United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Recognizes that continued investigation of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employees for involvement in a detention and interrogation program to avert terrorist attacks on the United States is unwarranted and will likely have a chilling effect on the work of CIA and other U.S. national security professionals. Urges: (1) the President and the Attorney General to immediately close the Department of Justice's (DOJ) ongoing investigation and decline future prosecution of CIA employees for actions related to the interrogation of detainees at overseas locations, including the use of enhanced interrogation techniques on detained terrorists; and (2) the President to develop and implement policies allowing for the long-term detention and interrogation of high-value detainees, including detainees captured overseas or in the custody of foreign countries.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Lumbee Recognition Act - Extends federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, which makes its members eligible for the services and benefits provided to Indians because of their status as members of a federally recognized tribe. Deems members of the Tribe residing in Robeson, Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland Counties in North Carolina to be within the delivery area for such services. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for the Tribe. Prohibits the Tribe from conducting gaming activities. Requires North Carolina to exercise jurisdiction over all criminal offenses committed, and all civil actions that arise, on North Carolina lands owned by, or held in trust for, the Lumbee Tribe or any dependent Indian community of the Tribe.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2011
Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the classification, for depreciation purposes, of any motorsports entertainment complex as seven-year property.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2011
States that: (1) it is U.S. policy to support Israel in maintaining secure, recognized, and defensible borders; and (2) it is contrary to U.S. policy and our national security to have Israel's borders return to the armistice lines that existed on June 4, 1967.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act of 2011 - Prohibits the head of an executive agency from: (1) requiring a contractor to submit political information as part of a soliticitation, request for bid, request for proposal, or any other communiction in connection with the award of a contract for procurement of property or services or during the course of the contract performance until the completion of a contract; (2) using such political information as a factor or consideration in the source selection process used to award a competitive or non-competitive contract; or (3) including such political information in a contracting past performance database. Defines "political information" as information relating to political spending, including any payment for an electioneering communication, by a contractor or persons related to such contractor to a candidate for federal office, a political commitee, a political party, or to a third party entity for political purposes.
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
Enforcing Orders and Reducing Customs Evasion Act of 2011 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require the Commissioner responsible for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to initiate, upon petition or a referral from another federal agency, an investigation into claims of evasion of antidumping or countervailing duties (including any cash deposits or other security) with respect to covered merchandise entered into the United States. Requires the Commissioner, in the case of an affirmative preliminary determination, to: (1) suspend liquidation of each unliquidated entry of the covered merchandise, (2) review and reassess the amount of bond or other security required to be posted for each entry of covered merchandise, (3) require the posting of a cash deposit for each entry, and (4) take other appropriate measures to ensure the collection of any duties that may be owed on covered merchandise. Requires the Commissioner, in the case of an affirmative final determination, to: (1) suspend or continue to suspend liquidation of each entry of covered merchandise, (2) notify the administering authority (Secretary of Commerce or other responsible U.S. officer) of the determination and request identification of the applicable antidumping or countervailing duties or cash deposit rate for such entries, (3) require the posting of cash deposits and assess duties, (4) review and reassess the amount of bond or other security required to be posted for covered merchandise entered on or after the date of such determination, and (5) take appropriate additional enforcement measures. Requires the administering authority to apply the highest applicable cash deposit or antidumping or countervailing duty in cases where the producer or exporter of covered merchandise is unknown. Applies the amendments made by this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico. Requires the Commissioner, to the maximum extent practicable, to ensure that CBP employs and assigns sufficient personnel to prevent the entry of covered merchandise in a manner that evades antidumping and countervailing duty orders or findings. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), the Commissioner, and the Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assess and properly allocate the resources of CBP and ICE to improve efforts to investigate and combat evasion. Directs the Comptroller General to report on: (1) efforts to prevent the entry of covered merchandise into the U.S. customs territory through evasion, and (2) the estimated amount of duties that could not be collected on covered merchandise that entered U.S. customs territory through evasion during FY2009-FY2010 because the Commissioner did not have the authority to reliquidate the entries of such merchandise.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Department of Commerce and the Workforce Consolidation Act - Establishes the Department of Commerce and the Workforce, headed by a Secretary of Commerce and the Workforce, as an executive department for the advancement of economic growth and job opportunities. Consolidates in such Department: (1) the Office of the Workforce, (2) the Patent and Trademark Office, (3) the Small Business Administration (SBA), (4) the Office of Economic Affairs and Statistics, (5) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), (6) the International Trade Administration, (7) the Bureau of Industry and Security, (8) the Economic Development and Training Administration, (9) the Communications and Information Administration, and (10) the Office of Inspector General. Sets forth the powers and responsibilities of the Secretary. Transfers: (1) specified functions and programs of the Departments of Commerce and Labor to the Department of Commerce and the Workforce, (2) all functions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to the Department of the Interior, and (3) all functions of the National Marine Fisheries Service of NOAA to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Requires the President to issue an executive order to achieve cost savings in the areas of travel and relocation, printing and copying, and supplies and materials. Eliminates: (1) the International Labor Comparisons program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, (2) the career pathways innovation fund established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, (3) the Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration program (4) grants for public telecommunications facilities, (5) the Baldridge Performance Excellence Program, (6) the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, (6) the Emergency Steel Guaranteed Loan Program, and (7) certain functions and programs of the Bureau of the Census.
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
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act - Reauthorizes the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004 for FY2012-FY2016. Directs the Secretary of State to act through the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs in awarding grants or entering agreements with Special Olympics for activities outside the United States. Includes community-based prevention among the activities for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants or enter into agreements with Special Olympics. Requires grant or agreement applications to include a description of specific measurable annual benchmarks, as well as long-term goals and objectives, to be achieved through specified activities, which must include: (1) activities to increase the full participation of people with intellectual disabilities in inclusive school and community activities with people without disabilities, (2) education programs that dispel negative stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities, and (3) activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in Special Olympics outside of the United States. Requires annual reports by Special Olympics to describe demographic data about Special Olympics participants. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements to promote the expansion of Best Buddies, including activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other aspects of community life, including education and employment, within the United States. Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education to establish Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institutes for Sport and Social Impact. Requires recipients to use grant funds to advance the quality of life and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities through research and evaluation, technical assistance, training, data collection, evaluation, collaboration, and dissemination of evidence-based best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2011
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week. Expresses appreciation to the family members and caregivers who support people in the United States living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Commends health care professionals and biomedical researchers who care for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients and work to advance research aimed at developing new treatments and a cure.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2011
Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act - Directs the President to: (1) impose financial and immigration/entry sanctions on listed nationals of Vietnam who are complicit in human rights abuses committed against nationals of Vietnam or their family members, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Vietnam; and (2) submit to Congress a publicly available list of individuals determined to be complicit in such human rights abuses. Authorizes the President to waive sanctions to comply with international agreements or if in the U.S. national interest. Terminates sanctions if the President certifies to Congress that the government of Vietnam has: (1) released all political prisoners; (2) ceased its practices of violence, detention, and abuse of citizens of Vietnam engaging in peaceful political activity; and (3) conducted a transparent investigation into the killings, arrest, and abuse of such political activists and prosecuted those responsible. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the U.S.-Vietnam relationship cannot progress while the government of Vietnam's human rights record continues to deteriorate, and (2) the Secretary of State should designate Vietnam as a country of particular concern with respect to religious freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2011
Iran, North Korea, and Syria Sanctions Consolidation Act of 2011- States that it is U.S. policy to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. Amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to direct the President to impose three or more specified sanctions against a person that knowingly participates in a joint venture with respect to the development of petroleum resources outside of Iran: (1) in which Iran is a substantial partner or investor, or (2) through which Iran could receive technological knowledge or equipment that could contribute to its ability to develop petroleum resources in Iran. Includes certain infrastructure construction whose primary use is to support the transportation of refined petroleum products in the definition of "goods, services, technology, information, or support." Requires the President to respond within 60 days to a congressional request regarding a person's engagement in a sanctionable activity. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require securities issuers to disclose in their mandatory annual or quarterly reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whether they or their affiliates have: (1) engaged in certain activities relating to Iran, terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; (2) knowingly engaged in specified activities, or knowingly violated certain regulations prescribed under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010; (3) knowingly conducted any transaction or dealing with a person whose property and interests in property are blocked by certain Executive Orders; or (4) knowingly conducted a transaction or dealing with any person listed in the Iranian Transactions Regulations. Specifies the contents of mandatory disclosures. Requires the President to: (1) initiate an investigation into the possible imposition of sanctions when the SEC receives a report that an issuer or its affiliate has engaged in the cited activities, and (2) determine within 180 days of initiating an investigation whether sanctions should be imposed on the issuer or the affiliate concerned. Requires promulgation regulations within 90 days after enactment of this Act governing financial institutions maintaining accounts for foreign financial institutions. Urges the President to initiate diplomatic efforts to expand multilateral sanctions against Iran. Directs the President to report to Congress on: (1) the Central Bank of Iran's involvement in Iran's development of weapons of mass destruction and support of terrorism, and (2) entities and countries providing refined petroleum products to Iran. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress listing all foreign investors in Iran's energy sector. Directs the President to: (1) identify each foreign person or foreign entity for which there is a reasonable basis for determining that the person or entity is an agent, front, instrumentality, official, or affiliate of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or is an IRGC representative; and (2) apply specified property sanctions to such person or entity. Gives priority to investigations of specified sensitive transactions. Sets forth mandatory and discretionary measures to be taken against a foreign person or entity that provides material support to the IRGC. Directs the President to impose specified sanctions against a person that provides shipping or refining services with respect to the exportation of petroleum, oil, or liquified natural gas to be refined or otherwise processed outside of Iran if: (1) the IRGC or any of its affiliates were involved in the development, extraction, production, transportation, or sale of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas in Iran, and the fair market value of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas is $1 million or more; or (2) during a 12-month period, the aggregate fair market value of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas is $5 million or more. Exempts certain underwriters and insurance providers from such provisions. Requires the President: (1) upon receipt of credible information that a person may have transferred to Iran goods or technologies, or provided post-transfer services, that may be used to commit human rights abuses to investigate and determine within 180 days whether the person engaged in such activity; (2) submit a list of such persons to Congress every 180 days or as new information becomes available; and (3) freeze the assets of a listed person. Amends the Iran Freedom Support Act to: (1) extend the President's authority to provide financial and political assistance to support democracy in Iran through December 31, 2016; and (2) expand the forms of such assistance. Requires the President to appoint a Special Representative on Human Rights and Democracy in the Islamic republic of Iran within the Department of State. Requires the President to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to promote Internet freedom and access to information in Iran. Amends the the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act to include in the scope of such Act a person that: (1) acquired materials mined or extracted within North Korea's territory or control; or (2) provided shipping services for the transportation of goods to or from Iran, North Korea, or Syria relating to such countries' weapons of mass destruction programs, support for acts of international terrorism, or human rights abuses. Excludes from such provisions shipping services for emergency or humanitarian purposes. Prohibits a vessel from knowingly landing at a U.S. port to load or unload cargo or engage in trade if the vessel entered a port in Iran, North Korea, or Syria during the 180-day period preceding the vessel's U.S. port arrival. Provides for enhanced vessel inspections. Directs: (1) the President to publish a list of each individual who is a senior government official of Iran (including the IRGC), North Korea, or Syria, or a close associate of such individual; and (2) the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to not grant an identified individual immigration status in, or admit the individual to, the United States. Requires a domestic or a foreign financial institution operating in the United States to report to the Secretary of the Treasury regarding any transactions with financial institutions, whose property or interests are blocked due to involvement with Iran, North Korea, or Syria, in activities supportive of international terrorism or weapons of mass destruction proliferation. Prohibits such an institution from continuing to operate in the United States if it: (1) continues to engage in transactions with such sanctioned institutions, or (2) fails to report or submits a false report. Directs the President to apply specified property, financial, or export sanctions against a person providing to, or acquiring from, Iran, North Korea, or Syria any good or technology that is used, or is likely to be used, for military applications.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2011
Small Business Health Relief Act of 2011 - Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), as added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), that: (1) impose fines on large employers (employers with more than 50 full-time employees) who fail to offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential health insurance coverage; and (2) require such large employers to file a report with the Secretary of the Treasury on health insurance coverage provided to their full-time employees. Repeals provision of PPACA that: (1) set limits on the annual deductible on health plans offered in the small group market, (2) allow catastrophic plans to be offered in the individual market to individuals under the age of 30, and (3) impose an annual fee on health insurance entities. Deems high deductible health plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements if the enrollee has established a health savings account. Amends the Public Health Service Act, as amended by PPACA, to repeal provision that allow a premium rate variance by age in the individual or small group market. Repeals restrictions on payments for medications from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements to prescription drugs or insulin. Repeals provisions limiting annual salary reduction contributions by an employee to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan to $2,500. Allows a health plan to maintain its status as a grandfathered health plan regardless of any modification to the cost-sharing levels, employer contribution rates, or covered benefits. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promulgate regulations to clarify the application of such provision. Makes this provision effective as if included in PPACA. Voids any regulations promulgated related to such provisions before enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2011
Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility Detention Act of 2011 - Requires each high-value enemy combatant captured or otherwise taken into long-term custody or detention by the United States to, while under such U.S. detention, be detained at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility (GTMO) at U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Defines "high-value enemy combatant" as an enemy combatant who: (1) is a senior member of al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or any associated terrorist group; (2) has knowledge of an imminent terrorist threat against the United States or its territories, the U.S. Armed Forces, or U.S. people, organizations, or allies; (3) has, or has had, direct involvement in planning or preparing a terrorist action against the United States or a U.S. ally or in assisting the leadership of al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or any associated terrorist group in planning or preparing such a terrorist action; or (4) would, if released from detention, constitute a clear and continuing threat to the United States or any U.S. ally.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2011
Sets forth the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2012, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY2013-FY2021. Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts for FY2012-FY2021 with respect to: (1) federal revenues, (2) new budget authority, (3) budget outlays, (4) deficits, (5) public debt, and (6) debt held by the public. Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority, outlays, and administrative expenses for the Social Security Administration (SSA), including the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, U.S. Postal Service discretionary administrative expenses, and specified major functional categories for FY2012-FY2021. Provides for adjustments to budgetary aggregates and allocations for: (1) continuing disability reviews and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) redeterminations for the Social Security Administration (SSA), (2) IRS tax enforcement, (3) health care fraud and abuse control, (4) unemployment insurance improper payments reviews, and (5) adjustments to support ongoing overseas deployments and other activities. Authorizes the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee to make a deficit-reduction reserve fund for legislation that eliminates or reduces improper payments. Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any legislation that would cause the discretionary spending limits in this resolution to be exceeded, except by a supermajority waiver. Specifies such discretionary spending limits in the Senate for FY2012-FY2021. Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any legislation that would require advanced appropriations other than for up to $28.5 billion in new budget authority in FY2013-FY2014 for programs, projects, activities, or accounts identified in the joint explanatory statement of managers accompanying this resolution. Sets forth requirements for the treatment of emergency legislation. Allows the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee to adjust the estimate of budgetary effects of legislation that: (1) amends or supersedes the system for updating physician payments under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, (2) amends the Estate and Gift Tax under the Internal Revenue Code, (3) extends the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) relief for individuals, and (4) extends middle-class tax cuts under the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief and Reconciliation Act of 2003 (JGTRRA). Permits the Chairman to make such adjustments only for points of order in specified legislation relating to: (1) pay-as-you-go, and (2) long- and short-term deficits. Requires the joint explanatory statement accompanying the conference report on any budget resolution in the Senate to include in its committee allocations to the Committees on Appropriations amounts for the discretionary administrative expenses of the SSA and of the Postal Service.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of State to publish and update a list of each person the Secretary has reason to believe: (1) is responsible for the detention, abuse, or death of Sergei Magnitsky, participated in related liability concealment efforts, or committed those frauds discovered by Sergei Magnitsky, including conspiring to defraud the Russian Federation of taxes on corporate profits through fraudulent transactions and lawsuits against the Hermitage foreign investment company and to misappropriate entities owned or controlled by Hermitage; or (2) is responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other human rights violations committed against individuals seeking to promote human rights or to expose illegal activity carried out by officials of the government of the Russian Federation. Makes an alien on such list ineligible to enter or be admitted to the United States. Revokes any visa issued for such person. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such prohibition if in the U.S. national interest. Requires congressional notification of any such waiver. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) instruct domestic financial institutions and agencies to take specified measures if the Secretary makes a money laundering determination relating to such conspiracy, and (2) freeze and prohibit U.S. property transactions of an individual who is on the list or who acts as an agent for a listed individual. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such actions if in the U.S. national interest. Requires congressional notification of any such waiver. Subjects a person who violates, attempts to violate, or causes a violation of such money laundering or asset provisions to specified penalties. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations requiring each financial institution that is a U.S. person to: (1) audit the assets within its possession or control to determine whether any such assets are required to be frozen pursuant to this Act, and (2) submit a report to the the Secretary containing the audit's results and a certification that such assets have been frozen. Subjects a financial institution that violates such regulations to specified penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) 100% expensing in a current taxable year of the cost of an automated fire sprinkler system, as defined by this Act; and (2) accelerated depreciation (i.e., a 15-year recovery period) of such an automated fire sprinkler systems that is installed in a building where the floor of any occupiable story is greater than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
Medicaid Improvement and State Empowerment Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new part B (Taxpayer Provided Pass-Through Funding of Health Care Grants to States for Pregnant Women, Low-Income Children, and Low-Income Families and for Long-Term Care Services and Supports for Low-Income Elderly or Disabled Individuals). Entitles each state that has submitted a plan for each 12-month period to receive a health grant from the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide: (1) medical assistance to pregnant women, low-income children, and low-income families with children whose income and resources are insufficient to meet the costs of medical, rehabilitation, and other services necessary to help them attain or retain capability for independence or self-care; and (2) long-term care services and supports for low-income elderly or disabled individuals with insufficient income and resources to meet the costs of services to help them attain or retain such capability. Directs the Secretary to award grants to assist eligible states in implementing state-based medical malpractice reforms. Terminates funding under SSA titles XIX and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP). Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Restores or revives the provisions of law amended or repealed by such Acts as if they had not been enacted. Directs the Secretary to establish a new formula for payments made to or received from states under parts D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) and E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of SSA title IV that are based on the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) applicable to the state under Medicaid.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
National Guard Empowerment and State-National Defense Integration Act of 2011 - Reestablishes the position of Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau (Vice Chief). Terminates the position of Director of the Joint Staff of the National Guard Bureau (Director) and transfers existing duties of the Director to the Vice Chief. Adds the Chief of the National Guard Bureau (Chief) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue the Task Force for Emergency Readiness (TFER) pilot program as a permanent FEMA program. Requires the Administrator to carry out the program in at least five states in addition to the five states in which the program is carried out as of the enactment of this Act. Requires the Chief to: (1) identify, using catastrophic disaster response plans for each state developed under the program, any gaps in state civilian and military response capabilities that federal military capabilities are unprepared to fill; (2) notify the Secretary of Defense and the respective Commanders of the U.S. Northern and Pacific Commands of any such gaps; and (3) assist, acting through the Adjutants General of the States, states in developing state plans on responses to catastrophic disaster emergencies. Directs the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to enter into a memorandum of understanding on coordination between Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and between such departments and the states, in the use of military forces in response to domestic emergencies. Authorizes appropriations for the DOD for FY2012 for National Guard: (1) continuity of operations, continuity of government, and consequence management in connection with response to terrorist and other attacks and catastrophes; (2) emergency preparedness and response activities; and (3) staffing of joint operations coordination centers in response to terrorist and other attacks and catastrophes. States that the U.S. Northern and Pacific Commands shall be the combatant commands principally responsible for the military support of civil authorities in the United States. Requires the Commander of each Command and the Chief to enter into a memorandum of understanding setting forth the operational relationships, and individual roles and responsibilities, during responses to domestic emergencies among such Commands and the National Guard Bureau. Requires the officers serving as Commander of Army North Command and Commander of Air Force North Command to be officers in the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, respectively. Directs the Secretary of Defense to modify specified regulations prescribed pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 to provide for the use of available appropriated State Partnership Program funds for contacts between members of the National Guard and civilian personnel of foreign governments outside the ministry of defense on matters within the core competencies of the National Guard.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
Designates May 21, 2011, as National Kids to Parks Day. Recognizes the importance of outdoor recreation and the preservation of open spaces to the health of young people of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2011
Reaffirms support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a democratic Jewish state of Israel and a democratic Palestinian state living in peace and mutual recognition. States that any Palestinian unity government must forswear terrorism, accept Israel's right to exist, and reaffirm previous agreements made with Israel. Opposes any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between leaders in Israel and the Palestinians. Urges Palestinian leaders to cease efforts at circumventing the negotiation process, including through a unilateral declaration of statehood or by seeking recognition of a Palestinian state from other nations or the United Nations (U.N.). Supports the President's opposition to a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state. States that the Senate will consider restrictions on aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) should the PA persist in efforts to circumvent direct negotiations. Reaffirms the requirement under U.S. law precluding assistance to a PA that includes Hamas unless that PA and all its ministers accept Israel's right to exist and all prior agreements and understandings with the governments of the United States and Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Pilots Equitable Treatment Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), with regard to both single-employer and multiemployer plan guaranteed benefits, to require the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) , in the case of commercial airline pilots required by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation to retire before age 65, to compute the actuarial value of monthly benefits in the form of a life annuity commencing at the required retirement age.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Detaining Terrorists to Secure America Act of 2011 - Reaffirms that the U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Guantanamo), is and shall be a location for the detention of individuals in the custody or control of the Department of Defense (DOD) who have engaged in or supported hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners on behalf of al Qaeda, the Taliban, or an affiliated group to which the Authorization for Use of Military Force (P.L. 107-40) applies. Directs the Secretary of Defense to maintain Guantanamo as an open and operating facility for the current and future detention of such individuals. Amends the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 to make permanent (under current law, terminates on January 7, 2012) a prohibition on the use of any federal funds (under current law, only DOD funds) to transfer any individual detained at Guantanamo on or after October 1, 2009, to the individual's country of origin or any other foreign country or entity unless the Secretary makes a specified certification to Congress relating to such transfer. Prohibits any federal funds (under current law, only DOD funds) from being used to construct or modify any facility in the United States or its territories or possessions to house any individual in the custody or control of DOD or under detention at Guantanamo on or after the above date for the purpose of detention or imprisonment.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Job Protection Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that an employer's expression or written dissemination of views, argument, or opinion regarding the costs associated with collective bargaining, work stoppages, or strikes shall not constitute antiunion animus or unlawful motive (an unfair labor practice), if such expression contains no threat of reprisal or force or promise of benefit. Denies the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), unless an employer has been adjudicated finally to have unlawfully undertaken certain actions, any power to: (1) order the employer to relocate, shut down, or transfer any existing or planned facility or work or employment opportunity; (2) prevent the employer from making such relocations, transfers, or expansions to new or existing facilities in the future; or (3) prevent the employer from closing or not developing a facility, or from eliminating an employment opportunity. Declares that, unless an employer has been so adjudicated, nothing under the Act shall: (1) prevent the employer from choosing where to locate, develop, or expand its business or facilities; (2) require the employer to move, transfer, or relocate any facility, production line, or employment opportunity, or require the employer to cease or refrain from doing so; or (3) prevent the employer from closing a facility or eliminating any employment opportunity.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Expresses condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, homes, and livelihoods in the storms and tornadoes of April 2011 and extends wishes for a full recovery for those who were injured. Commends the resiliency of the people of the affected states, including Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina, and commits to provide the necessary resources and to stand by them. Extends thanks to the forecasters, first responders, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, volunteers, and medical personnel who took quick action to provide warnings, aid, and comfort to the victims.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
National Oilheat Research Alliance Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Renames the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2000 the National Oilheat Research, Consumer Education, and Efficiency Act of 2011. Revises criteria for membership in the National Oilheat Research Alliance. Directs the Alliance to: (1) submit proposed biennial (currently, annual) budgets to the Secretary of Energy (DOE); and (2) maintain a data collection process to track equipment, service, and related safety issues. Authorizes the Secretary to recommend changes to budget programs and activities of the Alliance. Directs the Secretary to report biennially to Congress on certain Alliance activities. Prohibits assessments collected under this Act from being passed through to or otherwise required to be paid by either retail purchasers or ultimate consumers of oilheat. Requires a qualified state association to deposit in a separate account the funds received under this Act. Directs the Alliance to ensure that specified percentages of assessments collected for each calendar year are used to: (1) conduct research, development, and demonstration activities relating to oilheat; (2) implement consumer assistance programs; and (3) conduct consumer education activities relating to oilheat. Directs the Alliance to: (1) ensure that heating system conversion assistance is coordinated with administrators of a specified low-income home energy assistance program and with the Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons; and (2) develop, with states, a coordinated heating oil efficiency and upgrade plan to implement cost-effective efficiency programs and activities. Repeals the mandate for an annual market survey and analysis of changes in the price of oilheat relative to other energy sources. Prohibits the use of funds derived from assessments collected by the Alliance to lobby. Authorizes the Secretary to impose a fine or take other action to ensure compliance with this Act (including referral to an appropriate law enforcement authority) if the Alliance, a qualified state association, or any other entity or person violates this Act. Extends the sunset date for the National Oilheat Research Alliance program to 19 years after the date on which it was established.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2011
Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from using bid savings on a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) major medical facility project to expand or change the scope of a project unless the Secretary submits to the congressional veterans and appropriations committees a description of such expansion or change, along with notification of: (1) the project that is the source of the bid savings, (2) the project for which the expansion or change is to be used, and (3) the amounts which the Secretary intends to obligate for the expansion or change.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase, as of December 1, 2011, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Requires each such increase to be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act - Prohibits the expenditure of funds authorized or appropriated by federal law or funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by federal law (federal funds) for any abortion. (Currently, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services, except in cases involving rape, incest, or life endangerment.) Prohibits federal funds from being used for any health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. (Thus making permanent existing federal policies.) Prohibits the inclusion of abortion in any health care service furnished by a federal or District of Columbia health care facility or by any physician or other individual employed by the federal government or the District. Excludes from such prohibitions an abortion if: (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest; or (2) the woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, as certified by a physician. Makes such prohibitions applicable to District of Columbia funds. Codifies the prohibition against a federal agency or program or any state or local government that receives federal financial assistance from subjecting any individual or health care entity to discrimination on the basis that the health care entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions. Creates a cause of action for any violations of such provisions. Gives federal courts jurisdiction to prevent and redress actual or threatened violations of such provisions by issuing any form of legal or equitable relief, including an injunction or order preventing the disbursement of all or a portion of federal financial assistance until the prohibited conduct has ceased. Gives standing to institute an action to affected health care entities and the Attorney General. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate the Director of the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to receive, investigate, and refer to the appropriate federal agency complaints alleging a violation of such provisions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to disqualify, for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses, any amounts paid for an abortion. Excludes from the definition of "qualified health plan" after December 31, 2013, for purposes of the refundable tax credit for premium assistance for such plans, any plan that includes coverage for abortion. Excludes from the definitions of "qualified health plan" and "health insurance coverage," for purposes of the tax credit for small employer health insurance expenses, any health plan or benefit that includes coverage for abortions. Includes any reimbursements or distributions to pay for an abortion in the gross income of participants in flexible spending arrangements under a tax-exempt cafeteria plan, Archer Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs), and health savings accounts (HSAs). Exempts from the application of such tax provisions: (1) abortions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or in cases where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness that would, as certified by a physician, endanger her life if an abortion were not performed; and (2) the treatment of any infection, injury, disease, or disorder that was caused by or exacerbated by the performance of an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Consolidation of Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency Act of 2011 - Consolidates the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish the Department of Energy and the Environment (DEE), with the primary mission of ensuring U.S. security and prosperity by: (1) protecting human health; (2) safeguarding the natural environment; and (3) addressing U.S. energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. Transfers to the DEE Secretary all of the functions of the EPA Administrator and the Secretary of Energy. Establishes within the Department: (1) an Energy and Environmental Information Administration; (2) an Office of Science; (3) an Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence; (4) an Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs; and (5) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as an independent regulatory commission. Transfers to the Commission specified functions of the Federal Power Commission (FPC). Preserves the Southeastern Power Administration, the Southwestern Power Administration, and the Bonneville Power Administration as distinct organizational entities within DEE, each headed by an Administrator. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish policy for the National Nuclear Security Administration; (2) assess annually the vulnerability of Department's facilities to terrorist attack; and (3) establish an enterprise-wide strategic sourcing program to improve efficiencies and economies in EPA's acquisition programs. Requires the President to: (1) submit a proposed National Energy Policy Plan to Congress by April 1, 2012, and biennially thereafter; and (2) issue an executive order that provides for administrative cost savings across the federal government. Repeals provisions providing for the weatherization assistance program, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, sustainable energy resources for consumers grants, the low income community energy efficiency pilot program, the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Research and Development Program, the fossil energy research and development program, state energy conservation plans, and diesel emissions reduction grants. Rescinds specified unobligated balances of the amounts made available for energy efficiency and renewable energy. Terminates the state water pollution control revolving funds program, grants for water pollution control programs, nonpoint source management programs, the state drinking water revolving loan funds program, public water system supervision programs, and the state underground injection control program. Terminates EPA's targeted watershed grants program, performance partnership grants program, U.S. Mexico border water infrastructure program, and tribal assistance grants programs. Prohibits the Secretary from providing in FY2012-FY2016: (1) grants to communities to develop plans and implement projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions; (2) targeted airshed grants to California; and (3) grants for the construction of drinking water, wastewater, or storm water infrastructure or for water quality protection. Limits the amount that the Secretary may transfer to the Great Lakes Initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2011
Consumer Rental-Purchase Agreement Act of 2011- Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prescribe consumer protection guidelines for rental-purchase transactions, including: (1) the determination of rental-purchase cost; (2) disclosure requirements; (3) prohibitions against confessions of judgment, wage assignments, and waiver of consumer claims or defenses; (4) furnishing of statements of account; (5) point-of-rental disclosures; and (6) rental-purchase advertising disclosures. Declares that an action for civil liability may be brought against a merchant's assignee only if the violation is apparent on the face of a rental-purchase agreement to which it relates, including, but not limited to, a disclosure that can be determined to be incomplete or inaccurate from the face of the agreement. Authorizes the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to promulgate implementing regulations. Grants enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission and to state attorneys general. Subjects to criminal penalties any willful and knowing violation of the information disclosure requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2011
Protect Life Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to prohibit federal funds from being to used to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion services. (Currently, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services and plans receiving federal funds must keep federal funds segregated from any funds for abortion services.) Requires any qualified health benefit plan offered through an Exchange that includes coverage for abortions to also offer a qualified health benefit plan through the Exchange that is identical in every respect except that it does not cover abortions. Prohibits a federal agency or program and any state or local government that receives federal financial assistance under PPACA from requiring any health plan created or regulated under PPACA to discriminate against any institutional or individual health care entity based on the entity's refusal to undergo training in the performance of induced abortions, require or provide such training, or refer for such training. Creates a cause of action for any violations of the abortion provisions of PPACA. Gives federal courts jurisdiction to prevent and redress actual or threatened violations of such provisions by issuing any form of legal or equitable relief, including injunctions and orders preventing the disbursement of all or a portion of federal financial assistance until the prohibited conduct has ceased. Gives standing to institute an action to affected health care entities and the Attorney General. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate the Director of the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to receive and investigate complaints alleging a violation of PPACA abortion provisions. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to ensure that no multistate qualified health plan offered in an Exchange provides coverage of abortion services.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2011
Ethanol Subsidy and Tariff Repeal Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to advance the termination date of the income and excise tax credits for alcohol fuel mixtures (ethanol) from December 31, 2011, to the later of June 30, 2011, or the enactment of this Act. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to allow, on or after June 30, 2011, duty-free treatment for ethyl alcohol or any mixture containing ethyl alcohol (ethanol).
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2011
State Flexibility Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to repeal certain state Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) maintenance of effort requirements under titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act. (Under "maintenance of efforts" a state is prohibited from having eligibility standards, methodologies, or procedures under its state Medicaid or CHIP plan that are more restrictive than those in effect on on July 1, 2008, under ARRA or on March 23, 2010, under PPACA.)
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2011
Designates May 6, 2011, as Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Honors and recognizes the contributions made by spouses of members of the Armed Forces. Encourages the people of the United States to observe Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2011
Congratulates the students, parents, teachers, and administrators of charter schools across the country for their ongoing contributions to education and our public school system. Supports the ideals and goals of the eleventh annual National Charter Schools Week (May 1-May 7, 2011).
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2011
Calls for an independent international investigation of the April 10, 2010, plane crash near Smolensk, Russia, that killed President of Poland Lech Kaczynski and 95 other individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax and sport fishing equipment components.
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
Voluntary Protection Program Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to enter into cooperative agreements with employers to: (1) encourage establishment of comprehensive safety and health management systems to protect employees from occupational hazards, and (2) establish a voluntary protection program to encourage excellence and recognize its achievement in both the technical and managerial protection of employees from occupational hazards. Requires the Secretary to take necessary steps for the orderly transition from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cooperative agreements and voluntary protection programs existing before enactment of this Act to agreements and programs authorized under this Act. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to increase small business participation in the voluntary protection program.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) report to Congress regarding the volume of ships and planes from North Korea visiting Burma via China and elsewhere in 2009, 2010, and through March 2011; (2) call for an international investigation into allegations of international crimes against civilians in Burma by the government of Burma; (3) seek the assistance of U.S. friends and allies, including Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, to encourage the release of all remaining political prisoners in Burma; and (4) encourage neighboring countries to establish safe havens for Burmese child soldiers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Recognizes the goals of introducing our daughters and sons to the workplace. Commends all the participants in Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work for their ongoing contributions to education, and for the vital role the participants play in promoting and ensuring a brighter, stronger future for the United States.
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 · 5 April 2011
Designates April 5, 2011, as Gold Star Wives Day. Honors and recognizes the contributions of the members of the Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., and their dedication to the members and veterans of the Armed Forces. Encourages the people of the United States to observe Gold Star Wives Day.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
Repeal the CLASS Entitlement Act - Repeals provisions of the Public Health Service Act enacted under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (entitled the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act or the CLASS Act) which establish a national, voluntary insurance program for purchasing community living assistance services and supports in order to provide individuals with functional limitations with tools that will allow them to maintain their personal and financial independence and live in the community. Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to repeal provisions providing appropriations for the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information through FY2015.
![Official portrait of Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001135_200.jpg)