United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2012
United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 - States that it is U.S. policy to: (1) reaffirm the commitment to Israel's security as a Jewish state, (2) provide Israel with the military capabilities to defend itself and help preserve its qualitative military edge, (3) expand military and civilian cooperation, (4) assist in a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that results in two states living side by side in peace and security, and (5) encourage Israel's neighbors to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should take specified actions to assist in Israel's defense. Amends the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005 to extend authority to transfer certain obsolete or surplus Department of Defense (DOD) items to Israel. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to extend authority to make additions to foreign-based defense stockpiles. Amends the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003 to extend specified loan guarantee authority to Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Reaffirms the commitment of the United States to democracy, human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law, and supports the Iranian people in their calls for a democratic government that respects such rights and freedoms. Condemns Iran's human rights violations. Urges the President, the Secretary of State, and world leaders to express support for the universal rights and freedoms of the Iranian people and to condemn elections that are not free and do not meet international standards.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Acknowledges the tremendous contributions of African Americans to the history of the United States and that all people of the United States are recipients of the history given to us by black culture. Recognizes Black History Month as an opportunity to reflect on U.S. history. Encourages learning from the past in order to understand the experiences that have shaped the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2012
Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to classify military working dogs as canine members of the Armed Forces. Requires that such dogs no longer be classified as equipment. Provides that if a dog should be retired, and no suitable adoption is available at the military facility where the dog is located, the dog may transferred to the 341st Training Squadron or to another location for adoption. Authorizes the acceptance of the donation of frequent traveler miles to facilitate the adoption of a dog. Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain a system to provide for the lifetime veterinary care of retired, adopted dogs. Requires the Secretary to administer the system under a contract awarded by the Secretary to a private non-profit entity. Requires such care to meet standards that the Secretary shall establish and periodically update. Requires any costs of the operation and administration of the system and of any veterinary care provided under the system to be covered by such combination of the following as the Secretary and the non-profit entity jointly consider appropriate: (1) contributions from the non-profit entity, (2) payments for such care by owners or guardians of such dogs, and (3) other appropriate non-federal sources of funds. Prohibits the use of federal funds to provide care or operate the system, except for funds used to establish or administer the system, establish standards of care, or prescribe related regulations. Directs the Secretary to create a decoration or other appropriate recognition to recognize dogs that are killed in action or perform an exceptionally meritorious or courageous act in service to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2012
Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Risk Assessment, and Training in the Schools (HEARTS) Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in conjunction with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop and provide for dissemination to school administrators, educators, school health professionals, coaches, and families, as well as to state and local health departments, pediatricians, hospitals, and other health professionals, of public education and awareness materials and resources that include: (1) background information to increase education and awareness of cardiomyopathy and other related causes of sudden cardiac death; (2) a cardiomyopathy risk assessment worksheet for use by parents, guardians, or other caregivers; (3) guidelines regarding the placement of automated external defibrillators in schools and child care centers; (4) training information on defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and (5) recommendations for how schools and child care centers can develop and implement a cardiac emergency response plan. Encourages the Secretary, in support of such effort, to: (1) establish an advisory panel, and (2) engage in a memorandum of understanding or cooperative agreement with a national nonprofit advocacy organization expert in all forms of cardiomyopathy.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2012
Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Centers) of the Social Security Act to extend through FY2015 funding for family-to-family health information centers.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2012
Affirms that it is a vital national interest of the United States to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability and warns that time is limited to prevent that from happening. Urges increasing economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran to secure an agreement that includes: (1) suspension of all uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, (2) complete cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding Iran's nuclear activities, and (3) a permanent agreement that verifiably assures that Iran's nuclear program is entirely peaceful. Supports: (1) the universal rights and democratic aspirations of the Iranian people, and (2) U.S. policy to prevent the Iranian government from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. Rejects any U.S. policy that would rely on efforts to contain a nuclear weapons-capable Iran. Urges the President to reaffirm the unacceptability of an Iran with nuclear-weapons capability and oppose any policy that would rely on containment as an option in response to the Iranian nuclear threat.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2012
Mourns the loss of lives as a result of the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti. Honors the service of U.S. government, embassy, and military personnel and members of international organizations who continue to serve Haiti and the Haitian people. Reaffirms the Senate's solidarity with the people of Haiti and its commitment to Haiti's long-term reconstruction. Encourages the U.S. government, the government of Haiti, and international donors to: (1) give priority to policies that would attract private sector investment and diaspora participation; (2) develop participatory mechanisms to involve civil society in Haiti at all stages of the cholera and post-earthquake responses; and (3) give priority to programs that would protect and involve vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons, children, and persons with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2012
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 on or after July 1, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2012
National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins in recognition of the National Baseball Hall of Fame during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2015. Directs the Secretary to hold a competition to design the common obverse of the coins, with such design being emblematic of the game of baseball. Requires the design on the common reverse side to depict a baseball similar to those used by Major League Baseball. Requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the National Baseball Hall of Fame to help finance its operations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2012
Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers Act or POST Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require proprietary institutions of higher education to derive at least 15% of their revenue from sources other than federal funds or become ineligible for title IV funding. (Currently, the 90/10 rule requires these schools to derive at least 10% of their revenue from sources other than title IV or become ineligible for title IV funding.) Defines "federal funds" as federal financial assistance provided through a grant, contract, subsidy, loan, guarantee, insurance, or other means to a proprietary institution, including federal financial assistance that is provided to an institution on behalf of a student or to a student to attend the institution. Excludes monthly housing stipends provided under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance program from consideration as federal funds. Limits what a proprietary institution may treat as revenue to the school in calculating whether it derives at least 15% of its revenue from non-federal funds.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2012
Sympathizes with the families of women and children victimized by sexual and other forms of gender-based violence in Haiti. Urges treatment of the issue of violence against women and children as a priority for U.S. humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Haiti. Supports passage of Haiti's first comprehensive law on the prevention, punishment, and elimination of gender-based violence.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2011
Pays tribute to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who served in support of operations in Iraq. Calls on the people of the United States to reflect on the service of those members, veterans, and their families, and honor their sacrifices. Commemorates and honors the contributions made by such members and their families as the official combat mission in Iraq draws to a close.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2011
Social Security Fairness Act of 2011 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal the government pension offset requirement applicable to and reducing husband's and wife's insurance benefits, widow's and widower's insurance benefits, and divorced mother's and divorced father's insurance benefits with respect to federal, state, or local government employees who receive a government pension and did not pay Social Security taxes during their years of government service, and so did not earn entitlement to Social Security benefits for those years. Repeals also the windfall elimination requirement with respect to computation of an individual's primary insurance amount under which OASDI retirement or disability benefits are reduced if the individual receives a federal, state, or local government pension, did not pay Social Security taxes during the years of government service, and so did not earn entitlement to Social Security benefits for those years.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2011
Due Process Guarantee Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to specify that an authorization to use military force, a declaration of war, or any similar authority shall not authorize the detention without charge or trial of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident apprehended in the United States, unless an Act of Congress expressly authorizes such detention. Applies this Act to any such authorizations or declarations enacted before, on, or after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2011
Commuter Protection Act - Amends the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987 to expand the requirement that certain bridge tolls be just and reasonable to all bridges or tunnels constructed on a federal-aid highway. (Current law applies the just and reasonable toll requirement only to bridges constructed under the Bridge Act of 1906, the General Bridge Act of 1946, or the International Bridge Act of 1972.) Requires that tolls for all such bridges and tunnels be subject to review and regulation by the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), upon complaint or the initiative of the Secretary, including with respect to increases in the amount of tolls. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations to define, determine, and, when appropriate, prescribe just and reasonable toll rates. Requires that such regulations: (1) establish an administrative complaint process for aggrieved persons to challenge such determinations or toll rate increases on bridges or tunnels, (2) authorize the Secretary or an administrative law judge to conduct investigations and hold formal hearings on such complaints, and (3) permit complainants to seek judicial review of a final administrative determination in a U.S. district court. Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) evaluate the use of tolls by interstate authorities to maintain and improve surface transportation facilities, and (2) make recommendations to increase transparency and accountability of the funding decisions by those authorities.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2011
Amends the Aviation and Transportation Security Act to require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act when carrying out certain personnel decisions with respect to the employment of air transportation passenger and property screeners.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2011
Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or 20-year prison term on any person who: (1) knowingly provides or receives from another person two or more firearms if such person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that such transfer would violate a federal, state, or local law punishable by a prison term of more than one year (i.e., a felony); (2) makes materially false statements to a licensed firearm importer, dealer, or manufacturer relating to the purchase, receipt, or acquisition of two or more firearms; or (3) directs, promotes, or facilitates such illegal activity. Increases penalties on licensed firearms importers, dealers, or manufacturers who knowingly violate firearms restrictions under the federal criminal code, including recordkeeping requirements. Expands the authority of the Attorney General to revoke or suspend the license of a firearms dealer for failure to have secure gun storage or safety devices, for transporting armor piercing ammunition, or for violating other federal prohibitions on gun trafficking. Requires the Attorney General to identify licensed firearms dealers who have a heightened risk of firearms being diverted to criminal use. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on firearms that are lost or stolen during commercial shipping. Authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to hire additional personnel to enable inspections of gun dealers on a three-year cycle and requires the Director to hire additional investigators and special agents to address trafficking in firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2011
Research and Innovative Technology Administration Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Revises the National Cooperative Freight Transportation Research program. Includes as one of the governing elements of the program that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) coordinate research agendas, research project selections, and competitions across all NAS transportation-related cooperative research programs to ensure program efficiency, effectiveness, and sharing of research findings. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a Multimodal Innovative Research Program in the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) to support key partnerships between the Department of Transportation (DOT) and other federal agencies in order to leverage their investments in transportation research and technology developments to address transportation problems at modal interfaces or affecting more than one transportation mode. Requires the Program, moreover, to award contracts or cooperative agreements competitively for advanced multimodal transportation research to facilitate practical innovative approaches to solve transportation problems. Establishes in RITA the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), headed by a Director. (Actually, BTS was created in 1992 under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act [ISTEA] and later transferred to become part of RITA on February 20, 2005.) Requires the BTS Director to establish a transportation database for all modes of transportation. Establishes in the BTS a National Transportation Library. Requires the BTS Director to maintain an Advisory Council on Transportation Statistics. Prohibits certain disclosures of statistical transportation information by a BTS officer, employee, or contractor. Requires the BTS Director to develop a national transportation atlas database composed of geospatial databases. Subjects to a specified fine an owner or person in charge of any company that neglects, or refuses when requested by the BTS Director, to answer completely all questions relating to the company or to make available company records or statistics. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the deployment of Gigahertz (GHz) vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications systems. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive cash prizes to stimulate innovation in research, technology development, and prototype demonstration that have potential for application to the national transportation system. Revises the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program. Increases from $250,000 to $500,000 the amount of DOT funds the Secretary may use for each fiscal year to carry out the program on ITS outreach, websites, public relations, displays, tours, and brochures. Authorizes the Secretary to develop and implement incentives to accelerate deployment of ITS technologies and services within all programs funded under this Act. Directs the Secretary to establish the National Travel Data Program. Reauthorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2012-FY2013 for RITA.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2011
Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act of 2011 - Revises commercial motor vehicle registration requirements to prohibit the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) from registering a person to provide motorcoach services until that person has: (1) submitted a comprehensive management plan that is in place to ensure compliance with DOT motor carrier safety regulations; (2) disclosed any common ownership, common management, common control, or common familial relationships between the carrier and any other motor carrier, freight forwarder, or broker that have occurred in the five-years preceding the filing of an application for registration; and (3) passed the DOT written proficiency examination established under this Act to test a motor carrier's knowledge of federal and state motor carrier safety regulations, standards, and orders. Reduces from 18 months to 12 months after motorcoach operations begin the deadline for mandatory safety reviews of newly registered motorcoach owners or operators. Authorizes the Secretary to register a person to provide motorcoach services after that person undergoes a pre-authorization safety audit. Authorizes the Secretary to withhold, suspend, amend, or revoke the registration of a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder: (1) for failure to obey a subpoena issued by the Secretary; (2) for failure to disclose in its application a material fact with respect to its ability to comply with federal law, regulations, or a registration condition; or (3) that is or was related through common ownership, common management, common control, or common familial relationship to any other motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder. Authorizes an employer or person to operate a commercial motor vehicle only if that employer or person is registered by the Secretary and receives a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) number. Eliminates the $300 limit on the registration fee for new motor carrier registrants using the Unified Carrier Registration System. Increases civil penalties against motor carriers or foreign motor carriers of passengers or motor carriers of hazardous waste for: (1) failing to comply with certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements, and (2) operating without being registered. Increases civil penalties against a motor carrier, motor carrier of migrant workers, or motor private carrier for failing to respond to a subpoena or requirement of the Secretary to appear and testify or produce records. Authorizes the Secretary to withhold, suspend, amend, or revoke the registration of a motorcoach carrier for failure to obey such subpoena or requirement. Prohibits two or more motor carriers, employers, or persons from using common ownership, common management, common control, or common familial relationship to avoid compliance, or conceal noncompliance or a history of noncompliance with commercial motor vehicle safety regulations or an order of the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to impose appropriate sanctions for violation of this prohibition. Repeals the exemption for brokers of motor carriers of passengers from the jurisdiction of either the Secretary or the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Redefines "employer," for purposes of the application of federal commercial motor vehicle safety standards, to include a person that offers for rent or lease in interstate commerce motor vehicles used to transport more than eight passengers (including the driver) from the same location, or as part of the same business provides names or contact information of drivers, or holds itself out to the public as a charter bus company. Directs the Secretary to analyze the need for crashworthiness standards on certain property-carrying commercial motor vehicles. Authorizes the Secretary to prohibit from operating a commercial motor vehicle in interstate and foreign commerce any Canadian employer that has received an unfit safety determination to operate such a vehicle from an authorized agency in Canada, until that same agency determines that the employer is fit. Prescribes requirements with respect to: (1) state reporting to the Federal Convictions and Withdrawal Database or other similar database of any motor vehicle-related convictions of foreign commercial drivers, (2) disqualification of foreign commercial drivers for alcohol and controlled substance felony violations, and (3) revocation of the registration of a foreign motor carrier for failure to comply with an order of the Secretary or the STB or to pay certain civil penalties. Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations to require commercial motor vehicles involved in interstate commerce, and operated by a driver subject to both federal hours-of-service and record of duty status requirements, to be equipped with an electronic on-board recording device meeting certain performance and design standards and requirements. Requires the Secretary to establish a national registry of medical examiners. Requires an employer to ascertain at least once every 12 months the driving record of each commercial motor vehicle driver it employs. Requires the Secretary to develop recommendations and a plan for the development and implementation of a national driver record notification system. Directs the Secretary to issue final regulations establishing minimum entry-level training requirements for such operators. Revises the CDL information system program. Requires states to submit CDL program plans for the operation of state CDL information systems compatible with the modernized federal CDL information system. Safe Roads Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary to establish a national clearinghouse for verified positive alcohol and controlled substance test results and test refusals as well as violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) alcohol and controlled substances regulations of commercial motor vehicle operators. Prohibits an employer from hiring an individual to operate a commercial motor vehicle unless, during the preceding three-year period, the individual: (1) did not test positive for use of alcohol and controlled substances, or completed the return-to-duty process after initially testing positive; (2) did not refuse to be tested, or completed the return-to-duty process after initially refusing to be tested; or (3) did not violate FMCSA alcohol and controlled substances regulations. Prescribes new and revises current penalties for violations of certain commercial motor vehicle drug and alcohol prohibitions and specified other requirements. Directs the Secretary to carry out a Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program to make compliance, safety, and accountability grants to assist states, local governments, and other entities and persons with motor carrier safety and enforcement activities and programs. Revises the number of passengers a commercial motor vehicle must be designed or used to transport from more than 10 passengers (including the driver) to: (1) more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation, or (2) more than 15 passengers (including the driver) if not for compensation. Revises commercial motor vehicle driver safety fitness requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to withhold increasing percentages of a state's motor carrier safety improvement grant funds if the state uses an electronic commercial motor vehicle inspection selection system that does not employ a DOT-approved selection methodology. Authorizes FY2012-FY2013 appropriations for FMCSA programs. Directs the Secretary to establish a data and technology grant program to assist states with implementation and maintenance of commercial motor vehicle data systems. Revises CDL program improvement grant requirements. Converts the commercial driver's license program improvement grant program to a driver focused grant program to improve driver safety. Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations requiring motorcoaches to be installed with: (1) safety belts at each seating position, (2) advanced glazing in each portal to prevent passenger ejection, (3) stability enhancing technology to reduce the number and frequency of rollover crashes, and (4) direct tire pressure monitoring systems. Requires the Secretary to prescribe regulations establishing improved strength and crush resistance standards for motorcoach roofs. Requires the Secretary to initiate rulemaking proceedings to establish: (1) flammability standards for motorcoach exterior and interior components, (2) requirements to prevent wheel well fires, and (3) requirements for motorcoaches to be equipped with improved designs for emergency passenger evacuation and fire suppression systems. Requires the Secretary to: (1) determine the safety fitness and assign a rating, updated triennially, for each registered motorcoach operator; and (2) establish a process for monitoring regularly the safety performance of each operator following the assignment of a rating. Requires the Secretary to complete a rulemaking proceeding to consider requiring states to conduct annual inspections of commercial passenger motor vehicles. Requires the Secretary to: (1) prescribe regulations on the use of electronic or wireless devices (including cell phones and other distracting devices) by motorcoach operators; and (2) prohibit their use in cases where they interfere with the driver's safe operation of a motorcoach, but not when necessary for driver or public safety in emergency situations. Directs the Secretary to study and compile a list of all state truck size and weight limit laws. Directs the Secretary to task the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee to study the extent to which detention time contributes to motor carrier drivers violating hours of service requirements and driver fatigue. Prohibits the transportation of horses in a motor vehicle containing two or more levels stacked on top of each other. Revises household goods motor carrier registration requirements to require the Secretary to require registered household goods motor carriers to undergo a consumer protection standards review 18 months after beginning operations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and implement a joint household goods transportation assistance program, and (2) establish a task force to develop recommendations to ensure consumers are informed of federal laws concerning the transportation of household goods by a motor carrier.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2011
Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Act of 2011 - Requires states or Indian tribes receiving grants to train emergency responders to hazardous material (hazmat) transportation accidents to make certain certifications to the Secretary of Transportation (DOT). Authorizes the Secretary to conduct pilot projects (including at least one in a rural area) to evaluate the feasibility of using paperless hazard communications systems. Authorizes the Secretary to assess and review the methods used by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for collecting, analyzing, and reporting accidents and incidents involving hazmat transportation. Requires the Secretary to develop an action plan and timeline for improving the collection, analysis, reporting, and use of data by PHMSA. Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations establishing uniform procedures among facilities for the safe loading and unloading of hazmat on and off tank cars and cargo tank trucks. Authorizes the Secretary to develop and implement a hazmat technical assessment, research and development, and analysis program to: (1) reduce risks associated with hazmat transportation; and (2) identify and evaluate new technologies for safe, secure, and efficient hazmat transportation. Directs the Secretary to establish a multimodal hazmat enforcement training program for government hazmat inspectors and investigators. Increases the civil penalties for: (1) knowing violations of a hazmat transportation regulation, order, special permit, or approval; and (2) violations that result in death, serious illness, or injury or substantial destruction of property. Authorizes the Secretary to impose a civil penalty on persons who obstruct or prevent an inspection or investigation regarding hazmat transportation. Prohibits a person who has failed to pay an assessed civil penalty for noncompliance with a hazmat transportation regulation or order from conducting hazmat transportation. Revises requirements for the issuance of special permits, approvals, and exclusions. Requires states to submit certain information to the Secretary biennially regarding their currently effective hazmat highway route designations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2011
March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011- Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 500,000 $1 coins emblematic of the mission and programs of the March of Dimes. Permits issuance of such coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2014. Requires all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of such coins to be promptly paid to the March of Dimes to help finance research, education, and services aimed at improving the health of women, infants, and children. Subjects the March of Dimes to federal audit requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2011
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) to add or expand definitions under such Act, including to define: (1) "culturally specific services" to mean community-based services that offer culturally relevant and linguistically specific services and resources to culturally specific communities, and (2) "child" to mean a person who is under 11 years of age and "youth" to mean a person who is 11 to 24 years old. Modifies or expands grant conditions under such Act, including requirements relating to nondisclosure of personally identifying information or other client information, information sharing between grantees and subgrantees, civil rights and nondiscrimination, audits, and nonprofit organizations. Requires the Office on Violence Against Women of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a biennial conferral process with state and tribal coalitions, technical assistance providers, and other key stakeholders on the administration of grants and related matters. Title I: Enhancing Judicial and Law Enforcement Tools to Combat Violence Against Women - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand services for sexual assault victims, including male victims, under the grant programs for combatting violent crimes against women (STOP grants) and for encouraging arrest policies and enforcing protection orders for sexual assault victims. Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to expand the availability of competent pro bono legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Revises the grant programs for supporting families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to such families and to train court personnel in assisting such families. Extends through FY2016 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) the training of probation and parole officers to manage sex offenders, and (2) the Court-Appointed Special Advocate program. Amends the federal criminal code with respect to the crime of stalking to prohibit the use of any interactive computer or electronic communication service to stalk victims. Revises and reauthorizes through FY2016 the grant program for outreach and services to underserved populations. Title II: Improving Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking - Amends VAWA to extend through FY2016 grant programs to: (1) assist states, Indian tribes, and territories to establish, maintain, and expand rape crisis centers and other programs to assist victims of sexual assault; and (2) assist victims of domestic violence and other sexual assault crimes in rural areas. Amends the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 to extend through FY2016 the authorization of appropriations for grants to end violence against women with disabilities and women in later life. Title III: Services, Protection, and Justice for Young Victims of Violence - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend through FY2016 the authorization of appropriations for grants for rape prevention and education programs conducted by rape crisis centers. Amends VAWA to replace certain grant programs for the protection of young victims of violent crimes with a program requiring the Attorney General to award grants to enhance the safety of youth and children who are victims of, or exposed to, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking and to prevent future violence. Amends the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 to expand the requirements for the grant program to combat violent crimes on campuses. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the requirements for disclosure of campus security policies and crime statistics by institutions of higher education to require disclosure of disciplinary proceedings and procedures to protect the confidentiality of crime victims. Title IV: Violence Reduction Practices - Authorizes appropriations for grants through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support research to examine prevention and intervention programs to further the understanding of sexual and domestic violence by and against adults, youth, and children. Amends VAWA to authorize the Attorney General to award grants to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by taking a comprehensive approach that focuses on youth, children exposed to violence, and men as leaders and influencers of social norms. Title V: Strengthening the Healthcare System's Response to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize, revise, and consolidate grant programs that address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by developing or enhancing and implementing: (1) interdisciplinary training for health professionals, public health staff, and allied health professionals; (2) education programs for health profession students to prevent and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and (3) comprehensive statewide strategies to improve the response of clinics, public health facilities, hospitals, and other health settings to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Title VI: Safe Homes for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking - Amends VAWA with respect to housing rights of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Prohibits denial or termination of housing assistance on the basis of being such a victim under specified federal housing programs, including the low-income housing tax credit program, if the applicant or tenant otherwise qualifies for such admission, assistance, participation, or occupancy. Prohibits denial of assistance, tenancy, or occupancy rights to assisted housing based solely on certain criminal activity directly related to domestic violence engaged in by a member of the individual's household or by any guest or other person under the individual's control, if the tenant or an immediate family member is the victim or threatened victim. Requires each owner or manager of housing assisted under a covered program to adopt an emergency transfer policy for tenants who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish policies and procedures under which a victim requesting such a transfer may receive section 8 (voucher program) assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937. Makes conforming amendments to the United States Housing Act of 1937. Revises eligibility requirements for transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to specify that any victims are eligible. Decreases the authorization of appropriations for such grants for FY2012-FY2016. Decreases the authorization of appropriations for FY2012-FY2016 also for: (1) collaborative grants to increase the long-term stability of victims, and (2) grants to combat violence against women in public and assisted housing. Title VII: Economic Security for Victims of Violence - Amends VAWA to extend through FY2016 the authorization of appropriations for grants to eligible nonprofit nongovernmental entities or tribal organizations for a national resource center on workplace responses to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence. Title VIII: Protection of Battered Immigrants - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand the definition of nonimmigrant U-visa (victims of certain crimes) to include victims of dating violence and stalking. Makes the derivative beneficiary (child) of a deceased alien who was a self-petitioner under VAWA eligible for lawful permanent resident status under such alien's petition. Excludes from the public charge bar to admission an alien who is: (1) a VAWA self-petitioner, (2) a U-visa applicant, or (3) a battered spouse or child. Revises U-visa provisions regarding: (1) petition requirements, and (2) age determinations of children. Increases the annual number of U-visas. Extends the conditions under which the waiver of the two-year waiting period for permanent resident status application may be granted to a battered alien spouse. Expands the scope of criminal-related information that must be disclosed by a U.S. citizen petitioning for a nonimmigrant K-visa (alien fiancee or fiance). Amends the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 to require the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) conduct a background check of the National Crime Information Center's Protection Order Database on each K-visa petitioner, and (2) include any appropriate information in the criminal background information provided to the alien fiance/fiancee. Prohibits an international marriage broker from providing any individual or entity with information about an individual under the age of 18. Requires a broker to obtain a valid copy of each foreign national client's birth certificate or other official proof of age document. Establishes criminal penalties for specified broker violations. Amends the the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 to permit U- and T-visa (victims of human trafficking) holders in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas to count their time physically present in the Commonwealth toward the three-year continuous U.S. presence required for adjustment to permanent resident status. Title IX: Safety for Indian Women - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to direct a portion of certain grants to combat violent crime against American Indian women toward: (1) sex trafficking, (2) services for youthful victims, and (3) legislation and policies effective in combating such crime. Gives Indian tribes criminal jurisdiction over domestic violence, dating violence, and violations of protective orders that occur on their lands. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to Indian tribes to assist them in exercising such jurisdiction. Gives Indian courts civil jurisdiction to issue and enforce protection orders. Alters federal assault penalties to: (1) cover domestic violence, dating violence, and attempts to commit sexual abuse; and (2) apply them to individuals in Indian country. Amends the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 to require the National Institute of Justice to include sex trafficking in its study of violence against Indian women. Title X: Other Matters - Amends the federal criminal code to expand sexual abuse provisions involving a ward in official detention and any person who has supervisory or custodial authority over such ward and who knowingly engages or attempts to engage in a sexual act with such ward. Extends the period during which the prohibition against sexual abuse applies to: (1) during or after the arrest of the ward; (2) after release pretrial; (3) while on bail, probation, supervised release, or parole; or (4) after release. Allow prosecutions for sexual abuse of a ward if it occurs in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or if the ward was under the professional custodial, supervisory, or disciplinary control or authority of the person engaging or attempting to engage in a sexual act. Enhances criminal penalties for criminal civil rights violations involving sexual abuse. Amends the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act and the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 to prohibit the commission of a sexual act in custodial settings. Directs the DHS Secretary to publish a final rule adopting national standards for the detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment of rapes and sexual assaults in detention facilities for aliens detained for a violation of U.S. immigration laws. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish a similar final rule for the protection of unaccompanied alien children in custodial facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2011
Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins in commemoration of Mark Twain. Limits issuance of such coins to calendar year 2016. Requires specified surcharges in the sale of such coins, which shall be promptly paid, in specified percentages, to: (1) the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, to support restoration of the house and grounds, and ensure continuing growth and innovation in museum programming to research, promote, and educate on the legacy of Mark Twain; (2) the Mark Twain Project at the Bancroft Library of University of California, Berkeley, California, to support programs to study and promote the legacy of Mark Twain; (3) the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, New York, for the same purposes; and (4) the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, to preserve historical sites relating to Mark Twain and help support study and promote the legacy of Mark Twain.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2011
Healthy Food Financing Initiative - Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) a Healthy Food Financing Initiative to: (1) improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas; (2) create quality jobs; and (3) revitalize low-income communities by providing loans and grants to eligible food retailers to overcome the higher costs and initial barriers to entry in underserved, urban, suburban, and rural areas.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2011
Prevention of Unreasonable Fees Act - Prohibits an operator of a transportation terminal that uses federal funds for terminal construction, or for the purchase or lease of equipment installed there, from charging a fee to a provider of pre-arranged ground transportation service that meets state vehicle and intrastate passenger licensing requirements. Exempts from such prohibition: (1) fees charged to the general public for access to, or use of, the terminal; or (2) any fee for the availability of ancillary facilities located there. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) prohibit or restrict a transportation terminal operator from requiring vehicles that cannot safely use public parking facilities to use segregated facilities provided the fee for segregated facilities is no more than that charged to the public for similar facilities, or (2) restrict the right of a state or its political subdivisions to require a license or fee (other than a prohibited transportation terminal fee) for a motor vehicle providing certain other prearranged ground transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 November 2011
Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2011 - Reduces employment tax rates in calendar year 2012 (payroll tax holiday period) for both employers and employees to 3.1%. Limits the reduction for employers to the first $5 million of wages paid by the employer in 2012. Reduces the tax rate on the first $5 million of net earning of a self-employed taxpayer. Allows nongovernmental employers a tax credit for payroll increases in the last quarter of 2011 and in 2012. Appropriates funds to the social security trust funds to compensate for any revenue loss to such funds from the reduction in rates and the tax credit allowed by this Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose on individual taxpayers in taxable years beginning after 2012 an additional tax equal to 3.25% of so much of their modified adjusted gross income as exceeds $1 million. Defines "modified adjusted gross income" as adjusted gross income reduced by any deduction allowed for investment interest. Provides for an inflation adjustment to the $1 million threshold amount for taxable years beginning after 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2011
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2011 - States as the purpose of this Act to apply the same employment benefits and obligations to federal employees in same-sex domestic partnerships and to their domestic partners as apply to married federal employees and their spouses. Amends provisions of federal civil service law to extend employment-related and retirement benefits to domestic partners of federal employees and to set forth requirements for establishing a domestic partnership, including the filing of an affidavit attesting to the existence and legitimacy of the partnership. Requires authorized officers and agencies to develop and issue guidance documentation with respect to domestic partner benefits and obligations established by this Act. Provides for a review of programs under which such benefits and obligations are established. Modifies provisions relating to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) to extend eligibility for annuity and survivor benefits to domestic partners of federal employees on the same basis as married employees. Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations to provide that domestic partners and former domestic partners shall be considered as spouses or former spouses for purposes of creditable service determinations under CSRS and FERS. Makes domestic partners of federal employees eligible for: (1) the federal employee group life insurance (FEGLI) program, (2) federal employees health benefits (FEHB), (3) dental and vision benefit plans, and (4) long-term care insurance coverage. Extends to domestic partners of federal employees: (1) reimbursement for taxes related to payments for travel, transportation, and moving or storage expenses; and (2) payment of relocation expenses and reimbursement for related taxes incurred by federal employees transferred in the interest of the government, including employees on extended assignment. Modifies definitions applicable under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to include domestic partners and their children. Applies to domestic partners provisions of federal civil service law and regulations relating to: (1) voluntary transfers of leave and the voluntary leave bank program, (2) unpaid leave to care for family members under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, (3) settlement of accounts of federal employees who die without specifying a beneficiary, (4) federal employees in captive or missing status due to hostile action and employees or family members who suffer death or disability caused by hostile action, and (5) the annuity of the Comptroller General (GAO) and related survivor benefits. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to make provisions of that Act relating to financial disclosure, limitations on outside earned income and employment, and gifts to superiors and to federal employees applicable to federal employees in a domestic partnership and their domestic partners. Amends the federal criminal code to expand the applicability of prohibitions against bribery of public officials and conflicts of interest to cover a domestic partner of a federal official or employee and to include domestic partners in exemptions from such prohibitions. Extends to domestic partners of public officials the prohibitions against the employment of relatives in federal service and against receiving gifts or decorations from a foreign government.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Commodity Exchange Act to direct both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to prohibit purchase or sale of either securities, security-based swaps, or commodities for future delivery or swap by a person in possession of material nonpublic information regarding pending or prospective legislative action if the information was obtained: (1) knowingly from a Member or employee of Congress, (2) by reason of being a Member or employee of Congress, or (3) from other federal employees and derived from their federal employment. Makes it an element of the prohibited activity, also, that the Member or employee of Congress or the federal employee acted with the intent to assist another person, directly or indirectly, to use the information to buy or sell the securities of such publicly traded company based on such information. Amends the Standing Rules of the Senate to prohibit a Member, officer, or employee of the Senate from disclosing material nonpublic information relating to any pending or prospective legislative action relating to any publicly-traded company or to any commodity if such person acts with intent to assist another person, directly or indirectly, to use the information to buy or sell the securities of that publicly traded company based on such information. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require formal disclosure of certain securities and commodities futures transactions to either the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to subject to its registration, reporting, and disclosure requirements, as well as requirements for identification of clients and covered legislative and executive officials, all political intelligence activities, contacts, firms, and consultants. Requires the Comptroller General to include political intelligence activities, contacts, firms, and consultants in its annual compliance audits and reports.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
Urban Medicare-Dependent Hospitals Preservation Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2011, and before October 1, 2014, to revise the criteria and payment formula for "subsection (d) hospitals" which are urban Medicare-dependent hospitals. (Generally a subsection (d) hospital is an acute care hospital particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2011 - Prohibits road construction and road reconstruction in inventoried roadless areas of the National Forest System. Specifies exceptions, including because: (1) there is threat of a catastrophic event, (2) a natural resource restoration action is necessary, or (3) a federal-aid highway project is in the public interest or is consistent with the purposes for which the land was reserved or acquired. Prohibits timber from being cut, sold, or removed in an inventoried roadless area. Permits various exceptions, including for specified environmental reasons, if the responsible official determines that the cutting, sale, or removal of timber is expected to be infrequent. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make modifications to roadless area maps to improve their accuracy or inclusiveness. Instructs the Secretary, in order to evaluate the effect of a modification to a roadless area map, to prepare an environmental impact statement or similar analysis required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Declares that this Act does not: (1) revoke, suspend, or modify legal instruments and decisions concerning the use of NFS land made before January 12, 2001; (2) compel the amendment or revision of any land and resource management plan; or (3) apply to specified activities in the Tongass National Forest. States that the prohibitions and restrictions of this Act cannot be reconsidered, modified, or terminated under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2011
School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in awarding grants to states under the children's asthma treatment grants program, to favor states that require their public elementary and secondary schools to: (1) permit authorized personnel to administer epinephrine to any student believed to be having an anaphylactic reaction, and (2) maintain a supply of epinephrine that is prescribed by a licensed physician and is stored in a secure and easily accessible location. (States given this preference are also required by current law to require those schools to authorize students, under certain conditions, to self-administer medication to treat their asthma or anaphylaxis.) Requires such states to also have a Good Samaritan law protecting school employees and agents from liability related to the administration of epinephrine to students believed, in good faith, to be having an anaphylactic reaction.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2011
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of American Diabetes Month, including encouraging people to fight diabetes through public awareness about prevention and treatment options, and increasing education about the disease; and (2) decreasing the prevalence of type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes in the United States through increased research, treatment, and prevention. Recognizes the importance of early detection, awareness of the symptoms, and the risk factors that often lead to the development of diabetes.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2011
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2011 or the ABLE Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts to assist an individual with a disability in building an account to pay for qualified disability expenses. Defines "qualified disability expenses" to include expenses for education, a primary residence, transportation, obtaining and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Treats a qualified ABLE program and an ABLE account in the same manner as a qualified tuition program for income tax purposes (i.e., allowing a tax exemption for such program and an exclusion from gross income of amounts attributable to a contributor to or a beneficiary of a program account). Defines "qualified ABLE program" as a program established and maintained by a state agency under which a person may make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses. Requires amounts in ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. Suspends the payment of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to an individual during any period in which such individual has excess resources attributable to an ABLE account.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2011
Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education, and Awareness Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants for: (1) improving state comprehensive death scene investigations for sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) and sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC), and (2) increasing the rate of comprehensive and standardized autopsies for such deaths. Requires the Director to: (1) develop national guidelines for a standard autopsy protocol for such deaths, and (2) commission a study on the benefits and appropriateness of genetic testing for infant and early childhood deaths that remain unexplained after investigation and autopsy. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) award grants for death scene investigation training specific for SUID and SUDC, (2) establish a population-based case registry for SUID and SUDC deaths, (3) conduct a needs assessment for investigations and determinations of such deaths, and (4) develop public education and prevention programs to reduce stillbirths and address the racial and ethnic disparities in occurrence. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to: (1) award grants for child death review programs and prevention strategies; (2) establish a public health awareness and education campaign on SUID and SUDC; and (3) award grants for support services to families who have experienced SUID, SUDC, or stillbirth. Provides for surveillance and data collection on stillbirths. Requires the Secretary to establish a task force to develop a national research plan to determine the causes of, and how to prevent, stillbirths.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2011
Storage Technology for Renewable and Green Energy Act of 2011 or the STORAGE 2011 Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow, through 2020, a 20% energy tax credit for investment in energy storage property that is directly connected to the electrical grid (i.e., a system of generators, transmission lines, and distribution facilities) and that is designed to receive. store, and convert energy to electricity, deliver it for sale, or use such energy to provide improved reliability or economic benefits to the grid; (2) make such property eligible for new clean renewable energy bond financing; (3) allow a 30% energy tax credit for investment in energy storage property used at the site of energy storage; and (4) allow a 30% nonbusiness energy property tax credit for the installation of energy storage equipment in a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2011
Designates November 26, 2011, as Small Business Saturday. Supports efforts to: (1) encourage consumers to shop locally, and (2) increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and their impact on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2011
Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to take all necessary steps to: (1) exhume the remains of 13 deceased U.S. sailors buried in or near Protestant Cemetery and Tripoli Castle in Tripoli, Libya; (2) transfer such remains for laboratory identification; (3) in the case of identified remains, transport such remains to a veterans cemetery located near the closest living family member of the deceased (or to another cemetery, as determined by the Secretary); (4) in the case of identified remains, provide a military funeral and burial; and (5) in the case of remains that cannot be identified, transport such remains to Arlington National Cemetery for interment at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2011
Amends the federal-aid highway program to modify the minimum penalties states are required to impose on motorists convicted multiple times for driving while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol. Requires repeat offenders to have: (1) all their driving privileges suspended (currently, a driver's license suspension) for at least one year; or (2) a combination of suspension of unlimited driving privileges for one year, allowing for reinstatement of limited driving privileges, subject to restrictions and limited exemptions as established under state law, if an ignition interlock device is installed for at least one year on each of the motor vehicles they own or operate. Eliminates the current alternative of a combination of suspension of all driving privileges for the first 45 days of the suspension period followed by a reinstatement of limited driving privileges for the purpose of getting to and from work, school, or an alcohol treatment program if an ignition interlock device is installed on each of the motor vehicles owned or operated, or both, by the individual.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2011
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Extends the final date for entering a federal-state agreement under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program through January 3, 2013. Postpones the termination of the program until June 8, 2013. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until January 4, 2013, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and June 10, 2013, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 to authorize a state by law to apply certain requirements of the Act, with specified substitutions, for determining an extended unemployment compensation period. Requires the state's "on" and "off" indicators to be based on its rate of insured unemployment and rate of total unemployment for the period between enactment of this Act (or, if later, the date established pursuant to state law), and ending on or before December 31, 2012. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 31, 2012, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits for employees with 10 or more years of service and for those with less than 10. Amends title XII (Advances to State Unemployment Funds) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend through FY2012 the waiver on payment of interest by a state in repayment to the federal Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF) of advances from it. Denies this extension, however, to any state that has not entered a voluntary agreement with the Secretary of Labor to refrain from modifying state unemployment compensation law to lower its unemployment compensation benefits. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to reductions in credits against the federal unemployment tax for an employer's contributions to a state unemployment fund in a state which has received advances from the UTF. Postpones the commencement of such reductions until January 1, 2013, for any state entering such an agreement with the Secretary. Amends SSA title IX (Employment Security Administrative Financing) to require the payment of a solvency bonus for any quarter to the book account in the UTF of the state unemployment compensation agency of a solvent state (whose outstanding balance of advances from the UTF is zero). Makes the bonus equal to two percentage points above the average rate of interest of special obligations of the United States in which the UTF is invested.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2011
Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out programs that provide adolescents with comprehensive sex education to: (1) replicate evidence-based sex education programs, (2) substantially incorporate elements of evidence-based sex education programs, or (3) create a demonstration project based on generally accepted characteristics of effective sex education programs. Sets forth provisions regarding evaluation of such programs. Requires the Secretary to establish a common set of performance measures to assess the implementation and impact of grant programs funded under this Act. Requires the Secretary to award competitive grants to: (1) enable institutions of higher education to provide young people with comprehensive sex education with an emphasis on reducing HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy; and (2) eligible entities to train targeted faculty and staff in order to increase effective teaching of comprehensive sex education for elementary and secondary school students. Prohibits programs funded under this Act from discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. Prohibits federal funds provided under this Act from being used for health education programs that: (1) deliberately withhold life-saving information about HIV; (2) are medically inaccurate or have been scientifically shown to be ineffective; (3) promote gender stereotypes; (4) are insensitive and unresponsive to the needs of sexually active youth or lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender youth; or (5) are inconsistent with the ethical imperatives of medicine and public health. Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal a provision that prohibits the use of funds appropriated for the prevention of AIDS to provide education or information designed to promote or encourage, directly, homosexual or heterosexual activity or intravenous substance abuse. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to repeal a provision that prohibits the use of funds authorized under such Act to operate a program of contraceptive distribution in schools.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2011
Every Child Deserves a Family Act - Prohibits an entity that receives federal assistance and is involved in adoption or foster care placements from discriminating against prospective adoptive or foster parents solely on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identification, or marital status or on the basis of the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child involved. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in order to ensure compliance with, and ensure understanding of the legal, practice, and culture changes required by this Act in making foster care and adoption placement decisions, to provide specified technical assistance to all entities covered by this Act. Requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study of whether states have substantially complied with this Act in eliminating policies, practices, or statutes that deny adoption rights on the basis of these criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2011
Rebuild America Jobs Act - Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in such project are produced in the United States (Buy American). Waives such prohibition in cases where: (1) the prohibition would be inconsistent with the public interest; (2) iron, steel, and the relevant manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities of a satisfactory quality; or (3) inclusion of iron, steel, and manufactured goods produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25%. Requires all laborers and mechanics employed on federally-assisted projects to be paid wages at the locally prevailing rates (Davis-Bacon Act). Makes specified funds available to the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) for: (1) grants-in-aid for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning projects under the airport improvement program (AIP); (2) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Next Generation air traffic control system advancements; (3) highway and bridge restoration, repair, and construction projects and for passenger and freight rail transportation and port infrastructure projects; (4) grants for high-speed rail projects, capital investment grants for intercity passenger rail service, and grants to reduce congestion on intercity rail passenger transportation; (5) capital grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); (6) transit capital assistance grants; (7) capital projects for existing fixed guideway system modernization, replacement and repair of buses and bus-related equipment, and construction of bus-related facilities; and (8) discretionary capital investment grants for surface transportation infrastructure. Authorizes the Secretary to establish standards under which contracts for construction projects contain requirements for the local hiring of individuals to perform construction work under such contracts. Requires projects to comply with Buy American requirements. Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for Long-Term Development - Establishes the American Infrastructure Financing Authority (AIFA) as a wholly-owned government corporation to make direct loans and loan guarantees to facilitate transportation, water, or energy infrastructure projects. Requires infrastructure projects assisted under this Act to have costs that are reasonably anticipated to equal or exceed $100 million ($25 million for rural infrastructure projects). Sets forth special requirements for infrastructure projects in rural areas. Requires the AIFA Chief Lending Officer to establish: (1) an Office of Rural Assistance to provide technical assistance in the development and financing of rural infrastructure projects, and (2) a Center for Excellence to provide such assistance to public sector borrowers for the same purpose. Establishes an Office of Special Inspector General to audit and investigate the business activities of AIFA. Makes private projects for which no public benefit is created ineligible for financial assistance. Sets forth terms for loans or loan guarantees for infrastructure projects. Requires the Chief Executive Officer of AIFA to establish and collect fees sufficient to cover AIFA administrative costs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2012 the exemption from the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for certain tax-exempt private activity bonds. Imposes on individual taxpayers in taxable years beginning after 2012 an additional tax equal to 0.7% of so much of their modified adjusted gross income as exceeds $1 million. Provides for an inflation adjustment to the $1 million threshold amount for taxable years beginning after 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2011
Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act or Christopher's Law - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require lenders of private educational loans for which cosigners are held jointly liable to describe clearly and conspicuously, in writing, the cosigners' obligations regarding such loans, including the effect a borrower's or cosigner's death, disability, or inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity would have on such obligations. Directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to publish a model form for describing those obligations. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to provide borrowers of federal educational loans information at their entrance counseling on the effect their death, disability, or inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity would have on their federal and private educational loans.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2011
Alice Paul Women's Suffrage Congressional Gold Medal Act - Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation of a congressional gold medal in commemoration of Alice Paul (founder of the National Woman's Party), to recognize her role in the women's suffrage movement and in advancing equal rights for women.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2011
Supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month. Recognizes that every child in foster care should have a permanent and loving family.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2011
Recognizes the contributions that Italian and Italian-American people have made to the United States and the world. Urges the people of the United States to acknowledge October 2011 as Italian and Italian American Heritage Month.
![Official portrait of Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000123_200.jpg)