United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Constitutional Amendment - Authorizes the repeal of any federal law or regulation when the legislatures of two-thirds of the states approve resolutions for this purpose that particularly describe the provisions to be repealed.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
Prohibits any federal department, agency, or court from taking any action that would prohibit, interfere with, regulate, or otherwise restrict the interstate traffic of milk, or a milk product, that is unpasteurized and packaged for direct human consumption based on the determination that solely because the milk or milk product is unpasteurized, it is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise in violation of federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends the Balance Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to establish the aggregate projected outlay (outlay cap) (less net interest payments) for FY2012 at $3.382 billion, less 1%. Reduces each outlay cap for FY2013-FY2017 by 1% of the previous fiscal year's outlay cap. Requires the outlay cap for FY2018 and each subsequent fiscal year to be 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for that fiscal year as estimated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prohibits the outlay caps from being less than those for the preceding fiscal year for FY2019 and any ensuing fiscal year. Requires a sequestration by OMB within 45 days after the beginning of a fiscal year to eliminate any excess outlay amount. Prescribes requirements for Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and OMB sequestration preview reports and an OMB final sequestration report, accompanied by a presidential order detailing uniform spending reductions equal to the excess outlay amount. Requires the House and the Senate budget committees to report a resolution directing the committees of their respective chambers to change existing law to achieve the spending reductions outlined in the OMB August 20 report to meet the outlay limits, if a sequestration is projected. States that if, after November 15, a bill resulting in outlays for the current fiscal year is enacted that causes excess outlays, the excess outlays for the next fiscal year shall be increased by the amount or amounts of that breach. Repeals provisions of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act terminating Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) enforcement mechanisms under such Act. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to make it out of order in both chambers to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, or conference report that includes any provision that would cause the most recently reported, current outlay limits in the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to be exceeded. Prescribes procedures for waiver or suspension of this rule.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
Freedom to Invest Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the election allowed to a U.S. corporation to deduct dividends received from a controlled foreign corporation to the corporation's last taxable year beginning before the enactment of this Act or the first taxable year beginning during the one-year period beginning on such enactment date, and (2) reduce the amount of such tax deduction for corporations that fail to maintain specified employment levels for full-time U.S. employees.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Home Construction Lending Regulatory Improvement Act of 2011 - Directs the appropriate federal banking agencies to initiate a coordinated rulemaking with respect to financial institutions under their respective jurisdictions that make real estate loans to home builders. Requires such rulemaking to provide for: (1) elimination of the 100% of bank capital measurement, (2) realistic market-based appraisals, and (3) a prohibition against compelling lenders to call or curtail loans in good standing. Prohibits a federal banking agency also from preventing a qualified financial institution from making a real estate loan to a home builder that has a viable project.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Consumer Relief for Pain at the Pump Act - Sets forth a deadline for action on certain permit applications under existing Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leases. Amends the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to repeal the moratorium on oil and gas leasing in certain areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to offer for leasing areas made available as a result of such repeal. Instructs the Secretary to: (1) offer specified areas for oil and gas leasing pursuant to certain Lease Sale Schedules, (2) conduct OCS lease sales in specified Planning Areas, (3) share OCS receipts derived from all leases with states and local governments, (4) implement a leasing program for certain land within the Arctic Coastal Plain, and (5) issue rights-of-way and easements across the Coastal Plain for oil and gas transportation. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to designate certain Coastal Plain lands, including the Sadlerochit Spring area, as Special Areas requiring special management and regulatory protection. Revokes a specified Secretarial Order relating to protecting wilderness characteristics on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 to repeal the prohibition on the use of funds for either a commercial oil shale leasing program or for oil shale lease sales. Directs the Secretary to offer leases for oil shale resources. Confers exclusive jurisdiction upon the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for covered energy projects under this Act. Establishes the Office of the Federal Oil and Gas Permit Coordinator. Instructs the Secretary to establish and maintain, in coordination with the Mayor of the North Slope Borough of Alaska, a separate Alaska Offshore Continental Shelf Coordination Office to coordinate the leasing program. Amends the Clean Air Act to redefine "air pollutant" to exclude carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or sulfur hexafluoride (greenhouse gases). Declares that nothing in specified statutes addressing pollution control shall be treated as authorizing or requiring the regulation of climate change or global warming. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal the prohibition against federal procurement of alternative or synthetic fuel. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), upon request of the governor of a state or the governing body of an Indian tribe, to enter into a streamlined refinery permitting agreement. Sets forth deadlines for: (1) approval or disapproval of consolidated permits for construction of new or expansion of existing refineries, and (2) submission of existing refinery permit applications. Requires the EPA Administrator to conduct a research and demonstration program to evaluate the air quality benefits of ultra-clean Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuel, including diesel and jet fuel.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
American Job Protection Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal provisions added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requiring certain employers who have a workforce of 50 or more full-time employees to provide health insurance coverage for their employees.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Surface Transportation and Taxation Equity Act or the STATE Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the federal excise tax on gasoline and special fuels (but not below two cents per gallon) by corresponding increases in fuel taxes imposed by states as of May 5, 2011 (the date of introduction of this Act).
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2011
Community Banks Serving Their Communities First Act or Communities First Act - Revises regulatory requirements for community banks, including through amendments to: (1) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to permit certain insured depository institutions to submit a short form report of condition, and (2) the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to exempt certain small-sized depository institutions from the annual management assessment of internal controls requirements. Directs the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve Board) to publish in the Federal Register certain proposed revisions to the Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement on Assessment of Financial and Managerial Factors relating to: (1) certain bank holding companies with pro forma consolidated assets of less than $1 billion, and (2) an increased debt-to-equity ratio allowable for a small bank holding company. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to direct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to: (1) ensure that information, documents, and reports accurately and appropriately reflect the business model of a registered security issuer; (2) approve any new or amended generally accepted accounting principle only if it would have no negative economic impact on certain small-sized insured depository institutions; (3) increase the shareholder registration threshold for certain banks and bank holding companies; and (4) terminate the registration of any class of security, in the case of a bank or bank holding company, whose holders of record are reduced to less than 1700 persons. Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to: (1) authorize the Financial Stability Oversight Council to set aside a final regulation prescribed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) if the Council decides that it would be inconsistent with the safe and sound operation of U.S. financial institutions, or could adversely impact disproportionately a subset of the banking industry; and (2) repeal the authority of the Federal Reserve Board to delegate to the CFPB its authority to examine persons for compliance with federal consumer financial laws. Amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) to instruct the Federal Reserve Board to exempt from escrow or impound account requirements any loan secured by a first lien on a consumer's principal dwelling, if the loan is held by a creditor with assets of $10 billion or less. Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to exempt certain financial institutions from furnishing a mandatory annual privacy notice. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) assess, for certain guaranteed business and industry loans for rural communities under $5 million, a one-time fee of 1% or less of the loan's guaranteed principal; and (2) establish a preferred certified lender's program for specified lenders. Amends the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to require a government authority to reimburse fees incurred by certain small-sized financial institutions with assets of $10 billion or less for all records required to be furnished for federal law enforcement or investigative purposes. Authorizes specified institutions to amortize losses or write-downs on a quarterly straight-line basis over a 10-year period for purposes of capital calculation under the Financial Institutions Examination Council's Consolidated Reports of Condition. Authorizes an insured depository institution, for purposes of determining statutory capital requirements or measuring capital, to average, over a five-year period, the appraised value of any real estate securing a loan held by the institution. Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act regarding review of reliance on credit ratings to direct federal regulatory agencies to require, in specified circumstances, that ratings-based determinations be confirmed by an analysis of the probability of a loss from holding an asset. Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act with respect to requirements with which a financial institution must comply in collecting data for evaluation of a credit application by a women-owned, minority-owned, or small business. Applies such requirements only to financial institutions having over $1 billion in assets (thus exempting smaller financial institutions). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) defer income recognition on long-term certificates of deposit held by cash basis individuals, (2) exclude from gross income any interest on loans secured by agricultural real property, (3) increase the cap on qualified small issue bonds, (4) allow certain FDIC-insured financial institutions with $10 billion or less in gross assets to elect partnership (limited liability company) tax treatment, and (5) set forth special rules for Roth IRAs for individuals under age 26 (young savers' accounts). Reduces by 20% (up to $250,000) the aggregate tax for a community bank, and by 50% (up to $500,000) for community banks operating in specified distressed areas. Allows similar aggregate tax reductions for small-sized community banks that are subchapter S corporations. Subjects to certain IRS principles a qualifying investment in specified small bank issuers in the same manner as if such investment had been made by the Department of the Treasury. Prescribes requirements for a five-year net operating loss carryback for 2010 and 2011 for certain community banks. Increases to 200 the shareholder limit for small business subchapter S corporations. Permits the issuance of preferred stock for subchapter S corporations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2011
Supports efforts to retain the ban on the ability of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to lobby state legislators using federal tax dollars. Recognizes the importance of motorcycle crash prevention as the primary source of motorcycle safety. Encourages NHTSA to: (1) focus on motorcycle crash prevention and rider education as the most significant priorities in motorcycle safety; and (2) provide Congress a statement why it believes it is less important to focus on motorcycle crash prevention, rider education and training, proper licensing, and reducing impaired riding than on mandating universal helmet use. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that any law that supersedes state laws regarding the use of helmets as it applies to denial of health coverage and benefits resulting from an injury sustained while riding a motorcycle should not be implemented.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to exempt traditional large and premium cigars from regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and from user fees assessed on tobacco products by the FDA.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to increase from $200 to $1,000 the aggregate retail value of articles that may be imported duty-free into the United States by one person on one day. Changes from a maximum of $2,500 to a minimum of $2,500 the threshold aggregate value of a shipment of merchandise for the declaration and entry of which the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to prescribe rules and regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
Family Health Care Accessibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to deem a health professional volunteer providing primary health care to an individual at a community health center to be an employee of the Public Health Service for purposes of any civil action that may arise from providing services to patients. Sets forth conditions for such liability protection, including: (1) the service is provided to the individual at a community health center or through offsite programs or events carried out by such center; and (2) the health care practitioner does not receive any compensation for providing the service, except repayment for reasonable expenses. Considers an entity as sponsoring the health care practitioner if the entity submits an application to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Secretary determines that the health care practitioner is deemed to be an employee of the Public Health Service. Requires the Attorney General to submit to Congress an estimate of the amount of claims (together with related fees and expenses of witnesses) that, by reason of the actions or omissions of health professional volunteers, will be paid pursuant to this Act annually. Requires the Secretary to transfer such estimated amount from the claims fund to the appropriate accounts in the Treasury, subject to the extent of amounts in the fund. Makes this Act effective on October 1, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2011
State Highway Flexibility Act - Allows a state to elect not to participate in the federal-aid highway program, including any federal highway program under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), beginning in FY2011, to carry out a direct federal-aid highway program to permit a state governor or chief executive officer, at least 90 days before the beginning of a fiscal year, to elect to: (1) waive the state's right to receive apportioned or allocated funds under the federal-aid highway program, and (2) receive instead a prorated amount of taxes appropriated to the Highway Trust Fund (other than for the Mass Transit Account) which are attributable to highway users in the state. Requires a pro rata reduction of such tax-equivalent amount in order to fund contract authority for programs of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Requires the state governor or chief executive officer making an election to: (1) agree to maintain the Interstate System in accordance with its current Interstate System program; (2) submit a plan describing the purposes, projects, and uses to which such amounts will be put and the federal-aid highway programmatic requirements the state elects to continue; and (3) agree to obligate program amounts exclusively for projects that would be eligible for surface transportation program funding. Directs the Secretary to carry out a similar alternative funding program for public transportation programs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers to designate on their income tax returns a payment of $1 or more to the general fund of the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish cost-effective procedures to ensure that: (1) a Social Security account number (or any derivative) is not displayed, coded, or embedded on the Medicare card issued to an individual entitled to benefits under part A (Hospital Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act or enrolled under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance); and (2) any other identifier displayed on such card is easily identifiable as not being the Social Security account number (or a derivative).
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act of 2011 - Prohibits: (1) conducting invasive research on great apes; (2) possessing, maintaining, or housing a great ape for the purpose of conducting invasive research; (3) using federal funds to conduct such research on a great ape or to support an entity conducting or facilitating invasive research on a great ape either within or outside of the United States; (4) knowingly breeding a great ape for the purpose of conducting or facilitating such research; (5) transporting, moving, delivering receiving, leasing, renting, donating, purchasing, selling, or borrowing a great ape in interstate or foreign commerce for conducting or facilitating such research; and (6) transferring federal ownership of a great ape to a non-federal entity unless the entity is a suitable sanctuary. Defines "great ape" as any chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon. Defines "invasive research" as research that may cause death, injury, pain, distress, fear, or trauma to great apes, including drug testing or exposure to a substance or isolation, social deprivation, or other experimental manipulations that may be detrimental to the ape's health or psychological well-being. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to effectuate the permanent retirement of all great apes that are owned by the federal government and that are being maintained in any facility for the purpose of breeding for, holding for, or conducting invasive research. Sets forth civil penalties for violations of this Act. Establishes in the Treasury the Great Ape Sanctuary System Fund to be administered by the Secretary for construction, renovation, and operation of the sanctuary system for surplus chimpanzees.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2011
SDHV Energy Efficiency Standards for America Act of 2011 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to revise energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and central air conditioning heat pumps by requiring: (1) the seasonal energy efficiency ratio of small-duct, high-velocity systems to be no less than 11.00 for products manufactured on or after January 23, 2006; and (2) the heating seasonal performance factor of such systems to be 6.8 for products manufactured on or after such date. Defines "small-duct, high-velocity systems" to mean a heating and cooling product that contains a blower and indoor coil combination that: (1) is designed for, and produces, at least 1.2 inches of external static pressure when operated at the certified air volume rate of 220-350 cubic feet per minute per rated ton of cooling; and (2) when applied in the field, uses high velocity room outlets generally greater than 1,000 feet per minute that have less than 6.0 square inches of free area. Authorizes the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to amend by rule the standards established for such systems. Prohibits amended standards from taking effect less than five years after the final rule making the amendment is published. Requires the Secretary to determine whether standards for such systems should be amended no later than June 30, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Prohibits total outlays for any fiscal year from exceeding 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the preceding calendar year unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess over such 18%. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Prohibits any bill from becoming law that imposes a new tax or increases the statutory rate of any tax or the aggregate amount of revenue, unless approved by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber. Requires a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber to increase the federal debt limit. Authorizes waivers of these requirements: (1) when a declaration of war is in effect against a nation-state and Congress, by a majority roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess; or (2) under other specified circumstances involving military conflict, if Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes such waiver. Prohibits a federal or state court from ordering any increase in revenue to enforce this article.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Expresses support for the designation of Ten Commandments Weekend. Celebrates the significant role the Ten Commandments have played in the development of public and private U.S. institutions. Encourages citizens of all faiths and religious persuasions to reflect on the impact that the Ten Commandments have had on the people and national character of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
Establishing Public Accountability Act of 2011 - Requires notice of a rule making by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to include a statement that identifies any net gain or loss of domestic jobs that is likely to result if the rule is adopted and the analysis used to identify that net gain or loss.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
Returned Exclusively For Unpaid National Debt Act or REFUND Act - Rescinds unwanted amounts, as identified by a state from a projected allocation, from any federal funds required to be allocated by formula among all states that agree to use them for a specified purpose. Prescribes a procedure by which a state legislature may identify a projected federal allocation as unwanted funds. Requires such rescinded amounts to: (1) be deposited by the Secretary of the Treasury in the special fund account entitled "Gifts to Reduce Debt Held by the Public, Bureau of the Public Debt, Treasury"; and (2) be used to reduce the federal debt.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Secure Border Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs a comprehensive strategy for gaining operational control of the international borders of the United States within five years.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
3-D, Domestic Jobs, Domestic Energy, and Deficit Reduction Act of 2011 - Considers that the Secretary of the Interior has approved the Draft Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2010-2015 as a final oil and gas leasing program under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. Deems the Secretary to have issued a final environmental impact statement for such Program under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a lease sale in each outer Continental Shelf planning area for which there is a commercial interest in purchasing federal oil and gas production leases, (2) approve or disapprove a drill permit application within 20 days after submission, and (3) hold lease sales for specified areas in the Central Gulf of Mexico, Western Gulf of Mexico, and the state of Virginia. Grants the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit exclusive jurisdiction over challenges to offshore energy projects and permits to drill carried out in the Gulf of Mexico. Directs the Secretary to implement an oil and gas leasing program in land within the 1002 Coastal Plain Area of Alaska. Authorizes the Secretary to designate up to 45,000 acres of the Coastal Plain as a special area for preservation of its unique and diverse character. Directs the Secretary to: (1) administer the leasing program with respect to Coastal Plain environmental protection according to the no significant adverse effect standard, (2) issue rights-of-way and easements across the Coastal Plain for the transportation of oil and gas, and (3) convey specified surface estates to the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation and to the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Establishes the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Alternative Energy Trust Fund. Amends the Oil Shale, Tar Sands, and Other Strategic Unconventional Fuels Act of 2005 to require the Secretary to conduct related lease sales in any state during any period when there is sufficient state support and interest in the development of tar sands and oil shale resources. Grants the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia exclusive jurisdiction to hear all causes and claims arising from any covered project of federal land leasing for exploitation of oil, natural gas, or any other source or form of energy. Amends NEPA to require completion and review of environmental impact statements within 270 days after their commencement or the action concerned shall be considered a final agency action with no significant environmental impact. Amends the Clean Air Act to: (1) declare that carbon dioxide, methane from agriculture or livestock, and water vapor are not air pollutants; and (2) require an economic analysis of any requirement of the Act that results in an adverse effect on employment. Requires the Secretary of commerce to establish an economic review board to assess such an analysis. Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) to require the the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce, as appropriate, upon a state governor's declaration of an emergency, to exempt from the prohibition against taking, and against adverse modification of critical habitat, any action reasonably necessary to avoid or ameliorate the impact of the emergency, including the operation of any water supply or flood control project by a federal agency. Prohibits consideration of the impact of greenhouse gas on any species of fish or wildlife or plant for any purpose in the implementation of the ESA. Instructs the Administrator of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to approve the specification of the areas described in the notice entitled "Final Determination of the Assistant Administrator for Water Pursuant to Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act Concerning the Spruce No. 1 Mine, Logan County, WV." Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to issue or reissue each lease for the production of oil or gas in the state of Utah that was canceled during calendar years 2009 through 2011. Prohibits the Bureau of Reclamation of the Department of the Interior and any California state agency operating a water project in connection with the Central Valley Project from restricting operations of an applicable project pursuant to any biological opinion issued under ESA if it would result in a level of allocation of water less than the historical maximum allocation under the project. Directs the Secretary of State to expedite the permit request for the Keystone XL pipeline without considering greenhouse gas impacts during the permit review process. Instructs the EPA Administrator to issue without further review or analysis a permit to Shell Oil Company to drill for oil in the Beaufort Sea. Prohibits the award or federal payment of legal fees to an environmental nongovernmental organization in connection with any action: (1) preventing, terminating, or reducing access to production of energy, mineral resources, water by agricultural producers, a resource by commercial or recreational fishermen, or grazing or timber production on federal land; (2) diminishing a property owner's private property value; or (3) eliminating or preventing one or more jobs.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, during a federal funding gap impacting the Armed Forces, to transfer to the Secretary of Defense (DOD), and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) in the case of the Coast Guard, amounts necessary to continue to provide pay and allowances to members of the Armed Forces, including the reserves, who perform active service during the funding gap. Prohibits any such transfer after December 31, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Healthcare Fiscal Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to convert specified funding under such Act from a direct appropriation to an authorization of appropriations or from a transfer to an authorization of such transfer, including funding for: (1) the establishment of a temporary high-risk pool for uninsured individuals with preexisting conditions, (2) the establishment of a temporary reinsurance program for early retirees, (3) health insurance exchanges, and (4) the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Rescinds or restores the unobligated balances of funds available pursuant to such direct appropriations or transfers, respectively. Repeals provisions of PPACA, as if such provisions had not been enacted, that appropriate funds to the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP) for allotments to states, the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund, and outreach and enrollment grants. Repeals provisions of PPACA appropriating funds, except with respect to FY2010 or FY2011, for: (1) allotments to states for abstinence education, (2) special projects of regional and national significance for the development and support of family-to-family health information centers for families of children with disabilities or special health care needs, and (3) the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information. Rescinds the unobligated portion of funds available pursuant to such provisions for FY2010-FY2011.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the 15-year recovery period classification for qualified leasehold improvement, restaurant, and retail improvement property, for purposes of the depreciation tax deduction.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and (2) make permanent the maximum 35% gift tax rate and a $5 million lifetime gift tax exemption.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Student Visa Security Improvement Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) require DHS employees to review the applications, conduct in-person interviews where appropriate, and conduct on-site reviews of applications and supporting documentation with respect to student and exchange program visa applicants prior to final visa adjudication, with emphasis on determining whether an applicant is inadmissible for terrorist-related activities; (2) require an institution or exchange visitor program participating in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program to ensure that each covered student or exchange visitor is an active program participant, is observed, and is reported to DHS if he or she transfers institutions or academic majors; (3) provide Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) access to appropriate employees of a SEVIS program sponsor under specified circumstances; and (4) require a SEVIS upgrade to add data fields that include verification that students are meeting minimum academic standards.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act or the Small BREW Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the rate of the excise tax on beer produced within or imported into the United States for brewers who produce not more than 6 million barrels of beer a year.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Access to Professional Health Insurance Advisors Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to exclude remuneration paid for licensed independent insurance producers from administrative cost calculations for purposes of calculating the medical-loss ratio of a health insurance plan. Defines "independent insurance producer" to mean an insurance agent or broker, insurance consultant, benefit specialist, limited insurance representative, and any other person required to be licensed under the laws of the particular state to sell, solicit, negotiate, service, effect, procure, renew, or bind policies of insurance coverage or offer advice, counsel, opinions, or services related to insurance. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), when a state requests an adjustment of a medical-loss ratio, to defer to the state's findings and determinations as to whether enforcing the required medical-loss ratio may destabilize the individual or small group markets for health insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Commodity Exchange Act to direct both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to prohibit purchase or sale of either securities, security-based swaps, or commodities for future delivery or swap by a person in possession of material nonpublic information regarding pending or prospective legislative action if the information was obtained: (1) knowingly from a Member or employee of Congress, (2) by reason of being a Member or employee of Congress, or (3) from other federal employees and derived from their federal employment. Amends the Code of Official Conduct of the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit any Member, officer, or employee of the House from disclosing material nonpublic information relating to any pending or prospective legislative action relating to any publicly-traded company or to any commodity if such person has reason to believe that the information will be used to buy or sell the securities of that publicly traded company or that commodity for future delivery based on such information. Directs both the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives to hold hearings on the implementation by the CFTC and the SEC of such financial transaction prohibitions. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require formal disclosure of certain securities and commodities futures transactions to either the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to subject to its registration, reporting, and disclosure requirements, as well as requirements for identification of clients and covered legislative and executive officials, all political intelligence activities, contacts, firms, and consultants. Requires the Comptroller General to include political intelligence activities, contacts, firms, and consultants in its annual compliance audits and reports.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act of 2011 - Amends federal bankruptcy law to permit an individual debtor to exempt from the property of the estate in bankruptcy the debtor's aggregate interest, not to exceed $3,000, in a single rifle, shotgun, or pistol or any combination of them.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Community Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness Act of 2011 - Amends the Webb-Kenyon Act to: (1) state that it is the policy of Congress to recognize and reaffirm that alcohol is different from other consumer products and that it should continue to be regulated by the states, and (2) prohibit states or territories from discriminating against out-of-state producers of alcoholic beverages in favor of in-state or in-territory producers unless such states or territories can demonstrate that that such discrimination advances a legitimate local purpose that cannot be adequately served by reasonable nondiscriminatory alternatives. Amends the Wilson Act to eliminate the requirement that a state or territory regulate all fermented, distilled, or other intoxicating liquors or liquids transported into such jurisdiction to the same extent and in the same manner as such liquors or liquids produced in such jurisdiction.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
GSE Bailout Elimination and Taxpayer Protection Act - Sets a deadline for the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to terminate the conservatorship of either the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) if the Director determines that it is financially viable. (Refers to both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as enterprises [government-sponsored enterprises, or GSEs].) Requires the Director to appoint the FHFA immediately as receiver of either enterprise if it is found not to be financially viable. Amends the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (FHEFSSA) to repeal: (1) its housing goals, and (2) the housing trust fund. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to restrict the authority of an enterprise to acquire mortgage assets following its emergence from conservatorship. Repeals certain temporary, general, and permanent high-cost area increases to conforming loan limits. Establishes new conforming loan limits. Amends FHEFSSA to require the Director to require each enterprise to charge a guarantee fee, in connection with any mortrgage guaranteed after a specified three-year period, in an amount equivalent to that which the enterprise would charge if it were held to the same capital standards as private banks or financial institutions. Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act (FNMACA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act (FHLMCA) to prohibit reduction in the rate of dividends paid on each enterprise's Variable Liquidation Preference Senior Preferred Stock. Amends FHEFSSA to require the Director to establish minimum levels of capital for the enterprises, including levels in excess of such minimums as necessary or appropriate in light of an enterprise's particular circumstances. Authorizes the Director to deem failure of an enterprise to maintain revised minimum capital levels to constitute an unsafe and unsound condition. Amends FNMACA and FHLMCA to: (1) prohibit the enterprises from purchasing mortgages if the mortgagor has paid less than the specified minimum downpayment; and (2) require the enterprises to pay state and local taxes. Repeals the exemption of mortgage-backed securities and subordinate obligations of Fannie Mae, as well as mortgage-backed securities of Freddie Mac, from regulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), thus subjecting such securities and obligations to SEC regulation. Prescribes a deadline and procedures for the wind down of operations and dissolution of an enterprise three years after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Welfare Reform Act of 2011 - Welfare Reform Restoration Act - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to revise the TANF program by: (1) eliminating the temporary modification of the caseload reduction credit, and (2) reducing funding of state family assistance grants. Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to: (1) restore its former name, the Food Stamp Act of 1977, and restore its text as if the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 had not been enacted; (2) rename supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits as the food stamp program; (3) revise work requirements for the food stamp program; and (4) require able-bodied work eligible adult members of a family unit to participate in a work activation program during a full month of participation in the food stamp program, fulfilling specified levels of work activity during that month. (Work activation means, not employment, but supervised job search, community service activities, education and job training, workfare, or drug and alcohol treatment.) Specifies a financial reward for any state that reduces its food stamp caseload below calendar 2006 levels. Requires the President to include means-tested welfare spending in every budget submission. Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to define and establish an aggregate cap for means-tested welfare spending. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide grants to states to reward reductions in poverty and government dependence and increases in self-sufficiency. Prohibits the expenditure for abortions, with certain exceptions, of any funds authorized or appropriated by federal law, and funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by federal law. Prohibits funding for health benefits plans that cover abortion. Prohibits the allowance of any tax credit with respect to amounts paid or incurred for an abortion or with respect to amounts paid or incurred for a health benefits plan (including premium assistance) that includes coverage of abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to permit a health plan to decline coverage of specific items and services that are contrary to the religious beliefs of the sponsor, issuer, or other entity offering the plan or the purchaser or beneficiary (in the case of individual coverage) without penalty. Declares that such plans are still considered to: (1) be providing the essential health benefits package or preventive health services, (2) be a qualified health plan, and (3) have fulfilled other requirements under PPACA. Declares that nothing in PPACA shall be construed to authorize a health plan to require a provider to provide, participate in, or refer for a specific item or service contrary to the provider's religious beliefs or moral convictions. Prohibits a health plan from being considered to have failed to provide timely or other access to items or services or to fulfill any other requirement under PPACA because it has respected the rights of conscience of such a provider. Prohibits an American Health Benefit Exchange (a state health insurance exchange) or other official or entity acting in a governmental capacity in the course of implementing PPACA from discriminating against a health plan, plan sponsor, health care provider, or other person because of an unwillingness to provide coverage of, participate in, or refer for, specific items or services. Creates a private cause of action for the protection of individual rights created under this Act. Authorizes any person or entity to assert a violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding. Designates the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to receive and investigate complaints of discrimination based on this Act. Makes this Act effective as if it were included in PPACA.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2011
Decrease Spending Now Act - Rescinds $45 billion of unobligated balances of current discretionary appropriations. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) determine which appropriation accounts the rescission shall apply to and the amount that each such account shall be reduced, and (2) report to the Secretary of the Treasury and Congress a list of the accounts reduced by the rescission, including the amounts rescinded from each such account. Exempts from such rescission the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Social Security Administration (SSA).
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2011
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Reform Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to revise the civil penalties for violations of firearms law and the procedures for assessing such penalties. Requires fines to be based upon the nature and severity of the violation, the size of the firearms business involved, and the prior record of the firearm's licensee. Prohibits consideration of the amount of fines or license revocations imposed by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in the retention, promotion, or transfer of such agents. Revises the definition of "willfully" for purposes of firearms violations and standards for criminal violations of firearms recordkeeping requirements. Declares that repetition of a recordkeeping violation, regardless of frequency, shall not be considered evidence that the licensee committed the violation knowingly and in intentional disregard of a legal duty. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) make preliminary determinations on firearms license applications and notify applicants in writing of a proposed denial; and (2) establish guidelines for ATF inspections, examinations, or investigations of possible firearms violations. Permits an owner of a firearms business whose license is expired, surrendered, or revoked 60 days to liquidate inventory. Allows purchasers of existing firearms businesses the right to cure firearms violations attributable to such businesses. Allows the transfer, possession, and importation of machineguns for industry testing, research and training, national security services, and motion picture or television production. Eliminates the requirement of written permission for the use of a handgun for lawful purposes by a minor (under age 18) where a parent or legal guardian is present at all times during such use. Revises firearms licensee recordkeeping requirements, including by prohibiting: (1) the Attorney General from electronically recording firearms transaction information of a discontinued firearms or ammunition business by name or personal identification code; and (2) any rule or regulation or administration action from establishing any comprehensive or partial system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or dispositions. Directs the Attorney General to authorize the importation of all frames or receivers of rifles, or barrels for firearms other than handguns, if the importation is for repair or replacement purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Seniors' Tax Simplification Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make available a new federal income tax Form 1040SR (similar to Form 1040EZ) to individuals who have turned 65 as of the close of the taxable year. Allows the form to be used even if income includes: (1) social security benefits; (2) distributions from qualified retirement plans, annuities, or other such deferred payment arrangements; (3) interest and dividends; or (4) capital gains and losses.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2011
Regulatory Openness, Accountability, and Disclosure to Jobs Act of 2011 or the ROAD to Jobs Act of 2011 - Amends the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to require the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), no later than December 31 of each year, to report on: (1) the number of federal permits applied for but not issued during that year because an environmental impact statement (EIS) was not issued; and (2) descriptions of the federal permits for which EISs were issued that were rejected or otherwise disapproved in that year. Requires such report to include a description of the economic impact of not issuing each permit. Defines "permit" to mean any license, certificate, approval, registration, charter, membership, exemption, or other form of permission required by federal law for the conduct of activity.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
English Language Unity Act of 2011- Makes English the official language of the United States. Requires, subject to exceptions and rules of construction, that: (1) official functions of the United States be conducted in English; and (2) all naturalization ceremonies be conducted in English. Establishes a uniform English language rule for naturalization. Makes English language requirements and workplace policies, whether in the public or private sector, presumptively consistent with the laws of the United States. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue for public notice and comment a proposed rule for uniform testing of English language ability of candidates for naturalization based upon the principles that: (1) all citizens should be able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the laws of the United States; and (2) any exceptions to this standard should be limited to extraordinary circumstances, such as asylum.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Wireless Tax Fairness Act of 2011- Prohibits states or local governments from imposing any new discriminatory tax on mobile services, mobile service providers, or mobile service property (i.e., cell phones) for five years after the enactment of this Act. Defines "new discriminatory tax" as a tax imposed on mobile services, providers, or property that is not generally imposed on other types of services or property, or that is generally imposed at a lower rate, unless such tax was imposed and actually enforced prior to the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation and Recreation Act - Designates specified land and inland water within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, to be known as the Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Health Care Waiver Fairness Act of 2011 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Treasury to establish waiver processes under which the administrator of a health plan, an employer, an individual, or other entity may seek to waive the application of a health insurance coverage requirement under PPACA. Sets forth PPACA requirements that may be waived, including those related to minimum essential coverage and employers offering health care coverage to employees. Establishes requirements for the waiver process, including requiring submission of a statement describing how the imposition of the PPACA requirement would result in a significant decrease in access to coverage or a significant increase in premiums or other costs for such plan, employer, individual, or entity. Deems to be approved any waiver including such a statement. Requires the Secretary of HHS to conduct a public awareness campaign of the waiver process with funds made available for the Prevention and Public Health Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from deciding any issue on the authority of foreign law, except to the extent that the Constitution or an Act of Congress requires such consideration.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Secret Ballot Protection Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it an unfair labor practice for: (1) an employer to recognize or bargain collectively with a labor organization that has not been selected by a majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for such purposes in a secret ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and (2) a labor organization to cause or attempt to cause an employer to recognize or bargain collectively with a representative that has not been selected in such manner.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
Accepts in the name of the United States the statue of Gerald R. Ford furnished by the people of Michigan for placement in the U.S. Capitol. Tenders the thanks of Congress to the people of Michigan for providing this commemoration. Authorizes Michigan to use the rotunda of the Capitol on May 3, 2011, for a presentation ceremony.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2011
Rising Tides Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce from 35% to 23% the maximum income tax rate for corporations, including personal service corporations; and (2) repeal certain requirements and limitations on the tax deduction for cash dividends received by a corporation which is a U.S. shareholder from a controlled foreign corporation and make such deduction permanent.
![Official portrait of Rep. Walberg, Tim [R-MI-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000798_200.jpg)