United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2012
Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act or the JOLT Act - Authorizes the Secretary of State to modify or enter into agreements with certain countries on a nonreciprocal basis to allow for longer visa validity periods. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to transfer authority to establish and collect the premium fee for employment-based petitions and applications from the Attorney General (DOJ) to the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS). Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) offer for a fee premium visitor visa processing (absent security concerns, within three business days of visa request); (2) decrease nonimmigrant visa application and issuance fees in selected countries when there is a low demand from such countries for visitor visas; and (3) conduct interviews and review applications within 15 days after an applicant's appointment request, and within one year after enactment of this Act, within 10 days after such request. States that the premium fee shall be sufficient to cover costs for: (1) processing such visas in China, India, and Brazil; and (2) creating mobile units to process applications and conduct interviews in large cities that do not have a U.S. embassy or consulate. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to admit into the United States a qualifying Canadian citizen over 50 years old and spouse and children, for a period of at least 240 days, if the person owns a U.S. residence or has rented a U.S. accommodation for the duration of such stay. Revises the visa waiver program to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate any country as a program country; (2) adjust visa refusal rate criteria, including addition of a 3% maximum overstay rate; and (3) revise probationary and termination provisions. Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to include in the Global Entry Trusted Traveler Network individuals who meet security requirements and are employed and sponsored by an international organization which maintains a strong working relationship with the United States. Prohibits enrollment in the Network of a person who is a citizen of a state sponsor of terror as defined in the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2012
National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to allow an individual who is not prohibited from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law to carry a concealed handgun in any state other than such individual's state of residence that allows residents to obtain licenses or permits to carry concealed firearms, or that does not prohibit residents from carrying concealed firearms for lawful purposes, subject to the same conditions and limitations imposed by federal, state, or local law, except as to eligibility to carry a concealed handgun, that apply to residents of the state or political subdivision. Requires such an individual to carry a valid photo identification document and a valid concealed firearm carry permit issued by a state.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2012
Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act - Amends the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 to require a federal financial institutions regulatory agency to make a final examination report to a financial institution within 60 days of the later of: (1) the exit interview for an examination of the institution, or (2) the provision of additional information by the institution relating to the examination. Sets a deadline for the exit interview if a financial institution is not subject to a resident examiner program. Sets forth examination standards for financial institutions. Prohibits federal financial institutions regulatory agencies from requiring a well capitalized financial institution to raise additional capital in lieu of an action prohibited by the examination standards. Establishes in the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council an Office of Examination Ombudsman. Grants a financial institution the right to appeal a material supervisory determination contained in a final report of examination. Requires the Ombudsman to determine the merits of the appeal on the record, after an opportunity for a hearing before an independent administrative law judge. Declares the decision by the Ombudsman on an appeal to: (1) be the final agency action, and (2) bind the agency whose supervisory determination was the subject of the appeal and the financial institution making the appeal. Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 to require: (1) the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish an independent intra-agency appellate process in connection with the regulatory appeals process; and (2) appropriate safeguards to protect an insured depository institution or insured credit union from retaliation by the CFPB, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board, or any other federal banking agency for exercising its rights.
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 · 15 February 2012
Space-Available Act of 2012 - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish a program to provide transportation on Department of Defense (DOD) aircraft on a space-available basis for: (1) active duty and reserve members holding a valid Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card; (2) retired members who, but for not attaining age 60, would be eligible for military retired pay; (3) an unremarried widow or widower of an active or reserve member; and (3) certain dependents of members described above. Allows the Secretary to establish an order of priority based on considerations of military needs and readiness.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2012
Religious Freedom Protection Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit any guideline, regulation, or other requirement issued by any federal, state, or local government relating to preventive health services coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA) from: (1) requiring any individual or entity to offer, provide, or purchase health insurance coverage for a contraceptive or sterilization service, or related education or counseling, to which that individual or entity is opposed on the basis of religious belief or moral conviction; (2) requiring any individual or entity opposed on such basis to providing health insurance coverage of a contraceptive or sterilization service to engage in government-mandated speech regarding such a service; or (3) prohibiting any group health plan from offering or providing individual or group health insurance coverage that excludes coverage for a contraception or sterilization service, or related education or counseling, which the individual or entity purchasing the plan or coverage opposes on such basis. Declares that nothing in PPACA or HCERA or any requirement issued under such Acts shall be construed to disadvantage any individual or entity on the basis of a religiously or morally based decision made by that individual or entity to not offer, provide, or purchase health insurance coverage for a contraceptive or sterilization service or to engage in a government-mandated speech regarding such service. Creates a private cause of action for those individuals or entities protected under this Act. Permits any such individual or entity to assert a violation as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding. Grants the federal courts jurisdiction to prevent and redress actual or threatened violations. Permits: (1) an action under this Act to be instituted by the Attorney General or by any person or entity having standing to complain of a threatened or actual violation, and (2) the court to enter a restraining order or prohibition or take other necessary action pending final determination of any action under this Act. Designates the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to receive and coordinate the investigation of complaints of discrimination based on this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2012
Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Requires a federal public land management official, in cooperation with the respective state and fish and wildlife agency, to exercise the authority of the official under law, including regarding land use planning, to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public land for hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting, except as described in this Act. Requires the heads of federal public land management agencies to exercise their discretion in a manner that supports and facilitates hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting opportunities, to the extent authorized under applicable law. Requires that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service land, excluding land on the Outer Continental Shelf, be open to hunting, recreational fishing, or recreational shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity. Permits closures or restrictions on such land for purposes including resource conservation, public safety, energy or mineral production, energy generation or transmission infrastructure, water supply facilities, national security, or compliance with other law. Allows federal agencies to: (1) lease or permit use of federal public land for recreational shooting ranges, and (2) designate such specific land for recreational shooting activities. Requires annual reports on closures of federal public lands to hunting, recreational fishing, or recreational shooting. Sets forth requirements for specified closures or significant restrictions involving 640 or more contiguous acres of federal public land or water to hunting or recreational fishing or related activities. Instructs federal agencies to consult with respective advisory councils as specified in Executive Orders 12962 (relating to recreational fisheries) and 13443 (relating to the facilitation of hunting heritage and wildlife conservation) in carrying out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2012
Authorizes TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities for the import of crude oil and other hydrocarbons at the United States-Canada Border at Phillips County, Montana, in accordance with a certain application filed with the Department of State on September 19, 2008. Declares that no permit pursuant to Executive Order 13337 or any other similar Executive Order regulating such activities at the U.S. border, and no additional environmental impact statement (EIS), shall be required for such Pipeline. Deems a certain EIS issued by the Department of State to satisfy all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) as well as any other law requiring federal agency consultation or review regarding such cross-border facilities. Sets forth conditions governing construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of the cross-border facilities in connection with the Pipeline. Deems sufficient for the purposes of this Act any route and construction, mitigation, and reclamation measures for the Pipeline in the state of Nebraska that is identified by Nebraska and submitted to the Secretary of State. States that any action taken to implement this Act does not constitute a major federal action requiring an EIS under NEPA. Restricts to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit any federal judicial review over actions and facilities implemented under this Act.
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 · 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 · 13 December 2011
No Budget, No Pay Act - Prohibits the payment of any pay to any Member of Congress (excluding the Vice President): (1) if both houses of Congress have not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget for a fiscal year before October 1 of that fiscal year and have not passed all the regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year by such date, or (2) until both houses of Congress approve such a budget resolution and pass all such appropriations bills. Prohibits any retroactive pay for such a period.
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
North American Energy Security Act - Directs the President, acting through the Secretary of State, to grant a permit under Executive Order 13337 (relating to issuance of permits for certain energy-related facilities and land transportation crossings on the international boundaries of the United States) for the Keystone XL pipeline project application filed on September 19, 2008. Declares that the President shall not be required to grant such permit upon a determination that the Keystone XL pipeline would not serve the national interest. Requires the President, within 15 days after making such a determination, to report to certain congressional committees as well as to the majority and minority leadership of the Senate and the House a justification for it, including consideration of economic, employment, energy security, foreign policy, trade, and environmental factors. States that if the President does not make a determination that the Keystone XL pipeline would not serve the national interest, and take action within 60 days after enactment of this Act, the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline shall be in effect by operation of law. Sets forth permit requirements, including: (1) the reconsideration of routing of the Keystone XL pipeline within Nebraska, and (2) a review period during which routing within Nebraska may be reconsidered and the route of the pipeline through the state altered. Declares that, if the President does not approve the route within Nebraska submitted by the governor of Nebraska within 10 days after submission, the route submitted by the governor shall be considered approved by operation of law.
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 · 16 November 2011
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should pass a deficit reduction measure that: (1) includes enough deficit reduction to stabilize the federal debt as a share of the economy, put the debt on a downward path, and provide fiscal certainty; (2) reduces the deficit by at least $4 trillion over 10 years in order to reassure financial markets; (3) uses established, bipartisan debt and deficit reduction frameworks as a starting point for discussions; (4) focuses on the major parts of the budget and includes long-term entitlement reforms and pro-growth tax reform; (5) is structured to grow the economy in the short, medium, and long terms to create jobs in the United States; and (6) includes tax reform that guarantees deficit reduction and economic growth to rebuild America.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2011
Fair Compliance Act of 2011 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide an extension of at least two years of the deadline to comply with any emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants from electric utility steam generating units that the Administrator may promulgate based on the proposed rule entitled "National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants From Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units and Standards of Performance for Fossil-Fuel-Fired Electric Utility, Industrial-Commercial-Institutional, and Small Industrial-Commercial-Institutional Steam Generating Units." Requires the Administrator to: (1) provide adequate time for each state to adopt and submit state implementation plan revisions for the implementation of the emissions reductions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from electric utility steam generating units required by the final rule entitled "Federal Implementation Plans: Interstate Transport of Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone and Correction of SIP Approvals"; and (2) extend the date by which each state shall implement such reductions until no earlier than January 1, 2015, for first phase of the emissions reductions and January 1, 2017, for the second phase. Requires each owner or operator of such unit that is subject to any emissions standard for hazardous air pollutants to submit: (1) a draft implementation plan for the expeditious implementation of the applicable emissions reduction requirements to the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) by July 1, 2012 for review, (2) a revised plan to the Administrator and the Secretary of Energy (DOE) by December 1, 2012, and (3) a report describing the progress made in implementing the plan to the Administrator and the Secretary by December 1, 2014, and annually thereafter. Requires the Secretary to submit to the Administrator: (1) a final implementation plan no later than 60 days after submission of a draft plan to ERO, and (2) a report on progress on implementing emissions control measures in a manner that ensures the reliability of the local and regional electricity systems by March 31, 2015, and annually thereafter through 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2011
Marketplace Fairness Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that states should be able to enforce their existing sales and use tax laws and to treat similar sales transactions equally, without regard to the manner in which the sale is transacted, and to collect, or decide not to collect, taxes that are owed under state law. Authorizes each member state under the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (the multistate agreement for the administration and collection of sales and use taxes adopted on November 12, 2002) to require all sellers not qualifying for a small-seller exception (sellers with annual gross receipts in total U.S. remote sales of less than $500,000) to collect and remit sales and use taxes with respect to remote sales under provisions of the Agreement. Defines "remote sale" as a sale of goods or services attributed to a state with respect to which a seller does not have adequate physical presence to establish a nexus with the state. Allows a state that is not a member state under the Agreement to require sellers to collect and remit sales and use taxes with respect to remote sales sourced to such state if the state adopts and implements certain minimum simplification requirements, including: (1) providing a single state agency to administer all sales and use taxes, (2) establishing a uniform sales and use tax base, (3) relieving remote sellers from liability to the state or a locality for collection of the incorrect amount of sales or use tax based on information provided by the state, and (4) providing remote sellers 30 days' notice of a tax rate change by any locality in the state.
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
Pill Mill Crackdown Act of 2011 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to: (1) double the term of imprisonment and triple the fine for the prohibited distribution of a schedule II or schedule III controlled substance by the operator of a pill mill, (2) increase the penalties for such operator distribution of a controlled substance to a person under age 21 from twice to thrice the maximum punishment or term of supervised release authorized, and (3) exclude such operator distribution from the applicability of provisions authorizing an alternative fine of not more than twice the gross profits or other proceeds derived by a defendant from a drug offense. Defines: (1) "pill mill" to include a doctor's office, clinic, or health care facility that routinely prescribes or dispenses controlled substances outside the scope of the prevailing standards of medical practice in the community in relation to the prescribing or dispensing of controlled prescription drugs or that routinely violates such Act in relation to the prescribing or dispensing of controlled prescription drugs; and (2) "operator of a pill mill" to include any practicing physician affiliated with a pill mill or any owner, director, officer, or partner of a pill mill. Expresses the sense of Congress that such prohibited operator distribution is a violation for which certain property is subject to forfeiture. Requires the proceeds from disposition of such property to be used for controlled substance monitoring programs in the states and for block grants to states for community mental health services and for prevention and treatment of substance abuse. Changes the classification of specified quantities of dihydrocodeinone from a schedule III to a schedule II controlled substance.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2011
Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to authorize states to implement coal combustion residuals permit programs. Requires each state governor to notify the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) within six months about whether such state will implement such a program. Requires states that decide to implement such a program to: (1) submit to the Administrator within 36 months a certification that such program meets the specifications of this Act, and (2) maintain either an approved municipal solid waste program for the control of hazardous disposal or an authorized state hazardous waste program. Establishes minimum requirements for coal combustion residuals permit programs. Requires: (1) the revised criteria established by this Act to apply to such programs; (2) landfills, surface impoundments, or other land-based units that may receive coal combustion residuals (structures) to be designed, constructed, and maintained to provide for containment of the maximum volumes of coal combustion residuals appropriate for the structure; (3) such programs to apply such revised criteria to surface impoundments; and (4) new structures that first receive coal combustion residuals after this Act's enactment to be constructed with a base located a minimum of two feet above the upper limit of the natural water table. Authorizes: (1) state agency heads to require action to correct structural integrity deficiencies according to a schedule for structures that are classified as posing a high hazard potential pursuant to the guidelines published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) entitled "Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety: Hazard Potential Classification System for Dams," (2) state agency heads to require that such a structure close if such deficiency is not corrected according to such schedule, (3) states to inspect structures and implement and enforce such permit program, and (4) states to address wind dispersal of dust from coal combustion residuals by requiring dust control measures. Sets forth revised criteria for such programs with respect to: (1) design, groundwater monitoring, corrective action, and closure and post-closure for structures; (2) location restrictions for new structures in floodplains, wetlands, fault areas, seismic impact zones, and unstable areas; (3) criteria for air quality, financial assurance, surface water, and record keeping; (4) criteria for run-on and run-off control systems for landfills and other land-based units, other than surface impoundments that receive coal combustion residuals; and (5) run-off control systems for surface impoundments. Authorizes states to determine that such criteria is not needed for the management of their coal combustion residuals permit program. Authorizes the Administrator to treat such state determination as a deficiency if it does not accurately reflect the needs for the management of coal combustion residuals in the state. Requires the Administrator to provide a state with notice of, and an opportunity to remedy, deficiencies. Requires the Administrator to implement such a program for a state only if: (1) the governor of such state notifies the Administrator that such state will not implement a program; (2) the state is notified of, but fails to remedy, program deficiencies; or (3) the state notifies the Administrator that it will no longer implement such a program. Sets forth provisions concerning resumption of implementation by states. Requires the time period and method for a structure's closure to be set forth in a schedule in a closure plan that takes into account the site-specific characteristics of such structure. Directs the closure plan for a surface impoundment to require the removal of liquid and the stabilization of remaining waste as necessary to support the final cover. Prohibits the Administrator from applying such programs to the utilization, placement, and storage of coal combustion residuals at surface mining and reclamation operations. Prohibits this Act from being construed to alter the EPA's regulatory determination, entitled "Notice of Regulatory Determination on Wastes from the Combustion of Fossil Fuels," that the fossil fuel combustion wastes addressed in that determination do not warrant regulation under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2011
Visa Improvements to Stimulate International Tourism to the United States of America Act or the VISIT USA Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide qualifying nationals of China (PRC) with a five-year multiple entry/exit visitor visa. Requires such persons to be screened through the automated electronic travel authorization system. Transfers authority to establish and collect the premium fee for employment-based petitions and applications from the Attorney General (DOJ) to the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS). Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) offer for a fee premium visitor visa processing; (2) develop, subject to security concerns, a pilot program for processing visitor visas using secure remote videoconferencing technology to conduct visa interviews; and (3) decrease nonimmigrant visa application and issuance fees in selected countries when there is a low demand from such countries for visitor visas. Establishes a W (nonimmigrant)-visa for: (1) a Canadian citizen who is older than 50 years of age and owns a U.S. residence or has rented a U.S. accommodation for the duration of his or her stay; and (2) such alien's accompanying spouse and children. Makes such visa renewable every three years with a maximum stay of 240 consecutive days in each authorized period. Revises the visa waiver program to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate any country as a program country; (2) adjust visa refusal rate criteria, including addition of a 3% maximum overstay rate; and (3) revise probationary and termination provisions. Establishes an X (nonimmigrant)-visa for: (1) an alien who invests (and maintains) at least $500,000 in U.S. residential real estate, of which at least $250,000 must be for a U.S. primary residence where such person will reside for more than 180 days per year; and (2) such alien's accompanying spouse and children. Makes such visa renewable every three years. Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to include in the Global Entry Trusted Traveler Network individuals who meet security requirements and are employed and sponsored by an international organization which maintains a strong working relationship with the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2011
County Payments Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Secure Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to establish, for FY2012 and each following fiscal year, an amount that is equal to 95% of the full funding amount used for the previous fiscal year to make secure payments to eligible states and counties that contain certain lands. Permits a resource advisory committee under the Act to propose using up to 10% of certain project funds of an eligible county for administrative expenses associated with that committee's operations. Keeps the annual percentage for FY2010-FY2011 in place under the merchantable timber contracting pilot program for the implementation of approved projects in participating counties involving the sale of merchantable timber using separate contracts through FY2016. Extends the Act's provisions through FY2016. Entitles counties or other eligible units of local government in which U.S.-owned entitlement land is located to certain payments under the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program through FY2017.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2011
Foreign Earnings Reinvestment Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the election allowed to a domestic corporation to deduct current and accumulated dividends received from a controlled foreign corporation to the corporation's last taxable year beginning before the enactment of this Act or the first taxable year which begins during the one-year period beginning on such enactment date, (2) reduce tax rates on foreign earnings of domestic corporations that reinvest such earnings in the United States and that expand their payrolls over 2010 levels, and (3) increase the taxable income of domestic corporations that fail to maintain employment levels in the 23-month period after receiving a reduction in tax rates under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2011
Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) make public and report biannually to Congress on international monetary policy and currency exchange rates; and (2) appear, if requested, before certain congressional committees to testify regarding such reports. Prescribes report contents, including: (1) an analysis of currency market developments and the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the currencies of major economies and trading partners of the United States, (2) a review of the economic and monetary policies of major economies and trading partners of the United States and an evaluation of how such policies impact currency exchange rates, and (3) a list of currencies designated as fundamentally misaligned currencies. Instructs the Secretary to: (1) analyze semiannually the prevailing real effective exchange rates of foreign currencies; (2) determine whether any such currency is in fundamental misalignment; and (3) designate it for priority action if the issuing country engages in specified behavior, including excessive and prolonged official or quasi-official accumulation of foreign assets for balance of payments purposes. Prescribes procedures for: (1) negotiations and consultations; and (2) actions in response to failure, including persistent failure, to adopt appropriate policies, or take identifiable action to eliminate the fundamental misalignment. Requires the Secretary, before the United States approves a proposed change in the governance arrangement of any international financial institution, to determine whether any member of the international financial institution that would benefit from the proposed change, in the form of increased voting shares or representation, has a currency designated for priority action. Requires U.S. opposition to the proposed change if the Secretary renders an affirmative determination. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930, for purposes of an antidumping investigation or review, to require an adjustment in the price used to establish export (and constructed export) prices, in the case of a fundamentally misaligned currency designated for priority action, by reducing such price by the percentage by which the domestic currency of the producer or exporter is undervalued in relation to the U.S. dollar. Requires the administering authority, upon the filing of a petition by an interested party, to initiate a countervailing duty investigation or review to determine whether currency undervaluation by the government of, or any public entity within, a foreign country is providing, directly or indirectly, a countervailable subsidy to its exporters or products. Requires the same kind of countervailing duty investigation upon the designation of a foreign currency as a fundamentally misaligned currency for priority action. Declares that the fact that such a subsidy is also provided in circumstances not involving export shall not, for that reason alone, mean it cannot be considered export contingent and actionable under a countervailing duty and antidumping duty proceeding. Adds as a factor the administering authority must take into account in determining whether a foreign country is a nonmarket economy country the question of whether its currency is designated, or has been designated at any time over the five years before review of any nonmarket economy status, for priority action under this Act. Establishes the Advisory Committee on International Exchange Rate Policy. Repeals the Exchange Rates and International Economic Policy Coordination Act of 1988.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2011
Cement Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 - Provides that the following rules shall have no force or effect and shall be treated as though they had never taken effect: (1) the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants from the Portland Cement Manufacturing Industry and Standards of Performance for Portland Cement Plants; and (2) the Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources: Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units, and the rule entitled "Identification of Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials that are Solid Waste," to the extent that such rules apply to the Portland cement manufacturing industry and Portland cement plants. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in lieu of such rules, to promulgate within 15 months (or such later date as may be determined by the Administrator) regulations for the Portland cement manufacturing industry and Portland cement plants subject to such rules, that: (1) establish maximum achievable control technology standards, performance standards, and other requirements for hazardous air pollutants or solid waste combustion under the Clean Air Act; and (2) identify nonhazardous secondary materials that, when used as fuels in combustion units of that industry and those plants, qualify as solid waste under the Solid Waste Disposal Act for purposes of determining the extent to which such combustion units are required to meet emission standards for such pollutants under such Act or the Clean Air Act. Requires the Administrator, after considering the costs of achieving emission reductions, non-air quality health and environmental impacts and energy requirements, feasibility of implementation, the availability of equipment, suppliers, and labor, and potential net employment impacts, to establish dates for compliance with standards and requirements under such regulations no earlier than five years after the effective date of the regulation. Sets forth guidelines for such rules and regulations, including requiring the Administrator to: (1) ensure that emission standards for existing and new sources can be met under actual operating conditions consistently and concurrently with emission standards for all other air pollutants covered by regulations applicable to the source category, and (2) impose the least burdensome regulatory alternative for each regulation promulgated.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2011
Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends the Administrative Procedure Act to revise and expand the requirements for federal agency rulemaking by requiring agencies, in making a rule, to base all preliminary and final determinations on evidence and to consider the legal authority under which the rule may be proposed, the specific nature and significance of the problem the agency may address with the rule, any reasonable alternatives for the rule, and the potential costs and benefits associated with such alternatives. Requires agencies to publish advance notice of proposed rulemaking for major rules and for high-impact rules (rules having an annual cost on the economy of $100 million or $1 billion or more, respectively), which shall include a written statement identifying the nature and significance of the problem the agency may address with a rule, the legal authority under which the rule may be proposed, and a solicitation for written data and comments from interested persons. Sets forth criteria for issuing major guidance (agency guidance that is likely to lead to an annual cost on the economy of $100 million or more, a major increase in cost or prices, or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or ability to compete). Expands the scope of judicial review of agency rulemaking by allowing immediate review of rulemaking not in compliance with notice requirements and establishing a substantial evidence standard for affirming agency rulemaking decisions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2011
Anti-Excessive Speculation Act of 2011 - Amends the Commodity Exchange Act to revise the registration requirements for foreign boards of trade. Directs the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to consider whether foreign boards are subject to rules and restrictions prohibiting excessive speculation by governmental authorities that are comparable to the law, regulations, and orders applicable to boards of trade in the United States. Sets forth a presumption of excessive speculation if the CFTC, using specified criteria, determines that speculative traders in a commodity market have a substantial impact on price discovery. Establishes individual position limits on energy contracts (referencing the price of crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, heating oil, or natural gas) that are applicable to long or short positions. Defines an "excessive speculative position" as a position that affects more than 5% of: (1) the estimated deliverable supply of the same commodity in the spot month, and (2) the open interest in a contract in a single month or all months combined. Prohibits any person from holding or controlling an excessive speculative position, long or short, in an energy contract in any single market and aggregated across all markets in the spot month, a single month, or all-months combined. Directs the CFTC to establish aggregate speculative position limits for long energy contracts held by speculators as a class of traders in any single market and in all markets. Requires that such positions be capped at the average annual percentage of long open interest held by speculators in any single energy contract market and in all such markets during the preceding 25-year period (or the period during which the contract has been traded if held for less than the 25-year period). Excludes bona fide energy hedging from the computation of positions held or controlled by a person. Defines "bona fide energy hedging" as a transaction or position that is proportionate and economically appropriate for the reduction of risks in the conduct and management of a trade or business that produces, processes, merchandises, manufactures, or consumes an energy commodity. Declares that the management of financial risk associated with swaps or other similar contracts, by itself, shall not constitute bona fide hedging.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2011
Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act - Directs The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation on behalf of the Congress of a gold medal of appropriate design to the next of kin or personal representative of Raoul Wallenberg in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions during the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2011
Expresses profound sorrow at the death of the Honorable Charles H. Percy, former Senator of Illinois. Conveys the Senate's condolences to his family. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on September 19, 2011, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Percy.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2011
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Malcolm Wallop, a former Senator from Wyoming. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on September 15, 2011, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Wallop.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2011
Designates October 2011 as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. Urges communities to educate parents and youth about the potential dangers associated with medicine abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2011
Authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the Montford Point Marines, U.S. Marine Corps, in recognition of their service during World War II. (Camp Montford Point, North Carolina, was the site for the training of the first African-American Marines.) Provides for the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Montford Point Marines. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2011
Joint Select Committee on Job Creation Act of 2011 - Establishes the Joint Select Committee on Job Creation, whose goal shall be to restore the nation's workforce to full employment over FY2012 and FY2013. Requires the joint committee to provide recommendations and legislative language that will significantly improve the short-term and long-term employment levels in the United States. Prescribes legislative procedures for consideration in both chambers of the Joint Committee's recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2011
Jobs Score Act of 2011 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of any public bill or resolution reported from a congressional committee (except on Appropriations of each chamber) to estimate the number of jobs which would be created, sustained, or lost in carrying out such measure in the fiscal year in which it is to become effective and in each of the four ensuing fiscal years, together with the basis for each such estimate.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2011
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Mark Hatfield, a former member of the Senate from Oregon. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on September 6, 2011, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Hatfield.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2011
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Excludes receipts (including attributable interest) and outlays of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, or either of their successor funds, from consideration as receipts or outlays for purposes of this Amendment. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Authorizes waivers of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect or under other specified circumstances involving military conflict. Prohibits Congress from passing any bill that provides a net reduction in individual income taxes for those with incomes over $1 million (as may be adjusted by Congress to account for inflation) if, after enactment, total outlays would exceed total receipts in any fiscal year affected by the bill. Prohibits a federal or state court from ordering any reduction in the Social Security benefits authorized by law, including any benefits provided from the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, or either of their successor funds.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011
Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to exempt traditional large and premium cigars from regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and from user fees assessed on tobacco products by the FDA.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2011
Consumer Product Safety Flexibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 to apply the limit on lead content in children's products only to products manufactured after the effective date of the limit. Exempts off-highway vehicles from the limit on lead content in children's products. Exempts bicycles from such lead limit and applies an alternate limit for the metal component part of the products. Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue a final rule on safety standards pertaining to all-terrain vehicles within one year of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
Condemns: (1) the terrorist attacks that occurred in Norway on July 22, 2011, causing many deaths and injuries; and (2) all terrorist actions, including those motivated by hatred and religious or cultural intolerance. Expresses sympathy to the victims of the atrocious acts, their families, and the people and government of Norway. Emphasizes the bonds of friendship and shared heritage between the United States and Norway. Calls on all people to join together to denounce acts of hatred and fear and promote peace and tolerance in their communities and around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2011
Recognizes September 11, 2011, as a day of solemn commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001, and as a day to come together as a nation. Offers deepest and most sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Honors the heroic service, actions, and sacrifices of first responders, law enforcement personnel, state and local officials, volunteers, and countless others who aided the innocent victims of those attacks and, in doing so, bravely risked and often gave their own lives. Recognizes the valiant service, actions, and sacrifices of U.S. personnel, including members of the Armed Forces and their families, to support the cause of freedom and defend the security of the United States. Reaffirms that the people of the United States will never forget the challenges our country endured on and since September 11, 2001, and will work tirelessly to defeat those who attacked the United States. Calls upon all people and institutions of the United States, on the 10th anniversary of this tragic day in U.S. history, to observe a moment of remembrance on September 11, 2011. Encourages the observance of the moment of remembrance or prayer to last for one minute beginning at 1:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2011
EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 - Provides that the following rules shall have no force or effect and shall be treated as though they had never taken effect: (1) the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Major Sources: Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Boilers and Process Heaters; (2) the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Area Sources: Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Boilers; (3) the Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources: Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units; and (4) Identification of Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials That are Solid Waste. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in place of such rules, to promulgate within 15 months regulations for industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers and process heaters and commercial and industrial solid waste incinerator units subject to such rules, that: (1) establish maximum achievable control technology standards, performance standards, and other requirements for hazardous air pollutants or solid waste combustion under the Clean Air Act; and (2) identify non-hazardous secondary materials that, when used as fuels or ingredients in combustion units of such boilers, heaters, or incinerator units, are solid waste under the Solid Waste Disposal Act for purposes of determining the extent to which such combustion units are required to meet emission standards for such pollutants under such Act. Requires the Administrator to establish compliance dates for such standards and requirements after considering compliance costs, non-air quality health and environmental impacts and energy requirements, the feasibility of implementation, the availability of equipment, suppliers, and labor, and potential net employment impacts. Sets forth guidelines for such rules and regulations, including requiring the Administrator to: (1) ensure that emissions standards for existing and new sources can be met under actual operating conditions consistently and concurrently with emission standards for all other air pollutants regulated by the rule for the source category; and (2) impose the least burdensome regulatory alternative for each regulation promulgated. Requires the Administrator to publish a list of nonhazardous secondary materials that are not solid waste when combusted in units designed for energy recovery. Specifies material to be included in such list.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2011
Appalachian Development Highway System Act of 2011 - Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2012-FY2017 for the Appalachian development highway system program. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to apportion such funds among the appropriate states to complete construction of the Appalachian development highway system. Requires amounts made available to a state that remain unobligated five years later to be returned to the Secretary and reallocated among the remaining states. Authorizes states of the system to loan apportioned amounts between themselves.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2011
Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from requiring a permit under national pollutant discharge elimination system permitting requirements for a discharge resulting from the conduct of any silvicultural activity, such as nursery operations, site preparation, reforestation, thinning, prescribed burning, pest and fire control, harvesting operations, surface drainage, or road use, construction, and maintenance, from which there is runoff. Specifies that nothing in this Act exempts silvicultural activity from permit requirements for the discharge of dredged or fill material into navigable waters.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Recognizes September 11, 2011, as a day of solemn commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001, and as a day to come together as a nation. Offers deepest and most sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Honors the heroic service, actions, and sacrifices of first responders, law enforcement personnel, state and local officials, volunteers, and countless others who aided the innocent victims of those attacks and, in doing so, bravely risked and often gave their own lives. Recognizes the valiant service, actions, and sacrifices of U.S. personnel, including members of the Armed Forces and their families, to support the cause of freedom and defend the security of the United States. Reaffirms that the people of the United States will never forget the challenges our country endured on and since September 11, 2001, and will work tirelessly to defeat those who attacked the United States. Calls upon all people and institutions of the United States, on the 10th anniversary of this tragic day in U.S. history, to observe a moment of remembrance on September 11, 2011. Encourages the observance of the moment of remembrance to last for one minute beginning at 1:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011
Pilot's Bill of Rights - Requires National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) proceedings for the review of decisions of the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to deny, amend, modify, suspend, or revoke an airman's certificate to be conducted, to the extent practicable, in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. Requires the Administrator to: (1) advise the subject of an investigation involving the approval, denial, suspension, modification, or revocation of an airman certificate of specified information pertinent to the investigation; and (2) provide him or her with access to relevant air traffic data. Allows an individual to elect to file an appeal of a certificate denial, a punitive civil action, or an emergency order of revocation in the U.S. district court in which individual resides, in which the action in question occurred, or the district court for the District of Columbia. Allows an adversely affected individual who elects not to file an appeal in a federal district court to file such appeal with the NTSB. Directs the Administrator to begin a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Improvement Program to improve the system of providing airmen with pertinent and timely information before a flight in the national airspace system. Makes Flight Service Station briefings and other air traffic services performed by Lockheed Martin or any other government contractor available to airmen under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Requires the Administrator to review the FAA system for the medical certification of airmen in order to: (1) revise the medical application form, (2) align medical qualification policies with present-day qualified medical judgment and practices, and (3) publish objective medical standards to advise the public of the criteria determining an airman's medical certificate eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2011
Lions Clubs International Century of Service Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue as legal tender $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Lions Clubs International. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the centennial. Permits the Secretary to issue such coins only during calendar 2017. Requires sales of the coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, to be paid by the Secretary to the Lions Clubs International Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
National Silver Alert Act of 2011 - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a national Silver Alert communications network within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist regional and local search efforts for missing seniors; (2) ensure that, when feasible, the network is able to operate in coordination with the AMBER Alert communications network; and (3) designate an individual of DOJ to serve as the Silver Alert Coordinator to coordinate the network with states. Defines "missing senior" as any individual who is reported as missing to or by a law enforcement agency and who meets state requirements for designation as a missing senior. Directs the Coordinator to: (1) establish minimum standards for the issuance and dissemination of alerts issued through the network; and (2) make available to states, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and other concerned entities network training and information.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Medicare and Medicaid Fighting Fraud and Abuse to Save Taxpayers' Dollars Act or Medicare and Medicaid FAST Act - Amends part D (Prescription Drug Benefits) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prohibit sponsors of prescription drug plans (PDPs) from paying claims for prescription drugs that do not include the valid National Provider Identifier for the drug's prescriber. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish procedures and rules to restrict access to the National Provider Identifier Registry in order to deter fraudulent use of it. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid), for any state that has established a State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program meeting certain requirements, to decrease by 10% the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) with respect to any amounts recovered by or paid to the state related to an overpayment due to fraud, waste, or abuse. Allows the state to use such amounts to support its State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Directs the Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General jointly to establish a Commission to examine interoperability and other issues related to State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) update daily the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) database of persons registered to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act to reflect any changes in the information in the Death Master File of the Social Security Administration; (2) agree with the Commissioner of Social Security to obtain death information in order to update such database; (3) establish procedures and rules to restrict access to the database to deter its fraudulent use; and (4) establish procedures and rules to review and investigate pharmacy claims under Medicare part D that contain a registration number not assigned to a practitioner by the Attorney General under the Controlled Substances Act. Amends SSA title XVIII to require certain annual reports to describe the types and financial costs to the Medicare program of improper payment vulnerabilities identified by Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs). Requires the Secretary of HHS to develop a plan to revise the beneficiary incentive program under the Health Instance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to encourage greater participation by individuals in reporting fraud and abuse in the Medicare program. Requires the Secretary of HHS to: (1) establish and implement procedures to eliminate the unnecessary collection, use, and display of Social Security account numbers of Medicare beneficiaries; and (2) ensure that each newly issued Medicare identification card meets specified requirements. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a pilot program utilizing smart card technology to evaluate its applicability to the Medicare program and whether such cards would be effective in preventing Medicare fraud. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish policies and procedures for prepayment review, which may include pre-certification, for all claims for reimbursement for durable medical equipment (DME) at high risk of waste, fraud, and abuse, including power wheelchairs. Requires the Secretary of HHS, the HHS Inspector General, and the Attorney General to increase coordination and data sharing. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish: (1) automated prepayment review of all Medicare claims, (2) a plan to facilitate the inclusion of states in the Medicare-Medicaid Data Match Program, and (3) a plan that allows each state Medicaid agency access to relevant data on improper or erroneous Medicare payments for items or services for dual eligible individuals. Prohibits Medicaid payments as well as payments under SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP) unless a claim contains a valid beneficiary identification number and a valid National Provider Identifier. Directs the Secretary to establish Medicare administrative contractor error reduction incentives. Requires the provider enrollment process and provider screening to be separate from any contract to serve as a Medicare administrative contractor. Directs the Secretary of HHS to report to Congress on measurable metrics for improving Medicare contractor performance. Amends SSA title XI to establish penalties for the illegal distribution of a Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP beneficiary identification number or billing privileges.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Fair Competition for Hospitals Act of 2011 - Requires the wage index applying to a certain kind of subsection (d) hospital under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to be the highest wage index assigned to hospitals in the core-based statistical area in which the hospital is located (regardless of which state the hospital is located in) as a result of the requirement of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 that the area wage index applicable to any hospital which is not located in a rural area be not less than the area wage index applicable to hospitals located in rural areas in the state in which the hospital is located. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system [IPPS] when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.) Limits the application of this Act to a subsection (d) hospital: (1) located in a core-based statistical area comprising counties from more than one state, but (2) not located in a core-based statistical area in which one or more hospitals are subject to a specified minimum wage index, and (3) not located in a core-based statistical area in which the highest wage index applies to hospitals covered by this Act under a state Medicare reimbursement system.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, to publish in the Federal Register a draft methodology for determining which minerals qualify as critical minerals, based on an assessment of whether they are subject to potential supply restrictions and important in use. Directs the Secretary to: (1) arrange with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) to review the methodology, and (2) publish in the Federal Register minerals designated as critical. Directs the President to coordinate federal agency actions to facilitate the development and production of domestic resources to meet national critical minerals needs. Directs the Secretary to conduct a specified national assessment of critical minerals. Establishes within the Department of the Interior the Critical Minerals Working Group to facilitate federal agency: (1) efforts to optimize efficiencies associated with the permitting of activities that will increase exploration and development of domestic critical minerals; and (2) review of laws, regulations, and policies that discourage investment in domestic critical minerals. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to submit to certain congressional committees an assessment of federal agency compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act in promulgating regulations applicable to the critical minerals industry. Authorizes the President, upon state request, to enter into a cooperative agreement to process permits for critical mineral manufacturing facilities. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to conduct research and development to promote the efficient production, use, recycling of, and alternatives to critical minerals. Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to make an annual report that includes a comprehensive: (1) review of critical mineral production, consumption, and recycling patterns; and (2) forecast ("Annual Critical Minerals Outlook") of projected patterns. Instructs the Secretary of Labor to assess the domestic availability of technically trained personnel necessary for critical mineral enterprises, including skills in the shortest supply. Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and of Labor to arrange jointly with the NAS and the NAE to coordinate with the National Science Foundation (NSF) on a study to design an interdisciplinary program on critical minerals that will support the critical mineral supply chain. Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the NSF to conduct jointly a competitive program of four-year grants to institutions of higher education to take specified steps to implement integrated critical mineral education, training, innovation, and workforce development programs. Instructs the Secretary of State to promote international cooperation on critical mineral supply chain issues with U.S. allies. Directs the DOE Secretary to support research programs for: (1) novel uses for cobalt, including energy technologies and super-alloys; and (2) advanced lead manufacturing processes. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct the DOE Secretary to provide grants for research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of domestic industrial processes designed to enhance domestic lithium production for use in advanced battery technologies. Directs the DOE Secretary to support programs regarding: (1) research, development, commercial application, and conservation to expand domestic production of low-Btu gas and helium resources; (2) advanced membrane technology used in the separation of gases from applications; (3) helium separation technology; and (4) an industrial helium program. Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) update existing resource information for phosphate, potash, and rare earth elements; and (2) study the issues associated with establishing a licensing pathway for the complete thorium nuclear fuel cycle. Repeals: (1) the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980; and (2) the National Critical Materials Act of 1984.
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