United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2011
Strengthening and Focusing Enforcement to Deter Organized Stealing and Enhance Safety Act of 2011 or the SAFE DOSES Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit, in interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly: (1) stealing, embezzling, or obtaining by fraud or deception a medical product; (2) transporting, handling, trafficking in, or storing a stolen medical product; or (3) participating in any way in a scheme to alter, forge, or falsify the labeling or documentation of a stolen or expired medical product. Defines a "medical product" a drug, biological product, device, medical food, or infant formula that: (1) is being stored for transportation or is being or has been transported, shipped, or received; and (2) has not yet been made available for retail purchase by a customer. Sets forth penalties for violations, including up to 3 years imprisonment if the value of the medical product is less than $5,000 and up to 20 years imprisonment otherwise. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil action in United States district court against violators. Authorizes the court to impose a civil penalty of up to the greater of 3 times the economic loss attributable to the violation or $1 million. Provides for civil forfeiture in cases of theft of medical products. Increases the penalties for: (1) stealing, embezzling, or obtaining by fraud or artifice interstate or foreign shipments; (2) interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises; (3) engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity; (4) breaking into or entering carrier facilities with intent to commit larceny; and (5) the transportation, sale, or receipt of stolen property. Includes theft of medical products within the scope of: (1) the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act; (2) provisions regarding authorization for the interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications; and (3) provisions regarding mandatory restitution to victims of certain crimes. Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements applicable to a person convicted of an offense regarding robberies and burglaries involving controlled substances, theft of medical products, or other criminal code provisions amended by this Act.
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
Amends the federal criminal code to provide for imprisonment for up to 5 years, a fine, or both, for criminal infringement of a copyright where the offense consists of 10 or more public performances by electronic means, during any 180-day period, of one or more copyrighted works and where: (1) the total retail value of the performances, or the total economic value of such performances to the infringer or to the copyright owner, would exceed $2,500; or (2) the total fair market value of licenses to offer performances of those works would exceed $5,000. Includes, within copyright provisions protecting works from criminal infringement, the public performance of a work being prepared for commercial distribution.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Wounded Warrior Tax Equity Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prevent any extension of the tax collection period after assessment for taxpayers who are members of the Armed Forces due to a hospitalization for combat zone injuries.
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
Constitutional Amendment - Authorizes the repeal of any federal law or regulation when the legislatures of two-thirds of the states approve resolutions for this purpose that particularly describe the provisions to be repealed.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
Supports the people of Syria as they seek to exercise universal rights and pursue peaceful democratic change. Condemns the human rights abuses of the government of Syria, including the use of lethal violence, torture, mass arrests, and the cut-off of basic services. Condemns the government of Iran for assisting the government of Syria in its campaign of repression against the Syrian people. Finds that the government of Syria, led by Bashar al-Assad, has lost legitimacy and expresses support for the people of Syria to determine their future for themselves. Commends President Obama for authorizing targeted sanctions on human rights abusers in Syria. Urges the President to: (1) in conjunction with international partners, ensure access of humanitarian relief organizations and international media to affected areas of Syria and to impose consequences on the government of Syria and its leaders if access by these organizations continues to be impeded; and (2) work with our allies and partners at the U.N. Security Council to hold accountable human rights abusers in Syria and to support the human rights of the Syrian people. Urges the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to: (1) implement UNHRC Resolution S-16/1 and to ensure that the investigation into violations by the government of Syria of international human rights law is undertaken immediately, and (2) reinforce the need for the U.N. General Assembly to reject Syria's candidacy for UNHRC membership.
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
Recognizes the historical struggle for independence and freedom of the people of Mexico. Calls upon the people of the United States to observe Cinco de Mayo with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2011
Iran Human Rights and Democracy Promotion Act of 2011 - Expresses the sense of Congress that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran is responsible for directing the commission of serious human rights abuses against Iranian citizens on or after June 12, 2009. Amends the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 to require the President: (1) upon receipt of credible information that a person may be an official of the government of Iran or acting on behalf of that government who is complicit in the commission of serious human rights abuses against Iranian citizens on or after June 12, 2009, to investigate and determine within 180 days whether the person is such a described individual; and (2) submit a list of such persons to Congress every 180 days or as new information becomes available. 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 Iran within the Department of State. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Secretary should support efforts to research and catalogue prisoners of conscience and cases of human rights abuses inside Iran, (2) the U.S. government should offer political asylum to such political prisoners as well as assisting with their relocation to other countries if requested, and (3) the Special Representative and all representatives of the U.S. government should publicly call for the release of Iranian dissidents by name and raise individual cases of Iranian dissidents and prisoners of conscience as appropriate. Requires the President to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to promote Internet freedom and access to information in Iran.
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
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 · 14 April 2011
Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act of 2011 - Establishes the Waco Mammoth National Monument in Texas as a unit of the National Park System. Requires the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with Baylor University and the city of Waco, to complete a general management plan for the Monument.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
The Consumer Information Enhancement Act of 2011- Amends title XVIII (Medicare) to provide for the development of reports, based on Medicare data, data that is publicly available, or private data provided by a requesting entity in order to: (1) improve the quality and efficiency of health care; (2) enhance the education and awareness of consumers for evaluating heatlh care services; and (3) provide the public with reports on national, regional, and provider- and suppplier-specific performance, which may be in a provider- or supplier-identifiable format. Requires specified reporting procedures to provide for secure disclosure of Medicare data to Consumer Information Organizations meeting certain requirements under contract with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Directs the Secretary of HHS to permit researchers that meet criteria used to ensure the appropriateness of the release of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data for research purposes to: (1) have access to all Medicare data; and (2) report on the performance of service providers and suppliers.
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
Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success Act or A PLUS Act - Allows each state to enter into a five-year performance agreement with the Secretary of Education permitting it to receive federal funds on a consolidated basis that would otherwise be directed toward specific programs furthering the stated purpose of title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Requires each agreement to be approved by a combination of specified state parties, and list the programs for which consolidated funding is requested. Allows states to use such funds for any educational purpose permitted by state law, but requires them to make certain assurances that they will use fiscal control and fund accounting procedures, abide by federal civil rights laws, and advance educational opportunities for the disadvantaged. Allows amendments to the scope of performance agreements. Requires each agreement state to: (1) maintain an accountability system measuring annual student progress toward state proficiency standards, (2) disseminate annually student performance data disaggregated by specified student groups, and (3) keep aggregate spending on elementary and secondary education at no less than 90% of such spending for the school year coinciding with this Act's enactment. Limits administrative expenses. Requires the inclusion of private schools and teachers in activities funded on a consolidated basis. Directs the Secretary to evaluate each performance agreement midway through its execution. Allows the Secretary to terminate an agreement whose terms are not met for three consecutive school years.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should submit to Congress: (1) a detailed description of U.S. policy objectives in Libya; (2) a detailed plan to achieve those objectives; (3) a detailed estimate of the full cost of U.S. military operations in Libya and any other actions required to implement the plan; and (4) a detailed description of the limitations the President has placed on the nature, duration, and scope of U.S. military operations in Libya, as referenced in his March 21, 2011, letter to Congress. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should seek congressional authorization for the use of military force against Libya.
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
Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans Act of 2011 or SERVE Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code concerning the prohibition on disruptions of funerals of members or former members of the Armed Forces to increase the period covered under such prohibition from one to two hours before and after a military funeral. Includes within such unlawful conduct any disturbance or disruption occurring within 500 feet of the residence of a surviving member of a deceased's immediate family. Provides civil remedies, including actual and statutory damages. Makes identical changes under federal veterans' provisions concerning the prohibition on certain demonstrations and disruptions at national cemeteries, including Arlington National Cemetery.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2011
Congratulates the Lady Aggies of Texas A&M University on winning the 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Women's Basketball Championship and completing the 2010-2011 women's basketball season with 33 wins and 5 losses.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2011
Calls on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) members to reflect the author's repudiation of the Goldstone report's central findings, rescind the report, and reconsider further Council actions with respect to the report's findings. Urges United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to work with United Nations (U.N.) member states to reform UNRHC so that it no longer unfairly, disproportionately, and falsely criticizes Israel. Requests Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to do all in his power to redress the damage caused by the Goldstone report to Israel's reputation. Urges the United States to take a leadership role in getting the U.N. and its bodies to prevent any further action on the report's findings and limit the damage that this libelous report has caused to Israel and to the reputation of the U.N.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Dodd-Frank Repeal Act of 2011 - Repeals titles I through XV of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Restores or revives the provisions of law amended or repealed by such titles as if the Act had not been enacted.
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
Decrease Spending Now Act - Rescinds $45 billion of unobligated balances of current discretionary appropriations. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) determine which appropriation accounts the rescission shall apply to and the amount that each such account shall be reduced, and (2) report to the Secretary of the Treasury and Congress a list of the accounts reduced by the rescission, including the amounts rescinded from each such account. Exempts from such rescission the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Social Security Administration (SSA).
United States · United States Congress · 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.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
3-D, Domestic Jobs, Domestic Energy, and Deficit Reduction Act of 2011 - Considers that the Secretary of the Interior has approved the Draft Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2010-2015 as a final oil and gas leasing program under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. Deems the Secretary to have issued a final environmental impact statement for such Program under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a lease sale in each outer Continental Shelf planning area for which there is a commercial interest in purchasing federal oil and gas production leases, (2) approve or disapprove a drill permit application within 20 days after submission, and (3) hold lease sales for specified areas in the Central Gulf of Mexico, Western Gulf of Mexico, and the state of Virginia. Grants the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit exclusive jurisdiction over challenges to offshore energy projects and permits to drill carried out in the Gulf of Mexico. Directs the Secretary to implement an oil and gas leasing program in land within the 1002 Coastal Plain Area of Alaska. Authorizes the Secretary to designate up to 45,000 acres of the Coastal Plain as a special area for preservation of its unique and diverse character. Directs the Secretary to: (1) administer the leasing program with respect to Coastal Plain environmental protection according to the no significant adverse effect standard, (2) issue rights-of-way and easements across the Coastal Plain for the transportation of oil and gas, and (3) convey specified surface estates to the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation and to the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Establishes the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Alternative Energy Trust Fund. Amends the Oil Shale, Tar Sands, and Other Strategic Unconventional Fuels Act of 2005 to require the Secretary to conduct related lease sales in any state during any period when there is sufficient state support and interest in the development of tar sands and oil shale resources. Grants the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia exclusive jurisdiction to hear all causes and claims arising from any covered project of federal land leasing for exploitation of oil, natural gas, or any other source or form of energy. Amends NEPA to require completion and review of environmental impact statements within 270 days after their commencement or the action concerned shall be considered a final agency action with no significant environmental impact. Amends the Clean Air Act to: (1) declare that carbon dioxide, methane from agriculture or livestock, and water vapor are not air pollutants; and (2) require an economic analysis of any requirement of the Act that results in an adverse effect on employment. Requires the Secretary of commerce to establish an economic review board to assess such an analysis. Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) to require the the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce, as appropriate, upon a state governor's declaration of an emergency, to exempt from the prohibition against taking, and against adverse modification of critical habitat, any action reasonably necessary to avoid or ameliorate the impact of the emergency, including the operation of any water supply or flood control project by a federal agency. Prohibits consideration of the impact of greenhouse gas on any species of fish or wildlife or plant for any purpose in the implementation of the ESA. Instructs the Administrator of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to approve the specification of the areas described in the notice entitled "Final Determination of the Assistant Administrator for Water Pursuant to Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act Concerning the Spruce No. 1 Mine, Logan County, WV." Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to issue or reissue each lease for the production of oil or gas in the state of Utah that was canceled during calendar years 2009 through 2011. Prohibits the Bureau of Reclamation of the Department of the Interior and any California state agency operating a water project in connection with the Central Valley Project from restricting operations of an applicable project pursuant to any biological opinion issued under ESA if it would result in a level of allocation of water less than the historical maximum allocation under the project. Directs the Secretary of State to expedite the permit request for the Keystone XL pipeline without considering greenhouse gas impacts during the permit review process. Instructs the EPA Administrator to issue without further review or analysis a permit to Shell Oil Company to drill for oil in the Beaufort Sea. Prohibits the award or federal payment of legal fees to an environmental nongovernmental organization in connection with any action: (1) preventing, terminating, or reducing access to production of energy, mineral resources, water by agricultural producers, a resource by commercial or recreational fishermen, or grazing or timber production on federal land; (2) diminishing a property owner's private property value; or (3) eliminating or preventing one or more jobs.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Financial Takeover Repeal Act of 2011 - Repeals the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and revives or restores those the provisions of law amended by it as if that Act had not been enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Prohibits total outlays for any fiscal year from exceeding 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the preceding calendar year unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess over such 18%. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Prohibits any bill from becoming law that imposes a new tax or increases the statutory rate of any tax or the aggregate amount of revenue, unless approved by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber. Requires a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber to increase the federal debt limit. Authorizes waivers of these requirements: (1) when a declaration of war is in effect against a nation-state and Congress, by a majority roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess; or (2) under other specified circumstances involving military conflict, if Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes such waiver. Prohibits a federal or state court from ordering any increase in revenue to enforce this article.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the 15-year recovery period classification for qualified leasehold improvement, restaurant, and retail improvement property, for purposes of the depreciation tax deduction.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Finding Fugitive Sex Offenders Act of 2011 - Amends the federal judicial code and the federal criminal code to authorize the United States Marshals Service to issue administrative subpoenas solely for the investigation of unregistered sex offenders.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Health Care Bureaucrats Elimination Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to eliminate the Independent Payment Advisory Board charged with developing and submitting to the President, for Congress to consider, detailed proposals to reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Faster FOIA Act of 2011 - Establishes the Commission on Freedom of Information Act Processing Delays to conduct a study to: (1) identify methods that will help reduce delays in processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted to federal agencies; (2) ensure the efficient and equitable administration of FOIA throughout the federal government; (3) examine whether the system for charging fees for such requests and granting waivers of such fees needs to be reformed; (4) determine why the government's use of FOIA exemptions increased during FY2009, whether the increase contributed to delays, what efforts were made by federal agencies to comply with President Obama's January 21, 2009 Presidential Memorandum on Freedom of Information Act Requests, and whether those efforts were successful; and (5) make recommendations on how the use of exemptions may be limited.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Public-Private Employee Retirement Parity Act - Excludes as creditable service under the Federal Employees' Retirement System any service performed by an employee or Member of Congress (including military service) performed after December 31, 2012, if that individual did not perform any period of creditable service (including military service) before January 1, 2013. Prohibits an employing agency from making any deduction or withholding from the basic pay of any employee or Member for such excluded service.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Comprehensive Assessment of Regulations on the Economy Act of 2011 - Establishes within the Department of Commerce the Cumulative Regulatory Assessment Committee to assess the cumulative energy and economic impacts of federal regulatory mandates that: (1) are promulgated or issued (or are expected to be initiated) by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or a state or local government from January 1, 2010, to January 1, 2020; (2) apply to one or more impacted unit; and (3) implement any provision or requirement relating to interstate or international transport of air pollution with respect to any national ambient air quality standard, attainment of any such standard, new source performance standards, hazardous air pollutants, greenhouse gas emissions, cooling water intake structures, effluent guidelines for regulating the discharge of pollutants, the handling and disposal of coal combustion residuals, the regulation of fuels, or regional haze or reasonably attributable visibility impairment under the Clean Air Act or any other environmental regulations expected to have a significant impact on the electric power sector, the petroleum refining sector, the petrochemical production sector, pipeline facilities regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) or EPA, exploration, production, or transportation of oil and natural gas, or any other manufacturing sector. Defines "impacted unit" as any: (1) electric generating unit that sells electricity into the grid; (2) industrial, commercial, or institutional boiler or process heater; (3) petroleum refining facility that produces gasoline, heating oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, or petrochemical feedstocks; (4) petrochemical facility; (5) hydrocarbon exploration, extraction, manufacturing, production, or transportation facility; or (6) biofuel facility.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2011
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2011 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Attorney General should implement changes to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database to ensure that a child will be automatically designated as an endangered juvenile if the child has been reported missing three times in a year and that the database will cross-reference newly entered reports with historical records and include a visual cue on the record of a child designated as an endangered juvenile; (2) funds awarded under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program should be used to provide education, training, deterrence, and prevention programs relating to sex trafficking of minors; (3) states should treat minor victims of sex trafficking as crime victims rather than as criminal defendants or juvenile delinquents and make such minors eligible for compensation; and (4) demand for commercial sex with minors must be deterred through consistent law enforcement. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 to revise the grant program to combat trafficking in persons to authorize the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs to award block grants to up to six state or local governments to combat sex trafficking of minors, for uses including providing shelter to minor victims of trafficking, case management services, mental health counseling, legal services, and outreach and education programs. Amends title IV of the Social Security Act (Grants to States for Needy Families with Children and for Child-Welfare Services) to require states to adopt procedures for reporting information on missing or abducted children for entry into the NCIC database. Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require: (1) the Attorney General's annual statistical summary under such Act to include the total number of missing child reports received and the total number of entries made to the NCIC database, and (2) state law enforcement agencies to update the record of a missing child with a photograph taken within the previous 180 days and to notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of each report of a child missing from a foster care family home or childcare institution. Amends the Trafficking Victims Reauthorization Act of 2008 to require the inclusion of safe harbor provisions for children exploited through prostitution in model state antitrafficking statutes. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) expand protection of minor victims and witnesses from harassment or intimidation, (2) impose a minimum one-year prison term for possession of certain child pornography, and (3) allow the issuance of an administrative subpoena for the investigation of unregistered sex offenders by the United States Marshals Service. Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review and amend federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements to ensure that such guidelines provide an additional penalty for sex trafficking of children and other child abuse crimes. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to coordinate with the heads of federal departments and independent agencies to devise a strategy and establish guidelines to reduce overall government printing costs beginning with FY2013.
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
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is incompatible with the Constitution, the laws, and the traditions of the United States; (2) the Convention would undermine presumptions of freedom and independence for U.S. families; (3) the Convention would interfere with U.S. principles of sovereignty, independence, and self-government that preclude the necessity or propriety of adopting international law to govern domestic matters; and (4) the President should not transmit the Convention to the Senate for its advice and consent.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Lease Extension and Secure Energy Act of 2011- Directs the Secretary of the Interior to extend by one year the term of each oil and gas lease (covered lease) for the Gulf of Mexico outer Continental Shelf region that was: (1) not producing as of April 30, 2010; or (2) suspended from operations, permit processing, or consideration, in accordance with either a certain moratorium dated May 30, 2010, or the decision memorandum of the Secretary dated July 12, 2010. States that this extension of covered leases is in addition to any suspension of operations or suspension of production granted by the Minerals Management Service or the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement after May 1, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Brewer's Employment and Excise Relief Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the rate of the excise tax on beer produced within or imported into the United States for brewers who produce not more than 6 million barrels of beer a year.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit Repeal Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the immediate repeal (the current expiration date is December 31, 2011) of the income and excise tax credits for alchol fuel mixtures (ethanol).
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Congratulates the Army Dental Corps on its 100th anniversary. Commends the Corps for its work to improve the dental readiness of the Army and the oral health of soldiers and their families. Recognizes the thousands of dentists who have served in the Corps over the last 100 years.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
Boutique Fuel Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends the Clean Air Act to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to temporarily waive a control or prohibition respecting the use of a fuel or fuel additive if: (1) it is in the public interest to grant such a waiver; and (2) the Administrator determines, and the Secretary of Energy (DOE) concurs, that extreme and unusual fuel or fuel additive supply circumstances exist that are the result of an unexpected problem with distribution or delivery equipment. Requires the Administrator, after providing notice and an opportunity for comment, to remove a fuel from the list of approved fuels under all state implementation plans (SIPs) if the Administrator determines that the fuel: (1) has ceased to be included in any SIP (current law), or (2) is identical to a federal fuel control or prohibition established and enforced by the Administrator (currently, identical to a federal fuel formulation implemented by the Administrator). Directs the Administrator, on removing a fuel from the list, to publish a revised list that reflects such removal. Repeals the limitation on the Administrator's authority to approve a control or prohibition respecting any new fuel in a SIP plan if such new fuel increases the total number of fuels on such list. Provides that nothing in such Act limits the authority of the Administrator to approve a control or prohibition relating to any new fuel in a SIP if: (1) the new fuel completely replaces a fuel on the list published; and (2) the Administrator publishes in the Federal Register, after providing notice and an opportunity for public comment, a determination that the control or prohibition will not cause any fuel supply or distribution interruption or have any significant adverse impact on fuel producibility in the affected area or any contiguous area.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2011
National Right-to-Work Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to repeal those provisions that permit employers, pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that is a union security agreement, to require employees to join a union as a condition of employment (including provisions permitting railroad carriers to require, pursuant to such an agreement, payroll deduction of union dues or fees as a condition of employment).
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2011
Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from promulgating any regulation concerning, taking action relating to, or taking into consideration the emission of a greenhouse gas (GHG) to address climate change. Excludes GHGs from the definition of "air pollutant" for purposes of addressing climate change. Exempts from such prohibition: (1) implementation and enforcement of the rule, "Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards" and finalization, implementation, enforcement, and revision of the proposed rule, "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles"; (2) implementation of the renewable fuel program; (3) statutorily authorized federal research, development, and demonstration programs addressing climate change; (4) implementation and enforcement of stratospheric ozone protection to the extent that such implementation or enforcement only involves class I or II substances; and (5) implementation and enforcement of requirements for monitoring and reporting of carbon dioxide emissions. Provides that none of such exemptions shall cause a GHG to be subject to regulations relating to prevention of significant deterioration of air quality or considered an air pollutant for purposes of air pollution prevention and control permits. Repeals and makes ineffective specified rules and actions concerning permit requirements or emission standards for GHGs to address climate change. Prohibits the Administrator from waiving, and invalidates waivers given by the Administrator before the enactment of this Act, the ban on states from adopting or enforcing standards relating to the control of emissions from new motor vehicles or engines with respect to GHG emissions for model year 2017 or any subsequent model year.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2011
United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 225th anniversary of the establishment of the United States Marshals Service, to mint and issue $5 gold and $1 silver coins emblematic of the 225 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of the U.S. Marshals Service. Requires all such coin sales to include a surcharge of: (1) $35 per $5 coin; and (2) $10 per $1 coin. Requires distribution of the first $5 million to the U.S. Marshals Service National Museum for the preservation, maintenance, and display of artifacts and documents of the U.S. Marshals Service. Requires distribution of one-third of the remainder each to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in support of the National Law Enforcement Museum and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, and to the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the $5 gold coins.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2011
Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to arrange for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to honor collectively the World War II members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) in recognition of their military service and exemplary record during World War II. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the CAP. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2011
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable James Albertus McClure, former Member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on February 28, 2011, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator McClure.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2011
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the nation's economy and security depend upon full and immediate restoration of shallow and deepwater drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico, and (2) the long-term economic health of Alaska depends upon the responsible development of the oil and natural gas reserves of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Urges the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) streamline the review and approval of applications for both shallow and deepwater drilling permits in the Outer Continental Shelf, (2) take immediate action to provide the shallow and deepwater industry with a completed sample application meeting all new safety and environmental regulations, (3) supply written guidance and clarification to applicants regarding new safety requirements, and (4) give permit applicants timely and detailed explanations on any areas of a permit which do not satisfy new requirements.
![Official portrait of Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001056_200.jpg)