opportunity and Mortgage Equity Act of 2011 - 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.