United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2011
Computer Professionals Update Act or CPU Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revise and expand the exemption from overtime and minimum wage requirements for any employee who is an analyst, computer programmer, software engineer, or other skilled worker. Extends the exemption to any employee working broadly in a computer or information technology (IT) occupation, including but not limited to work related to computers, information systems, components, networks, software, hardware, databases, security, the Internet, intranet, or websites. Adds to the current occupations cited designer, developer, and administrator. Applies such exemption to IT professionals: (1) whose primary duties include, among other things, network or database analysis, consulting with users, and directing the work or training of individuals performing such duties; and (2) who are paid at a rate of at least $27.63 an hour (as under current law) or on a salary basis.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2011
Sensible Accounting to Value Energy Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to issue guidelines for all federal mortgage agencies (including the Federal National Mortgage Association [Fannie Mae], the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation [Freddie Mac], and any affiliates) to implement enhanced loan eligibility requirements, for use when determining the ability of a loan applicant to repay a covered loan, that account for the expected costs of energy at the property involved. Directs the Secretary to issue guidelines for how covered agencies shall determine: (1) the maximum permitted loan amount based on the value of the property for all covered loans made on properties with an energy efficiency report, and (2) the estimated energy savings for properties with such a report. Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to require rules by the federal financial institutions regulatory agency and the Resolution Trust Corporation for real estate appraisals for federally related transactions to require that state-certified appraisers have timely access, whenever practicable, to lender information relevant to an appraisal of the energy and water efficiency or conserving improvements or features of property. Applies the requirement of state certified appraisers to transactions involving any real property on which the appraiser makes adjustments using an energy efficiency report. Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory group on the implementation of the enhanced energy efficiency underwriting criteria established in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2011
Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to extend the exclusivity period for a new prescription drug by five years for a drug that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) determines to be a qualified infectious disease product. Defines "qualified infectious disease product" to mean an antibiotic drug for treating, detecting, preventing, or identifying a qualifying pathogen (certain pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics). Excludes drugs that are: (1) a supplement to a new drug application for which an extension is in effect or has expired; or (2) a subsequent application for a change that results in a new indication, route of administration, dosing schedule, dosage form, delivery system, delivery device or strength, or a modification to the structure of the product that does not result in a change in safety or effectiveness. Extends such period of exclusivity an additional six months for a sponsor or manufacturer of a qualified infectious disease product that identifies a companion diagnostic test. Requires the Secretary to give priority review to any drug determined to be a qualified infectious disease product. Includes qualified infectious disease products as fast track products for which the Secretary shall facilitate development and expedite review. Directs the Comptroller General to study the need for incentives to encourage the research, development, and marketing of qualified infectious disease biological products. Requires the Secretary to: (1) review Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines for clinical trials of antibiotic drugs; and (2) revise such guidelines, as appropriate, to reflect developments in scientific and medical information and technology and to ensure clarity regarding the procedures and requirements for approval of an antibiotic drug.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2011
Strengthening Medicare And Repaying Taxpayers Act of 2011- Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to any settlement, judgment, award, or other payment between a Medicare claimant and an applicable plan involving a payment made for items and services by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Declares that, in the case of a payment to the claimant by the Secretary, and beginning 120 days before the reasonably expected date of a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment, the claimant or applicable plan may at any time but only once: (1) notify the Secretary that a payment is reasonably expected, and (2) request a statement of the conditional payment reimbursement amount for any payments subject to the required reimbursement. Requires the Secretary to respond to such a request, within 65 days after receiving it, with a statement of reimbursement amount. Prescribes procedures for the claimant, an applicable plan, or specified related entities to follow if the Secretary fails to provide such a statement. Specifies circumstances: (1) in which the claimant, an applicable plan, or specified related entities are shielded from liability for certain payments; and (2) in which the Secretary shall be exempt from any obligation for a statement of reimbursement. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations establishing a right of appeal and appeals process, with respect to any determination for a payment made under such title for an item or service under a primary plan, under which the applicable plan involved, or an attorney, agent, or third party administrator on behalf of such applicable play, may appeal such determination. Exempts a primary plan, and an entity receiving payment from a primary plan, from any obligation to reimburse the appropriate Trust Fund for a Medicare payment by the Secretary with respect to any settlement, judgment, award, or other payment by an applicable plan constituting a total payment obligation to a claimant of not more than the single threshold amount calculated by the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Requires the Chief Actuary to calculate and publish the single threshold amount annually. Makes discretionary rather than mandatory the current civil money penalty for an applicable plan's noncompliance with requirements to submit insurance information about a claimant. Requires the severity of each penalty to be based on the knowing, willful, and repeated nature of the violation. Prescribes requirements for the specification of practices for which sanctions will not be imposed on a plan (safe harbors). Directs the Secretary to modify insurance information reporting requirements so that a plan, in complying with them, is permitted but not required to access or report beneficiary Social Security account numbers or health identification claim numbers. Sets a three-year statute of limitations on a Medicare secondary payer claim by the Secretary for reimbursement against an applicable plan that becomes a Medicare primary payer pursuant to a settlement, judgment, award, or other judicial action.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2011
Medical Device Regulatory Improvement Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in determining the least burdensome appropriate means of evaluating device effectiveness, to: (1) not request information unrelated or irrelevant to demonstration of reasonable assurance of device safety and effectiveness; (2) consider alternative approaches to evaluating device safety and effectiveness; (3) use all reasonable mechanisms to lessen review times and render regulatory decisions; (4) determine whether pre-clinical data can meet the statutory threshold for approval; and (5) utilize, whenever practicable, alternatives to randomized, controlled clinical trials if clinical data are needed. Requires the Secretary, in determining the least burdensome means of determining substantial equivalence, to: (1) focus on whether the device has the same intended use as the predicate device and is as safe and effective as a legally marketed device, (2) not request or accept information unrelated or irrelevant to the substantial equivalence evaluation, (3) review the labeling of the device to assess the intended use of the device and not evaluate issues that do not present a major impact on the intended use as set forth in the labeling, (4) consider alternative approaches to evaluating substantial equivalence, and (5) use all reasonable mechanisms to lessen review times and render regulatory decisions. Repeals conflict-of-interest provisions that are specific to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and provides for the continued applicability of conflict-of-interest provisions otherwise applicable to advisory committees, federal employees, and special government employees. Requires the Secretary to contract with an eligible entity for a review of the management and regulatory processes at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2011
County Payments Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Secure Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to establish, for FY2012 and each following fiscal year, an amount that is equal to 95% of the full funding amount used for the previous fiscal year to make secure payments to eligible states and counties that contain certain lands. Permits a resource advisory committee under the Act to propose using up to 10% of certain project funds of an eligible county for administrative expenses associated with that committee's operations. Keeps the annual percentage for FY2010-FY2011 in place under the merchantable timber contracting pilot program for the implementation of approved projects in participating counties involving the sale of merchantable timber using separate contracts through FY2016. Extends the Act's provisions through FY2016. Entitles counties or other eligible units of local government in which U.S.-owned entitlement land is located to certain payments under the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program through FY2017.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2011
Medicare Information Act of 2011 - Amends part A of title XI of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide to each eligible individual annually a statement of Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) contributions and benefits in coordination with the annual mailing of Social Security account statements.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2011
Growth to Excellence Act of 2011 - Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow states to measure student progress toward academic achievement standards using adaptive assessments that are computerized, aligned with grade-level academic content standards, and measure student growth above and below grade level. Allows states, upon the Secretary of Education's approval, to adopt an alternative accountability model requiring their local educational agencies (LEAs) and public elementary and secondary schools to achieve adequate student growth toward college and career readiness standards. Requires such states to: (1) adopt college and career ready academic content standards; (2) adopt college and career ready assessments that measure annual student growth in mathematics and reading or the language arts; (3) measure secondary school graduation rates; (4) assess at least two additional indicators of students' college or career readiness; and (5) require schools that do not meet adequate student growth targets to be categorized, provided with appropriate support, and subject to consequences that include intervention measures. Requires an alternative accountability model to establish annual progress targets for each school that aim to reduce by half, in less than six years, the difference between the percentage of students (overall and in specified student subgroups) at the top performing schools who meet the college and career readiness standards or make adequate student growth, and the percentage of such students at each school that is not a top performing school. Requires annual progress targets for secondary schools to aim to reduce by half, in less than six years, the difference between the percentage of students who graduate and 90%. Describes what shall be considered adequate student growth toward college and career readiness standards.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2011
San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act of 2011- Designates specified lands in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests and specified land of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Colorado as wilderness areas and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). Designates specified lands in such National Forests and San Juan National Forest as the Sheep Mountain Special Management Area. Sets forth provisions regarding water rights in the lands designated as wilderness or a special management area by this Act. Withdraws lands designated as wilderness or a special management area under this Act, as well as land within the Naturita Canyon Mineral Withdrawal Area, from: (1) entry, appropriation, and disposal under public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under mining laws; and (3) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. Releases certain parts of the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area that were not designated as wilderness by this Act from further study for designation as wilderness.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2011
Livable Communities Act of 2011 - Establishes in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) an Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC). Requires the OSHC Director to establish a program to make comprehensive planning grants to eligible entities (partnerships between a consortium of units of general local government and an eligible partner or an Indian tribe that meets specified requirements). Defines "eligible partner" as a metropolitan planning organization, a rural planning organization, or a regional council, or one of these and a state, an Indian tribe, a state and an Indian tribe, or an institution of higher education. Requires the use of a comprehensive planning grant to carry out a project to: (1) coordinate locally defined planning processes, across jurisdictions and agencies; (2) identify regional partnerships for developing and implementing a comprehensive regional plan; (3) conduct or update assessments to determine regional needs and promote economic and community development; (4) develop or update a comprehensive regional plan or goals and strategies to implement an existing comprehensive regional plan and other related activities; and (5) identify local zoning and other code changes necessary to implement a comprehensive regional plan and promote sustainable development. Requires the use of a community challenge grant to: (1) promote integrated planning and investments across policy and governmental jurisdictions, and (2) implement projects identified in a comprehensive regional plan. Authorizes the Secretary of HUD to make or guarantee (up to 75% of) loans to eligible governmental, corporate, or partnership borrowers for infrastructure development projects used to support transit-oriented development. Requires the Director of the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control to lead the federal initiative to support healthy housing and eradicate housing-related health hazards. Requires the Secretary to study how sustainable building features in housing, such as energy efficiency, affect: (1) the quality of the indoor environment, (2) the prevalence of housing-related health hazards, and (3) the health of such occupants. States that no housing assisted using a grant under this Act may be made available to an individual who is not lawfully present in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2011
Real Estate Investment and Jobs Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from 5% to 10% the allowable ownership interest in real estate investment trust (REIT) stock for purposes of tax exemptions allowed by the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act relating to foreign investment in United States real property interests.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2011
Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act - Directs The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation on behalf of the Congress of a gold medal of appropriate design to the next of kin or personal representative of Raoul Wallenberg in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions during the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2011
Drug Safety and Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to require each registered drug producer to have in effect and implement a quality management plan to ensure the quality and safety of: (1) each drug, (2) each active and inactive ingredient of each drug, and (3) materials used in the manufacture of each active ingredient. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to order an establishment to promptly revise its quality management plan in response to a significant threat to public health. Requires each registered drug producer to report on each producer, manufacturer, distributor, and shipper involved in the production of a drug or the production or transport of the active ingredients of a drug. Requires the Secretary to develop and maintain information systems to track and assess every establishment that is involved in the manufacturing, preparation, propagation, compounding, or processing of a drug or active ingredient of a drug. Deems a drug to be adulterated if it was produced in an establishment that does not comply with the requirements of this Act. Gives the Secretary authority to: (1) order an immediate cessation of distribution, or a recall, of a drug; and (2) administer oaths and issue subpoenas. Revises provisions regarding civil penalties for FFDCA violations related to drugs for human use, including to consider each day a violation continues to be a separate violation. Authorizes the Secretary to share information subject to a trade secret exemption with: (1) other federal, state, or local agencies, foreign government agencies, and relevant international organizations; and (2) the public, as necessary to protect the public health. Sets forth whistleblower protection provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2011
Expresses profound sorrow at the death of the Honorable Charles H. Percy, former Senator of Illinois. Conveys the Senate's condolences to his family. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on September 19, 2011, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Percy.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2011
Charitable Agricultural Research Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a tax deduction for a charitable contribution to an agricultural research organization directly engaged in the continuous active conduct of agricultural research, and (2) make prohibitions against expenditures to influence legislation applicable to such organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2011
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Malcolm Wallop, a former Senator from Wyoming. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on September 15, 2011, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Wallop.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2011
Recognizes the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15, 2011, through October 15, 2011. Esteems the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2011
Revises the membership eligibility requirements of the federal charter for the Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. Redefines "mother" to mean a woman who filled the role of birth mother. Adds, in addition to adoptive mother and stepmother (as in the current charter), foster-mother, grandmother, or legal guardian of a person who is serving in the Armed Forces or has served in, or has been honorably discharged from it (as in the current charter). Repeals the limitation to service in World War II or the Korean hostilities of the Armed Forces service of the eligible mother's son or daughter. Allows the eligible mother to be a U.S. citizen living outside the United States. (Currently the charter limits membership to eligible mothers living in the United States.)
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2011
Authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the Montford Point Marines, U.S. Marine Corps, in recognition of their service during World War II. (Camp Montford Point, North Carolina, was the site for the training of the first African-American Marines.) Provides for the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Montford Point Marines. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2011
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Mark Hatfield, a former member of the Senate from Oregon. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on September 6, 2011, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Hatfield.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2011
Medicare Cost Contract Extension Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend through December 31, 2015, the indefinite extendability or renewability of Medicare reasonable cost reimbursement contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2011
Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Reauthorization Act or the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities with respect to research on the causes of preterm labor and delivery, tools to detect, prevent, or reduce prevalence of preterm labor and delivery, and the care and treatment of preterm infants. Establishes within NIH a multicenter clinical program to investigate problems in clinical obstetrics, improve the care and outcomes of neonates, and enhance the understanding of DNA and proteins as they relate to the underlying processes that lead to preterm birth. Requires the Director to award grants for planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic operating support for transdisciplinary research centers for prematurity. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Surgeon General, to establish and implement a national science-based provider and consumer education campaign on promoting healthy pregnancies and preventing preterm birth. Reauthorizes provisions related to research on prematurity and preterm births and sets forth specific areas for such research. Requires the Director of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to award grants to establish demonstration projects for: (1) obstetrical services for high risk women of child bearing age remotely using telehealth; and (2) educational activities regarding risk factors for preterm birth. Expands a demonstration project to inform health care providers and the public and improve treatment and outcome for babies born preterm. Requires the Secretary to establish the Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality. Requires a study on hospital readmissions of preterm births.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
Federal Aviation Employees Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make amounts in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund available to pay personnel compensation and benefits for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees funded from appropriations or authorizations provided on or before July 22, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
Condemns: (1) the terrorist attacks that occurred in Norway on July 22, 2011, causing many deaths and injuries; and (2) all terrorist actions, including those motivated by hatred and religious or cultural intolerance. Expresses sympathy to the victims of the atrocious acts, their families, and the people and government of Norway. Emphasizes the bonds of friendship and shared heritage between the United States and Norway. Calls on all people to join together to denounce acts of hatred and fear and promote peace and tolerance in their communities and around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2011
Authorizes the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate the mission of the Peace Corps and the ideals on which it was founded.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2011
Recognizes September 11, 2011, as a day of solemn commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001, and as a day to come together as a nation. Offers deepest and most sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Honors the heroic service, actions, and sacrifices of first responders, law enforcement personnel, state and local officials, volunteers, and countless others who aided the innocent victims of those attacks and, in doing so, bravely risked and often gave their own lives. Recognizes the valiant service, actions, and sacrifices of U.S. personnel, including members of the Armed Forces and their families, to support the cause of freedom and defend the security of the United States. Reaffirms that the people of the United States will never forget the challenges our country endured on and since September 11, 2001, and will work tirelessly to defeat those who attacked the United States. Calls upon all people and institutions of the United States, on the 10th anniversary of this tragic day in U.S. history, to observe a moment of remembrance on September 11, 2011. Encourages the observance of the moment of remembrance or prayer to last for one minute beginning at 1:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2011
IDEA Full Funding Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to reauthorize and make appropriations through FY2021 for the grant program to assist states and outlying areas in providing special education and related services to children with disabilities. Saving Lives by Lowering Tobacco Use Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase excise taxes on cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, snuff, and chewing tobacco. Imposes an excise tax on smokeless tobacco sold in discrete single-use units. Taxes other tobacco products at a level of tax equivalent to the tax rate for cigarettes on an estimated per use basis. Provides for annual inflation adjustments to excise taxes on tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2011
No Child Left Inside Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, as a prerequisite to receiving implementation grants, to develop environmental literacy plans, approved by the Secretary of Education, for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 that include environmental education standards and teacher training. Directs the Secretary to award Environmental Education Professional Development Grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to partnerships that include a local educational agency (LEA) and, permissibly, institutions of higher education (IHE), other educational entities, or federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, for activities involving, among other things, teacher training and the development of more rigorous environmental education curricula that advance the teaching of interdisciplinary courses. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, IHEs, other educational entities, federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, or park and recreation departments, for activities to improve and support environmental education that include: (1) advancing content and achievement standards, and (2) developing or disseminating innovations or model programs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Recognizes the heroic efforts of firefighters to contain wildfires and protect lives, homes, natural resources, and rural economies throughout the United States. Encourages: (1) people and government officials to express appreciation to those serving in the firefighting services, (2) people and communities to be diligent in preventing and preparing for wildfires, and (3) people to keep in their thoughts those who have experienced loss as a result of wildfire.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Recognizes September 11, 2011, as a day of solemn commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001, and as a day to come together as a nation. Offers deepest and most sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Honors the heroic service, actions, and sacrifices of first responders, law enforcement personnel, state and local officials, volunteers, and countless others who aided the innocent victims of those attacks and, in doing so, bravely risked and often gave their own lives. Recognizes the valiant service, actions, and sacrifices of U.S. personnel, including members of the Armed Forces and their families, to support the cause of freedom and defend the security of the United States. Reaffirms that the people of the United States will never forget the challenges our country endured on and since September 11, 2001, and will work tirelessly to defeat those who attacked the United States. Calls upon all people and institutions of the United States, on the 10th anniversary of this tragic day in U.S. history, to observe a moment of remembrance on September 11, 2011. Encourages the observance of the moment of remembrance to last for one minute beginning at 1:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2011
Improving Student Achievement and Engagement through Expanded Learning Time Act of 2011 - Amends the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program under part B of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Requires states to use at least 95% of the grant allotted to them under part B to award subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs), nonprofit organizations, or partnerships between LEAs and nonprofit organizations or local governmental entities. Creates two types of subgrants: (1) one-year planning subgrants for use in developing and implementing expanded learning time programs as part of a community learning center; and (2) renewable, multi-year implementation subgrants for use in creating expanded learning time, before and after school, summer enrichment, or summer school programs as part of a community learning center. Defines an "expanded learning time program" as a program that: (1) applies to all students in a school; (2) increases total school hours by at least 300 hours through an expanded school day, week, or year schedule; and (3) provides additional time for instruction in core academic subjects and additional time for school staff to collaborate, plan, and engage in professional development across grades and subjects. Establishes specified community learning center performance indicators to assess success in creating additional learning time and improving student achievement. Reauthorizes appropriations for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program for FY2012-FY2017.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2011
Lions Clubs International Century of Service Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue as legal tender $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Lions Clubs International. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the centennial. Permits the Secretary to issue such coins only during calendar 2017. Requires sales of the coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, to be paid by the Secretary to the Lions Clubs International Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2011
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to require each Department of State regional bureau to annually submit a list of goals for combating trafficking in persons (trafficking) for each country in its geographic area of responsibility. Authorizes the Secretary of State to appoint anti-trafficking officers at U.S. embassies who shall: (1) collaborate with other countries to eliminate human trafficking, (2) enhance Department of State anti-trafficking efforts, (3) monitor regional trafficking trends, and (4) assist U.S. embassies to prepare the annual Trafficking in Persons Reports. Directs the President to establish programs with foreign governments and civil society to enhance anti-trafficking capacity. Authorizes the Secretary of State, through the Ambassador-at-Large of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, to: (1) establish a fund to assist foreign governments in meeting urgent needs in trafficking prevention, victim protection, and prosecution of trafficking offenders; and (2) provide assistance for each country with a high prevalence of trafficking that enters into a child protection compact with the United States. Amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to require that a video about U.S. legal rights and resources be developed and shown in embassies and consulates with the greatest concentrations of aliens applying for employment- or education-based nonimmigrant visas. Amends the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to include labor contract fraud under the scope of such Act. Amends the federal criminal code to subject a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien who resides overseas and engages in illicit sexual conduct, including sex trafficking, with a person under 18 years old to fine and/or imprisonment. Subjects a person to fine and/or imprisonment for the knowing destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation, or possession of certain immigration documents. Increases the statute of limitations to 10 years for a person to bring a civil action for an injury received while a minor that was caused by specified sexual- or forced labor-related violations of federal criminal law. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to: (1) make certain alien trafficking victims who had been in the United States to cooperate with law enforcement but because of serious threats fled the United States eligible for a nonimmigrant T visa (trafficking victims cooperating with law enforcement), and (2) make an alien who was the victim of foreign labor contracting fraud eligible for a nonimmigrant U visa (victims of certain crimes). Revises certain trafficking-related reporting requirements for the Attorney General (DOJ) and the Secretary of Labor. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of State to provide the Department of Labor with information relating to child labor and forced labor in the production of goods in violation of international standards. Requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress regarding the use of foreign labor contractors. Authorizes the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs to make renewable one-year block grants to four eligible state or local government entities in different regions of the United States to combat sex trafficking of minors. Authorizes FY2012-FY2015 appropriations. Terminates the program four years after enactment of this Act. Authorizes appropriations through FY2015 for grants for local law enforcement investigations and prosecutions of trafficking and commercial sex act violations. Includes in the model state criminal provisions protections for persons under 18 years old who have been arrested for engaging in commercial sex acts. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to authorize appropriations through FY2015 for: (1) the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center, (2) the Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts To Combat Trafficking in Persons, (3) the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, (4) the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, (5) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for trafficking victim assistance, (6) the Secretary of State to combat trafficking, (7) the Attorney General for trafficking victim assistance in the United States and for assistance to foreign countries to combat trafficking, (8) the President for foreign trafficking victims assistance and to foreign countries to meet minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, (9) the Secretary of Labor for trafficking victim assistance in the United States, (10) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for trafficking investigations, and (11) the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) for trafficking investigations by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 to authorize appropriations through FY2015 for studies and conferences addressing trafficking and sex trafficking in the United States. Amends INA to extend specified asylum and removal protections to aliens who are under the age of 18 as of a qualifying event. Amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to direct: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish specified child advocate programs at immigration detention sites for trafficking victims and vulnerable unaccompanied alien children; and (2) the Secretary of Homeland Security, with respect to individuals who reach the age of 18 and are transferred to DHS, to consider placement in the least restrictive setting available, including alternative detention programs. Makes a child granted U visa status eligible for certain assistance for refugee children. Directs GAO to: (1) conduct a study of the effectiveness of the HHS child advocate program, and (2) conduct a study of the effectiveness of DHS border screening of unaccompanied alien children to determine whether they are trafficking victims.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2011
Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act of 2011 - Establishes in the Executive Office of the President a national energy security program to reduce oil consumption, by calendar 2030, by a quantity equal to or exceeding the quantity of oil imported from outside North America. Directs the President to develop a national oil independence plan to meet or exceed such goal. Establishes a National Energy Security Council to advise the President in meeting such goal. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate joint regulations establishing fuel efficiency standards and greenhouse gas emissions limitations for certain automobiles and nonroad vehicles. Establishes within the Department of Energy (DOE) a national plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment program and a targeted electric drive vehicle deployment communities program. Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) develop a national plan for plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment, and (2) establish a grants program to assist state and local governmental entities to prepare a community deployment plan. Directs the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to acquire plug-in electric drive vehicles and related charging infrastructure for federal fleets. Establishes a plug-in electric drive vehicle private fleet upgrade program. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to fund research, development, and demonstration projects in advanced batteries, plug-in electric drive vehicle components, and charging infrastructure, as well as in secondary use applications. Provides funds for Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy (ARPA-E) Plug-In Electric Drive Vehicle Research and Development Programs. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish the Advanced Batteries for Tomorrow Prize for a 500-mile vehicle battery. Creates in the Treasury a 500-mile Battery Fund. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to study the supply of raw materials needed for the manufacture of plug-in electric drive vehicles, batteries, and supporting infrastructure. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for the Academy to identify the data that may be collected from plug-in electric drive vehicles. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to require each electric utility to develop a plan for plug-in electric drive vehicles. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct the Secretary of Energy to guarantee loans for eligible entities to purchase qualified automotive batteries and for charging infrastructure. Establishes the Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Technical Advisory Committee. Directs the President to establish a Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Interagency Task Force. Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the EPA Administrator to promulgate regulations to establish: (1) national transportation-related goals for reducing oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; and (2) standardized models and methods for states, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and air quality agencies to address oil savings and emission reduction goals. Requires MPOs and states to develop surface transportation-related oil savings and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, including strategies to meet those targets. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to distribute funds to states and MPOs for investing in transportation greenhouse gas emission reduction programs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase to $230, with a cost-of-living adjustment, the amount of qualified transportation and parking fringe (commuter) benefits excluded from an employee's gross income. Declares it is the goal of the United States to shift at least 10% of freight shipped by truck to rail or marine shipping by 2020. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a national freight transportation options plan; and (2) make grants to states for the capital costs of facilities, infrastructure, and equipment for high priority rail corridor projects to reduce congestion in freight rail transportation. Requires the Comptroller General to study and reported to specified congressional committees on the benefits and costs of electrification of rail corridors. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an investment tax credit for advanced biofuel facilities as well as grants in lieu of credits for advanced biofuel facility property. Includes algae-based biofuel in the definition of cellulosic biofuel. Extends: (1) the cellulosic biofuel producer credit, (2) the special allowance for cellulosic biofuel plant property, (3) certain credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel, and (4) alcohol fuels tax credits. Allows a tax credit for qualified natural gas motor vehicles, and creates tax-exempt natural gas vehicle bonds. Allows an expensing deduction for manufacturing facilities producing vehicles fueled by compressed or liquefied natural gas. Directs the GSA Administrator to studymeans of increasing the number of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas vehicles in the federal fleet. Establishes in DOE the Energy Efficiency Improvement for Heating Oil, Propane, and Kerosene Program to fund state participation in programs operated by a national oilheat research alliance or the Propane Education and Research Council to implement cost-effective energy efficiency programs for homes and buildings that use home heating oil, propane, and kerosene. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a renewable biomass thermal energy loan program of grants to states to support financial assistance by qualified program delivery entities to replace with certain wood or wood-pellet fired boilers any thermal energy systems in commercial or multifamily residential buildings that use heating oil or another petroleum product.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2011
Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Peace Corps Act to require the Director of the Peace Corps: (1) as part of the training provided to all volunteers, to develop and implement comprehensive sexual assault risk-reduction and response training that conforms to best practices in the sexual assault field; and (2) once a trainee has arrived in such trainee's country of service, to provide that individual with training tailored to such country, including cultural training relating to gender relations, risk-reduction strategies, a safety plan in the event of an assault, treatment available in such country, MedEvac procedures, and information regarding the legal process for pressing charges against an attacker. Requires the Director to provide each: (1) applicant for enrollment with a historical analysis of crimes against, and risks to, volunteers in the country in which the applicant has been invited to serve; and (2) trainee, before enrolling as a volunteer, with contact information of the Peace Corps' Inspector General for purposes of reporting violations of the sexual assault protocol or any other criminal or administrative wrongdoing by individuals who do business with the Peace Corps, and with clear, written guidelines regarding whom to contact and what steps to take in the event of a sexual assault. Requires the Director to: (1) develop, implement, and distribute comprehensive sexual assault protocol guidelines that conform to best practices in the sexual assault field that are applicable to all posts at which volunteers serve, and train all in-country staff regarding the protocol and guidelines; (2) expeditiously remove a volunteer who feels at risk of imminent bodily harm and requests removal from the site in which such volunteer is serving, and assess and evaluate the safety of the site; (3) establish sexual assault response teams; (4) conduct case reviews of a statistically significant number of cases on a quarterly basis; (5) establish a global tracking and recording system to track and record incidents of assault against volunteers; (6) establish an alternative reporting system and hotline access system through which volunteers who are assault victims can report and receive support anonymously; and (7) assign a certified victims advocate in Peace Corps headquarters who shall report directly to the Director. Establishes in the Peace Corps a Sexual Assault Advisory Council. Requires the Director to: (1) establish goals, metrics, and monitoring and evaluation plans for all Peace Corps programs and Country Directors; (2) annually conduct a confidential survey of volunteers regarding the effectiveness of Peace Corps programs and staff and the safety of volunteers; (3) establish and maintain a process to protect confidentiality and safety of volunteers reporting incidents and the information reported and to ensure that such information is acted on appropriately; and (4) determine the level of access to communication, including cellular and Internet access, of each volunteer. Prohibits the Director from: (1) disclosing personally identifying information or personal information of a volunteer who is a victim of assault collected in connection with services requested, utilized, or denied through Peace Corps programs; or (2) revealing such information without the informed, purpose-limited, and reasonably time-limited consent of such volunteer about whom such information is sought.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act of 2011 - Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to make permanent the authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Makes monies covered into the Fund available for expenditure to carry out the purposes of the Act without further appropriation. Requires not less than 1.5% of the annual authorized funding amount to be made available for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Medicare and Medicaid Fighting Fraud and Abuse to Save Taxpayers' Dollars Act or Medicare and Medicaid FAST Act - Amends part D (Prescription Drug Benefits) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prohibit sponsors of prescription drug plans (PDPs) from paying claims for prescription drugs that do not include the valid National Provider Identifier for the drug's prescriber. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish procedures and rules to restrict access to the National Provider Identifier Registry in order to deter fraudulent use of it. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid), for any state that has established a State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program meeting certain requirements, to decrease by 10% the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) with respect to any amounts recovered by or paid to the state related to an overpayment due to fraud, waste, or abuse. Allows the state to use such amounts to support its State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Directs the Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General jointly to establish a Commission to examine interoperability and other issues related to State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) update daily the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) database of persons registered to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act to reflect any changes in the information in the Death Master File of the Social Security Administration; (2) agree with the Commissioner of Social Security to obtain death information in order to update such database; (3) establish procedures and rules to restrict access to the database to deter its fraudulent use; and (4) establish procedures and rules to review and investigate pharmacy claims under Medicare part D that contain a registration number not assigned to a practitioner by the Attorney General under the Controlled Substances Act. Amends SSA title XVIII to require certain annual reports to describe the types and financial costs to the Medicare program of improper payment vulnerabilities identified by Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs). Requires the Secretary of HHS to develop a plan to revise the beneficiary incentive program under the Health Instance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to encourage greater participation by individuals in reporting fraud and abuse in the Medicare program. Requires the Secretary of HHS to: (1) establish and implement procedures to eliminate the unnecessary collection, use, and display of Social Security account numbers of Medicare beneficiaries; and (2) ensure that each newly issued Medicare identification card meets specified requirements. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a pilot program utilizing smart card technology to evaluate its applicability to the Medicare program and whether such cards would be effective in preventing Medicare fraud. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish policies and procedures for prepayment review, which may include pre-certification, for all claims for reimbursement for durable medical equipment (DME) at high risk of waste, fraud, and abuse, including power wheelchairs. Requires the Secretary of HHS, the HHS Inspector General, and the Attorney General to increase coordination and data sharing. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish: (1) automated prepayment review of all Medicare claims, (2) a plan to facilitate the inclusion of states in the Medicare-Medicaid Data Match Program, and (3) a plan that allows each state Medicaid agency access to relevant data on improper or erroneous Medicare payments for items or services for dual eligible individuals. Prohibits Medicaid payments as well as payments under SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP) unless a claim contains a valid beneficiary identification number and a valid National Provider Identifier. Directs the Secretary to establish Medicare administrative contractor error reduction incentives. Requires the provider enrollment process and provider screening to be separate from any contract to serve as a Medicare administrative contractor. Directs the Secretary of HHS to report to Congress on measurable metrics for improving Medicare contractor performance. Amends SSA title XI to establish penalties for the illegal distribution of a Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP beneficiary identification number or billing privileges.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Growing Education Achievement Training Academies for Teachers and Principals Act or GREAT Teachers and Principals Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to: (1) create or approve teacher or principal preparation academies and create or designate authorizers of those academies; (2) support the creation and operation of such academies; and (3) award subgrants to nonprofit entities to establish or expand such academies, measure their effectiveness, or recruit enrollees who have demonstrated strong potential to be effective teachers or principals. Requires each academy to enter into a charter with an authorizer that specifies the goals and outcomes expected of the academy and the obligations of the authorizer. Prohibits authorizers from renewing an academy's charter if it fails to produce the minimum number or percentage of effective teachers or principals specified in its charter. Requires each academy to provide: (1) enrollees with a significant portion of their training through clinical preparation that partners them with successful teacher or principal mentors, and (2) certificates of completion only to graduates who demonstrate a track record of success in preparing students for college and careers. Requires state grantees to recognize a certificate of completion from an academy as at least the equivalent of a master's degree in education for the purposes of teacher or principal hiring, retention, compensation, and promotion in the state. Directs the Secretary to enter into an interagency agreement with the Corporation for National and Community Service under which the Corporation approves national service positions for candidates at each teacher or principal preparation academy receiving financial assistance under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Bureau of Reclamation Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2012-FY2023 to provide for the annual base funding for the intergovernmental recovery implementation program for the endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado River and the San Juan River, above and beyond the continued use of power revenues collected under the Colorado River Storage Project Act to fund the operation and maintenance of capital projects and monitoring.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Recognizes the historical significance to the nation, and supports the continued celebration, of Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved African Americans were free). Declares the sense of the Senate that: (1) history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the future, and (2) the celebration of the end of slavery is an important and enriching part of the history and heritage of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2011
National Future Farmers of America Commemorative Coin Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold and silver coins in commemoration of the National Future Farmers of America Organization and the 85th anniversary of such Organization. Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one year period, beginning on January 1, 2014. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $25 per gold coin and $10 per silver coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National FFA Foundation in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the creation of an endowment to enhance and expand programs that encourage the development of leadership skills, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education and the Future Farmers of America.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2011
English Learning and Innovation Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award renewable, competitive Innovation grants to states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and public charter schools or charter school management organizations to carry out activities that result in English learners becoming proficient in English so that they can access the knowledge needed to meet state college and career readiness standards. Includes among those activities: (1) improving instructional programs, including through the use of dual-language or bilingual education; (2) ensuring that English learners are taught by effective teachers at schools administered by effective principals; (3) increasing the ability of the families of English learners to engage in their child's education and development; and (4) expanding best practices to other schools or LEAs. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive Capacity Building grants to states and LEAs that have experienced a significant increase in English learners for use in building their capacity to provide quality instruction to English learners and become competitive in applying for an Innovation grant. Directs the Secretary to establish indicators to measure the success of this Act's grant programs. Requires this Act's grantees to: (1) develop, and submit for the Secretary's approval, quantifiable benchmarks for evaluating their grant activities; and (2) provide the Secretary with an annual report on their progress toward those benchmarks.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Combating Autism Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and reauthorize appropriations through FY2014 for programs established under the Combating Autism Act of 2006, including: (1) the developmental disabilities surveillance and research program; (2) the autism education, early detection, and intervention program; and (3) the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to submit a progress report on: (1) activities related to autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities, and (2) implementation of the Combating Autism Act of 2006. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2012-FY2014 for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research on autism spectrum disorders and reviews of centers of excellence.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
USA PATRIOT Act Improvements Act of 2011 - Amends provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA), the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978, the National Security Act of 1947, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) concerning national security letters to, effective December 31, 2013, make such provisions read as they read on October 25, 2001. Repeals a separate related FCRA provision. Amends FISA to revise requirements for applications for access to business records and other tangible things in counterterrorism investigations to require an applicant to present a statement of facts and circumstances relied upon to justify the applicant's belief that the records sought are relevant to an investigation. Repeals the presumption in favor of the government that an application for records is relevant to an investigation. Imposes similar requirements for access to bookseller records or library records containing personally identifiable information, and for orders for pen registers and trap and trace devices. Defines and requires "minimization procedures" for minimizing the retention and dissemination of information obtained from such records and devices. Revises requirements for obtaining orders to prohibit disclosure of the receipt of a national security letter. Requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or other appropriate agency to notify persons challenging a nondisclosure order if facts supporting such order no longer exist. Amends FISA to eliminate: (1) the requirement that recipients of any order to produce records wait one year before challenging such order or a nondisclosure requirement in court, and (2) the conclusive presumption that disclosure of an order for tangible things would endanger national security or a person's life or safety or would interfere with a criminal or terrorist investigation or with diplomatic relations. Revises procedures for obtaining judicial review of national security letter nondisclosure orders. Allows the recipient of a nondisclosure order to request judicial review of the order and requires the government to respond by setting forth specific facts in a certification that justify the need for nondisclosure based upon national security and other concerns. Requires courts, in considering whether to grant a nondisclosure order, to give substantial weight to the facts alleged by the government in its certification. Modifies the standard for obtaining a national security letter to require the FBI or other agency issuing a national security letter to provide a written statement of specific facts showing that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the information sought is relevant to an authorized investigation. Modifies reporting requirements for national security letters to require a breakdown of the types of persons targeted (e.g., U.S. persons and non-U.S. persons) and whether such persons are subjects of authorized national security investigations. Amends FISA to require the Attorney General to submit an annual unclassified report summarizing how the authorities under such Act are used, including the impact of such use on the privacy of U.S. persons. Extends through 2013 provisions requiring the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct audits on investigative authority provided to the FBI under FISA and on the effectiveness and use of national security letters. Repeals a requirement for such audits to include information on bureaucratic or procedural impediments to the use of such letters. Directs the Inspector General to report to Congress on the results of such audits: (1) by March 31, 2012, for audits conducted for 2007, 2008, and 2009; (2) by March 31, 2013, for audits conducted for 2010 and 2011; and (3) by March 31, 2015, for audits conducted for 2012 and 2013. Requires reports by the inspectors general of each element of DOJ assessing the use and value of information obtained through such investigative authority and national security letters. Sets forth similar audit and reporting requirements regarding the use of pen registers and trap and trace devices and requires submission to the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence as well as Congress. Amends the federal criminal code to reduce from 30 to 7 days the period for giving delayed notice of the execution of a search warrant in a criminal investigation when the warrant permits the giving of such delayed notice. Directs the Attorney General to periodically review and revise the procedures adopted by the Attorney General on October 1, 2010, for the collection, use, and storage of information obtained in response to a national security letter, with due consideration to the privacy interests of individuals and the need to protect national security. Rescinds specified unobligated balances available in the DOJ Assets Forfeiture Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Servicemember Student Loan Interest Relief Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty in hostile areas to benefit from the provision barring the accrual of interest on their student loans under the Federal Direct Loan program regardless of the date their loan was first disbursed. (Currently, their loan must be disbursed on or after October 1, 2008, to qualify for such treatment.) Eliminates the restriction of such benefit on direct consolidation loans to that portion of the loan which is used to repay direct loans.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act of 2011 or BEER Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce from $18 to $9 ( the pre-1991 level) the per-barrel tax on beer; and (2) allow a further reduction in such tax for brewers who produce not more than 2 million barrels annually.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Military Families Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to adjust the status of an eligible alien to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence if the alien: (1) applies for adjustment (with a time limit for an alien applying as a family member of a deceased Armed Forces member), (2) is admissible to the United States as an immigrant, and (3) is physically present in the United States. Applies such provision to an alien who is: (1) a parent, spouse, child, son, daughter, or the legal guardian of a child of a living Armed Forces member or of a deceased Armed Forces member who died as a result of service-incurred injury or disease; or (2) the spouse, child, son, or daughter of an alien described in clause (1). Defines "Armed Forces member" as a person who: (1) is, or was at the time of the person's death, a U.S. national or lawfully admitted permanent resident; (2) served honorably on or after October 7, 2001, as a member of the National Guard or the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve, or in an active-duty status in the U.S. military; and (3) if separated from service was separated under honorable conditions. Waives specified grounds of inadmissibility and authorizes the waiver of additional grounds of inadmissibility. Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from worldwide or numerical limitations on immigrant visas the sons and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans who were naturalized under the Immigration Act of 1990 or other specified federal law.
![Official portrait of Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001267_200.jpg)