United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit any person from importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, purchasing, breeding, possessing, or owning any prohibited wildlife species (current law prohibits importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing such a species in interstate or foreign commerce). Includes among exemptions to such prohibition the: (1) breeding of such species by authorized persons; and (2) transportation, possession, or ownership of such species by authorized persons. Defines "breeding" as facilitating the reproduction of prohibited wildlife species (any live species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species) for commercial use. Removes from the list of persons authorized to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, breed, possess, own, or purchase such species a person that is licensed or registered, and inspected, by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) or any other federal agency with respect to such species. Includes in such list: (1) a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; (2) a wildlife sanctuary that cares for such species, is a tax exempt corporation, does not commercially trade in or propagate such species, does not allow direct contact between the public and animals, and does not allow the transport and display of such species off-site; and (3) a person that is in possession of animals of such species that were born before the date of this Act's enactment and that are registered with APHIS within six months after such regulations are promulgated. Establishes civil and criminal penalties and forfeiture requirements for violations of this Act.
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
National Heritage Area Act of 2012 - Establishes a system of National Heritage Areas through which the Secretary of the Interior may provide technical and financial assistance to local coordinating entities to support the establishment, development, and continuity of the National Heritage Areas. Provides for such system to be composed of National Heritage Areas designated by Congress before enactment of this Act or under this Act. Prohibits National Heritage Areas from being: (1) considered to be units of the National Park System, or (2) subject to the authorities applicable to such units. Specifies the criteria that the Secretary shall apply to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating proposed National Heritage Areas. States that designation of a National Heritage Area shall be by Act of Congress and contingent on the prior completion of a management plan and an affirmative determination by the Secretary that the area meets such criteria. Sets forth requirements for National Heritage Area management plans.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2012
Automatic IRA Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) require certain employers who do not maintain qualifying retirement plans or arrangements to make available to their eligible employees a payroll deposit individual retirement account (IRA) arrangement (automatic IRA arrangement) which grants such employees the right to opt-out of participation; (2) require the Secretary of the Treasury to provide employers with a model notice for notifying employees of their opportunity to participate in such an arrangement and to provide participants with an annual statement setting forth arrangement payments, earnings, value, and other specified information; (3) impose a penalty on employers who fail to provide eligible employees access to such an arrangement; (4) establish an Automatic IRA Advisory Group to make recommendations regarding investment options; and (5) allow employers who do not have more than 100 employees a tax credit for costs associated with establishing an automatic IRA arrangement. Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of Labor to jointly conduct feasibility studies on: (1) extending spousal consent requirements to automatic IRA arrangements; (2) promoting the use of low-cost lifetime income arrangements, (3) automatically transferring amounts saved by employees in retirement bonds into alternative, private sector, diversified investments when employees' automatic IRA balances reach a certain dollar level; (4) using investment data to notify individuals with multiple small balance retirement accounts of consolidation options; and (5) using investment arrangements associated with automatic IRAs to assist in addressing the problem of abandoned accounts.
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 · 14 February 2012
Energy Assistance for American Families Act - Amends the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to authorize appropriations for FY2013-FY2016. Permits a state to use any allotment from such appropriations to assist households whose income does not exceed 75% of the state median income.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2012
Disclosure of Information on Spending on Campaigns Leads to Open and Secure Elections Act of 2012 or DISCLOSE 2012 Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to redefine the term "independent expenditure" as an expenditure by a person that, when taken as a whole, expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, or is the functional equivalent of express advocacy because it can be interpreted by a reasonable person only as advocating the election or defeat of a candidate, taking into account whether the communication involved mentions a candidacy, a political party, or a challenger to a candidate, or takes a position on a candidates, qualifications, or fitness for office. Expands the period during which certain communications are treated as electioneering communications. Prescribes: (1) disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, and certain other entities; and (2) disclaimer requirements for campaign-related disbursements and for certain communications. Requires any communication transmitted through radio or television to include an individual or organizational disclosure statement, together with: (1) the Top Two Funders List of the persons providing the largest and second largest aggregate payments of $10,000 or more for a radio communication, and (2) the Top Five Funders List of the five persons providing the largest aggregate payments of $10,000 or more for a television communication. Repeals the prohibition against political contributions by individuals age 17 or younger. Requires a covered organization which submits regular, periodic reports to its shareholders, members, or donors on its finances or activities to include in each report, in a clear and conspicuous manner, the information included in the statements it has filed about campaign-related disbursements the organization has made during the period covered by the report. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require semiannual reports on certain election campaign contributions filed with the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House of Representatives by registered lobbyists (or persons or organizations required to register as lobbyists) to contain: (1) the amount of any independent expenditure of $1,000 or more made by each such person or organization, along with the name of each candidate being supported or opposed and the amount spent supporting or opposing that candidate; and (2) the amount of any electioneering communication of $1,000 or more made by such person or organization, along with the name of the candidate referred to in the communication and whether the communication involved was in support of or in opposition to the candidate.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2012
Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make the 3.4% interest rate on Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2012, applicable to Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students on or after July 1, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2012
Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012 - Amends the Egg Products Inspection Act to revise housing and treatment of egg-laying hens and related enforcement provisions. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to delegate to the California Department of Food and Agriculture certain enforcement authority with respect to eggs produced, shipped, handled, transported or received in California prior to the date that is 18 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
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 · 16 December 2011
School Building Enhancement Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to provide grants to: (1) states and local educational agencies (LEAs) for providing intensive technical assistance for, and assisting the implementation of, the EnergySmart Schools Program of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Star for K-12 School Districts program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); (2) LEAs that become partners through such Energy Star program; and (3) states for use in the development, in partnership with the Secretary of Energy, of state-level school energy efficiency quality plans. Requires the Secretary of Education to give priority to projects to provide assistance to state and local educational agencies with a demonstrated need for energy efficiency improvement.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2011
Due Process Guarantee Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to specify that an authorization to use military force, a declaration of war, or any similar authority shall not authorize the detention without charge or trial of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident apprehended in the United States, unless an Act of Congress expressly authorizes such detention. Applies this Act to any such authorizations or declarations enacted before, on, or after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2011
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act - Requires a business enterprise that employs 50 or more employees, excluding part-time employees, or 50 or more employees who in the aggregate work at least 1,500 hours per week, exclusive of overtime, in a call center to notify the Secretary of Labor at least 120 days before relocating such center outside of the United States. Subjects violators to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 a day. Directs the Secretary to maintain and make publicly available a list of all such employers that relocate a call center. Requires such an employer to remain on the list for up to three years after each relocation. Makes such an employer ineligible for federal grants or federal guaranteed loans for five years after being added to the list, except where the employer demonstrates that a lack of such loan or grant would threaten national security, result in substantial job loss in the United States, or harm the environment. Requires the head of federal or state executive agency or military department, when awarding a civilian or defense-related contract, to give preference to a U.S. employer that does not appear on the list. Requires a business entity that initiates or receives a customer service communication to require each of its employees or agents participating in the communication to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each such communication unless all involved employees or agents are located in the United States. Exempts any communication: (1) initiated by a consumer if the consumer knows or reasonably should know that the employee or agent is located outside the United States, or (2) related to the provision of emergency services. Requires such a business entity, upon request, to transfer a customer to a customer service agent who is physically located in the United States. Authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to exclude certain classes or types of business entities or customer services communications from the requirements of this Act under exceptionally compelling circumstances. Sets forth enforcement provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2011
Family Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income-based tax credit for 50% of qualified infertility treatment expenses. Allows $26,720 of such expenses to be taken into account for purposes of such credit for all taxable years. Defines "qualified infertility treatment expenses" as amounts paid for the treatment of infertility via in vitro fertilization if such treatment is provided by a licensed physician, surgeon, or other medical practitioner and is administered with respect to a diagnosis of infertility by a physician licensed in the United States.
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.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2011
Supports the goals and ideals of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), a peer-to-peer education, prevention, and activism organization dedicated to preventing destructive decisions involving underage drinking, drug use, and violence. Commends SADD on the positive effect it has had on individuals and communities in this country and abroad. Encourages people to commemorate SADD's 30th anniversary by participating in a special event called Celebrate 30 With SADD: Lighting the Way.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2011 - Amends provisions of federal civil service law to extend employment-related and retirement benefits to domestic partners of federal employees and to set forth requirements for establishing a domestic partnership, including the filing of an affidavit attesting to the existence and legitimacy of the partnership. Modifies provisions relating to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) to extend eligibility for annuity and survivor benefits to domestic partners of federal employees on the same basis as married employees. Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations to provide that domestic partners and former domestic partners shall be considered as spouses or former spouses for purposes of creditable service determinations under CSRS and FERS. Makes domestic partners of federal employees eligible for: (1) the federal employee group life insurance (FEGLI) program, (2) federal employees health benefits (FEHB), (3) dental and vision benefit plans, and (4) long-term care insurance coverage. Grants the head of an federal agency authority to reimburse an employee for taxes incurred the domestic partner of such employee for travel or transportation reimbursements. Modifies provisions of the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to make domestic partners of federal employees eligible for worker compensation benefits under such Act. Adds "domestic partner" to the list of relatives subject to restrictions on federal employment of relatives and related prohibitions. Includes a biological, adopted, or foster child of a domestic partner as a "son or daughter" for purposes of federal employee family and medical leave provisions. Allows a federal employee family and medical leave to care for a domestic partner. Requires the President to prescribe regulations necessary to ensure that specified provisions relating to the following are administered in a manner consistent with the purposes of this Act: (1) the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; (2) travel, transportation, and related payments and benefits under the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and for civilian employees of the Department of Defense (DOD); (3) certain benefits for members of the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and (4) benefits related to federal employees or annuitants and benefits necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to make provisions of that Act applicable to domestic partners of federal employees to the same extent as married employees, including provisions relating to financial disclosure, government-wide limitations on outside earned income and employment, gifts to superiors and to federal employees, bribery, acceptance of travel expenses from nonfederal sources, taxes on self-dealing, and disqualification of a justice, judge, or magistrate judge. Requires reporting by: (1) the President on the implementation of this Act, and (2) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the effect of this Act on premiums or other periodic charges under FEHB and the impact of extending benefits to domestic partners on federal employee retention and recruitment efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
Helping Individuals Return to Employment Act or HIRE Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to award competitive grants to eligible entities to hire unemployed individuals age 16 and older to perform a minimum of 20 hours per week of work to benefit certain communities, including activities such as public works, beautification, historic restoration, tutoring, and adult education. Restricts such grants to eligible entities located in or primarily serving in a community designated either as a renewal community, an empowerment zone, or a historically underutilized business zone (HUBZone), if the unemployment rate in the area is higher than 7% during the 3-month period preceding award of the grant. Requires that priority in the award of grants be given to individuals who have been unemployed for more than a year. Prescribes certain grant limitations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act - Identifies roadless areas within the National Forest System set forth in specified maps as National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to manage such Areas to maintain their roadless character. Authorizes the Forest Service to modify such maps for the sole purpose of improving their accuracy or inclusiveness. Requires any substantial modification of those maps to be made through the national forest management planning process and documented in an environmental impact statement.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2011
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2011 or the ABLE Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts to assist an individual with a disability in building an account to pay for qualified disability expenses. Defines "qualified disability expenses" to include expenses for education, a primary residence, transportation, obtaining and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Treats a qualified ABLE program and an ABLE account in the same manner as a qualified tuition program for income tax purposes (i.e., allowing a tax exemption for such program and an exclusion from gross income of amounts attributable to a contributor to or a beneficiary of a program account). Defines "qualified ABLE program" as a program established and maintained by a state agency under which a person may make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses. Requires amounts in ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. Suspends the payment of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to an individual during any period in which such individual has excess resources attributable to an ABLE account.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2011
Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of congressional gold medals in honor of the men and women who perished as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, and the Pentagon Memorial at the Pentagon. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals, with amounts received from the sale to be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2011
High-Performance Federal Buildings Act of 2011 - Requires federal agency heads involved in the construction of new federal buildings for which estimated construction costs exceed $1 million and are comprised by federal funding of greater than 50% to ensure that the life-cycle cost (i.e., the sum of investment, capital, installation, energy, operating, maintenance, and replacement costs) of such building is considered during its design. Requires the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to issue regulations establishing federal building commissioning standards modeled on existing private sector standards and guidelines for: (1) the commissioning process generally, (2) the commissioning of individual building systems, and (3) the use of building automation systems. Defines "commissioning" as a process for examining and evaluating a building or building system to verify and deliver a building or system that meets the building owner's requirements for use. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to study and report on the use of integrated design processes and building information modeling for the design and construction of federal buildings. Establishes the position of the Director of the Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings to assist federal agencies with respect to the utilization of building information modeling, commissioning, and integrated design processes. Amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act to require reporting on commissioning and energy and water savings measures. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to establish and update energy and water efficiency standards for federal buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Extends the final date for entering a federal-state agreement under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program through January 3, 2013. Postpones the termination of the program until June 8, 2013. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until January 4, 2013, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and June 10, 2013, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 to authorize a state by law to apply certain requirements of the Act, with specified substitutions, for determining an extended unemployment compensation period. Requires the state's "on" and "off" indicators to be based on its rate of insured unemployment and rate of total unemployment for the period between enactment of this Act (or, if later, the date established pursuant to state law), and ending on or before December 31, 2012. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 31, 2012, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits for employees with 10 or more years of service and for those with less than 10. Amends title XII (Advances to State Unemployment Funds) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend through FY2012 the waiver on payment of interest by a state in repayment to the federal Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF) of advances from it. Denies this extension, however, to any state that has not entered a voluntary agreement with the Secretary of Labor to refrain from modifying state unemployment compensation law to lower its unemployment compensation benefits. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to reductions in credits against the federal unemployment tax for an employer's contributions to a state unemployment fund in a state which has received advances from the UTF. Postpones the commencement of such reductions until January 1, 2013, for any state entering such an agreement with the Secretary. Amends SSA title IX (Employment Security Administrative Financing) to require the payment of a solvency bonus for any quarter to the book account in the UTF of the state unemployment compensation agency of a solvent state (whose outstanding balance of advances from the UTF is zero). Makes the bonus equal to two percentage points above the average rate of interest of special obligations of the United States in which the UTF is invested.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that any action taken by the Department of Justice should be consistent with the following goals: (1) the mortgage servicers who engage in fraudulent behavior should not be granted criminal or civil immunity for potential wrongdoing related to illegal mortgage and foreclosure practices; (2) the federal government and state attorneys general should proceed with full investigation into claims of fraudulent behavior by mortgage servicers; and (3) any financial settlement reached with mortgage servicers should appropriately compensate for, and accurately reflect, the extent of harm to all victims, including homeowners and state pension beneficiaries, caused by the mortgage servicer's fraudulent behavior.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2011
American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016 the date by which specified alternative or renewable energy facilities (i.e., wind, biomass, geothermal or solar energy, landfill gas, trash, qualified hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy facilities) must be placed in service to qualify for the electricity production tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act of 2011 - Provides for the inclusion of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products under specified agricultural, rural development, agricultural research, crop insurance, and nutrition programs. Directs the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to offer a whole farm adjusted revenue risk management insurance plan that allows a producer to qualify for an indemnity if actual gross farm revenue is below 85% of the producer's average gross farm revenue. Prohibits the Corporation from requiring organic crop insurance premium surcharges. Directs the Corporation to offer organic crop producers price elections that reflect actual retail or wholesale prices. Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (formerly known as the Food Stamp Act of 1977) to require state agencies to treat wireless retailers in the same manner as wired program retail food stores for purposes of supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP, formerly food stamp) benefits. Defines "wireless retailer" to include: (1) a farmers market, (2) a farm stand, (3) a green cart, (4) a route vendor, (5) an entity operating a community-supported agriculture or fishery program, (6) a buying club, and (7) a farmer affiliated with such entities. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a wireless retailer electronic benefit transfer pilot program for smartphone technology. Extends: (1) the program of fresh fruit and vegetable purchases for distribution to schools and service institutions; (2) the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC) farmers' market nutrition program; (3) the seniors farmers' market nutrition program; (4) the rural business opportunity grant program; (5) the value-added agricultural product market development grant program; (6) the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative; (7) the specialty block grant program; and (8) the national organic certification cost-share program. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to permit schools to use an amount equal to 15% of their commodity dollars for purchases of locally grown food. Increases the annual fiscal year limit for community food project grants. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary to make and guarantee loans for the production of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate how the credit needs of young, beginning, and small farmers and local and regional farm and food systems are being met by the Farm Credit System, USDA, the Department of the Treasury, and any other federal agencies. Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to direct: (1) the Secretary to distribute price reporting of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products, and (2) the Under Secretary to establish a special initiative to coordinate USDA research relating to classical plant and animal breeding. Amends the Rural Development Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary to increase technical assistance for sustainable local and regional food systems. Amends the the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 to establish the local marketing promotion program (in lieu of the farmers market promotion program) to promote producer-to-consumer marketing, including farmers markets and other local and regional food markets. Directs the Secretary to establish in the Food Safety and Inspection Service technical assistance divisions to provide directly or through grants outreach, education, and training to very small or certain small meat and poultry processing plants. Directs the Secretary to establish an electronic option for meat and poultry label preapproval. Amends the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to provide funding for the national food safety training, education, outreach, and technical assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
Recognizes the importance labor unions play in ensuring a strong middle class by advocating for more equitable wages, humane working conditions, improved benefits, and increased civic engagement by everyday workers.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2011
Diagnostic Imaging Services Access Protection Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from applying a multiple procedure payment reduction policy to the professional component of imaging services furnished: (1) in 2012; or (2) in 2013 or a subsequent year unless the reduction is based on the data, analysis, and conclusions of a study completed by an expert panel of physician members from a national medical speciality society expert in the field of diagnostic imaging services.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2011
Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a 30% tax credit for investment in a qualifying offshore wind facility (an offshore facility using wind to produce electricity), and (2) direct the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a qualifying credit for offshore wind facilities program to consider and award certifications for investments eligible for such a credit to qualifying offshore wind facility sponsors. Requires the Secretary to review credits allocated under this Act and authorizes the Secretary to reallocate such credits upon determining that: (1) there is an insufficient quantity of qualifying applications for certification pending at the time of the review, or (2) scheduled placed-in-service dates of previously certified facilities have been significantly delayed and the applicant will not meet the required timeline.
United States · United States Congress · 14 October 2011
Eliminate Auto Test (EAT) Act of 2011 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to exclude the value of vehicles used for household transportation, or to obtain or continue employment, from the resource limitation for purposes of supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP, formerly food stamps) eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011- Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 500,000 $1 coins emblematic of the mission and programs of the March of Dimes. Permits issuance of such coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2014. Requires all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of such coins to be promptly paid to the March of Dimes to help finance research, education, and services aimed at improving the health of women, infants, and children. Subjects the March of Dimes to federal audit requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
Marketplace Equity Act of 2011 - Authorizes states to require all sellers making remote sales to collect and remit sales and use taxes with respect to such sales into the state, without regard to the location of the seller, if such states implement a simplified system for administration of sales and use tax collection for remote sellers. Requires such a system to include, at a minimum: (1) an exception for remote sellers with gross annual receipts in the preceding calendar year from remote sales not exceeding $1 million in the United States or not exceeding $100,000 in the state, (2) a single sales and use tax return for use by remote sellers and a single revenue authority within the state with which remote sellers are required to file a tax return, and (3) a uniform tax base throughout the state. Defines "remote sale" as a sale of goods or services attributed to a state with respect to which a seller does not have adequate physical presence to establish a nexus so as to allow such state to require such seller to collect and remit taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
Local Flexibility for Transit Assistance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to make urbanized area formula grants for the operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area with a population over 200,000 to a designated recipient, direct recipient, or subrecipient that provides public transportation in the area operating less than 100 buses in fixed-route service in the area during peak service hours. Authorizes a designated recipient or direct recipient that operates at least 100 buses in fixed-route service during peak service hours in an urbanized area with a population of more than 200,000 to use grant funds for the operating costs of public transportation equipment and facilities in such projects if: (1) the recipients are certified by the Secretary as being in a crisis period; and (2) the recipients' percentage of revenue for the operating costs of public transportation equipment and facilities from non-federal sources (excluding system-generated revenue) is equal to the previous fiscal year's revenue, or the revenue is derived from dedicated sources. Specifies percentage limitations on the use of funds for urbanized areas with populations between 200,000 and 500,000, between 500,000 and 1 million, and over 1 million. Defines "crisis period" to mean that: (1) the unemployment rate within the recipients' service area is 7% or higher for the preceding month, or (2) the national average retail price of regular gasoline during a quarter has increased by more than 10%.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
Smuggled Tobacco Prevention Act of 2011 or the STOP Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to restrict the sale, lease, export or import, or delivery of tobacco production machines to persons lawfully engaged in: (1) the sale, lease, export or import, or delivery of such machines; (2) the manufacture or packaging of tobacco products or processed tobacco; or (3) the application of unique identification markings onto tobacco products or processed tobacco packages. Defines "tobacco production machine" as a machine used to manufacture or package tobacco products or processed tobacco or to apply unique identification markings or other tax-payment indicia to packages of tobacco products or processed tobacco. Extends record keeping requirements to wholesalers and retailers of tobacco products and processed tobacco. Requires manufacturers and importers of tobacco products to affix a unique identification marking to each package of tobacco products or processed tobacco prior to sale or distribution in the United States or prior to export. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to design a system of unique identification markings that does not interfere with state, local, or tribal tax stamps and markings. Requires wholesalers of tobacco products to obtain permits for selling or exporting tobacco products. Establishes new criminal offenses relating to the licensing and distribution of tobacco products or processed tobacco. Increases the civil penalty for tobacco-related infractions from $1,000 to $10,000. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to coordinate with other federal agencies and officials to prevent and reduce tobacco tax evasion and contraband trafficking in tobacco products and processed tobacco. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose a civil penalty for the importation of tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes by fraudulent means. Provides for the enforcement of this Act in Indian tribal areas.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2011
Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011 - Directs the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services to require each location of a covered program to meet specified minimum standards if individually or together with other locations it has an effect on interstate commerce. Defines "covered program" as one operated by a public or private entity that with respect to one or more children unrelated to the program owner or operator: (1) provides a residential environment; and (2) operates with a focus on serving children with emotional, behavioral, or mental health problems or disorders, or problems with alcohol or substance abuse. Directs the Assistant Secretary to: (1) implement an ongoing review process for investigating and evaluating reports of child abuse and neglect; (2) establish public websites with information about each covered program, as well as a national toll-free telephone hotline to receive complaints; (3) establish civil penalties for violations of standards; and (4) establish a process to ensure that complaints received by the hotline are promptly reviewed by persons with appropriate expertise. Requires the Assistant Secretary to refer any violation of such standards to the Attorney General for appropriate action. Authorizes the Attorney General to file such a complaint on his or her own initiative regardless of whether such a referral has been made. Amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to establish additional eligibility requirements for grants to states to prevent child abuse and neglect at residential programs. Requires such states to develop policies and procedures to prevent child abuse and neglect at covered programs consistent with the standards specified by this Act. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study outcomes for children in both private and public covered programs under this Act encompassing a broad representation of treatment facilities and geographic regions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2011
Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require mammography facilities to include information regarding the patient's individual measure of breast density in both the written report of the results of a mammography examination provided to the patient's physician and the summary of that written report given to patients. Requires the summary to: (1) convey the patient's risk of developing breast cancer associated with below, above, and average levels of breast density; and (2) include language communicating that individuals with more dense breasts may benefit from supplemental screening tests and should talk with their physicians about any questions or concerns regarding the summary.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2011
Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act of 2011 - Directs the President to establish the Commission to Accelerate the End of Breast Cancer to help end breast cancer by January 1, 2020. Directs the Commission to: (1) identify opportunities and ideas within government and the private sector that are key components in achieving the end of breast cancer and which have been overlooked, yet are ripe for collaboration and investment; (2) recommend projects to leverage such opportunities and ideas in the areas of the primary prevention of breast cancer and the causes and prevention of breast cancer metastasis; and (3) ensure that its activities are coordinated with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, programs and laboratories of other government agencies. Directs the President to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine for an evaluation of the Commission's progress. Terminates the Commission on June 1, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2011
Creating Hope Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise the priority review voucher program for tropical diseases to: (1) include rare pediatric diseases; (2) allow unlimited transfers of vouchers under the program; and (3) require a sponsor intending to use a voucher to notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) at least 90 days (currently, 365 days) before submission of the application. Revises provisions regarding the priority review user fee, including to make it payable upon notification of the Secretary of intent to use the voucher. Authorizes the Secretary, upon request of the manufacturer or sponsor of a new drug, to designate that a new drug is: (1) for a rare pediatric disease, and (2) an eligible treatment. Requires the Secretary to deem a rare pediatric disease product application to be incomplete if it does not contain a description of the sponsor's plan to market the product in the United States. Authorizes the Secretary to refuse to issue a priority review voucher upon the approval of a rare pediatric disease application if the Secretary finds that the sponsor lacks a good faith intention to market the product in the United States. Directs the Secretary to issue a guidance document setting forth the evidentiary support necessary to demonstrate such a good faith intention. Requires sponsors of applications under the priority review voucher program to report to the Secretary within five years after the approval of the application on the demand and distribution of the product within the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2011
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2011 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Benefits) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend the months of coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to make eligible for enrollment in Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), solely for the purpose of such drug coverage, every individual whose insurance benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) have ended by reason of a kidney transplant or the end of any requirement for a regular course of dialysis. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine a monthly premium rate for such individuals equal to 35% of the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees age 65 and over. Prescribes a formula for detemination of a government contribution to such a premium.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2011
American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction that is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine that the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition. Increases the cap on the amount of appropriations that may be used to carry out such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2011
National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission to evaluate and make recommendations regarding better coordination and leveraging of federal programs that relate in any way to supporting appropriate clinical care for people with pre-diabetes and diabetes. Sets forth the duties of the Commission, which shall include: (1) evaluating HHS programs; (2) identifying current activities and critical gaps in federal efforts to support clinicians in providing care to people with pre-diabetes and diabetes; (3) using outcomes-based registry data to evaluate various care models and methods; (4) evaluating and expanding education and awareness to health care professionals regarding clinical practices for the prevention of diabetes and the precursor conditions of diabetes; and (5) developing and testing appropriate methods for outreach and dissemination of educational resources related to diabetes prevention and treatments. Requires the Commission to submit to the Secretary and Congress an operating plan for carrying out the activities of the Commission that includes specific activities the Commission plans to conduct and a budget for such activities.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2011
Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act - Authorizes the President to award a Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Congressional Medal to: (1) the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, (2) the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, and (3) the Pentagon Memorial. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike three designs of such gold medal to honor, respectively: (1) those who lost their lives in the the attack at the World Trade Center, (2) the passengers and crew aboard United Airlines Flight 93 that was brought down in rural Pennsylvania, and (3) those who lost their lives at the Pentagon. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals and to distribute any funds from such sales exceeding costs equally between the three memorial sites.
United States · United States Congress · 2 September 2011
Joint Select Committee on Job Creation Act of 2011 - Establishes the Joint Select Committee on Job Creation, whose goal shall be to restore the nation's workforce to full employment over FY2012 and FY2013. Requires the joint committee to provide recommendations and legislative language that will significantly improve the short-term and long-term employment levels in the United States. Prescribes legislative procedures for consideration in both chambers of the Joint Committee's recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8 West Silver Street in Westfield, Massachusetts, as the "William T. Trant Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth Promise Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention and intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) any deficit reduction plan put forward by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not balance the budget by eroding America's hard-earned retirement plan and social safety net; (2) Medicare's ability to deliver high quality health care in a cost-efficient manner should be strengthened and its benefits should be preserved for current and future retirees; (3) appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security's long-term outlook should ensure that it remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits; and (4) federal funding for the Medicaid program should be maintained so that senior citizens, poor and disabled children, and others with disabilities are able to gain and retain access to affordable health care.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2011
Trisomy 21 Research Resource Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to expand and intensify NIH programs with respect to research and related activities concerning Down syndrome. Requires the Director of NIH to publish a research plan on Down syndrome and update it every five years or as appropriate. Authorizes the Director of NIH to: (1) conduct basic, clinical, and translational research on Down syndrome; (2) award a grant or contract for a registry of individuals with Down syndrome; (3) establish a database including the names, contact information, and each medical condition of individuals with Down syndrome; and (4) expand one or more tissue banks maintained or supported by NIH to identify any tissue harvested from a tissue donor with Down syndrome. Requires consent before including an individual's information in the registry, the database, or the tissue bank. Authorizes the Director of NIH to provide for the participation of NIH agencies in a consortium to facilitate the exchange of information and to make the research effort on Down syndrome more efficient and effective by ensuring consistent communication, minimizing duplication of effort, and integrating the varied perspectives of partner agencies, organizations, and individuals. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) award grants and cooperative agreements for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on Down syndrome; and (2) carry out epidemiological activities regarding Down syndrome.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2011
Trisomy 21 Research Centers of Excellence of 2011- Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to expand and intensify NIH programs with respect to research and related activities concerning Down syndrome. Requires the Director of NIH to publish a research plan on Down syndrome and update it every five years or as appropriate. Requires the Director of NIH to award grants and contracts to public or nonprofit private entities to pay all or part of the cost of planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic operating support for centers of excellence regarding translational research on Down syndrome. Sets forth requirements for such centers, which shall include: (1) contributing to a comprehensive research portfolio for Down syndrome, (2) having a primary focus on Down syndrome, (3) providing an optimal venue and infrastructure for patient-oriented research, and (4) conducting basic, clinical, and translational research on Down syndrome in specified areas. Authorizes the Director of NIH to establish a Down Syndrome Consortium to facilitate the exchange of information and to make the research effort on Down syndrome more efficient and effective.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to impose restrictions on foreign jurisdictions or financial institutions operating in the United States that are of prime money laundering concern or that impede U.S. tax enforcement. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a rebuttable presumption against the validity of transactions by institutions that do not comply with reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), (2) treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for tax purposes, (3) require tax withholding agents and financial institutions to report certain information about beneficial owners of foreign-owned financial accounts, (4) treat credit default swap payments sent offshore as taxable U.S. source income, (5) allow the use of tax return information to evaluate foreign financial account reports, (6) increase penalties for promoting abusive tax shelters and for aiding and abetting the understatement of tax liability, (7) prohibit tax advisor contingent fee agreements for obtaining a tax savings or benefit, and (8) impose additional requirements for third party summonses used to obtain information in tax investigations that do not identify the person with respect to whose liability the summons is issued (i.e., John Doe summons). Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to: (1) require corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report annually, on a country-by country basis, on employees, sales, financing, tax obligations, and tax payments; and (2) authorize a fine of up to $1 million for failure to disclose any holding or transaction involving equity or debt instruments known to involve a foreign entity that would otherwise be subject to disclosure requirements. Requires the Secretary to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register requiring unregistered investment companies, including hedge funds or private equity funds, to establish anti-money laundering programs and submit suspicious activity reports. Extends anti-money laundering requirements to persons engaged in the business of forming new businesses or other legal entities. Requires federal banking agencies and the SEC to develop examination techniques to detect and prevent abusive tax shelter activities or the aiding or abetting of tax evasion by financial institutions. Requires the Secretary to: (1) disclose tax return information to federal financial regulators for purposes of tax shelter investigations; (2) disclose to Congress documents relating to a determination to grant, deny, revoke, or restore the tax-exempt status of an organization; and (3) expand the standards applicable to tax practitioners for issuing written advice on transactions which have a potential for tax avoidance or evasion.
![Official portrait of Rep. Tsongas, Niki [D-MA-3]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/t000465_200.jpg)