United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act of 2011 - Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to make permanent the authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Makes monies covered into the Fund available for expenditure to carry out the purposes of the Act without further appropriation. Requires not less than 1.5% of the annual authorized funding amount to be made available for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health for Military Women Act or the MARCH for Military Women Act - Amends the prohibition on using funds available to the Department of Defense (DOD) to perform abortions by adding an exception for cases where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. (Current law provides an exception only where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.) Repeals a statutory restriction on using a medical treatment facility or other DOD facility to perform an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Recognizes the historical significance to the nation, and supports the continued celebration, of Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved African Americans were free). Declares the sense of the Senate that: (1) history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the future, and (2) the celebration of the end of slavery is an important and enriching part of the history and heritage of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2011
American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction that is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine that the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition. Increases the cap on the amount of appropriations that may be used to carry out such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2011
Tax Parity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from an employee's gross income employer-provided accident and health plan benefits extended to a domestic partner or non-dependent, non-spouse beneficiary eligible to receive such benefits under an employer plan (i.e., "eligible beneficiary"); (2) exempt such benefits paid to eligible beneficiaries from otherwise applicable employment and unemployment taxes; (3) allow self-employed individuals a tax deduction for the health insurance costs of their eligible beneficiaries; (4) allow tax-exempt voluntary employees' beneficiary associations to provide sick and accident benefits to the domestic partners and non-dependent, non-spouse beneficiaries of their members; (5) allow reimbursement of the medical expenses of an eligible beneficiary from a health savings account (HSA); and (6) extend tax-exempt medical benefits to the eligible beneficiaries of retired employees Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to provide guidance relating to reimbursements from a flexible spending arrangement and a health reimbursement arrangement attributable to an eligible beneficiary as defined by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2011
Protecting America's Workers Act - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to expand its coverage to federal, state, and local government employees. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, under specified conditions, to cede OSHA jurisdiction to another federal agency with respect to certain occupational standards or regulations for such agency's employees. Declares OSHA inapplicable to working conditions covered by the Federal Mine Safety and Heath Act of 1977. Increases protections for whistle blowers under OSHA. Prescribes requirements relating to: (1) the posting of employee rights, (2) employer reporting of employee work-related deaths or hospitalizations, (3) a prohibition against employers adopting or implementing policies or practices that discourage or discriminate against employee reporting of work-related injuries or illnesses, (4) a prohibition against the loss of wages or employee benefits due to an employee participating in a workplace inspection, (5) investigations of incidents resulting in death or the hospitalization of two or more employees which occur in a place of employment, and (6) a prohibition against the issuing, modifying, or settling of unclassified citations for occupational health and safety standard violations. Continues requirements relating to: (1) the rights of an employee (including a former employee or family member in lieu of an employee) who has sustained a work-related injury or illness that is the subject of an inspection or investigation; (2) an employer's right to contest citations and penalties; and (3) periods permitted for an employer to correct serious, willful, or repeated violations pending an employer's contest to a citation and procedures for stays of the time period for abatement of those violations. Increases civil and criminal penalties for certain OSHA violators. States that pre-final order interest on any penalties owed shall begin to accrue on the date a party contests a citation, at an interest rate calculated at the current underpayment rate. Prescribes requirements for the Secretary's evaluation of state occupational safety and health plans as well as workplace health hazard evaluations by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Requires a state that has an approved plan for the development and enforcement of occupational safety and health standards to amend its plan to conform to the requirements of this Act within 12 months after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
10 Million Solar Roofs Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to: (1) establish a program to provide competitive grants and/or challenge grants to local governments that have adopted best practices for solar permitting for properties located in the United States, (2) provide voluntary certification and recognition for such governments, and (3) implement specified criteria for awarding such grants. Authorizes the use of funds for competitive grants for: (1) training and the development of materials and tools for making the local permitting process for solar energy systems more standardized, efficient, and less expensive; and (2) solar energy system deployment projects or programs to pilot new permitting strategies or processes. Authorizes the use of funds for challenge grants for: (1) solar energy system deployment projects; and (2) programs to pilot new permitting strategies or processes. Requires the Secretary to rescind grant funds provided to any grant recipient that receives funds based on a commitment to adopt best practices for solar permitting but that is unable to implement the steps necessary to adopt such practices. Makes each eligible entity receiving funds responsible for a matching amount not to exceed 50% of the funds provided. Sets a goal of installing distributed solar energy systems on not less than 10 million properties located in the United States by December 31, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Combating Autism Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and reauthorize appropriations through FY2014 for programs established under the Combating Autism Act of 2006, including: (1) the developmental disabilities surveillance and research program; (2) the autism education, early detection, and intervention program; and (3) the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to submit a progress report on: (1) activities related to autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities, and (2) implementation of the Combating Autism Act of 2006. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2012-FY2014 for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research on autism spectrum disorders and reviews of centers of excellence.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Research, Cure, and Care Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to undertake psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis data collection efforts to collect information regarding: (1) the prevalence of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in the United States; (2) the age of onset; (3) health-related quality of life; (4) health care utilization; (5) the burden of such disease; (6) direct and indirect costs; (7) health disparities, including with respect to age, gender, race, and ethnicity; and (8) comorbidities and the natural history of such disease. Allows such data collection efforts to include: (1) incorporating questions into public health surveys, questionnaires, and other databases in existence as of the date of the enactment of this Act; and (2) the consideration and development of a patient registry. Encourages the Director of the National Institutes of Health to explore the development of a virtual Center of Excellence for Collaborative Discovery in Psoriasis and Comorbid Research or some other mechanism through which public and private sector findings regarding psoriasis and its comorbid conditions can be regularly shared and leveraged.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Preservation of Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend through 2013 the minimum payment amount for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) services for bone mass measurement.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act - Reauthorizes the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004 for FY2012-FY2016. Directs the Secretary of State to act through the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs in awarding grants or entering agreements with Special Olympics for activities outside the United States. Includes community-based prevention among the activities for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants or enter into agreements with Special Olympics. Requires grant or agreement applications to include a description of specific measurable annual benchmarks, as well as long-term goals and objectives, to be achieved through specified activities, which must include: (1) activities to increase the full participation of people with intellectual disabilities in inclusive school and community activities with people without disabilities, (2) education programs that dispel negative stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities, and (3) activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in Special Olympics outside of the United States. Requires annual reports by Special Olympics to describe demographic data about Special Olympics participants. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements to promote the expansion of Best Buddies, including activities to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other aspects of community life, including education and employment, within the United States. Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education to establish Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institutes for Sport and Social Impact. Requires recipients to use grant funds to advance the quality of life and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities through research and evaluation, technical assistance, training, data collection, evaluation, collaboration, and dissemination of evidence-based best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children in the foster care system face. Encourages Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster care system. Supports the designation of May as National Foster Care Month.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2011
Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 - Requires each state to have in effect within two years a law, or each state department of transportation and metropolitan planning organization (MPO) an explicit policy statement, that requires all federal-aid highway projects, with certain exceptions, to accommodate the safety and convenience of all users in accordance with certain complete streets principles. Defines "complete streets principles" as federal, state, local, or regional level transportation laws, policies, or principles which ensure that the safety and convenience of all users of a transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit users, children, older individuals, motorists, freight vehicles, and individuals with disabilities, are accommodated in all phases of project planning and development. Allows such law or policy to make project-specific exemptions from such principles, subject to proper approval, only if affected roadways prohibit specified users by law from using them, the cost of a compliance project would be excessively disproportionate to the need, or the population and employment densities, traffic volumes, or level of transit service around a roadway is so low that the expected roadway users will not include pedestrians, public transportation, freight vehicles, or bicyclists. Revises federal-aid highway project standards to require the Secretary of Transportation to ensure that project plans provide for highway facilities that are consistent with the complete street principles. Requires the construction design for a highway on the National Highway System to take into account certain criteria, including the need to balance design speed, right-of-way needs, and community livability. Directs the Secretary (who currently is merely authorized) to develop criteria for such design. Requires the Secretary also, in developing such criteria, to consider roadway design guidelines issued jointly by Congress for the New Urbanism and the Institute of Transportation Engineers in developing such criteria. Requires the Secretary to establish a method for ensuring compliance by state departments of transportation and MPOs with complete streets principles. Requires the Access Board to issue final standards for accessibility of new construction and alterations of pedestrian facilities for public rights-of-way. Requires the Secretary to conduct research regarding complete streets to: (1) assist states, MPOs, and local jurisdictions in developing and implementing complete streets-compliant plans, projects, procedures, policies, and training programs; and (2) establish benchmarks for, and provide technical guidance on, implementing complete streets policies and principles.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2011
National Childhood Brain Tumor Prevention Network Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish, administer, and coordinate within the National Center for Environmental Health a National Childhood Brain Tumor Prevention Network to: (1) provide grants for research on the causes of and risk factors associated with childhood brain tumors; (2) assemble a panel of experts to provide ongoing guidance and recommendations on research funded by the Network, including on a common study design and standard protocols; and (3) designate a central laboratory to collect, analyze, and aggregate data with respect to research funded by the Network and to make such data and analysis available to researchers.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2011
Iran, North Korea, and Syria Sanctions Consolidation Act of 2011- States that it is U.S. policy to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. Amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to direct the President to impose three or more specified sanctions against a person that knowingly participates in a joint venture with respect to the development of petroleum resources outside of Iran: (1) in which Iran is a substantial partner or investor, or (2) through which Iran could receive technological knowledge or equipment that could contribute to its ability to develop petroleum resources in Iran. Includes certain infrastructure construction whose primary use is to support the transportation of refined petroleum products in the definition of "goods, services, technology, information, or support." Requires the President to respond within 60 days to a congressional request regarding a person's engagement in a sanctionable activity. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require securities issuers to disclose in their mandatory annual or quarterly reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whether they or their affiliates have: (1) engaged in certain activities relating to Iran, terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; (2) knowingly engaged in specified activities, or knowingly violated certain regulations prescribed under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010; (3) knowingly conducted any transaction or dealing with a person whose property and interests in property are blocked by certain Executive Orders; or (4) knowingly conducted a transaction or dealing with any person listed in the Iranian Transactions Regulations. Specifies the contents of mandatory disclosures. Requires the President to: (1) initiate an investigation into the possible imposition of sanctions when the SEC receives a report that an issuer or its affiliate has engaged in the cited activities, and (2) determine within 180 days of initiating an investigation whether sanctions should be imposed on the issuer or the affiliate concerned. Requires promulgation regulations within 90 days after enactment of this Act governing financial institutions maintaining accounts for foreign financial institutions. Urges the President to initiate diplomatic efforts to expand multilateral sanctions against Iran. Directs the President to report to Congress on: (1) the Central Bank of Iran's involvement in Iran's development of weapons of mass destruction and support of terrorism, and (2) entities and countries providing refined petroleum products to Iran. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress listing all foreign investors in Iran's energy sector. Directs the President to: (1) identify each foreign person or foreign entity for which there is a reasonable basis for determining that the person or entity is an agent, front, instrumentality, official, or affiliate of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or is an IRGC representative; and (2) apply specified property sanctions to such person or entity. Gives priority to investigations of specified sensitive transactions. Sets forth mandatory and discretionary measures to be taken against a foreign person or entity that provides material support to the IRGC. Directs the President to impose specified sanctions against a person that provides shipping or refining services with respect to the exportation of petroleum, oil, or liquified natural gas to be refined or otherwise processed outside of Iran if: (1) the IRGC or any of its affiliates were involved in the development, extraction, production, transportation, or sale of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas in Iran, and the fair market value of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas is $1 million or more; or (2) during a 12-month period, the aggregate fair market value of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas is $5 million or more. Exempts certain underwriters and insurance providers from such provisions. Requires the President: (1) upon receipt of credible information that a person may have transferred to Iran goods or technologies, or provided post-transfer services, that may be used to commit human rights abuses to investigate and determine within 180 days whether the person engaged in such activity; (2) submit a list of such persons to Congress every 180 days or as new information becomes available; and (3) freeze the assets of a listed person. Amends the Iran Freedom Support Act to: (1) extend the President's authority to provide financial and political assistance to support democracy in Iran through December 31, 2016; and (2) expand the forms of such assistance. Requires the President to appoint a Special Representative on Human Rights and Democracy in the Islamic republic of Iran within the Department of State. Requires the President to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to promote Internet freedom and access to information in Iran. Amends the the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act to include in the scope of such Act a person that: (1) acquired materials mined or extracted within North Korea's territory or control; or (2) provided shipping services for the transportation of goods to or from Iran, North Korea, or Syria relating to such countries' weapons of mass destruction programs, support for acts of international terrorism, or human rights abuses. Excludes from such provisions shipping services for emergency or humanitarian purposes. Prohibits a vessel from knowingly landing at a U.S. port to load or unload cargo or engage in trade if the vessel entered a port in Iran, North Korea, or Syria during the 180-day period preceding the vessel's U.S. port arrival. Provides for enhanced vessel inspections. Directs: (1) the President to publish a list of each individual who is a senior government official of Iran (including the IRGC), North Korea, or Syria, or a close associate of such individual; and (2) the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to not grant an identified individual immigration status in, or admit the individual to, the United States. Requires a domestic or a foreign financial institution operating in the United States to report to the Secretary of the Treasury regarding any transactions with financial institutions, whose property or interests are blocked due to involvement with Iran, North Korea, or Syria, in activities supportive of international terrorism or weapons of mass destruction proliferation. Prohibits such an institution from continuing to operate in the United States if it: (1) continues to engage in transactions with such sanctioned institutions, or (2) fails to report or submits a false report. Directs the President to apply specified property, financial, or export sanctions against a person providing to, or acquiring from, Iran, North Korea, or Syria any good or technology that is used, or is likely to be used, for military applications.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) 100% expensing in a current taxable year of the cost of an automated fire sprinkler system, as defined by this Act; and (2) accelerated depreciation (i.e., a 15-year recovery period) of such an automated fire sprinkler systems that is installed in a building where the floor of any occupiable story is greater than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
Commuter Benefits Equity Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to equalize and increase to $230, with a cost-of-living adjustment after 2011, the tax exclusion for both transportation and parking fringe benefits. Extends such benefits to federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
National Guard Empowerment and State-National Defense Integration Act of 2011 - Reestablishes the position of Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau (Vice Chief). Terminates the position of Director of the Joint Staff of the National Guard Bureau (Director) and transfers existing duties of the Director to the Vice Chief. Adds the Chief of the National Guard Bureau (Chief) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue the Task Force for Emergency Readiness (TFER) pilot program as a permanent FEMA program. Requires the Administrator to carry out the program in at least five states in addition to the five states in which the program is carried out as of the enactment of this Act. Requires the Chief to: (1) identify, using catastrophic disaster response plans for each state developed under the program, any gaps in state civilian and military response capabilities that federal military capabilities are unprepared to fill; (2) notify the Secretary of Defense and the respective Commanders of the U.S. Northern and Pacific Commands of any such gaps; and (3) assist, acting through the Adjutants General of the States, states in developing state plans on responses to catastrophic disaster emergencies. Directs the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to enter into a memorandum of understanding on coordination between Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and between such departments and the states, in the use of military forces in response to domestic emergencies. Authorizes appropriations for the DOD for FY2012 for National Guard: (1) continuity of operations, continuity of government, and consequence management in connection with response to terrorist and other attacks and catastrophes; (2) emergency preparedness and response activities; and (3) staffing of joint operations coordination centers in response to terrorist and other attacks and catastrophes. States that the U.S. Northern and Pacific Commands shall be the combatant commands principally responsible for the military support of civil authorities in the United States. Requires the Commander of each Command and the Chief to enter into a memorandum of understanding setting forth the operational relationships, and individual roles and responsibilities, during responses to domestic emergencies among such Commands and the National Guard Bureau. Requires the officers serving as Commander of Army North Command and Commander of Air Force North Command to be officers in the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, respectively. Directs the Secretary of Defense to modify specified regulations prescribed pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 to provide for the use of available appropriated State Partnership Program funds for contacts between members of the National Guard and civilian personnel of foreign governments outside the ministry of defense on matters within the core competencies of the National Guard.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2011
Foreign Language Education Partnership Program Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to replace the program providing incentive payments to public elementary schools for foreign language instruction with a partnership program in foreign languages that provides matching grants to partnerships composed of state or local educational agencies and institutions of higher education. Requires such partnerships to establish, improve, or expand model programs of foreign language learning from kindergarten through grade 12 that increase the number of high school graduates who attain advanced proficiency in at least one foreign language. Requires each model program to have a dimension allowing the student to gain an understanding of the historic, geographic, cultural, economic, and other contextual factors of countries whose people speak the language studied. Conditions a partnership's continued funding for two additional five-year periods, after an initial four-year funding period, on its demonstrating its program's effectiveness based on nationally recognized standardized foreign language assessments. Directs the Secretary of Education to collect and analyze data on such programs annually and disseminate aggregated program data nationally, as well as information on successful programs and practices.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2011
Strengthening and Focusing Enforcement to Deter Organized Stealing and Enhance Safety Act of 2011 or the SAFE DOSES Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit, in interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly: (1) stealing, embezzling, or obtaining by fraud or deception a medical product; (2) transporting, handling, trafficking in, or storing a stolen medical product; or (3) participating in any way in a scheme to alter, forge, or falsify the labeling or documentation of a stolen or expired medical product. Defines a "medical product" a drug, biological product, device, medical food, or infant formula that: (1) is being stored for transportation or is being or has been transported, shipped, or received; and (2) has not yet been made available for retail purchase by a customer. Sets forth penalties for violations, including up to 3 years imprisonment if the value of the medical product is less than $5,000 and up to 20 years imprisonment otherwise. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil action in United States district court against violators. Authorizes the court to impose a civil penalty of up to the greater of 3 times the economic loss attributable to the violation or $1 million. Provides for civil forfeiture in cases of theft of medical products. Increases the penalties for: (1) stealing, embezzling, or obtaining by fraud or artifice interstate or foreign shipments; (2) interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises; (3) engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity; (4) breaking into or entering carrier facilities with intent to commit larceny; and (5) the transportation, sale, or receipt of stolen property. Includes theft of medical products within the scope of: (1) the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act; (2) provisions regarding authorization for the interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications; and (3) provisions regarding mandatory restitution to victims of certain crimes. Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements applicable to a person convicted of an offense regarding robberies and burglaries involving controlled substances, theft of medical products, or other criminal code provisions amended by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2011
Reaffirms support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a democratic Jewish state of Israel and a democratic Palestinian state living in peace and mutual recognition. States that any Palestinian unity government must forswear terrorism, accept Israel's right to exist, and reaffirm previous agreements made with Israel. Opposes any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between leaders in Israel and the Palestinians. Urges Palestinian leaders to cease efforts at circumventing the negotiation process, including through a unilateral declaration of statehood or by seeking recognition of a Palestinian state from other nations or the United Nations (U.N.). Supports the President's opposition to a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state. States that the Senate will consider restrictions on aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) should the PA persist in efforts to circumvent direct negotiations. Reaffirms the requirement under U.S. law precluding assistance to a PA that includes Hamas unless that PA and all its ministers accept Israel's right to exist and all prior agreements and understandings with the governments of the United States and Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and reauthorize appropriations for payments associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
State Ethics Law Protection Act of 2011 - Considers a state transportation department not to have violated federal contract requirements for the construction of a federal-aid highway project solely because the state in which the department is located, or a local government within that state, has in effect a law or order that limits the amount of money an individual or entity doing business with a state or local agency with respect to such a project may contribute to a political party, campaign, or elected official (pay to play).
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Declares that an employer shall not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer chooses to set a higher limit. Allows employees to use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members; or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee's exercise of such rights. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority for employees covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Grants the same authority, for employees under their jurisdiction, to the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, the Board of Directors of the congressional Office of Compliance, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Authorizes civil actions by employees, individuals, or their representatives for damages or equitable relief against employers who violate this Act. Waives a state's sovereign immunity with respect to a suit brought by an employee of a federally-assisted state program or activity for relief authorized under this Act. Requires the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to annually compile information on paid sick time and the Comptroller General to study related matters. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Fighting Gangs and Empowering Youth Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) make grants to public and nonprofit private entities (including faith-based organizations) for projects involving innovative approaches to combat gang activity, (2) make grants to states and other entities to increase police presence and expand and improve cooperative efforts to address gang activity problems, and (3) designate high-intensity interstate gang activity areas. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to: (1) reauthorize programs for combating criminal gangs, including after-school programs and programs for safe and drug-free schools and communities; and (2) expand the grant program for workplace and community transition training for incarcerated youth offenders (30 years of age or younger). Amends the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to add provisions entitled the Public and Assisted Housing Gang Elimination Act of 2010 which authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to public housing agencies and private, for-profit, and nonprofit owners of federally assisted low-income housing for use in eliminating gang-related crime. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to award grants to assist communities located in a high-intensity interstate gang activity area in developing and carrying out programs that target certain at-risk youth and juvenile offenders, (2) reauthorize the gang resistance education and training projects program, and (3) increase funding for the National Youth Gang Survey. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize and expand adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects. Directs the Attorney General to modify existing procedures and policies to improve the transition of federal prisoners into local communities. Reauthorizes the National and Community Grant Service Program. Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to provide funding to hire additional forensic examiners to fight gang activity. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) expand the definition of "criminal street gang", (2) prohibit the recruitment or solicitation of persons to participate in a criminal street gang, (3) impose enhanced penalties for committing violent crimes in furtherance or in aid of a criminal street gang and for use of firearms by felons with multiple felony convictions for violent crimes and drug offenses, (4) increase penalties for use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire or other felony crimes of violence, and (5) increase penalties for violent crimes in aid of racketeering activities. Requires the United States Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend guidelines relating to violent gang-related crimes. Amends the Uniform Federal Crime Reporting Act of 1988 to require the Attorney General to create a separate category in the United Crime Reports to distinguish criminal offenses committed by juveniles.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Clean Construction Act of 2011 - Requires all off-road diesel equipment and on-road diesel equipment operating for at least 80 hours over the life of a federal-aid highway construction project or public transportation construction project within a PM2.5 nonattainment or maintenance area to have diesel emission control technology installed. Applies the same requirement to all covered equipment used on a covered public transportation construction project within a PM2.5 nonattainment or maintenance area. Defines: (1) "off-road diesel equipment" as a vehicle (including covered equipment) that is powered by a nonroad diesel engine of at least 50 horsepower and not intended for highway use; and (2) "on-road diesel equipment" as any self-propelled vehicle that operates on diesel fuel, is designed to transport persons or property on a street or highway, and has a gross vehicle weight of at least 14,000 pounds. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to approve as part of the federal share of cost of a federal-aid highway construction project or public transportation construction project an amount equal to the state expenditure for acquiring and installing diesel emission control technology, if the state expenditure meets certain criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Regulation of Mortgage Servicing Act of 2011 - Requires a mortgage servicer to assign one case manager to each borrower that seeks a mortgage loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Requires the case manager to: (1) manage the communication between the servicer and the borrower, and (2) make decisions about the borrower's eligibility for a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Prohibits a servicer from initiating a foreclosure action against a borrower unless the servicer has performed specified tasks related to offering the borrower, if eligible, a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Requires a servicer to suspend a foreclosure action initiated before the enactment of this Act until such tasks have been performed. Prohibits a servicer, during the suspension period, from: (1) sending the borrower a notice of foreclosure, (2) conducting or scheduling a sale of the real property securing the mortgage, or (3) causing final judgment to be entered against the borrower. Prescribes requirements a servicer must meet in order to be deemed to have made a reasonable effort to obtain necessary information to determine a borrower's eligibility for a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Requires a servicer, before notifying a borrower of his or her ineligibility for a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure, to obtain the services of an independent reviewer to review the borrower's file and determine whether or not the borrower is eligible. Makes a violation of this Act a bar to a foreclosure action. Allows a servicer in compliance with this Act, however, to bring or proceed with a foreclosure action, regardless of any prior violation.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
Hiring Heroes Act of 2011- Amends the Wounded Warriors Act to extend until January 1, 2015, the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide the same rehabilitation and vocational benefits to members of the Armed Forces with severe injuries or illnesses as are provided to veterans. Expands the authority of the VA Secretary to make payments to employers to provide on-job training to veterans to include veterans who have not been rehabilitated to the point of employability. Entitles certain veterans with service-connected disabilities who have exhausted their rights to unemployment benefits to participation in an additional VA rehabilitation program. Limits the duration of such a program to 24 months. Makes the 12-year period of eligibility for a VA rehabilitation program inapplicable under such an additional program. Instructs the VA Secretary to follow-up on the employment status of veterans who participate in a VA rehabilitation program. Requires (current law encourages) participation by eligible members in the Transitional Assistance Program (TAP) of the Department of Defense (DOD). Requires (under current law, authorizes) the provision of preseparation counseling to members whose discharge or release is anticipated. Instructs the Secretary of Labor to follow-up on the employment status of members who complete their participation in the TAP. Directs the VA Secretary to award grants to up to three nonprofit organizations under a collaborative veterans' training, mentoring, and placement program for eligible veterans seeking employment. Requires participants in the TAP to receive individualized assessments of civilian positions for which they may be qualified based on a joint DOD, VA, and Department of Labor study of the equivalencies between military skills and civilian employment requirements. Authorizes the appointment of an honorably discharged member of the uniformed services to a position in the civil service, without regard to specified civil service examination, certification, and appointment provisions, if otherwise qualified. Requires executive agencies to establish programs to provide employment assistance to members who are being separated from active duty. Directs the Secretary of Labor to carry out an outreach program to provide employment assistance to certain veterans who have been receiving assistance under the Unemployment Compensation for Ex-servicemembers program. Authorizes a pilot program to assess the feasibility of providing work experience to certain members of the Armed Forces who are on terminal leave. Requires (under current law, authorizes) a VA demonstration project on the credentialing and licensing of veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2011 or DREAM Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to cancel the removal of, and adjust to the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence on a conditional basis, an alien who: (1) entered the United States on or before his or her 15th birthday and has been present in the United States for five years preceding this Act's enactment; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (4) has not participated in the persecution of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion; (5) has not been convicted of certain offenses under federal or state law; (6) has been admitted to an institution of higher education (IHE) in the United States or has earned a high school diploma or general education development certificate in the United States; and (7) was age 35 or younger on the date of this Act's enactment. Authorizes the Secretary to waive specified grounds of inadmissibility for humanitarian, family unity, or public interest purposes. Requires an alien to apply for cancellation of removal and conditional permanent resident status within one year after the later of: (1) earning a high school diploma or general education development certificate in the United States, or (2) the effective date of related final regulations. Requires prior to the granting of conditional permanent resident status that: (1) an alien submit biometric and biographic data, and (2) the Secretary has completed security and law enforcement background checks. Requires an alien applying for conditional permanent resident status to: (1) register under the Military Selective Service Act if so required, and (2) undergo a medical examination. Prohibits the Secretary or the Attorney General (DOJ) from removing an alien with a pending application who establishes prima facie eligibility for cancellation of removal and conditional permanent resident status. Directs the Attorney General to stay the removal proceedings of an alien who: (1) meets the requirements (other than that pertaining to secondary school diploma or post-secondary school) for cancellation of removal and conditional adjustment, and (2) is at least five years of age and enrolled full-time in a primary or secondary school. Establishes a six-year period of conditional permanent resident status. Terminates such status if the alien: (1) ceases to be a person of good moral character or becomes inadmissible under specified grounds, or (2) did not receive an honorable military discharge. Authorizes the Secretary to remove the conditional basis of an alien's permanent resident status if the alien: (1) has demonstrated good moral character; (2) is not inadmissible under specified grounds; (3) has not abandoned U.S. residency; (4) has earned an IHE degree (or has completed at least two years in a bachelor's or higher degree program) in the United States, or has served in the Armed Forces for at least two years ( and if discharged, was honorably discharged); and (5) has provided a list of each secondary school attended in the United States. Authorizes, and sets forth the criteria for, a hardship exception to such requirements. Requires an alien prior to having his or her conditional status removed to have: (1) satisfied citizenship requirements, (2) submitted biometric and biographic data, and (3) have had security and law enforcement background checks completed. Requires an alien seeking to have such conditional status removed to file an application during the period beginning six months prior to, and ending on, the date that is later of: (1) six years after the date the alien was initially granted conditional permanent resident status, or (2) any extended expiration date of the alien's conditional permanent resident status. Prohibits an alien from applying for naturalization while he or she is in conditional permanent resident status. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) confidentiality of information, (2) required disclosure, (3) application fraud, and (4) penalties for false application statements or misuse of information. Makes an alien in conditional permanent resident status eligible only for the following programs with respect to assistance under title IV of the Higher Education Assistance Act of 1965: (1) Ford or Perkins loans, (2) work-study programs, and (3) educational services. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
Supports the people of Syria as they seek to exercise universal rights and pursue peaceful democratic change. Condemns the human rights abuses of the government of Syria, including the use of lethal violence, torture, mass arrests, and the cut-off of basic services. Condemns the government of Iran for assisting the government of Syria in its campaign of repression against the Syrian people. Finds that the government of Syria, led by Bashar al-Assad, has lost legitimacy and expresses support for the people of Syria to determine their future for themselves. Commends President Obama for authorizing targeted sanctions on human rights abusers in Syria. Urges the President to: (1) in conjunction with international partners, ensure access of humanitarian relief organizations and international media to affected areas of Syria and to impose consequences on the government of Syria and its leaders if access by these organizations continues to be impeded; and (2) work with our allies and partners at the U.N. Security Council to hold accountable human rights abusers in Syria and to support the human rights of the Syrian people. Urges the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to: (1) implement UNHRC Resolution S-16/1 and to ensure that the investigation into violations by the government of Syria of international human rights law is undertaken immediately, and (2) reinforce the need for the U.N. General Assembly to reject Syria's candidacy for UNHRC membership.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2011
Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act - Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the President and Administration should be commended for recognizing the severity of high gas prices and for taking appropriate actions to help reduce gas prices; (2) Congress should take additional actions to complement the efforts of the President; (3) the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) should contribute to the stabilization of world oil markets and prices and reduce the burden of high gasoline prices by using existing idle oil production capacity to compensate for any supply shortages; and (4) U.S. economic, environmental, and national security depend on a sustained effort to reduce and eventually eliminate the dependence of the United States on oil. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny to oil companies with gross receipts in excess of $1 billion in a taxable year and an average daily worldwide production of crude oil of at least 500,000 barrels a year: (1) a foreign tax credit if such company is a dual capacity taxpayer, as defined by this Act; (2) the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas, or primary products thereof; (3) the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs; (4) the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells; and (5) the tax deduction for qualified tertiary injectant expenses. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to grant royalty relief (suspension of royalties) for natural gas production from deep wells and deep water oil and gas production in the Outer Continental Shelf. Dedicates any increased revenue generated by this Act to the reduction of a federal budget deficit or the public debt. Provides for compliance of the budgetary effects of this Act with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2011
American Infrastructure Investment Fund Act of 2011 - Establishes the American Infrastructure Investment Fund in the Department of Transportation (DOT) to: (1) invest in infrastructure projects that increase or otherwise improve U.S. economic output, productivity, or competitive commercial advantage; (2) provide funding for projects that face significant funding barriers because of the need to combine resources across multiple jurisdictions or modes of transportation; and (3) improve the efficiency or throughput, the safety, and the environmental sustainability of a national or regional transportation network. Requires the Fund to publish: (1) a detailed description of its strategy in an Investment Prospectus, and (2) its Operating Guidance for the Fund's management. Requires the President to appoint the Fund's Executive Director, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, as well as a Fund Advisory Committee. Authorizes the Fund to provide direct loans and loan guarantees to eligible recipients for activities related to the planning, preparation, or design of an eligible project proposal. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish: (1) a competitive national infrastructure investment grant program, and (2) an oversight program to monitor the effective and efficient use of funds authorized under this Act. Sets forth the federal share of net project costs at 80%.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2011
Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism Anti-Drilling Act or COAST Anti-Drilling Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in either the Mid-Atlantic or the North Atlantic planning areas.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2011
Urban Jobs Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Labor to make competitive grants to national private nonprofit community-based organizations to carry out Urban Jobs Programs to provide job training, education, and support services and activities for eligible urban youth to provide them with a pathway to employment, or education leading to employment. Defines "eligible youth" as individuals ages 18 to 24 who: (1) are not enrolled in secondary or post-secondary school, or (2) are or have been subject to the criminal justice process. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Jobs Council Advisory Committee. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) community-based affiliates should establish local jobs council advisory committees to aid in establishing local community support for local implementation of the program; and (2) at least one-third of the members of the committee should be employers in high-impact, high-growth industries in the locality.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to educational organizations to carry out proposed or existing Holocaust education programs. Prohibits such grants from being used to supplant nonfederal funds the grantees would otherwise have used for Holocaust education programs.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Designates May 2011 as National Cancer Research Month. Recognizes the importance of cancer research and the invaluable contributions of cancer researchers and expresses support for efforts to make cancer research an international priority.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Recognizes the historic contribution made by U.S. veterans of World War II to human liberty and the safety of the United States and its allies. Honors veterans who served in the European theater of operations and elsewhere during World War II. Remembers with gratitude the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. Commemorates May 8, 2011, as the 66th anniversary of V-E Day, the end of World War II in Europe.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2011
Thanks teachers for their service. Promotes the teaching profession. Encourages students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to participate in National Teacher Appreciation Week.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2011
Declares the sense of the Senate that: (1) stable and affordable housing is an essential component of an effective strategy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention, treatment, and care; and (2) the United States should make a commitment to providing adequate funding for developing housing as a response to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2011
Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act - Prohibits a state from prescribing or enforcing any regulation that allows a restricted property-carrying unit (any trailer, semi-trailer, container, or other property-carrying unit longer than 53 feet, except for a fire-fighting unit) to operate on the National Highway System (NHS) (including the Interstate System), unless the operation of such unit is authorized by the state on June 1, 2008, and in actual and lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including seasonal operations) on or before that date. Prohibits a state from allowing the operation of a commercial motor vehicle combination on the NHS (except a vehicle or load that cannot be dismantled or divided easily, and that has been issued a special permit under state law) with more than one property-carrying unit (excluding the truck tractor) whose property-carrying units are more than: (1) the maximum combination trailer, semi-trailer, or other type of length limitation allowed by state law on June 1, 2008; or (2) the length of the property-carrying units of those commercial motor vehicle combinations, by specific configuration, in actual and lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including continual seasonal operation) in such state on or before June 1, 2008. Prohibits a state from allowing the operation of a vehicle or combination (other than a longer combination vehicle) exceeding Interstate weight limits on the Interstate System unless its operation was lawful: (1) on July 1, 1956; (2) in the case of the overall gross weight of any group of two or more consecutive axles, on January 4, 1975; or (3) under a special permit pursuant to state (grandfather) law. Declares that Interstate weight limitations on vehicles and combinations (other than longer combination vehicles) that operate on the Interstate System shall apply to such vehicles and combinations that operate on non-Interstate segments of the NHS, unless: (1) such segments are subject to lower state weight limits; or (2) a state allows the operation of any vehicle or combination on an existing non-Interstate segment of the NHS that could have been lawfully operated on June 1, 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2011
Drinking Water Right to Know Act - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require a public water system that detects an unregulated contaminant included in EPA's list of unregulated contaminants to be monitored by public water systems and included in the national drinking water occurrence data base, to continue to monitor for the detected contaminant for such period, at such frequency, and at such levels of concentration as the Administrator determines to be appropriate. Authorizes the data contained in the national drinking water contaminant occurrence data base to be used by the public. Requires the Administrator to: (1) evaluate the extent to which such data is accessible to and useable by the public; and (2) make such data more accessible to and useable by the public.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2011
Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act - Requires the days of active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of the reserves may retire for non-regular (reserve) service to occur in in any two consecutive fiscal years (under current law, in the same fiscal year).
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate a rule that establishes: (1) the data that constitute the minimum data sets for chemical substances; and (2) requirements for chemical manufacturers and processors to submit and update their minimum data sets. Sets deadlines for the submission of minimum data sets for chemical substances placed on the prioritization list established by this Act and for new substances. Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) require the testing of, and the submission of test results for, any chemical substance; (2) require submission of a sample of any substance for testing; and (3) impose restrictions on violators of testing requirements, including a prohibition against manufacturing, processing, or distributing chemical substances or mixtures. Prohibits any person from manufacturing or processing a new chemical substance unless the person notifies the Administrator about the person's intention to manufacture or process the substance and the Administrator finds that the manufacturers and processors have established that the substance meets the applicable safety standard or that it is not, and is not expected to be: (1) manufactured or released into the environment in excess of specified volumes; (2) a known, probable, or suspected reproductive, developmental, neurological, or immunological toxicant, carcinogen, mutagen, or endocrine disruptor; (3) persistent and bioaccumulative; or (4) found in human blood, fluids, tissue, food, drinking water, air, residential soil, or house dust at a level not naturally found in that medium. Prohibits any person from manufacturing or processing an existing chemical substance for a use that was not ongoing prior to this Act's enactment or at a volume that is significantly increased, unless the substance meets the applicable safety standard and other specified requirements. Requires the Administrator to develop, publish, and update a list of chemical substances warranting placement within one of three priority classes. Directs the Administrator to assign: (1) 20 to 30 substances as priority class 1 (requiring immediate risk management), applicable to a substance that is, or that is degraded and metabolized into, a persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substance with the potential for widespread exposure to humans and other organisms; (2) substances as priority class 2 (requiring a safety standard determination), if the Administrator finds it is uncertain such substance would satisfy such determination, prioritizing those substances that present the greater risks to human health or the environment; and (3) substances as priority class 3 (requiring no immediate action), applicable to a substance that does not and would not, at any stage of its lifecycle, pose any risk of adverse effects to human health or the environment under existing, proposed, or anticipated levels of exposure , production, or pattern of use. Requires substance manufacturers and processors to: (1) bear the burden of proving that chemical substances meet applicable safety standards; and (2) provide sufficient information for the Administrator to determine whether such standards have been met. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) notification of pending safety determinations; (2) requirements for substances that meet safety standards; (3) conditions on substance manufacturing, processing, use, distribution, or disposal that may be imposed in safety determinations; (4) chemical substances or mixtures that may present a substantial endangerment to health or the environment; and (5) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), including a prohibition against any person manufacturing, processing, or distributing PCBs in other than a totally enclosed manner. Prohibits federal agencies from conveying, selling, or distributing elemental mercury. Requires the Administrator to: (1) publish a list of each chemical substance that is manufactured or processed in the United Sates; (2) establish an Internet-accessible, public database of information on the toxicity of, use of, and exposure to chemical substances; (3) establish a Children's Environmental Health Research Program within EPA; (4) minimize the use of animals in testing of chemical substances or mixtures; (5) create market incentives for the development of safer alternatives to existing substances; and (6) develop and publish action plans to reduce disproportionate exposure to toxic substances. Revises provisions concerning the disclosure of data by narrowing the conditions under which data about chemical substances may be treated as confidential business information. Authorizes the Administrator to prescribe regulations to carry out the provisions of the Stockholm Convention, the Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, and the Rotterdam Convention.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Reauthorization Act or the STOP Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program to reduce underage drinking for FY2012-FY2016. Makes revisions to such program, including by: (1) revising reporting requirements on state programs on underage drinking; (2) expanding the national media campaign to prevent underage drinking; (3) requiring the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to make grants to professional pediatric provider organizations to increase effective practices, including the screening of children and adolescents for alcohol use, to reduce the prevalence of alcohol use among individuals under the age of 21, including college students; and (4) expanding state public health surveillance of alcohol use and alcohol-related conditions among individuals between the ages of 18 and 20.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Autism Services and Workforce Acceleration Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish a demonstration project for the implementation of an Autism Care Program to provide grants and other assistance to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in providing comprehensive care to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and their families. Sets forth eligibility requirements for the Program. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to carry out the Program and facilitate coordination with local communities to be better prepared and positioned to understand and meet the needs of the communities served by autism care programs. Requires each grantee to establish an autism care program advisory council to advise the autism care program regarding policies, priorities, and services. Directs the Secretary to establish a grant program to provide appropriate services to youth with autism spectrum disorders who are transitioning from secondary education to careers or postsecondary education (transitioning youth) and to adults with autism spectrum disorders, including individuals who are typically underserved, to enable such individuals to be as independent as possible. Requires the Secretary to award: (1) grants for multimedia campaigns to increase public education and awareness and reduce stigma concerning developmental milestones for infants and children and autism spectrum disorders, and (2) multiyear national training initiative supplemental grants to entities for training and technical assistance and to disseminate information to address the unmet needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to modify the legal rights of parents or legal guardians under federal, state, or local law regarding the care of their children.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act or Campus SaVE Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education (IHE) participating in a title IV program to include in its annual security report on campus security policy and crime statistics a statement of current policies for reporting crimes or other emergencies in or on noncampus buildings or property (currently, only reporting of crimes on campus is required). Requires such report to include statistics concerning the occurrence of domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking incidents reported to campus security authorities or local police. Requires schools to protect victim confidentiality when reporting criminal threats to the campus community. Directs IHEs to include in their annual security report a statement of policy regarding its programs to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and the procedures it follows when such an offense is reported. Requires such procedures to include: (1) the provision, in writing, to students or employees that report that they have been the victim of such an offense certain information regarding their rights, disciplinary processes, victim services, and safety planning; (2) a description of how the IHE will help enforce any protective order; and (3) information about how the IHE will protect victim confidentiality. Requires an IHE's policy regarding such offenses to include: (1) education that promotes awareness of the offenses; (2) possible sanctions or protective measures imposed following disciplinary action; (3) procedures victims should follow after such an offense occurs; (4) information about to whom the alleged offense should be reported; (5) institutional disciplinary procedures; and (6) the notification of victims regarding their options for, and assistance in, changing academic, living, transportation, and working situations. Directs the Secretary of Education to seek the counsel of the Attorney General and Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the development, and dissemination to IHEs, of best practices for preventing and responding to incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Success in the Middle Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to states, based on their proportion of poor children aged 5 to 17, to: (1) implement state middle grades needs analyses and, on the basis of such analyses, improvement plans that describe what students must master to complete successfully the middle grades and succeed in academically rigorous secondary school coursework; and (2) award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or partnerships of LEAs and institutions of higher education, educational service agencies, or educational nonprofit organizations to implement a comprehensive middle school improvement plan for each eligible school. Favors LEAs, or partnerships that include LEAs, that serve high proportions of poor children and children attending eligible schools. Defines "eligible schools" as those where: (1) a high proportion of middle grade students matriculate to secondary schools with graduation rates below 65%; (2) more than 25% of the students who finish grade six, or the school's earliest middle grade level, exhibit key risk factors for failure; and (3) a majority of middle grade students are not rated proficient on required state assessments in mathematics, reading, or language arts. Permits states to make subgrants to LEAs and partnerships that did not receive a competitive subgrant to assist them in applying for competitive subgrants and developing comprehensive middle school improvement plans. Provides the Secretary with funding to: (1) contract for studies that identify promising practices for, and review existing research to identify factors that might lead to, the improvement of middle grades education; (2) create a national clearinghouse in best middle grade educational practices and a national database identifying factors that facilitate or impede middle grade student achievement; (3) require certain educational field research designed to enhance the performance of middle grade schools and students; (4) create a research and development center that addresses topics pertinent to the middle grades; and (5) provide grants to entities that partner with states and LEAs to develop, adapt, or replicate effective models for turning around low-performing middle grades.
![Official portrait of Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000123_200.jpg)