United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2011
Oil and Gas Facilitation Act of 2011 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize appropriations for the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations and for oil and gas inspection and enforcement on onshore federal land under the jurisdiction of Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project offices. Amends the of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to authorize leases for geothermal energy production on land that is under an oil and gas lease that is subject to an approved application for permit to drill and from which oil and gas production is occurring. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to instruct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a comprehensive inventory of oil and natural gas (including facilitating seismic studies of resources) and prepare a summary regarding how certain resource estimates in OCS areas have changed for the waters of the United States Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Atlantic Region, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and the Alaska Region. Directs the Secretary to establish a regional joint OCS lease and permit processing office for the Alaska OCS region. Repeals: (1) incentives for natural gas production from deep wells in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and (2) royalty relief for deep water production. Amends the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act to authorize a certificate holder to request the Secretary to extend the period to issue federal loan guarantee instruments following the date of any proceeding relating to the certificate. Repeals the prerequisite that a federal guarantee instrument for a qualified infrastructure project may be issued only if the debt obligation guaranteed by the instrument has been issued by an eligible lender. Repeals the definition of "eligible lender" (Rule 144A(a) of the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC]). Increases the maximum aggregate principal amount of debt obligations. Amends the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act to exclude the trans-Alaska oil pipeline system from consideration as a district, site, building, structure, or object for purposes of the National Historic Preservation Act. Authorizes the Secretary to issue right-of-way permits for: (1) a high-pressure natural gas transmission pipeline in non-wilderness areas within the boundary of Denali National Park within, along, or near the segment of the George Parks Highway that runs through the Park; and (2) any distribution and transmission pipelines and appurtenances that the Secretary determines necessary to provide natural gas supply to the Park.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2011
Outer Continental Shelf Reform Act of 2011 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prescribe a program of structural reform for management of the Outer Continental Shelf, including establishing two bureaus to carry out leasing, permitting, and safety and environmental regulatory functions. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish: (1) an office to carry out the royalty and revenue management functions, and (2) an Outer Continental Shelf Safety and Environmental Advisory Board. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) recruit and directly appoint highly qualified critical technical personnel, upon a determination that there is a severe shortage of candidates or a critical hiring need for particular positions; and (2) approve reemployment of civilian retirees to carry out a critical functions under this Act. Directs the Secretary to: (1) prescribe and amend rules and regulations addressing operational safety and protection of the marine and coastal environment; (2) review bond and surety amounts every five years; (3) review royalty and rental rates; (4) review and report on the federal offshore oil and gas fiscal system; and (5) implement research and development to improve methodologies for characterizing resources of the Outer Continental Shelf and conditions affecting the ability to develop and use resources in a safe, sound, and environmentally responsible manner. Instructs the Secretary to develop and implement programs for: (1) analysis and dissemination of environmental and other resource data; (2) risk assessment to address technology and development issues associated with Outer Continental Shelf energy and mineral resource activities, including safety, environmental protection, and spill response; (3) review of alleged safety violations; and (4) the collection of a non-refundable inspection fee for deposit into the Ocean Energy Enforcement Fund (established under this Act). Cites conditions under which bids for a lease may be disqualified. Revises requirements governing explorations plans and drilling permits.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, with respect to the allocation of surface mining reclamation funds to states and Indian tribes, to authorize uncertified states and Indian tribes to use certain unexpended and unappropriated balance amounts for: (1) acid mine drainage abatement and treatment, and (2) noncoal abandoned mine land reclamation. Modifies limitations placed upon the allocation of such surface mining reclamation funds to provide for payments for filling voids and sealing tunnels and entryways of noncoal mines as well as coal mines. ("Uncertified states and Indian tribes" are those which have not certified to the Secretary of the Interior completion of their abandoned coal mine reclamation work.)
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to rename: (1) the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 as the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 1993, and (2) the Public Lands Corps as the Public Lands Service Corps (the Corps). Permits Corps participants to work in the National Marine Sanctuary System, coral reefs, and other coastal, estuarine, and marine habitats, and other lands and facilities administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Requires the: (1) establishment of a department-level office within the Department of the Interior, Forest Service, and NOAA for the coordination of Corps activities; and (2) designation of a Corps coordinator for each agency within the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce that administers such activities. Establishes an Indian Youth Service Corps liaison. Expands those authorized to be in the Corps to permit the enrollment of consulting interns. Permits enrollment for a term of up to two years. Requires: (1) a recruitment program for the Corps, and (2) a training program at residential conservation centers or at other sites to provide training for Corps participants. Describes the types of natural and cultural resources conservation projects that may be carried out by the Corps. Authorizes: (1) the Corps to provide certain visitor and interpretation services, (2) establishing residential conservation centers, and (3) individual placements of consulting interns to perform management analysis activities for agencies under the Secretary's jurisdiction carrying out appropriate natural and cultural resources conservation projects. Authorizes cooperative agreements and competitive grants for Indian tribes and qualified youth or conservation corps to establish Indian Youth Service Corps programs. Requires the Secretary to issue management guidelines for programs of the Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Medicare Hospice Care Access Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to recognize attending physician assistants as attending physicians to serve hospice patients.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2011
Indian School Bus Route Safety Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to authorize appropriations for FY2012-FY2017 for allocations to states for Indian reservation roads.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2011
Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act - Requires the days of active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of the reserves may retire for non-regular (reserve) service to occur in in any two consecutive fiscal years (under current law, in the same fiscal year).
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Time for Innovation Matters in Education Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to states to enable them to award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or partnerships between LEAs and other public or nonprofit entities to plan and implement expanded learning time initiatives at high-need schools that they serve. Requires such initiatives to: (1) increase the total number of school hours each year at participant schools by at least 300 hours, compared to the school hours per year that are standard for comparable schools served by their LEAs; and (2) expand learning time for all students in all grade levels in such schools, though on-site prekindergarten programs may be excepted. Directs states to give subgrant priority to entities that: (1) serve a high percentage of students from low-income families; (2) include a nonprofit community-based organization experienced in expanding learning opportunities or helping schools redesign their educational programs; (3) take certain steps to facilitate collaboration between high-need schools and community partners; and (4) will coordinate this Act's funding with other federal, state, local, and private funding to implement high-quality expanded learning time initiatives in high-need schools. Permits the Secretary to: (1) award planning and implementation grants directly to a partnership that serves more that one area in more than one state, and (2) provide technical assistance to grantees and subgrantees in developing and implementing expanded learning time initiatives. Requires the Secretary to contract with an independent organization with expertise in school improvement, program evaluation, and measurement to evaluate this Act's program and provide technical assistance to grantees and subgrantees in collecting data and evaluating their programs pursuant to specified performance measures.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Transportation Equity for All Americans Act - Excludes privatized highway miles (lane and vehicle miles traveled on a privatized highway) from being a factor in calculating the state apportionment of certain federal-aid highway funds (including funds under the Equity bonus program). Defines "privatized highway" as a highway subject to an agreement giving a private entity control over the highway's operation and ownership over collected highway toll revenues.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Transportation Access for All Americans Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow accelerated depreciation of applicable leased highway property, and (2) provide for amortization of intangibles relating to such property. Defines "applicable leased highway property" as property subject to a lease between a taxpayer and a governmental entity under which the taxpayer leases a highway and associated improvements, receives a right-of-way on public lands underlying such highway and improvements, and receives a grant of a franchise or other intangible right to receive payments relating to the operation of such highway. Prohibits private activity bond financing of applicable leased highway property.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Honors the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are serving or have served in Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. Calls on the people of the United States to reflect on the service of those members and veterans and to hold them in a special place of honor, both now and in the future.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2011 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities (employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees). Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas. Allows only disparate treatment claims. Prohibits related retaliation. Makes this Act inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations, and (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the Armed Forces. Declares that this Act does not repeal or modify any federal, state, territorial, or local law creating a special right or preference concerning employment for a veteran. Provides for the construction of this Act regarding: (1) enforcement by employers of rules and policies, (2) sexual harassment, (3) certain shared facilities such as showers or dressing facilities, (4) construction of new or additional facilities, (5) dress and grooming standards, and (6) provision of employee benefits to married vs. unmarried couples. Declares that, in this Act, "married" refers to marriage as that term is defined in the Defense of Marriage Act (a legal union between one man and one woman). Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from collecting statistics from covered entities on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or compelling the collection by covered entities of such statistics. Provides for enforcement, including giving the EEOC, the Librarian of Congress (LOC), the Attorney General (DOJ), and U.S. courts the same enforcement powers as they have under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and other specified laws. Allows actions and proceedings, subject to exception, against the United States and the states.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2011
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Makes such defense inapplicable where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on women workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner [ sic ] of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2011
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2011 - Amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund until 19 years after enactment of this Act. Prescribes additional periods of required presence in an affected area during atmospheric nuclear testing for individuals filing leukemia or specified disease claims. Increases the amount of compensation an individual filing a claim may receive to $150,000. Expands "affected area" to include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and New Mexico, as well as any county in Arizona, Nevada, or Utah. Extends to December 31, 1990, the period during which an individual employed at any time in a uranium mine or uranium mill is made eligible to receive compensation for a disease claim due to radiation exposure. Makes a core driller eligible to receive compensation upon filing of a disease claim. Makes miners, core drillers, and ore transporters who suffer renal cancer or any other chronic renal disease, including nephritis and kidney tubal tissue injury, eligible for compensation due to exposure to radiation while on the job. Requires the Attorney General to accept written affidavits meeting specified requirements regarding employment history, physical presence in an affected area, or participation at a nuclear testing site in determining the eligibility of claimants. Extends until 19 years after enactment of this Act the statute of limitations for the filing of such claims. Increases from 2% to 10% of the payment received by a claimant the maximum amount of attorneys fees that can be charged for the filing of an initial claim. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, to establish a program of grants to institutions of higher education to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining and milling among non-occupationally exposed individuals, including family members of uranium miners and millers. Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to include as a member of the Special Exposure Cohort entitled to compensation with respect to chronic beryllium disease under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program any Department of Energy (DOE) employee or contractor who contracted cancer after beginning employment between January 1, 1942, and December 31, 1990, in a uranium mine or mill located in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, Washington, Utah, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, or any other state the Attorney General includes.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to: (1) direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to establish and award competitive technology financial awards for the development and implementation of technology to capture carbon dioxide from dilute sources, and (2) establish the Carbon Dioxide Capture Technology Advisory Board to advise the Secretary in carrying out duties under this Act. Terminates the Board and all authorities under this Act on December 31, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Crime Victim Restitution and Court Fee Intercept Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the chief justice of the highest court of any state that wishes to collect past-due, legally enforceable state judicial debts to designate a single state entity to communicate judicial debt information to the Secretary of the Treasury. Directs the Secretary, upon receiving notice from such an entity that a named person owes a past-due, legally enforceable state judicial debt, to pay such debt from any tax refund due to such person. Defines "state judicial debt" to include court costs, fees, fines, assessments, restitution to victims of crime, and other monies resulting from a judgment or sentence rendered by any court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction handling criminal or traffic cases in the state.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Makes funds appropriated to the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) for the Capitol power plant in any fiscal year available to construct, operate, and maintain on a reimbursable basis battery recharging stations in parking areas under the jurisdiction of the Senate on Capitol grounds for use by privately owned vehicles used by: (1) Senators, or (2) Senate employees or any other individuals authorized to park in any parking area under Senate jurisdiction on Capitol grounds (covered employees). Requires the Architect to charge Senators and covered employees fees for the electricity sufficient to cover costs, including those to any vendors or other costs associated with maintaining the battery recharging stations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Algae-Based Renewable Fuel Promotion Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the definition of "cellulosic biofuel" for purposes of the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credit and the special depreciation allowance to mean any liquid fuel which is derived solely by, or from, qualified feedstocks. Defines "qualified feedstocks" as any lignocellulosic or hemicellulosic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis and any cultivated algae, cyanobacteria, or lemna.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and revise a research, training, and technical assistance resource center to prevent suicides (the Suicide Prevention Resource Center). Expands the program's focus from youth suicides to suicides among all ages, particularly among groups that are at high risk for suicide. Repeals provisions providing for grants to establish research, training, and technical assistance centers related to mental health, substance abuse and the justice system. Reauthorizes a program of grants for the development of state or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies. Reauthorizes and revises a grant program to enhance services for students with mental health or substance use disorders at institutions of higher education. Requires (current law authorizes) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services, to award grants to enhance such services and to develop best practices for the delivery of such services. Permits grant funds to be used for the provision of such services to students and to employ appropriately trained staff. Requires the Secretary to give special consideration to applications for grants that describe programs that demonstrate the greatest need for new or additional mental and substance use disorder services and the greatest potential for replication.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Recognizes U.S. zoos and aquariums and commends their employees and volunteers. Calls for continued support for accredited zoos and aquariums and their conservation, education, and recreation programs.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 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 (DHS), 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. Allows for the provision of such pay and allowances, at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense, for: (1) civilian DOD personnel providing support to such members; and (2) DOD contractor personnel providing direct support to such members. Prohibits any such transfer after December 31, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization of 2011 - Amends the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) to reauthorize, until July 25, 2021, the program for the completion of appraisals and satisfaction of other legal requirements for the sale or exchange of public land identified for disposal under approved land use plans under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Makes the FLTFA non-applicable to land eligible for sale under specified public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act of 2011 or HEARTH Act of 2011 - Extends to any Indian tribe the discretion granted under current law only to the Navajo Nation to lease restricted lands for business, agricultural, public, religious, educational, recreational, or residential purposes without the approval of the Secretary of the Interior. (The Secretary must still approve the tribal regulations under which those leases are executed and mining leases still require the Secretary's approval.) Sets forth the environmental review process required under tribal lease regulations before those regulations obtain the Secretary's approval. Requires the process to identify and evaluate any significant effects a proposed lease may have on the environment and allow public comment on those effects. Allows tribes to rely on a federal environmental review process rather than the tribal environmental review process if the project under review is federally funded. Directs the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to report to Congress on the history and experience of Indian tribes that have chosen to assume the BIA's responsibility for operating the Indian Land Title and Records Office.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Department of Energy Carbon Capture and Sequestration Program Amendments Act of 2011 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to carry out a demonstration program for the commercial application of integrated systems for the capture, injection, monitoring, and long-term geological storage of carbon dioxide from industrial sources. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements to provide financial and technical assistance to up to 10 demonstration projects. Sets forth requirements for demonstration projects relating to site safety, environmental protection and remediation, and site closure. Directs the Secretary of Energy to provide grants for employee training purposes to state and tribal agencies involved in permitting, management, inspection, and oversight of carbon capture, transportation, and storage projects.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Recognizes the accomplishments and example of Cesar Estrada Chavez, pledges to promote his legacy, and encourages the people of the United States to commemorate his legacy and to always remember his rallying cry, in the English translation, "Yes, we can."
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Recognizes: (1) the health, economic, and national security benefits of the Clean Air Act; and (2) that Clean Air Act programs have a record of providing health and economic benefits that significantly exceed the initial investments made in pollution reduction technology. Expresses support for the protection of children and families from harmful pollution through continued implementation of that Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011 - Exempts certain presidential appointments to cabinet-level agencies, independent commissions, and boards in the executive branch from the requirement of Senate confirmation (advice and consent). Establishes the Working Group on Streamlining Paperwork for Executive Nominations to: (1) study the streamlining of paperwork required for executive nominations, and (2) conduct a review of the impact of background investigation requirements on the appointments process.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Puerto Rico Hospital HITECH Amendments of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to apply Medicare HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act ) payments to subsection (d) hospitals in Puerto Rico. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system [IPPS] when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Prescribes expedited procedures for Senate consideration of nominations (subject to advice and consent) for specified positions. Requires the Secretary of the Senate to create the appropriate sections on the Executive Calendar to reflect and effectuate the requirements of this resolution.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Rio Grande Del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act - Establishes the Rio Grande Del Norte National Conservation Area in New Mexico. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to ensure the protection of religious and cultural sites in the Conservation Area and to provide access to them by tribal members. Requires the Secretary to develop a management plan for the Conservation Area. Designates the Cerro Del Yuta Wilderness and Rio San Antonio Wilderness as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS).
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Recognizes that Geraldine A. Ferraro's vice-presidential candidacy forever enriched the American political landscape and forged a new path for women of the United States. Pays tribute to Congresswoman Geraldine A. Ferraro's work to improve the lives of women and families not only in the Ninth Congressional District of New York, whom she represented, but also the lives of women and families all across the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2011 - Calls for the United States to help undertake a global effort to bring sustainable access to clean water and sanitation to poor people throughout the world. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to designate a Senior Advisor for Water, who shall: (1) implement the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005; (2) develop and oversee implementation, in high priority countries, of country-specific water strategies and expertise to enable the goal of providing 100 million additional people with sustainable access to safe water and sanitation through direct funding, development activities, and partnerships within six years of this Act's enactment; (3) place primary emphasis on providing safe, affordable, and sustainable drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in a manner that is consistent with sound water resource management principles; and (4) integrate water strategies with country-specific or regional food security strategies. Requires the Secretary of State, in order to increase the capacity of the Department of State to address international issues regarding safe water, sanitation, integrated river basin management, and other international water programs, to establish a Special Coordinator for International Water to: (1) oversee and coordinate U.S. diplomatic policy with respect to global freshwater issues; and (2) ensure that international freshwater issues are represented within the U.S. government and in key diplomatic, development, and scientific efforts with other nations and multilateral organizations. Amends the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 to require such Special Coordinator to ensure that the safe water and sanitation strategy is integrated into any review or development of a federal strategy for global development, health, or food security that sets forth the U.S. mission for global development, guidelines for assistance programs, and how development policy will be coordinated with policies governing trade, immigration, and other relevant international issues. Requires the safe water and sanitation strategy to include: (1) an assessment of U.S. foreign assistance allocated to the drinking water and sanitation sector during the three previous fiscal years, including assessing whether U.S. efforts are supporting the goal of enabling first-time access to safe water and sanitation on a sustainable basis for 100 million people in high priority countries; (2) recommendations on actions needed to achieve such goals and support the United Nation's Millennium Development Goal on access to safe drinking water; and (3) an assessment of best practices for mobilizing and leveraging the capacity of business, governments, organizations, and civil society in forming public-private partnerships that measurably increase access to safe, affordable, drinking water sanitation. Requires the Secretary and the Administrator to establish a program to build the capacity of host country institutions and officials responsible for water and sanitation in countries that receive assistance to provide safe water and sanitation under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Authorizes the Secretary and the Administrator to establish such program in additional countries if the receipt of such capacity building would be beneficial for promoting access to safe drinking water and sanitation, with due consideration given to good governance. Requires the USAID Mission Director for each country receiving a high priority designation and for each region containing a country receiving such designation to report annually to Congress on the status of: (1) designating safe drinking water and sanitation as a strategic objective; and (2) integrating the water strategy into a food security strategy. Expands the list of activities that may be supported by assistance furnished by the President for programs in developing countries to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation. Requires the report regarding water for peace and security to include an assessment of political tensions over water sources and a multidisciplinary assessment of the expected impacts of changes to water supplies in 10, 25, and 50 years. Requires the Comptroller General to report on the effectiveness and efficiency of U.S. efforts to provide safe water and sanitation for developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Hydropower Improvement Act of 2011 - Expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States should increase substantially the capacity and generation of clean, renewable hydropower which will improve the environmental quality of resources and support local job creation and economic investment across the United States. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to establish: (1) a grants program for increased hydropower production; and (2) a plan for research, development, and demonstration to increase hydropower capacity, including technical assistance to certain applicants and licensees to perform environmental studies, or comply with applicable environmental requirements. Directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to: (1) investigate the feasibility of the issuance of a license for certain hydropower development during the two-year period beginning on the date of commencement of the prefiling licensing process; and (2) hold workshops and develop hydropower pilot projects. Directs FERC to enter into a memorandum of understanding with relevant federal agencies with conditioning authority in order to: (1) establish a coordinated approach to any environmental impact statement or similar analysis relating to the consideration of conduit hydropower projects, and (2) develop an expedited approval process for such projects. Directs the Commissioner of Reclamation and FERC to conduct public workshops on pilot conduit hydropower projects. Directs FERC to conduct regional public workshops to: (1) reduce barriers for small hydroelectric power projects, (2) aggregate appropriate small hydroelectric power projects for consideration in a consolidated license or exemption, and (3) determine whether the rated capacity for small hydroelectric power projects established by FERC should be increased from five electrical megawatts. Directs the Commissioner to study barriers to non-federal hydropower development at Bureau of Reclamation projects. Directs the Secretary to study: (1) the potential quantity of hydropower that may be obtained from conduits in the United States; and (2) federal and nonfederal land that is well-suited for pumped storage sites and is located near existing or potential sites of intermittent renewable resource development, such as wind farms. Directs the President to report to certain congressional committees on actions taken by DOE, the Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to implement the memorandum of understanding on hydropower entered into on March 24, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), particularly those provided in rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and in hospice programs. Amends Medicare part C (Miscellaneous) to exclude such services from the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system. Authorizes marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2011
Respect for Marriage Act of 2011 - Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse" to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2011
Conveys to the government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands submerged lands surrounding such Islands and extending three geographical miles outward from their coastlines.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Federal Judicial Fairness Act of 2011 - Repeals the requirement limiting salary increases for federal judges or Supreme Court justices to those specifically authorized by Act of Congress. Amends the federal judicial code to apply the same automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment to judicial salaries as takes effect under the General Schedule for civilian federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Mourns the loss of life from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11, 2011. Expresses the Senate's condolences to the victims' families and its sympathies to the survivors who are still suffering in the aftermath of this tragic natural disaster. Commends the government of Japan for its courageous and professional response to this natural disaster. Supports the efforts by the U.S. government, relief agencies, and private citizens to assist the government and people of Japan. Urges the United States and the international community to provide additional humanitarian assistance to aid the survivors and support reconstruction efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Valles Caldera National Preserve Management Act - Designates the Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico as a unit of the National Park System for the protection, preservation, and restoration of the fish, wildlife, watershed, natural, scientific, scenic, geologic, historic, cultural, archaeological, and recreational values of the area. Requires the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to: (1) prepare a management plan for the Preserve; (2) establish a new science and education program for the Preserve; (3) undertake activities for improving the health of forest, grassland, and riparian areas within the Preserve; and (4) study the feasibility of establishing a hiking trail along the rim of the Valles Caldera. Authorizes the establishment of a science and education center outside of the Preserve. Transfers administrative jurisdiction over the Preserve from the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) and the Valles Caldera Trust to the Secretary. Modifies the boundaries of Santa Fe National Forest to exclude the Preserve. Terminates the Valles Caldera Trust.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act of 2011 - Places specified restrictions on the use of cluster munitions. Directs the President, within 90 days after the use of such munitions, to submit to the congressional defense, appropriations, and foreign relations committees a plan for cleaning up any such munitions or submunitions which fail to explode and continue to pose a hazard to civilians.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Public Good IRA Rollover Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the tax exclusion of distributions from individual retirement accounts (IRAs) for charitable purposes to: (1) make such exclusion permanent; (2) eliminate the $100,000 cap on such exclusion; (3) permit tax-free distributions from IRAs to a split-interest entity (i.e., a charitable remainder annuity or unitrust, a pooled income fund, and a charitable gift annuity); and (4) allow distributions to a split-interest entity to be made when the account beneficiary attains age 59-1/2 (otherwise, age 70-1/2 for IRA distributions to a charitable organization).
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2011 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to require the President to establish an Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health. Requires the Board to provide advice to the President on the review and approval of the Department of Labor site exposure matrix (SEM) used to determine the eligibility of Department of Energy (DOE) employee contractor claims for compensation for lung disease resulting from exposure to toxic substances.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to expand the definition of "health care provider" for purposes of health information technology provisions to include a behavioral or mental health professional, a substance abuse professional, a psychiatric hospital, a community mental health center, a residential or outpatient mental health treatment facility, and a substance abuse treatment facility. Adds community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, behavioral and mental health professionals, substance abuse professionals, residential or outpatient mental health treatment facilities, and substance abuse treatment facilities to the list of entities with priority for receiving direct assistance from regional extension centers to effectively adopt, implement, and utilize health information technology. Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to include qualified clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric hospitals, community mental health centers, residential or outpatient mental health treatment facilities, and substance abuse treatment facilities within the health professionals, hospitals, and Medicaid providers eligible for incentive payments for the meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Applies Medicare hospital market basket adjustments for such incentives applicable to inpatient hospitals to psychiatric hospitals.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act of 2011 - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to assist states with costs associated with the implementation of minimum or enhanced DNA collection processes. Defines such processes for the purpose of this Act. Awards bonus payments to states that have implemented and used an enhanced DNA collection process.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
Nuclear Power 2021 Act - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to instruct the Secretary of Energy to implement, through cooperative agreements with private sector partners, programs to: (1) develop a standard design for each of two small modular reactors, at least one of which has a rated capacity of not more than 50 electrical megawatts; (2) obtain a design certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for each of the designs by January 1, 2018; and (3) demonstrate the licensing of small modular reactors by developing applications for a combined license for each of the designs so certified, and obtaining a combined license from the NRC for each of the certified designs by January 1, 2021. Requires the Secretary to select proposals for such cooperative agreements through the use of competitive procedures and an impartial review of their scientific and technical merit.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, on an ongoing basis, to: (1) collect and report certain information on bullying and harassment by youth in their elementary and secondary schools and communities; (2) conduct, and report the results of, a needs assessment for bullying and harassment prevention programs; and (3) provide technical assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools in their efforts to thwart bullying and harassment. Requires LEAs to: (1) include clear prohibitions against bullying and harassment within their discipline policies; (2) establish and monitor performance indicators for incidents of bullying and harassment; and (3) establish grievance procedures students, parents, and educators can use to redress such conduct. Directs LEAs to notify parents, students, and educators annually on: (1) the bullying and harassment prohibited by their discipline policies, (2) the numbers and nature of bullying and harassment incidents for each of their schools, and (3) grievance procedures for redressing such conduct. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Education to conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools; and (2) the Commissioner for Education Statistics to collect data, that are subject to independent review, to determine the incidence and prevalence of bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools in this country.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2011
Medicare Mental Health Access Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to treat as a physician, for Medicare purposes, a clinical psychologist acting within the scope of a psychologist's license (or other state law authorization), but only with respect to the furnishing of clinical psychologists services which the psychologist is legally authorized to perform by the state.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2011
Recognizes the historic contributions of all U.S. veterans who served in the First World War. States that the Senate stands adjourned on March 3, 2011, as a further mark of respect to the memory of Frank W. Buckles, the longest surviving U.S. veteran of such War.
![Official portrait of Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000468_200.jpg)