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United States · Official source
2,907 records where Sen. Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2012
Recognizes the goals and achievements of Hispanic-serving institutions across this country. Designates the week beginning September 16, 2012, as National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2012
Designates the week beginning October 21, 2012, as National Character Counts Week.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2012
Supports the goals and ideals of National Save for Retirement Week, including raising public awareness of: (1) the importance of saving adequately for retirement, and (2) the availability of a variety of ways to save for retirement favored under the Internal Revenue Code.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2012
Designates September 22, 2012, as National Falls Prevention Awareness Day. Commends the Falls Free Coalition Advocacy Work Group and other falls prevention coalitions for their efforts to increase education and awareness about the prevention of falls among older adults. Encourages: (1) promotion of fall awareness in an effort to reduce the incidence of falls among older adults, and (2) state health departments to reduce falls among older adults. Urges the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue developing and evaluating strategies to prevent falls among older adults that will translate into effective fall prevention interventions. Recognizes proven, cost-effective fall prevention programs and policies, and encourages experts in the field to share their best practices so that their success can be replicated by others.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2012
Recognizes the dedicated service and deep commitment of the four American public servants, including Ambassador John Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith, in assisting the Libyan people as they navigate the complex currents of democratic transition marked in this case by profound instability. Praises Ambassador Stevens, who represented the highest tradition of American public service, for his extraordinary record of dedication to the United States' interests in some of the most difficult and dangerous posts around the globe. Sends deepest condolences to the families of those American public servants killed in Benghazi. Commends the bravery of Foreign Service Officers, U.S. Armed Forces, and public servants serving in harm's way around the globe and recognizes the deep sacrifices made by their families. Condemns the despicable attacks on American diplomats and public servants in Benghazi and calls for the perpetrators of such attacks to be brought to justice.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2012
Disapproves of the rule submitted by the Office of Family Assistance of the Administration for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) relating to waiver and expenditure authority under the Social Security Act with respect to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Declares that the rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to repeal the $15 million limitation placed upon the total annual payment to certified states or Indian tribes in connection with abandoned mine reclamation.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the Secretary of the Interior, within 30 days after being served with a complaint in an action alleging a failure to perform an act or duty related to an endangered species or threatened species determination, to publish the complaint. Prohibits the failure of the Secretary to meet such deadline from being the basis for such an action. Sets forth requirements concerning the intervention in such actions by affected parties and referral to a mediation program. Authorizes the court, in issuing any final order in such an action, to award litigation costs to any party. Prohibits the court from: (1) awarding litigation costs in any proposed covered settlement, (2) granting a motion that is based on a proposed covered settlement or other consent decree that includes payment for litigation costs, (3) approving a proposed covered settlement unless each state and county in which the Secretary believes a species occurs approves it, or (4) granting a motion that is based on a proposed covered settlement unless such settlement is approved by each such state and county. Requires the courts to ensure that such a settlement is approved by each such state and county. Requires the Secretary to provide notice of a proposed covered settlement to each such state and county. Authorizes a court to approve such a settlement or grant such a motion if, within 45 days of notification, a: (1) state or county fails to respond, and (2) each state or county that responds approves the covered settlement, or (3) all of the states and counties fail to respond.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Designates the week of September 10, 2012, as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2012
Startup Innovation Credit Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a qualified small business, other than a tax-exempt organization, to use a portion of its tax credit for increasing research expenditures as an offset against its payroll tax liability under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). Defines "qualified small business" as a corporation, partnership, or S corporation if the gross receipts of such entity for the taxable year are less than $5 million and such entity did not have gross receipts for any period preceding the 5-year period ending with such taxable year. Limits the amount of the payroll tax credit portion to $250,000 in any taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2012
Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act - Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior, before December 31, 2013, from issuing or approving any proposed or final regulation under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 that would: (1) adversely impact employment in coal mines in the United States; (2) cause a reduction in revenue received by the federal government or any state, tribal, or local government, by reducing through regulation the quantity of coal in the United States that is available for mining; (3) reduce the quantity of coal available for domestic consumption or for export; (4) designate any area as unsuitable for surface coal mining and reclamation operations; or (5) expose the United States to liability for taking the value of privately owned coal through regulation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2012
Domestic Energy and Jobs Act - Title I: Keystone XL Permit Approval - Declares that no presidential permit shall be required for a specified pipeline application filed on May 4, 2012, by TransCanada Corporation to the Department of State for the northern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline from the Canadian border to the South Dakota/Nebraska border. Title II: Impacts of EPA Rules and Actions on Energy Prices - Gasoline Regulations Act of 2012 - Requires the President to establish the Transportation Fuels Regulatory Committee to analyze and report on the cumulative impacts of certain covered rules and actions under the Clean Air Act. Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing the following rules until at least six months after the Committee submits its final report: (1) "Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards" and any successor or substantially similar rule; (2) any rule proposed after March 15, 2012, establishing or revising a performance or emission standard for new stationary sources or hazardous air pollutants that is applicable to petroleum refineries; and (3) any rule revising or supplementing the national ambient air quality standards for ozone under the Clean Air Act. Requires the EPA Administrator to consider feasibility and cost in revising or supplementing any such standards for ozone. Amends the Clean Air Act to: (1) authorize the Administrator to waive temporarily a control or prohibition governing the use of a regulated fuel or fuel additive following a determination that unusual and extreme fuel additive supply circumstances are the result of a problem with distribution or delivery equipment necessary for the transportation or delivery of fuel or fuel additives, and (2) grant a presumptive approval to a request for a waiver if the Administrator does not approve or deny such request within three days after its receipt. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Administrator and the Secretary of Energy to include biofuels in their joint Fuel System Requirements Harmonization Study, as well as an assessment of the effect of such requirements upon achievement of the renewable fuel standard. Extends from June 1, 2008, to June 1, 2014, the deadline for the report to Congress on the results of the Study. Title III: Quadrennial Strategic Federal Onshore Energy Production Strategy - Planning for American Energy Act of 2012 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to publish every four years a Quadrennial Federal Onshore Energy Production Strategy, which shall direct federal land energy development and department resource allocation in order to promote the energy security of the United States. Requires the Secretary to determine a domestic strategic production objective for the development of energy resources from federal onshore lands. Expresses the sense of Congress that federally recognized Indian tribes may elect to set their own production objectives as part of the Strategy. Title IV: Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Certainty - Providing Leasing Certainty for American Energy Act of 2012 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to direct the Secretary, in conducting lease sales, to offer for sale at least 25% of the annual nominated acreage not previously made available for lease. Shields such acreage from review and the test of extraordinary circumstances. Makes such acreage eligible for certain categorical exclusions under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 in connection with review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). (A categorical exclusion is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and for which, as a consequence, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required.) Directs the Secretary to consider leasing only federal lands that are available for leasing at the time the lease sale occurs. Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) withdrawing approval of any covered energy project involving a lease issued under the Act without finding a violation by the lessee of lease terms; (2) delaying indefinitely issuance of project approvals, drilling and seismic permits, and rights-of-way for activities under a lease; or (3) cancelling or withdrawing any lease parcel after a competitive lease sale has occurred and a winning bidder has made the last payment for the parcel. Directs the Secretary to complete the review of any appeal of a lease sale within 60 days after its receipt. Declares without force or effect Bureau of Land Management Instruction Memorandum 2010-117. Title V: Streamlined Energy Permitting - Streamlining Permitting of American Energy Act of 2012 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to revise requirements for the issuance of permits to drill in energy projects on federal lands. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to extend the initial 30-day permit application review period for up to 2 periods of 15 days each, if the Secretary has given written notice of the delay to the applicant. Deems a permit application approved if the Secretary has made no decision on it 60 days after its receipt. Directs the Secretary to collect a single $6,500 permit processing fee per application from each applicant at the time the decision is made whether or not to issue a permit. Requires that 50% of fees collected as annual wind energy and solar energy right-of-way authorization fees be retained by the Secretary for use by: (1) the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to process permits, right-of-way applications, and other activities necessary for renewable energy development; and (2) either the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or other federal agencies involved in wind and solar permitting reviews in order to facilitate the processing of wind energy and solar energy permit applications on BLM lands. Requires the Secretary to collect a $5,000 documentation fee to accompany each appeal of an action on a lease, right-of-way, or application for permit to drill. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a Federal Permit Streamlining Project in each BLM Field office with responsibility for issuing permits energy projects on federal land; and (2) enter into a related memorandum of understanding to this end with the Secretary of Agriculture, the EPA Administrator, and the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers. Authorizes the Secretary to request the governor of any state with energy projects on federal lands to be a signatory to the memorandum of understanding. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring a finding of extraordinary circumstances related to a categorical exclusion in administering the Energy Policy Act of 2005 with respect to review under NEPA. Directs the Secretary, when practicable, to encourage the use of U.S. workers and equipment manufactured in the United States in all construction related to mineral resource development under this title. Declares venue for any covered civil action to lie in the U.S. district court in which the project or leases exist or are proposed. Prescribes judicial review procedures for leasing federal lands for the exploration, development, production, processing, or transmission of oil, natural gas, wind, or any other energy source. Title VI: Expeditious Oil and Gas Leasing Program in National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska - National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR) in Alaska remains explicitly designated to provide oil and natural gas resources to the United States, and (2) it is national policy to actively advance oil and gas development within the NPR. Amends the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to require that the mandatory program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the NPR include at least one lease sale annually in those NPR areas most likely to produce commercial quantities of oil and natural gas each year during 2011-2021. Directs the Secretary to facilitate and ensure, according to a specified timeline, permits for all surface development activities (including pipelines and road construction) in order to: (1) develop and bring into production areas within the NPR that are subject to oil and gas leases, and (2) transport oil and gas from and through the NPR to existing transportation or processing infrastructure on the North Slope of Alaska. Instructs the Secretary to approve, within 180 days after enactment of this Act, and after public comment and consultation with the state of Alaska, right-of-way corridors for the construction of two separate additional bridges and pipeline rights-of-way to facilitate oil and gas development in the NPR. Requires the Secretary, through the U.S. Geological Survey, to assess all technically recoverable fossil fuel resources within the NPR, including conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas. Declares without force or effect with respect to this title the designation by EPA of the Colville River Delta as an Aquatic Resource of National Importance. Title VII: Internet-Based Onshore Oil and Gas Lease Sales - BLM Live Internet Auctions Act - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the Secretary to conduct onshore oil and gas lease sales through Internet-based bidding methods. Title VIII: Advancing Offshore Wind Production - Advancing Offshore Wind Production Act - Exempts projects determined by the Secretary to be an offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project from environmental impact statement requirements under NEPA. Defines an "offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project" as a project administered by the Department of the Interior and carried out on or in the waters of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to test or monitor weather (including wind, tidal, current, and solar energy) using towers, buoys, or other temporary ocean infrastructure and that meets specified other requirements. Directs the Secretary to: (1) require that any applicant seeking to conduct an offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project on the OCS obtain a permit and right of way for the project; and (2) decide whether to issue such a permit and right of way within 30 days after receiving an application. Title IX: Critical Minerals - Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, to publish in the Federal Register a draft methodology for determining which minerals qualify as critical minerals, based upon an assessment of whether they are subject to potential supply restrictions and important in use. Directs the President to coordinate federal agency actions to facilitate development and production of domestic resources to meet national critical minerals needs. Directs the Secretary to conduct a specified national assessment of critical minerals. Establishes within the Department of the Interior the Critical Minerals Working Group to facilitate federal agency: (1) efforts to optimize efficiencies associated with the permitting of activities that will increase exploration and development of domestic critical minerals; and (2) review of laws, regulations, and policies that discourage investment in domestic critical minerals. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to conduct research and development to promote the efficient production, use, recycling of, and alternatives to critical minerals. Instructs the Secretary of Labor to assess the domestic availability of technically trained personnel necessary for critical mineral enterprises, including skills in the shortest supply. Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and of Labor to arrange jointly with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) to coordinate with the National Science Foundation (NSF) on a study to design an interdisciplinary program on critical minerals that will support the critical mineral supply chain. Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the NSF to conduct jointly a competitive program of four-year grants to institutions of higher education to implement programs addressing integrated critical mineral education, training, innovation, and workforce development. Directs the Secretary of State to promote international cooperation with U.S. allies regarding critical mineral supply chain issues. Repeals the National Critical Materials Act of 1984. Title X: Miscellaneous - Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from transferring to the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement any responsibility or authority to perform any function performed on the day before enactment of this Act under the solid minerals leasing program of the Department of the Interior. Amends the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to: (1) shorten from FY2055 to FY2022 the time period during which the maximum amount of distributed qualified OCS shelf revenues available for distribution to certain states remains $500 million, and (2) increase to $750 million the maximum amount of distributed qualified OCS revenues for each of FY2023-FY2055. Directs the Secretary to carry out Lease Sale 220 off the coast of Virginia within the proposed OCS oil and gas leasing program for the 2012-2017 period. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to work jointly to: (1) preserve the ability of the Armed Forces to maintain an optimum state of readiness through their continued use of OCS energy resources; and (2) allow effective exploration, development, and production of U.S. oil, gas, and renewable energy resources. Prohibits any exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas off the coast of Virginia that would conflict with any military operation agreed upon in a certain Memorandum. Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior, before December 31, 2013, from issuing or approving any proposed or final regulation under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 that would adversely impact employment in coal mines in the United States, or cause reductions in the quantity of coal in the United States available for mining or in federal, state, local, and tribal revenues from coal mining.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2012
Supports the XIX International AIDS Conference and the goal of renewing awareness of, and commitment to, addressing the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States and abroad. Recognizes that continued HIV/AIDS research, prevention, and treatment programs are crucial to improving global health. Understands that the key to overcoming HIV/AIDS includes efforts to formulate sound public health policy, protect human rights, address the needs of women and girls, direct programming toward the populations at the highest risk of infection, and combat social challenges related to HIV/AIDS. Encourages the ongoing development in the public and private sectors of innovative therapies and advances in clinical HIV/AIDS treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2012
End Government Shutdowns Act - Makes specified provisional (automatic) continuing appropriations in the event that any regular appropriation bill for a fiscal year is not enacted before the beginning of such fiscal year, or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations is not in effect. (Thus prevents a federal government shutdown.)
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2012
Condemns the atrocities that occurred in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20, 2012. Offers condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who were killed. Expresses hope for the rapid and complete recovery of the wounded. Applauds the hard work and dedication exhibited by the hundreds of officials and others who offered support and assistance. Honors the resilience of the community of Aurora and Colorado.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2012
Preserving Work Requirements for Welfare Programs Act of 2012 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from finalizing, implementing, enforcing, or otherwise taking any action to give effect to the Information Memorandum dated July 12, 2012 (Transmittal No. TANF-ACF-IM-2012-03), or to any administrative action relating to the same subject matter or that reflects the same or similar policies. Prohibits the Secretary also from authorizing, approving, modifying, or extending any experimental, pilot, or demonstration project under the Social Security Act (SSA) that: (1) waives compliance with mandatory work requirements of SSA title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF), or (2) authorizes an expenditure not otherwise allowable under a state TANF program with respect to compliance with such work requirements. Rescinds and nullifies any waiver relating to the subject matter of the Information Memorandum granted before the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2012
Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act with respect to mandatory fee disclosures on automated teller machines (ATMs) operated by a person other than a financial institution holding a consumer's account. Repeals the requirement that such a fee disclosure appear in a prominent and conspicuous location on or at the ATM. Limits such requirement to appearance of a fee disclosureon the ATM screen. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to make the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) a "covered agency" that may share information with another covered agency or any other federal agency without waiving any privilege applicable to the information. Prohibits information submitted to the CFPB in the course of its supervisory or regulatory process from being construed as waiving, destroying, or affecting any privilege that may be claimed with respect to such information under federal or state law as to any person or entity other than the CFPB, another federal banking agency, a state bank supervisor, or a foreign banking authority.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2012
Small Refiner Relief Act of 2012 - Defines "small business refiner" for purposes of administering any law under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) jurisdiction to mean, with respect to any taxable year, a refiner of crude oil: (1) with respect to which not more than 1,500 individuals are engaged in the business's refinery operations on any day during such year, and (2) the average daily domestic refinery run or average retained production of which for all facilities of the taxpayer during any calendar year did not exceed 205,000 barrels.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2012
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should continue working to implement the position of the United States on Internet governance that articulates the consistent and unequivocal policy of the United States to promote a global Internet free from government control and preserve and advance the multistakeholder model that governs the Internet today.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2012
Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility, and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require personnel who perform or plan the technical component of either medical imaging examinations or radiation therapy procedures for medical purposes to possess, effective 42 months after enactment of this Act: (1) certification in each medical imaging or radiation therapy modality and service they plan or perform from a certification organization designated under this Act; and (2) state licensure or certification where such services and modalities are within the scope of practice as defined by the state for such profession, if the state requires licensure, certification, or registration. Exempts physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants from the requirements of this Act. Gives individuals who are enrolled in specified training or certification programs when the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) publishes the list of approved certification organizations an additional six months from the date of completion of the training program to become fully qualified under this Act. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program for designating certification organizations after consideration of specified criteria; (2) provide a process for individuals whose training or experience is determined to be equal to, or in excess of, that of a graduate of an accredited educational program in that specialty to demonstrate that their experience meets the educational standards for qualified personnel in their imaging modality or radiation therapy procedures; and (3) publish a list of designated certification organizations. Authorizes the Secretary to waive standards under this Act or to develop alternative standards for rural or health professional shortage areas as appropriate. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow Medicare payment for medical imaging and radiation therapy services furnished on or after 42 months after enactment of this Act, only if the examination or procedure is planned or performed by an individual who meets this Act's requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2012
Celebrates the accomplishments of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, also known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in increasing opportunities for women and girls in all facets of education. Reaffirms the Act's commitment to and continued importance in: (1) ending discrimination against women and girls in elementary, secondary, and higher education; and (2) providing them with equal opportunities in athletics.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2012
Temporary Duty Suspension Process Act of 2012 - Directs the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) to establish a process in which it will: (1) review each article in which a temporary duty suspension or reduction has been recommended at its own initiative or pusuant to a petition, and (2) submit a draft bill to the appropriate congressional committees containing each duty suspension or reduction that meets certain requirements. Requires the USITC to report to appropriate congressional committees on: (1) recommendations with respect to sectors of the U.S. economy that could benefit from duty suspensions or reductions without causing harm to other domestic interests, and (2) the feasibility of suspending or reducing duties on a sectoral basis rather than on individual articles.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2012
Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2012 - Imposes criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly or knowingly attempts to: (1) perform an abortion knowing that the abortion is sought based on the sex or gender of the child, (2) use force or the threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection abortion, (3) solicit or accept funds for the performance of such an abortion, or (4) transport a woman into the United States or across a state line for the purpose of obtaining such an abortion. Defines "sex-selection abortion" as an abortion undertaken to eliminate an unborn child based on the sex or gender of the child. Excludes from the definition of "abortion" actions taken to terminate a pregnancy if the intent is to save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child, remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion, or remove an ectopic pregnancy. Authorizes civil actions, for verifiable money damages for injuries and punitive damages, by: (1) fathers, or maternal grandparents if the mother is an unemancipated minor, of unborn children who are the subject of an abortion performed or attempted through any of the above violations; and (2) women upon whom an abortion has been performed with a knowing or attempted use of force or threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection abortion. Authorizes, to prevent an abortion provider from performing or attempting further abortions in violation of this Act, injunctive relief to be obtained by the women upon whom such an abortion is performed or attempted, spouses or parents of a woman upon whom such an abortion is performed, or the Attorney General (DOJ). Deems a violation of this Act to be prohibited discrimination under title VI (Federally Assisted Programs) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Violators of title VI lose federal funding.) Requires a medical or mental health professional to report known or suspected violations to law enforcement authorities. Imposes criminal penalties for a failure to so report. Prohibits a woman having such an abortion from being prosecuted or held civilly liable. Prohibits this Act from being construed to require that a healthcare provider has an affirmative duty to inquire as to the motivation for the abortion, absent the healthcare provider having knowledge or information that the abortion is sought based on the sex or gender of the child.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2012
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Attorney General (AG) should: (1) delegate to an outside special counsel (counsel) all AG authority relating to investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of any and all unauthorized disclosures of classified and highly sensitive information related to various military and intelligence plans, programs, and operations as reported in recent publications; and (2) direct the counsel to exercise such authority independently of the supervision or control of any DOJ officer. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the counsel should investigate any and all such disclosures and, where appropriate, prosecute those responsible; and (2) the President should assess whether any such disclosures damaged the national security and how such damage can be mitigated.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2012
Companionship Exemption Protection Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, with respect to the exemption from minimum wage and maximum hour requirements of domestic service employment to provide companionship services for individuals who because of age or infirmity are unable to care for themselves, to provide detailed definitions of "companionship services" and "domestic service employment." Excludes from companionship services those relating to the care and protection of the aged or infirm which require and are performed by trained medical personnel. Extends the exemption to third-party employment of an employee to provide companionship services to such individuals, including non-medical in-home care or household work related to their care. Defines "third-party employment" to mean employees who provide companionship services while employed by an employer or agency other than the family or household using their services, whether or not such an employee is assigned to more than one household or family in the same workweek when providing such services.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2012
Congratulates the United States Chamber of Commerce on its 100th anniversary.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2012
Constitutional Amendment - States that the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children is a fundamental right. States that neither the United States nor any state shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest, as applied to the person, is of the highest order and not otherwise served. Prohibits this article from being construed to apply to a parental action or decision that would end life. Declares that no treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this amendment.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2012
National Bison Legacy Act - Designates the North American bison as the national mammal of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2012
Designates October 7, 2012, as Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans Day. Honors the brave men and women who gave their lives while serving the United States in Operation Enduring Freedom. Encourages the people of the United States to salute the more than half a million men and women who have served bravely in Afghanistan to preserve our shared security and freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2012
Expresses profound sorrow and deep regret regarding the death of the Honorable James Abdnor, former member of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for South Dakota, on May 16, 2012. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on May 24, 2012, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the former Member of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2012
Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012 - Requires the President on July 9, 2012, to submit to Congress a detailed report on the implementation of certain discretionary reductions (in security and nonsecurity categories) and nonexempt direct spending reductions in the sequestration ordered by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) for FY2013 on January 2, 2013. (The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act was amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011 to revise the discretionary spending limits and reduce the discretionary appropriations and direct spending specified in the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act unless a joint committee bill achieving an amount greater than $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction would be enacted by January 15, 2012.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2012
Designates July 28, 2012, as National Day of the American Cowboy.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2012
Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act or RAISE Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to declare that neither its prohibition against interference by an employer with employees' right to bargain collectively, nor the terms of a collective bargaining agreement entered into between employees and an employer after enactment of this Act, shall prohibit an employer from paying an employee higher wages, pay, or other compensation than the agreement provides for.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2012
Honors the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses during National Small Business Week beginning May 20, 2012. Applauds the efforts and achievements of small business owners and their employees. Recognizes the work of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its resource partners in providing assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Recognizes the importance of ensuring that: (1) guaranteed loans, including microloans and venture capital, are made available to all qualified small businesses; (2) necessary federal resources are provided to management assistance programs delivered by SBA resource partners; (3) SBA small business disaster assistance is provided in a timely and efficient manner; (4) affordable Internet access is available to all people in the United States so that small businesses can utilize such access; (5) regulatory relief is provided to small businesses through the reduction of duplicative or unnecessary regulatory requirements; and (6) leveling the playing field for small business contracting opportunities remains a primary focus.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2012
Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act with respect to mandatory fee disclosures on automated teller machines (ATMs) operated by a person other than a financial institution holding a consumer's account. Repeals the requirement that such a fee disclosure appear in a prominent and conspicuous location on or at the ATM. Limits such requirement to appearance of a fee disclosure on the ATM screen.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2012
Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to reauthorize and establish new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prescription drug user-fee programs and revises requirements relating to: (1) prescription, pediatric, and generic drugs; (2) medical devices; (3) biosimilar biological products; (4) new infectious disease drugs; and (5) drug manufacturer reporting. Prescription Drug User Fee Amendments of 2012 - Extends through FY2017 the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to assess and collect prescription drug fees to support the FDA drug development and human drug application review process. Medical Device User Fee Amendments of 2012 - Extends through FY2017 the authority of the Secretary to assess and use fees for expediting the review process for medical device applications and for assuring the safety and effectiveness of such devices. Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2012 - Directs the Secretary to assess and collect human generic drug user fees through FY2017, including a fee for drug applications pending on October 1, 2012, a drug master file fee, a generic drug facility fee, and an active pharmaceutical ingredient facility fee. Biosimilar User Fee Act of 2012 - Establishes a new program to assess and use fees to expedite the review process for biosimilar biological product applications. Makes permanent programs to study and provide extended exclusivity periods for new drugs for use in pediatric populations. Permits the FDA to change a classification of a medical device through an administrative order rather than by regulation. Expands reporting requirements for manufacturers of prescription drugs. Provides incentives for the development of new qualified infectious disease products, including: (1) an additional five-year market exclusivity period, and (2) eligibility for priority and fast track review. Requires the Secretary to: (1) expedite the development and review of new drugs designed to treat a serious or life-threatening disease, and (2) include a risk-benefit analysis in the regulatory decision-making process for prescription drugs. Amends the Orphan Drug Act to extend through FY2017 the authorization of appropriations for grants and contracts for development of drugs for rare diseases and conditions. Revises requirements for the reporting by drug manufacturers to HHS of a discontinuance or interruption in the production of life saving drugs. Requires the Secretary to establish a task force to develop and implement a strategic plan for enhancing the Secretary's response to preventing and mitigating drug shortages. Extends until October 1, 2017, the deadline for applications for elections relating to marketing exclusivity for certain drugs containing single enantiomers. Extends through FY2017 the authorization of appropriations for Critical Path Public-Private Partnerships to implement the FDA's Critical Path Initiative. Provides for the regulation of medical gas products. Directs the Secretary to: (1) issue guidance explaining FDA policy for promoting FDA-regulated medical products using the Internet and social media; (2) report to Congress on initiatives to combat prescription drug abuse; (3) reconsider tanning bed labeling requirements; (4) submit an integrated management strategy identifying goals for the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and the Center for Devices and Radiological Health; and (5) develop and implement strategies to solicit patient participation in the medical product development process.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2012
World War II Memorial Prayer Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to install at the World War II memorial in the District of Columbia a suitable plaque or an inscription with the words that President Franklin D. Roosevelt prayed with the United States on June 6, 1944, the morning of D-Day.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2012
EPA Regional Oversight Act of 2012 - Requires each Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Permits individuals serving as Regional Administrators on the date of this Act's enactment to continue to serve until January 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2012
Helium Stewardship Act of 2012 - Amends the Helium Act to name all U.S.-owned helium reserves the Federal Helium Reserve, including: (1) the Cliffside Field helium storage reservoir; (2) the federally owned helium pipeline system; and (3) all associated infrastructure owned, leased, or managed under contract by the Secretary of the Interior for helium storage, transportation, withdrawal, purification, or management. Revises the authority of the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to offer crude helium for sale for federal, medical, scientific, and commercial uses, dividing such sales into three phases the second of which is to maximize total recovery of helium from the Reserve. Authorizes extramural holders of federal research grants, as well as federal agencies, to purchase refined helium for federal uses, including medical and scientific uses, from persons who have entered into enforceable contracts to purchase an equivalent quantity of crude helium from the Secretary. Replaces the current formula for determining the price of helium with guidelines referring to current market crude helium prices. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, to undertake a national helium gas assessment. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to support research, development, commercial application, and conservation programs to: (1) expand domestic production of low-Btu gas and helium resources, (2) separate and capture helium from natural gas streams at the wellhead, and (3) reduce venting helium and helium-bearing low-Btu gas during natural gas operations. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to support or carry out directly research programs to develop: (1) advanced membrane technology, (2) helium separation technology, and (3) low-cost technologies and technology systems for recycling, reprocessing, and reusing helium (industrial helium program). Directs the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the Secretary of Energy on any assessment or research regarding extraction and refinement of the isotope helium-3 from crude helium at the Reserve or along the helium pipeline system. Amends the Soda Ash Royalty Reduction Act of 2006 to extend from 5 to 7 years the reduced royalty rate on soda ash produced from federal land.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2012
Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act or RAISE Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to declare that neither its prohibition against interference by an employer with employees' right to bargain collectively, nor the terms of a collective bargaining agreement entered into between employees and an employer after enactment of this Act, shall prohibit an employer from paying an employee higher wages, pay, or other compensation than the agreement provides for.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2012
Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2012 - Prohibits a federal agency (excluding the Federal Election Commission [FEC], the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation [FDIC], and the U.S. Postal Service [USPS]) from proposing or finalizing any midnight rule that would likely 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 the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete internationally. Defines "midnight rule" as an agency statement of general applicability and future effect that is issued during the moratorium period, that is intended to have the force and effect of law, and that is designed to: (1) implement, interpret, or prescribe law or policy; or (2) describe the procedure or practice requirements of an agency. Defines the "moratorium period" as the day after the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in every fourth year succeeding a presidential election through January 20 of the following year in which a President is not serving a consecutive term. Exempts any midnight rule that the President determines is necessary: (1) because of an imminent threat to health or safety or other emergency, (2) to enforce criminal laws, (3) to protect U.S. national security, or (4) to implement an international trade agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2012
Interest Rate Reduction Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make the 3.4% interest rate on Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2012, applicable to Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2013. Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to repeal provisions establishing and appropriating funds to the Prevention and Public Health Fund (a Fund to provide for expanded and sustained national investment in prevention and public health programs to improve health and help restrain the rate of growth in private and public sector health care costs). Rescinds any unobligated balances appropriated to such Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2012
Western Economic Security Today Act or the WEST Act - Title I: Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act - Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to direct (current law authorizes) the Secretary of the Interior to require a lessee operating under an approved exploration plan to obtain: (1) a permit before drilling any well in accordance with the plan, and (2) a new permit before drilling any well of a design that is significantly different than the design for which the existing permit was issued. Prohibits the Secretary from issuing a drilling permit without ensuring that the proposed drilling operations meet all: (1) critical safety system requirements, including blowout prevention; and (2) oil spill response and containment requirements. Deems an application to drill to be approved if the Secretary does not make a decision within 60 days after receipt of the application. Confers exclusive jurisdiction for a covered civil action upon a judicial district in the Fifth Circuit unless there is no district in that circuit in which the action may be brought. Bars a covered civil action unless it is filed within 60 days after the date of the final federal agency action. Restricts the court, in a covered civil action, from granting or approving prospective relief unless the court finds that the relief is narrowly drawn, extends no further than necessary to correct the violation of a legal requirement, and is the least intrusive means necessary to correct that violation. Prohibits a party to a covered civil action from receiving payment from the federal government for attorneys' fees and court costs. Title II: Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now - Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act - Directs the Secretary to conduct, within 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, Lease Sale 216 and Lease Sale 222 in the Central Gulf of Mexico. Directs the Secretary to conduct, within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 220 (outer Continental Shelf, Offshore Virginia). III: Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium - Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act - Directs the Secretary to conduct lease sales that include: (1) at least 50% of the available unleased acreage within each outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning area considered to have the largest undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources, with an emphasis upon offering the most geologically prospective parts of the planning area; and (2) any state subdivision of an OCS planning area whose governor requests that such area be made available for leasing. Directs the Secretary to make available, for the 2012-2017 5-year oil and gas leasing program, OCS planning areas estimated to contain more than: (1) 2.5 billion barrels of oil, or (2) 7.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Directs the Secretary, in developing a 5-year oil and gas leasing program, to determine a domestic strategic production goal which focuses upon: (1) meeting domestic demand for oil and natural gas and reducing the dependence of the United States on foreign energy, and (2) production increases achieved by the leasing program at the end of the 15-year period beginning on the effective date of such program. Sets forth a production goal of an increase by 2027 of at least: (1) 3 million barrels of oil per day, and (2) 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. Title IV: Jobs and Energy Permitting - Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2012 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require any air quality impact of OCS sources to be measured or modeled and determined solely with respect to the impacts in the corresponding onshore area. Exempts direct emissions from any vessel servicing or associated with an OCS source, including emissions while at the OCS source or in route to or from the OCS source within 25 miles of the OCS source, from any emission control requirement applicable to such source under such Act. Provides that an OCS source, for platform or drill ship exploration, is established when drilling commences at a location and ceases to exist when drilling activity ends at such location or is temporarily interrupted because the platform or drill ship relocates. Requires: (1) final agency action on a permit application for platform or drill ship exploration for an OCS source under such Act to be taken no later than 180 days after it is filed, (2) such final agency action to be considered to be nationally applicable under judicial review, and (3) judicial review of such action to be available without additional administrative review or adjudication. Prohibits: (1) the Environmental Appeals Board of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from having any authority to consider any matter regarding the consideration, issuance, or denial of such permit; and (2) any administrative stay of the effectiveness of such permit from extending beyond 180 days after the date the application is filed. Title V: Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability - Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act - Amends the Central Valley Project Improvement Act to expand the purposes of such Act and to redefine the term "anadromous fish" as used in such Act. Directs the Secretary to: (1) renew any existing long-term repayment or water service contract that provides for the delivery of water from the Central Valley Project (CVP) for a period of 40 years (the current contract term is 25 years), and (2) take all necessary actions to facilitate and expedite CVP water transfers in accordance with this Act or any other provisions of federal reclamation or environmental law. Prohibits the Secretary from imposing mitigation or other requirements on a proposed transfer of water. Authorizes the Secretary to modify CVP operations to provide reasonable flows of suitable quality, quantity, and timing to protect all life stages of anadromous fish. Requires the CVP and the California State Water Project (SWP) to be operated pursuant to the water quality standards and operational constraints described in the "Principles for Agreement of the Bay-Delta Standards Between the State of California and the Federal Government," dated December 15, 1994 (Bay-Delta Accord of 1994), without regard to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) or any other law pertaining to the operation of the CVP and the SWP. Directs the Secretary to cease any action to implement the Stipulation of Settlement (the Settlement) resulting from litigation entitled " Natural Resources Defense Council, et al. v. Kirk Rodgers, et al ," U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. Directs the Secretary, upon the request of a contractor, to convert all existing long-term CVP contracts to contracts that require a contractor to pay the remaining balance of construction at a Treasury rate discount. Directs the Secretary (notwithstanding the provisions of this Act or other federal reclamation or environmental laws), in the operation of CVP, to: (1) strictly adhere to state water rights law governing water rights priorities by honoring water rights senior to those belonging to CVP, regardless of the source of priority; and (2) strictly adhere to and honor water rights and other priorities that are obtained or that exist under the California Water Code. Declares that: (1) coordinated operations between CVP and SWP, as consented to and requested by the state of California and the federal government, require assertion of federal supremacy to protect existing water rights throughout the system, a circumstance that is unique to California; and (2) this title should not serve as precedent for similar operations in any other state. Title VI: Reducing Regulatory Burdens - Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2012 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prohibit the EPA Administrator or a state from requiring a permit for a discharge from a point source into navigable waters of a pesticide authorized for sale, distribution, or use under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) or the residue resulting from application of such pesticide. Exempts from such prohibition: (1) a discharge resulting from the application of a pesticide in violation of a provision of FIFRA that is relevant to protecting water quality if the discharge would not have occurred but for the violation or if the quantity of pesticide or pesticide residue in the discharge is greater than would have occurred without the violation; (2) stormwater discharges subject to regulation under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES); and (3) discharges, subject to NPDES regulation, of manufacturing or industrial effluent, treatment works effluent, and discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel, including a discharge resulting from ballasting operations or vessel biofouling prevention. Amends FIFRA to prohibit the Administrator or a state from requiring a permit under the Clean Water Act except under such circumstances. Title VII: Farm Dust Regulation Prevention - Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2012 - Amends the Clean Air Act (CAA) to prohibit the Administrator from proposing, finalizing, implementing, or enforcing any regulation revising the national primary ambient air quality standard or the national secondary ambient air quality standard applicable to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter greater than 2.5 micrometers for one year. Exempts nuisance dust from the CAA and excludes nuisance dust from CAA references to particulate matter, except with respect to geographic areas where such dust is not regulated under state, tribal, or local law to the extent the Administrator finds that: (1) nuisance dust causes substantial adverse public health and welfare effects at ambient concentrations, and (2) the benefits of applying CAA standards and other requirements to such dust outweigh the costs. Defines "nuisance dust" as particulate matter that: (1) is generated primarily from natural sources, unpaved roads, agricultural activities, earth moving, or other activities typically conducted in rural areas; and (2) consists primarily of soil, other natural or biological materials, or some combination of such materials. Excludes from such term particulate matter that is: (1) emitted directly into the ambient air from combustion, such as exhaust from combustion engines and emissions from stationary combustion processes; (2) comprised of residuals from the combustion of coal; and (3) radioactive and produced from uranium mining or processing. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator should implement an approach to excluding events that are not reasonably controllable or preventable from determinations of whether an area is in compliance with any national ambient air quality standard applicable to coarse particulate matter, that: (1) maximizes transparency and predictability for states, Indian tribes, and local governments; and (2) minimizes the regulatory and cost burdens such governments bear in excluding those events. Requires the Administrator, before issuing a requirement or implementing a program under the CAA related to agriculture and the national primary ambient air quality standard or the national secondary ambient air quality standard for particulate matter, to analyze the impact of such actions on employment levels in the agriculture industry and on agricultural economic activity. Title VIII: Energy Tax Prevention - Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2012 - Amends the CAA to: (1) define a "greenhouse gas" (GHG) as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or any other substance subject to regulation, action, or consideration under such Act to address climate change; (2) prohibit the Administrator from promulgating any regulation concerning, taking action relating to, or taking into consideration the emission of, a GHG; and (3) exclude GHGs from the definition of "air pollutant" for purposes of addressing climate change. Exempts from such prohibition: (1) implementation and enforcement of the rule entitled "Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards" or of the proposed rule entitled "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. Repeals and nullifies the rules and actions entitled: "Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases"; "Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act"; "Reconsideration of Interpretation of Regulations That Determine Pollutants Covered by Clean Air Act Permitting Programs" and the memorandum concerning "EPA's Interpretation of Regulations that Determine Pollutants Covered by Federal Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Permit Program"; "Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Title V Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule"; "Action To Ensure Authority To Issue Permits Under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration Program to Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Finding of Substantial Inadequacy and SIP Call"; "Action To Ensure Authority To Issue Permits Under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration Program to Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Finding of Failure To Submit State Implementation Plan Revisions Required for Greenhouse Gases"; "Action to Ensure Authority To Issue Permits Under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration Program to Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Federal Implementation Plan"; "Action to Ensure Authority to Implement Title V Permitting Programs Under the Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule"; "Determinations Concerning Need for Error Correction, Partial Approval and Partial Disapproval, and Federal Implementation Plan Regarding Texas Prevention of Significant Deterioration Program"; "Limitation of Approval of Prevention of Significant Deterioration Provisions Concerning Greenhouse Gas Emitting-Sources in State Implementation Plans"; "Determinations Concerning Need for Error Correction, Partial Approval and Partial Disapproval, and Federal Implementation Plan Regarding Texas Prevention of Significant Deterioration Program; Proposed Rule"; and Any other federal action under the CAA occurring before this Act's enactment that applies a stationary source permitting requirement or an emissions standard for a GHG to address climate change. Prohibits the Administrator from waiving the ban on states 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 · 29 March 2012
National Forest Emergency Response Act - Declares that the fire hazard and human endangerment in national forests to be designated by the Secretary of Agriculture constitute emergency circumstances. Directs the Secretary to designate (for up to 10 years) at least one national forest in each state that is experiencing conditions that constitute emergency circumstances due to pine beetle infestation, drought, disease, or storm damage and the resulting imminent risk of devastating wildfire that poses significant threat to the economic stability of surrounding areas and the health, safety, and well-being of residents, firefighters, and visitors. Makes provisions of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act regarding hazardous fuel reduction on federal land (including environmental analysis requirements, the special administrative review process, and the judicial review process) applicable to all Forest Service projects and activities implementing the land and resource management plan developed for the designated national forests during the term of the emergency circumstances, subject to specified modifications by the Secretary. Requires a project conducted in a designated national forest under this Act that comprises less than 10,000 acres (with exceptions, including components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, any federal land on which the removal of vegetation is restricted or prohibited by Act of Congress or presidential proclamation, or a congressionally designated wilderness study area) to be considered an action categorically excluded from the requirements for an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement. Prohibits a U.S. court from issuing any restraining order, preliminary injunction, or injunction pending appeal regarding any decision to engage in remedial action or to prepare, advertise, offer, award, or operate a timber sale in a designated forest. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a cooperative agreement or contract with a state forester to provide forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration and protection services on national forest system land in that state.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2012
Small Business Election Simplification Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the subchapter S election for corporate taxpayers, to: (1) extend the deadline for filing such election to the due date (with extensions) of the corporation's tax return, (2) authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to treat a late filing or revocation of an election as timely filed or revoked if there is reasonable cause for failing to make a timely filing or revocation, and (3) allow taxpayers to make a subchapter S election on their current tax return in lieu of filing a separate form for making such election.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2012
Preserve the Waters of the United States Act - Prohibits the Secretary of the Army and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from: (1) finalizing the proposed guidance described in the notice of availability and request for comments entitled "EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Guidance Regarding Identification of Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act"; or (2) using such guidance, or any substantially similar guidance, as the basis for any decision regarding the scope of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) or any rulemaking. Provides that the use of such guidance as the basis for any rule shall be grounds for vacation of such rule.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2012
Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and (2) make permanent the maximum 35% gift tax rate and a $5 million lifetime gift tax exemption.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2012
Designates April 2012 as Financial Literacy Month to raise public awareness about the importance of personal financial education in the United States and the serious consequences that may result from a lack of understanding about personal finances.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2012
Preserving America's Family Farms Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Labor from finalizing or enforcing proposed rule "Child Labor Regulations, Orders and Statements of Interpretation; Child Labor Violations-Civil Money Penalties" (relating to child labor in agricultural and nonagricultural occupations) issued pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act and published on September 2, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2012
Rural America Preservation Act of 2012 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to cap maximum annual crop year direct and indirect payments to an individual or a legal entity for: (1) covered commodities, at $125,000 (maximum of $75,000 in marketing loan gains and loan deficiency payments and $50,000 for other payments); and (2) peanuts, at $125,000 (maximum of $75,000 in marketing loan gains and loan deficiency payments and $50,000 for other payments). Provides that an eligible person and spouse in a single farming operation may jointly receive up to twice such amount. Revises provisions respecting limitation of benefits to active farmers. Makes foreign individuals and foreign entities ineligible for agricultural program benefits.