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United States · Official source
1,531 records where Sen. Ensign, John [R-NV] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Constitutional Amendment - Limits Members of the House of Representatives to three terms and Members of the Senate to two terms.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) U.S. military intervention in Libya, as explained by the President, is not in the vital interests of the United States; (2) the President should have consulted with Congress prior to committing the U.S. Armed Forces either independently or as a major part of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operations; (3) the President should obtain authorization from Congress before providing further military and financial support to Libya operations and should not assume that such an authorization would equate to the U.S. Armed Forces leading any future strike or support operations; (4) prior to further U.S. military involvement NATO members and other nations with a vital regional interest should agree to provide a substantial portion of the military and financial burdens associated with Operation Unified Protector; and (5) members of the Arab League should ensure that all of their military resources are available to enforce U.N. Resolutions 1970 and 1973.
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 Restores or revives the provisions of law amended or repealed by such titles as if the Act had not been enacted.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
Affirms and validates a specified patent and the associated land reconfiguration issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as having been issued in compliance with the Nevada-Florida Land Exchange Authorization Act of 1988, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976 for the benefit and recovery of the desert tortoise and other species and related habitat. Ratifies: (1) the process used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the BLM in reconfiguring the land as shown in a specified environmental impact statement, and (2) the reconfiguration provided for in a specified Army Corps of Engineers permit.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2011
Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, during a federal funding gap impacting the Armed Forces, to transfer to the Secretary of Defense (DHS), and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) in the case of the Coast Guard, amounts necessary to continue to provide pay and allowances to members of the Armed Forces, including the reserves, who perform active service during the funding gap. Allows for the provision of such pay and allowances, at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense, for: (1) civilian DOD personnel providing support to such members; and (2) DOD contractor personnel providing direct support to such members. Prohibits any such transfer after December 31, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
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
Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to define a "high volume retail breeder" as a person who, in commerce, for compensation or profit: (1) has an ownership interest in or custody of one or more breeding female dogs; and (2) sells, via any means of conveyance, more than 50 of the offspring of such dogs for use as pets in any one-year period. Considers such a breeder of dogs to be a dealer. Requires dealers to include on licensing applications and annual renewals the total number of dogs exempted from exercise on the premises of the dealer in the preceding year by a licensed veterinarian. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to promulgate requirements for the exercise of dogs at facilities owned or operated by a dealer, including requiring daily access to exercise that: (1) allows the dogs to move sufficiently in a way that is not forced, repetitive, or restrictive; and (2) is in an area that is spacious, cleaned at least once a day, free of infestation by pests or vermin, and designed to prevent the dogs from escaping. Allows an exemption if: (1) a licensed veterinarian determines that a dog should not exercise because of the health, condition, or well-being of the dog; and (2) such determination is reviewed and updated at least once every 30 days by the veterinarian, unless the basis for the determination is a permanent condition. Subjects such a determination to review and approval by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) which apply such grants to their collegiate housing property.
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 · 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 · 17 March 2011
Child Protection Improvements Act of 2011 - Amends the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to direct the Attorney General to: (1) establish policies and procedures for a program for national criminal history background checks for child-serving organizations, (2) assist such organizations in obtaining access to nationwide background checks, (3) establish procedures for ensuring the accuracy of criminal history records, (4) identify individuals convicted of serious misdemeanors or felonies involving children, and (5) collect demographic data relating to individuals and organizations covered by this Act and make reports to Congress on such data. Limits the liability of a child-serving organization for failure to conduct criminal background checks or to take adverse action against employees with a criminal history. Imposes limitations on the disclosure or use of criminal history records. Amends the PROTECT Act to extend the Child Safety Pilot Program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Elko Motocross and Tribal Conveyance Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey to Elko County, Nevada, without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to approximately 275 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Elko District, Nevada, as depicted on the map as "Elko Motocross Park." Requires the land conveyed to be used only: (1) as a motocross, bicycle, off-highway vehicle, or stock car racing area; or (2) for any other public purpose consistent with the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. Holds approximately 373 acres of BLM administered land in trust for the Te-moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada. Makes such land part of the Tribe's reservation. Prohibits class II or III gaming on such land. Limits the use of such land to: (1) traditional and customary uses, (2) stewardship conservation for the benefit of the Tribe, and (3) residential or recreational development. Requires the Tribe to pay the Secretary of the Interior the fair market value of any portion of such land used for another purpose.
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
Health Care Waiver Transparency Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish detailed criteria used by the Secretary to approve a waiver, adjustment, or other compliance relief provided for under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, including how significant of a decrease in benefits or increase in premiums would need to occur in order to be approved for a waiver. Directs the Secretary to publish each application for a waiver and the approval or rejection of the waiver while ensuring the confidentiality of proprietary information of each applicant. Prohibits any preferential treatment to be given to an applicant based on political contributions or association with a labor union, a health plan provided for under a collective bargaining agreement, or another organized labor group.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Prohibits the use of federal funds to require a person licensed to deal in firearms to report information to the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the sale of multiple rifles or shotguns to the same person.
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
Prohibits any funds appropriated or made available to the Department of Justice (DOJ) from being used to commence or continue a prosecution in an Article III court of any individual suspected of involvement in the attacks on the United States and its citizens on September 11, 2001, who is not a citizen of the United States and is subject to the jurisdiction of a military commission.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Casting Light on EAJA Agency Records for Oversight Act of 2011 - Directs the Attorney General (DOJ) to issue an annual online report to Congress and the public on the amount of attorney fees and other expenses awarded during the preceding fiscal year pursuant to the law commonly known as the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). Directs the Comptroller General to commence an audit of the EAJA for 1995 through the end of the calendar year in which this Act is enacted, and report to Congress on the audit results.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Wireless Tax Fairness Act of 2011- Prohibits states or local governments from imposing any new discriminatory tax on mobile services, mobile service providers, or mobile service property (i.e., cell phones) for five years after the enactment of this Act. Defines "new discriminatory tax" as a tax imposed on mobile services, providers, or property that is not generally imposed on other types of services or property, or that is generally imposed at a lower rate, unless such tax was imposed and actually enforced prior to the date of enactment of this Act. .
United States · United States Congress · 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
Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011 - Amends the Hoover Power Plant Act of 1984 (HPPA) to modify, commencing October 1, 2017, certain statutory schedules governing contracts for delivery to specified localities in Arizona, California, and Nevada of hydroelectric power generated at Hoover Dam. Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) create, from certain apportioned allocations of contingent capacity and firm energy, a resource pool equal to 5% of the full rated capacity of 2.074 million kilowatts and associated firm energy; (2) offer Schedule D contingency capacity and firm energy to new allottees not receiving contingent capacity and firm energy for delivery commencing October 1, 2017; and (3) allocate through the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) for delivery, commencing October 1, 2017, 66.7% of Schedule D contingent capacity and firm energy to specified new allottees located within the marketing area for the Boulder City Area Projects. Requires each contract offered under HPPA to: (1) authorize and require WAPA to collect from new allottees a pro rata share of Hoover Dam repayable advances paid for by contractors before October 1, 2017, and to remit such amounts to the contractors that paid such advances in proportion to the amounts paid by them as specified in a certain Implementation Agreement; (2) permit transactions with an independent system operator; and (3) contain the same material terms included in those long-term contracts for purchases from the Hoover Power Plant that were made in accordance with HPPA and are in existence on the date of enactment of this Act. Subjects the contractual obligation of the Secretary to deliver contingent capacity and firm energy under HPPA to the availability of the water needed to produce such contingent capacity and firm energy. Continues through FY2067 the requirements of HPPA as the exclusive method for (in effect, congressional oversight of) the disposal of capacity and energy from Hoover Dam.
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 · 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
Small Business Lending Enhancement Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to prohibit an insured credit union from making any member business loan that would result in the total amount of such loans outstanding at that credit union at any one time exceeding either: (1) 1.75 times the actual net worth of the credit union, or (2) 12.25% of the total assets of the credit union. Authorizes the National Credit Union Administration Board to approve an application by an insured credit union to make one or more member business loans that would result in a total amount of such loans outstanding at any one time of up to 27.5 % of the total assets of the credit union, if the credit union meets specified safety and soundness criteria. Prohibits an insured credit union that has made such a member business loan but that is not well capitalized from making any new member business loans until it becomes well capitalized and obtains Board approval. Directs the Board to develop a tiered approval process, including lending standards, under which an insured credit union gradually increases the amount of member business lending in a manner that is consistent with safe and sound operations. Directs the Comptroller General to study the status of member business lending by insured credit unions.
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
Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2011 - Amends the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, to: (1) conduct forest management activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin in a manner that helps achieve and maintain the environmental threshold carrying capacities established by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (Agency) and attains multiple ecosystem benefits, unless the attainment of such benefits would excessively increase the project's cost in relation to the additional benefits gained; (2) establish post-project ground condition criteria for ground disturbance caused by forest management activities; and (3) provide for monitoring to ascertain the attainment of such conditions. Requires the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit to: (1) manage vehicular parking and traffic in the Unit; and (2) support the attainment of the environmental threshold carrying capacities. Withdraws federal land located in the Unit from: (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing. Exempts a land exchange from withdrawal if carried out under the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act or the Santini-Burton Act. Requires the Chair of the Lake Tahoe Federal Interagency Partnership to submit to Congress a prioritized list of all Environmental Improvement Program projects for the Basin. Authorizes the Secretary, the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out or provide financial assistance to specified projects and projects included in the prioritized list that have been subject to environmental review and approval under federal and state law and the Tahoe Regional Planning Compact. Requires the Director to deploy strategies that meet or exceed specified criteria for preventing the introduction of aquatic invasive species into the Lake Tahoe Basin and that apply to all watercraft to be launched on water within the Basin. Requires the Administrator to implement a Lake Tahoe Basin Program that includes: (1) developing and updating an integrated multiagency programmatic assessment and monitoring plan and evaluating the effectiveness of the Agency's Environmental Improvement Program; and (2) providing support to governments in reducing pollutants that contribute to the loss of lake clarity. Provides for the establishment of a grant to develop a Basin watershed strategy.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2011
Sloan Hills Withdrawal Act - Withdraws certain land located in the Sloan Hills area of Clark County, Nevada, from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and from disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2011
Passenger Vehicle Loss Disclosure Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to require all insurers and self-insurers of passenger motor vehicles to disclose to the public, in a commercially reasonable, electronically accessible manner, for each passenger motor vehicle declared or determined to be a total loss: (1) the vehicle identification number and odometer reading, (2) the date of and primary reason for the total loss determination, and (3) whether the airbags deployed.
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
Churchill County Land Transfer Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to the Secretary of the Navy, without consideration, approximately 400 acres of federal land that is adjacent to Naval Air Station Fallon in Churchill County, Nevada, and that was withdrawn under a specified public land order.
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 · 17 February 2011
Extends, for four years, the authority of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to issue a semipostal to contribute to funding for breast cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011 - Amends the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 to require the term and acreage of permits for the operation of ski areas and associated facilities (under current law, for the operation of nordic and alpine ski areas and facilities) on National Forest System lands to be governed by provisions under the Act relating to such permits and other applicable law. Provides for the issuance of permits for the use and occupancy of suitable lands within the National Forest System for skiing and other snow-sports and recreational uses authorized pursuant to this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Better Use of Light Bulbs Act - Repeals provisions of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 concerning lighting energy efficiency, including provisions that: (1) prescribe energy efficiency standards for general service incandescent lamps, rough service lamps, and other designated lamps; (2) direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to conduct and report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on an annual assessment of the market for general service lamps and compact fluorescent lamps; (3) direct the Secretary to carry out a proactive national program of consumer awareness, information, and education about lamp labels and energy-efficient lighting choices; (4) prohibit a manufacturer, distributor, retailer, or private labeler from distributing in commerce specified adapters for incandescent lamps; (5) authorize the Secretary to carry out a lighting technology research and development program; (6) set forth minimum energy efficiency standards for incandescent reflector lamps; (7) sets forth requirements for the use of energy efficient lighting fixtures and bulbs in public building construction, alteration, and acquisition; and (8) require metal halide lamp fixtures and energy efficiency labeling for designated consumer electronic products to be included within the Energy Policy and Conservation Act's (EPCA) regulatory oversight. Provides that EPCA shall be applied and administered as if such provisions had not been enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
National Monument Designation Transparency and Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends the Antiquities Act of 1906 to require land reserved as part of a national monument to be confined to the smallest area necessary to ensure the proper care and management of the objects to be protected by the monument. Sets forth requirements for the designation of national monuments under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2011
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) in cases dealing with perceived threats to authorities the Russian judiciary is frequently used as an instrument of the Kremlin; (2) Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev are political prisoners who have been denied due process rights under international law; (3) in light of the record of selective prosecution, politicization, and abuse of process involved in their cases, the 2010 conviction against Mr. Khodorkovsky and Mr. Lebedev should be overturned; and (4) the government of Russia is encouraged to take these actions to further a more positive relationship between the governments and people of the United States and Russia.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2011
Expresses Congress's disapproval of the rule adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 21, 2010, relating to preserving the open Internet and broadband industry practices. Prohibits such rule from having any force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2011
Regulatory Responsibility for our Economy Act of 2011 - Sets forth general requirements for the federal regulatory system, including the protection of public health, welfare, safety, and the environment, the promotion of predictability in the regulatory process, and the consideration of benefits and costs of regulations. Requires federal agencies to: (1) propose or adopt regulations only upon a reasoned determination that the benefits of such regulations justify their costs; (2) tailor regulations to impose the least burden on society and to maximize economic and other benefits; (3) involve the public and parties affected by regulations in the regulatory process; (4) develop regulatory actions that promote innovation, flexibility, and objectivity; and (5) consider methods to promote retrospective analysis of rules that may be outmoded, ineffective, insufficient, or excessively burdensome, and develop plans for reviewing on a periodic basis significant regulation actions (i.e., those having an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or otherwise adversely affecting the economy).
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2011
Public Employee Pension Transparency Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny tax benefits relating to bonds issed by a state or political subdivision during any period in which such state or political subdivision is noncompliant with specified reporting requirements for state or local government employee pension benefit plans. Requires plan sponsors of a state or local government employee pension benefit plan to file with the Secretary of the Treasury an annual report setting forth: (1) a schedule of the funding status of the plan; (2) a schedule of contributions by the plan sponsor for the plan year; (3) alternative projections for each of the next 20 plan years relating to the amount of annual conotributions, the fair market value of plan assets, current liability, the funding percentage, and other matters specified by the Secretary; (4) a statement of the actuarial assumptions used for the plan year; (5) a statement of the number of plan participants who are retired or separated from service and are either receiving benefits or are entitled to future benefits and those who are active under the plan; (6) a statement of the plan's investment returns; (7) a statement of the degree to which unfunded liabilities are expected to be eliminated; and (8) a statement of the amount of pension obligation bonds outstanding. Directs the Secretary to develop model reporting statements and create and maintain a public website, with searchable capabilities, for purposes of posting plan information required by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Securing Human Intelligence and Enforcing Lawful Dissemination Act or the SHIELD Act - Amends the federal criminal code to expand the prohibition against disclosure of classified information to include: (1) disclosures of classified information that benefit a transnational threat, and (2) any classified information concerning the human intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government or concerning the identity of a classified source or informant of an element of the U.S. intelligence community. Defines "transnational threat" as: (1) any activity, including international terrorism, narcotics trafficking, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the delivery systems for such weapons, or organized crime, that threatens the national security of the United States; or (2) any individual or group that engages such activity.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require an abortion provider who knowingly performs an abortion of a pain-capable unborn child (defined as an unborn child who has reached a probable stage of development of 20 weeks or more after fertilization), to first: (1) inform the woman of the probable age of the child, (2) provide to the woman an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Brochure (unless she waives receipt), (3) provide information that pain medicine administered to the mother may not prevent pain in the child, but in some cases anesthesia or pain-reducing drugs can be administered directly to the child, (4) give the woman the provider's best medical judgment of the risks and costs of such anesthesia or analgesic, and (5) obtain the woman's signature on the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Decision Form and her explicit request for or refusal of the administration of drugs to the child. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Brochure that includes a statement that there is substantial evidence that the process of being killed in an abortion will cause the unborn child pain and that the mother has the option of having pain-reducing drugs administered directly to the child. Creates an exception to save the life of the mother. Establishes civil penalties for willfully failing to comply with this Act. Authorizes: (1) the U.S. Attorney General (DOJ) to bring a civil action under this Act, and (2) private rights of action for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2011
Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2011 or the REINS Act - Rewrites provisions regarding congressional review of agency rulemaking to require congressional approval of major rules of the executive branch before they may take effect (currently, major rules take effect unless Congress passes and the President signs a joint resolution disapproving them). Defines "major rule" as any rule, including an interim final rule, that has resulted in or is likely to result in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices; or (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or U.S. competitiveness. Provides that if a joint resolution of approval of a major rule is not enacted by the end of 70 session days or legislative days after the agency proposing the rule submits its report on such rule to Congress, the rule shall be deemed not to be approved and shall not take effect. Permits a major rule to take effect for 90 calendar days without such approval if the President determines such rule is necessary because of an imminent threat to health or safety or other emergency, for the enforcement of criminal laws, for national security, or to implement an international trade agreement. Sets forth House and Senate procedures for joint resolutions approving major rules and disapproving non-major rules.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2011
Save Our States Act - Delays the effective date of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 until the date on which final judgment is entered in all cases challenging the constitutionality of the requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage that are pending before a federal court on the date of enactment of this Act. Prohibits the federal government from promulgating regulations under such Acts or otherwise preparing to implement such Acts until such date.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2011
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing). Prohibits outlays from exceeding 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the calendar year ending before the beginning of such fiscal year. Authorizes Congress to provide for suspension of the imposed limitations for any fiscal year for which two-thirds of each chamber shall provide, by a roll call vote, for a specific excess of outlays over receipts or over 18% of such GDP for such calendar year. Prohibits any bill to levy a new tax or increase the rate of any tax from becoming law unless approved by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber. Requires a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber to increase the public debt limit. Grants Members of Congress standing and a cause of action to seek judicial enforcement of this article when authorized to do so by a petition signed by one-third of the Members of either chamber. Prohibits a federal or state court from ordering any increase in revenue to enforce this article.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that it is necessary to ensure that Congress is presented with reliable information from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation as to the dynamic macroeconomic feedback effects to changes in federal law and the probable behavioral responses of taxpayers, businesses, and other parties to such changes. Requires the Joint Committee and CBO, using among other methods dynamic estimating techniques, to prepare fiscal estimates of each proposed change in federal revenue law on the basis of assumptions that estimate the probable behavioral responses of personal and business taxpayers and other relevant entities to such change and its dynamic macroeconomic feedback effects. Applies such requirement only to proposed changes that, pursuant to static fiscal estimates, have a fiscal impact exceeding $250 million in any fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2011
Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to: (1) conduct a study on the ability of the major air test and training range infrastructure to support the full spectrum of Air Force operations; (2) develop a master plan for requirements and proposed investments to meet Air Force training and test needs through 2025; and (3) submit to the congressional defense and appropriations committees interim reports and a final report on the master plan.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2011
Help Efficient, Accessible, Low Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2011 - Sets conditions for lawsuits arising from health care liability claims regarding health care goods or services or any medical product affecting interstate commerce. Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions. Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility. Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Limits the fees to a decreasing percentage based on the increasing value of the amount awarded. Allows the introduction of collateral source benefits and the amount paid to secure such benefits as evidence. Prohibits a provider of such benefits from recovering any amount from an award in a health care lawsuit involving injury or wrongful death. Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000. Denies punitive damages in the case of products approved, cleared, or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or otherwise considered in compliance with FDA standards. Provides for periodic payments of future damages.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act 2011or SOAR Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award five-year grants on a competitive basis to nonprofit organizations to carry out a program to provide expanded school choice opportunities to students who are District of Columbia (DC) residents and who come from households: (1) receiving assistance under the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008; or (2) with incomes not exceeding 185% of the poverty line, except in certain grandfathered circumstances. Prescribes special rules for funding opportunity scholarships for DC students. Prescribes requirements for schools participating in such grant programs. Requires each participating school to administer a nationally norm-referenced standardized test in reading and mathematics to each enrolled student receiving an opportunity scholarship. Repeals the DC School Choice Incentive Act of 2003 (title III of division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004). Deems this Act as the reauthorization of the opportunity scholarship program under such Act.