United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2012
Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make the 3.4% interest rate on Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2012, applicable to Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2013. Amends the Internal Revenue Code and title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to require certain shareholders of a subchapter S corporation engaged as a partner in a professional service business to include income or loss attributable to such business in their net earnings from self-employment for employment tax purposes. Restricts such tax treatment to shareholders whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds a specified amount that varies based on their tax filing status. Defines a "professional service business" as any trade or business providing services in the fields of health, law, lobbying, engineering, architecture, accounting, actuarial science, performing arts, consulting, athletics, investment advice or management, or brokerage services.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2012
Stop Invasive Species Act - Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to: (1) expedite a feasibility study under the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 on the range of options and technologies available to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species (including Asian carp) between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and other aquatic pathways; and (2) if the project is justified, proceed directly to project preconstruction engineering and design. Requires the report on the study to focus on: (1) such prevention as the permanent hydrological separation of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins, and (2) specified watersheds of rivers and tributaries in Illinois and Indiana associated with the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS). Defines "hydrological separation" as a physical separation on the CAWS that would disconnect the Mississippi River watershed from the Lake Michigan watershed and prevent the transfer of all aquatic species between such bodies of water. Requires, within 90 days after enactment of this Act, an interim report to Congress on milestones that will be met prior to final completion of the study. Requires the final report to be completed within 18 months.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2012
Officer Safety Act of 2012 - Amends the federal judicial code to deem a law enforcement officer who is the defendant in a criminal prosecution to have been acting under the color of his office (thus authorizing removal of the case to U.S. district court) if the officer: (1) protected an individual in the officer's presence from a crime of violence; (2) provided immediate assistance to an individual who suffered, or who was threatened with, bodily harm; or (3) prevented the escape of any individual whom the officer reasonably believed to have committed, or was about to commit, in the officer's presence, a crime of violence that resulted in, or that was likely to result in, death or serious bodily injury.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2012
American Parks American Products Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior or the Archivist of the United States to ensure that the items offered for sale in gift shops or visitor centers in units of the National Park System or of the National Archives and Records Administration, respectively, are U.S.- produced.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2012
Recognizes the accomplishments and example of Cesar Estrada Chavez, pledges to promote his legacy, and encourages the people of the United States to commemorate his legacy and to always remember his rallying cry, "Si, se puede!" ("Si, se puede!" is Spanish for "Yes, we can!")
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2012
Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain employers a tax credit for 10% of the excess (if any) of: (1) the wages and compensation paid to their employees in 2012; over (2) the amount of such wages paid in 2011, up to a maximum amount of $5 million. Extends for one year the 100% bonus depreciation allowance for business assets. Increases the amount of alternative minimum tax (AMT) credits that corporate taxpayers may elect to accelerate in a taxable year in lieu of claiming bonus depreciation.
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 · 22 March 2012
Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require an individual taxpayer whose adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million to pay a minimum tax rate of 30% of the excess of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income over the taxpayer's modified charitable contribution deduction for the taxable year (tentative fair share tax). Establishes the amount of such tax as the excess (if any) of the tentative fair share tax over the excess of: (1) the sum of the taxpayer's regular tax liability, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) amount, and the payroll tax for the taxable year; over (2) certain tax credits. Provides for a phase-in of such tax. Requires an inflation adjustment to the $1 million income threshold for taxable years beginning after 2013. Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should enact tax reform that repeals unfair and unnecessary tax loopholes and expenditures, simplifies the tax system, and makes sure that the wealthiest taxpayers pay a fair share of taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2012
Small Business Lending Enhancement Act of 2012 - Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to prohibit an insured credit union from making any member business loan that would result in the total amount of such loans outstanding at that credit union at any one time exceeding either: (1) 1.75 times the actual net worth of the credit union, or (2) 12.25% of the total assets of the credit union. Authorizes the National Credit Union Administration Board to approve an application by an insured credit union to make one or more member business loans that would result in a total amount of such loans outstanding at any one time of up to 27.5 % of the total assets of the credit union, if the credit union meets specified safety and soundness criteria. Prohibits an insured credit union that has made such a member business loan but that is not well capitalized from making any new member business loans until it becomes well capitalized and obtains Board approval. Directs the Board to develop a tiered approval process, including lending standards, under which an insured credit union gradually increases the amount of member business lending in a manner that is consistent with safe and sound operations. Directs the Comptroller General to study the status of member business lending by insured credit unions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2012
Extends the sympathy of the Senate to the families of Marie Colvin and other reporters who have died reporting from conflict zones and recognizes their bravery. Calls on the government of Syria to halt the brutal attacks against the people of Syria and to respect their human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2012
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2012 or DISCLOSE Act of 2012 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to redefine the term "independent expenditure" as an expenditure by a person that, when taken as a whole, expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, or is the functional equivalent of express advocacy because it can be interpreted by a reasonable person only as advocating the election or defeat of a candidate, taking into account whether the communication involved mentions a candidacy, a political party, or a challenger to a candidate, or takes a position on a candidates, qualifications, or fitness for office. Expands the period during which certain communications are treated as electioneering communications. Prescribes disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, and certain other entities, including a political committee with an account established for the purpose of accepting donations or contributions that do not comply with the contribution limits or source prohibitions under FECA (but only with respect to such accounts). Prescribes disclaimer requirements for public communications that include functional equivalent of express advocacy. Requires any communication transmitted through radio or television to include an individual or organizational disclosure statement, together with: (1) the Top Two Funders List of the persons providing the largest and second largest aggregate payments of $10,000 or more for a radio communication, and (2) the Top Five Funders List of the five persons providing the largest aggregate payments of $10,000 or more for a television communication. Repeals the prohibition against political contributions by individuals age 17 or younger.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2012
Condemns Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) for committing crimes against humanity and mass atrocities. Supports ongoing efforts by the United States, the African Union (AU), and countries in central Africa to remove Joseph Kony and LRA commanders from the battlefield and protect civilians.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2012
Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act - Amends the federal judicial code with respect to denial of a foreign state's immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. or state courts (under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act) in cases where rights in property taken in violation of international law are in issue and that property (or any property exchanged for it) is: (1) present in the United States in connection with a commercial activity carried on by the foreign state in the United States; or (2) owned by an agency or instrumentality of the foreign state, and that agency or instrumentality is engaged in a commercial activity in the United States. Prohibits consideration as a commercial activity (excluded from jurisdictional immunity) any activity in the United States of a foreign state, or of any carrier, associated with a temporary exhibition or display if: (1) the work of art (or other object of cultural significance) in question is imported into the United States from any foreign country pursuant to an agreement for its temporary exhibit or display between a foreign state that is its owner or custodian and the United States or cultural or educational institutions within it; and (2) the President has determined, with notice in the Federal Register, that such work is culturally significant and its temporary exhibition or display is in the national interest. (Thus grants jurisdictional immunity to the foreign state and associated carrier for such works.) Denies application of this prohibition to cases in which: (1) the action filed is based upon a claim that the work was taken in Europe in violation of international law by the Nazi government of Germany or governments occupied, assisted, or allied by the Nazi government between January 30, 1933, and May 8, 1945; (2) the court determines that the activity associated with the exhibition or display is commercial; and (3) that determination is necessary for the court to exercise jurisdiction over the foreign state.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2012
Restoring Integrity and Good-Heartedness in Traveler Screening Act or RIGHTS Act - Directs the Office of the Ombudsman of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in addition to its existing duties, to: (1) record complaints from the public regarding TSA screening practices, (2) determine best practices to resolve frequent passenger complaints and assist in training TSA agents regarding such practices, (3) resolve complaints of mistreatment by TSA employees, and (4) field advance notification calls with individuals with medical conditions or disabilities and arrange for airport screening procedures for such individuals that ensure flight safety without causing them undue hardship. Directs the Ombudsman to appoint TSA passenger advocates for each Category X airport (an airport with 100% advance technology x-ray screening at all check points). Requires Office duties to be performed by such passenger advocates under the Ombudsman's superivison. Requires every Category X airport to: (1) have at least one TSA passenger advocate on duty during operating hours, and (2) place clearly visible signs at each gate explaining that a passenger advocate may be summoned (including how to summon one) if passengers believe that a TSA employee has mistreated them on the basis of advanced age or disability.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2012
Repeal Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2012: (1) the tax credit for residential energy efficiency improvement expenditures, (2) the tax credit for the purchase of plug-in electric vehicles, (3) the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property expenditures, (4) the income and excise tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel used as fuel and fuel mixtures, (5) the tax credit for production of electricity from refined coal production facilities, (6) the tax credit for the construction of new energy-efficient homes, (7) the tax credit for energy-efficient appliances, (8) the suspension of the income limitation on percentage depletion for oil and gas from marginal wells, (9) the excise tax credit for alternative fuels and fuel mixtures, and (10) the tax credit for mine rescue team training expenditures and the election to expense mine safety equipment. Extends through 2013: (1) the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credit, and (2) the special depreciation allowance for cellulosic biofuel plant property. Extends the tax credit for the production of electricity from wind resources through 2013 and from other renewable resources through 2014. Allows an increase in such credit for production from Indian coal facilities. Extends the tax credit for investment in wind facilities through 2013 and for investment in offshore facilities using wind to produce electricity through 2014. Increases the allocation of credits under the qualifying advanced energy project (i.e., the project for the production of renewable and alternative energy resources). Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to extend through 2012 the grant program for investment in renewable energy resources in lieu of tax credits. Modifies the definition of "cellulosic biofuel," for purposes of the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credit and the bonus depreciation allowance, to mean any liquid fuel which is derived solely by, or from, qualified feedstocks. Defines "qualified feedstocks" as any lignocellulosic or hemicellulosic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis and any cultivated algae, cyanobacteria, or lemna. Limits or repeals certain tax benefits for major integrated oil companies (defined as companies with annual gross receipts over $1 billion and an average daily worldwide production of crude oil of at least 500,000 barrels), including: (1) the foreign tax credit; (2) the tax deduction for income attributable to 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; (5) the tax deduction for qualified tertiary injectant expenses. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal royalty relief (suspension of royalties) for: (1) natural gas production from deep wells in shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico; and (2) deep water oil and gas production in the Western and Central Planning Area of the Gulf (including the portion of the Eastern Planning Area encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes west longitude). Dedicates any increased revenue generated by this Act to the reduction of a federal budget deficit or the federal 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 · 19 March 2012
African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center Act - Establishes the African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York, New York. Directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the National Park Service (NPS), to: (1) acquire for the Museum property that is located adjacent to the National Monument or in any other area of the African Burial Ground National Historic Landmark in the city other than the location adjacent to the Monument, and (2) construct the Museum on the acquired property. Establishes within the Department of the Interior the African Burial Ground Advisory Council to: (1) make recommendations to the Secretary on the construction of the Museum, and (2) advise and assist the Secretary on all matters relating to the operation and preservation of the Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2012
Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution - Calls upon the President to: (1) ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide; and (2) accurately characterize in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide and to recall the proud history of U.S. intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2012
Recognizes the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the modern state of Italy. Celebrates the ties of kinship and democratic values that unite the United States and Italy. Honors the service of Italy's soldiers, sailors, and airmen alongside U.S. forces most recently in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Reaffirms the friendship between the government and people of the United States and the government and people of Italy.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2012
United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 - States that it is U.S. policy to: (1) reaffirm the commitment to Israel's security as a Jewish state, (2) provide Israel with the military capabilities to defend itself and help preserve its qualitative military edge, (3) expand military and civilian cooperation, (4) assist in a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that results in two states living side by side in peace and security, and (5) encourage Israel's neighbors to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should take specified actions to assist in Israel's defense. Amends the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005 to extend authority to transfer certain obsolete or surplus Department of Defense (DOD) items to Israel. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to extend authority to make additions to foreign-based defense stockpiles. Amends the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003 to extend specified loan guarantee authority to Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2012
Project Rebuild Act - Appropriates funds for assistance to eligible entities, including state and local governments, and qualified nonprofit organizations, businesses or eligible consortia, for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed-upon properties and for stabilization of affected neighborhoods (Project Rebuild). Allows such grantees to give priority emphasis and consideration to areas that have lost occupiable housing stock within three years of the enactment of this Act due to the effects of presidentially declared disasters. Allows the use of funds to: (1) establish financing mechanisms for the purchase and redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed-upon properties; (2) purchase and rehabilitate such properties; (3) establish and operate land banks for them, as well as for properties demolished or severely damaged by presidentially declared disasters; (4) demolish blighted structures (except public housing); and (5) redevelop abandoned, foreclosed, demolished, or vacant properties. Requires each state to receive at least $20 million of formula funds, all of which shall be used with respect to low and moderate-income individuals and families. Requires each state and local government grantee to establish procedures to create preferences for development of affordable rental housing. Allows a grantee to use up to 10% to create jobs by establishing and operating a program to maintain eligible neighborhood properties. Subjects amounts appropriated, revenues generated, and amounts otherwise made available under this Act to: (1) the requirement of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 that all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors on federally-assisted projects be paid wages at the locally prevailing rates (Davis-Bacon Act); and (2) the Secretary's authority to waive such wage rate and certain employment protection requirements with respect to grants to Indian tribes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Medical Debt Responsibility Act of 2012 - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit a consumer reporting agency from making any report containing information related to a fully paid or settled medical debt that had been characterized as delinquent, charged off, or in collection which, from the date of payment or settlement, antedates the report by more than 45 days.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Reaffirms the commitment of the United States to democracy, human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law, and supports the Iranian people in their calls for a democratic government that respects such rights and freedoms. Condemns Iran's human rights violations. Urges the President, the Secretary of State, and world leaders to express support for the universal rights and freedoms of the Iranian people and to condemn elections that are not free and do not meet international standards.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Acknowledges the tremendous contributions of African Americans to the history of the United States and that all people of the United States are recipients of the history given to us by black culture. Recognizes Black History Month as an opportunity to reflect on U.S. history. Encourages learning from the past in order to understand the experiences that have shaped the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Authorizes the use of the rotunda and Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol on January 21, 2013, by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies in connection with the proceedings and ceremonies conducted for the inauguration of the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2012
Establishes a Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies to make the necessary arrangements for the inauguration of the President-elect and the Vice President-elect of the United States on January 21, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2012
Designates the first Tuesday in March as National Public Higher Education Day. Recognizes the importance of public higher education for growing a skilled domestic workforce, promoting research and innovation, and advancing our global competitiveness.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2012
Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to classify military working dogs as canine members of the Armed Forces. Requires that such dogs no longer be classified as equipment. Provides that if a dog should be retired, and no suitable adoption is available at the military facility where the dog is located, the dog may transferred to the 341st Training Squadron or to another location for adoption. Authorizes the acceptance of the donation of frequent traveler miles to facilitate the adoption of a dog. Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain a system to provide for the lifetime veterinary care of retired, adopted dogs. Requires the Secretary to administer the system under a contract awarded by the Secretary to a private non-profit entity. Requires such care to meet standards that the Secretary shall establish and periodically update. Requires any costs of the operation and administration of the system and of any veterinary care provided under the system to be covered by such combination of the following as the Secretary and the non-profit entity jointly consider appropriate: (1) contributions from the non-profit entity, (2) payments for such care by owners or guardians of such dogs, and (3) other appropriate non-federal sources of funds. Prohibits the use of federal funds to provide care or operate the system, except for funds used to establish or administer the system, establish standards of care, or prescribe related regulations. Directs the Secretary to create a decoration or other appropriate recognition to recognize dogs that are killed in action or perform an exceptionally meritorious or courageous act in service to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2012
State Witness Protection Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose criminal penalties on any person who kills, or attempts to kill, a witness in a state or local judicial proceeding, who uses physical force or the threat of force against such a witness, or who offers such witness anything of value with the intent to: (1) influence, delay, or prevent the testimony or attendance of such witness at a state or local judicial proceeding; (2) prevent the production of a record or document in a state or local judicial proceeding; (3) cause or induce any person to withhold testimony or evidence, destroy evidence, evade legal process, or be absent from a state or local judicial proceeding; (4) hinder, delay, or prevent any person from providing information to a state or local law enforcement officer or judge; or (5) retaliate against any person for attending a state or local judicial proceeding or providing information to a law enforcement officer. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to amend guidelines to increase the sentencing range for obstruction of justice if such crime involved threatening, harming, or bribing a witness or the destruction of evidence.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2012
Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Centers) of the Social Security Act to extend through FY2015 funding for family-to-family health information centers.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2012
Affirms that it is a vital national interest of the United States to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability and warns that time is limited to prevent that from happening. Urges increasing economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran to secure an agreement that includes: (1) suspension of all uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, (2) complete cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding Iran's nuclear activities, and (3) a permanent agreement that verifiably assures that Iran's nuclear program is entirely peaceful. Supports: (1) the universal rights and democratic aspirations of the Iranian people, and (2) U.S. policy to prevent the Iranian government from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. Rejects any U.S. policy that would rely on efforts to contain a nuclear weapons-capable Iran. Urges the President to reaffirm the unacceptability of an Iran with nuclear-weapons capability and oppose any policy that would rely on containment as an option in response to the Iranian nuclear threat.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2012
Honors the 50th anniversary of the landmark mission of John Herschel Glenn, Jr., in piloting the first manned orbital mission for the United States. Recognizes the profound importance of John Glenn's achievement as a catalyst for space exploration and scientific advancement in the United States. Honors the thousands of dedicated men and women of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) who worked on Project Mercury and ensured the success of the Friendship 7 Mercury mission.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2012
Expresses support for the mission and goals of the 2012 National Crime Victims' Rights Week to increase public awareness of the impact on victims and survivors of crime and the constitutional and statutory rights and needs of those victims and survivors. Recognizes that fairness, dignity, and respect comprise the very foundation of how victims and survivors of crime should be treated.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2012
Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to make the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) a "covered agency" that may share information with another covered agency or any other federal agency without waiving any privilege applicable to the information. Prohibits information submitted to the CFPB in the course of its supervisory or regulatory process from being construed as waiving, destroying, or affecting any privilege that may be claimed with respect to such information under federal or state law as to any person or entity other than the CFPB, another federal banking agency, a state bank supervisor, or a foreign banking authority.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2012
United States Steel and Security Act of 2012 - Amends federal provisions requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to procure strategic materials critical to national security from materials produced in the United States (Buy American requirements) to include within the definition of "produced" that which is melted or processed in a manner that results in physical or chemical property changes that are the equivalent of melting. Excludes from such term finishing processes such as rolling, heat treatment, quenching, tempering, grinding, or shaving.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2012
Elder Protection and Abuse Prevention Act - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Aging to: (1) ensure that all programs funded under such Act include appropriate training in elder abuse prevention and the provision of services that address elder justice and exploitation, and (2) update periodically the need for and benefit of such training related to prevention of abuse, neglect, and exploitation (including financial exploitation) of older adults. Makes it a duty and function of the Administration on Aging to: (1) establish priority information and assistance services for older individuals; (2) ensure full collaboration between all governmental information and assistance systems that serve older individuals; and (3) develop a National Eldercare Locator Service, with a nationwide toll free number. Directs the Assistant Secretary, by grant or contract with a national nonprofit entity, to establish a National Adult Protective Services Resources Center to improve the capacity of state and local adult protective services programs to: (1) respond effectively to abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults, including home care consumers and residents of long-term care facilities; and (2) coordinate with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Requires each area plan to provide that the area agency on aging: (1) increases public awareness of elder abuse and financial exploitation, and removes barriers to elder abuse education, prevention, investigation, and treatment; (2) coordinates elder justice activities of the area agency on aging, community health centers, other public agencies, and nonprofit private organizations; (3) develops standardized, coordinated, and reporting protocols with respect to elder abuse; and (4) reports instances of elder abuse. Directs the Assistant Secretary to make grants to states under approved state plans for elder abuse and neglect screening. Requires a state operating a nutrition project to encourage individuals who distribute nutrition services to distribute information on diabetes, elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and the annual Medicare wellness exam. Requires a state, an area agency on aging, a nonprofit organization, or a tribal organization that receives a grant for an older individuals' protection from violence project to use it to research and replicate successful models of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation prevention and training. Directs the Assistant Secretary to award grants and enter into contracts with eligible organizations to carry out projects to engage volunteers over 50 years of age in providing support and information to older adults (and their families or caretakers) who have experienced or are at risk of elder abuse. Allows a state to use funds under the National Family Caregiver Support Program to support the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2012
Creating American Prosperity through Preservation Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to tax credits for building rehabilitation expenditures, to: (1) allow an increased 30% credit for projects involving $7.5 million or less in rehabilitation expenditures, (2) provide for an additional 2% credit amount for a building that is a qualified energy efficient rehabilitated building (increased energy efficiency of 30% or more), (3) change the placed-in-service requirement for non-historic rehabilitated buildings from before 1936 to 50 years prior to the year in which qualified rehabilitation expenditures are taken into account, and (4) exempt from tax the proceeds of a state historic tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2012
Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require an individual taxpayer whose adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million to pay a minimum tax rate of 30% of the excess of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income over the taxpayer's modified charitable contribution deduction for the taxable year (tentative fair share tax). Establishes the amount of such tax as the excess (if any) of the tentative fair share tax over the excess of: (1) the sum of the taxpayer's regular tax liability, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) amount, and the payroll tax for the taxable year; over (2) certain tax credits. Provides for a phase-in of such tax. Requires an inflation adjustment to the $1 million income threshold for taxable years beginning after 2013. Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should enact tax reform that repeals unfair and unnecessary tax loopholes and expenditures, simplifies the tax system, and makes sure that the wealthiest taxpayers pay a fair share of taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2012
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to supervise cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2012
Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make the 3.4% interest rate on Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2012, applicable to Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students on or after July 1, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2012
Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Act of 2012 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make matching demonstration grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) in which the student-to-school nurse ratio in each of their public elementary and secondary schools is 750 or more students to every school nurse to reduce such ratio. Gives grant priority to LEAs that serve a high number or percentage of impoverished students and demonstrate the greatest need for new or additional nursing services for their students.
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 · 24 January 2012
Syria Human Rights Accountability Act of 2012 - Directs the President to submit, and update every 180 days and as new information becomes available, the following lists to Congress: (1) Syrian government officials or persons acting on behalf of that government who are responsible for or complicit in the commission of serious human rights abuses against Syrian citizens or their family members, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Syria; (2) persons who knowingly transfer or facilitate the transfer of goods or technologies (weapons, surveillance technology, or sensitive technology) that are likely to be used by Syria to commit human rights abuses against the Syrian people; and (3) persons who engage in censorship that prohibits, limits, or penalizes the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression by Syrian citizens. Directs the President to impose specified property and finance-related sanctions on such listed persons and make them ineligible for U.S. entry. Authorizes the President to waive the listing of a person or the imposition of sanctions if in the U.S. national security interest. Prohibits the head of a federal agency from entering into or renewing a contract for the procurement of goods or services with a person (or a person owning or controlling such person) that exports sensitive technology to Syria. Authorizes the President to exempt certain products from such prohibition. Defines "sensitive technology" as hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, or any other technology that is used to: (1) restrict the free flow of unbiased information in Syria; or (2) disrupt, monitor, or otherwise restrict the speech of the Syrian people.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2011
Pays tribute to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who served in support of operations in Iraq. Calls on the people of the United States to reflect on the service of those members, veterans, and their families, and honor their sacrifices. Commemorates and honors the contributions made by such members and their families as the official combat mission in Iraq draws to a close.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2011
Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to expand the duties of the Office of Management Conference of the Long Island Sound Study by requiring the Office to: (1) conduct or commission studies to strengthen the implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the Long Island Sound, including studies on the impacts of changing temperatures and sea levels on the Sound watershed and on planning initiatives for the Sound that identify the areas that are most suitable for various types of activities to reduce conflicts among uses, reduce environmental impacts, facilitate compatible uses, or preserve critical ecosystem services to meet economic, environmental, security, or social objectives; (2) develop and implement strategies to increase public education and awareness with respect to the ecological health and water quality conditions of the Sound; (3) make publicly available on the Internet information relating to the environmental quality of the Sound; and (4) monitor the progress made toward meeting the identified goals, actions, and schedules of the Plan. Limits the federal share for grants for projects and studies which will help implement the Plan, other than citizen involvement and citizen involvement grants, to 60%. Requires the Office's Director to submit a report that includes: (1) an assessment of the progress made by the Office and the Long Island Sound states in implementing the plan, (2) an assessment of the key ecological attributes that reflect the health of the ecosystem of the Sound watershed, (3) a description of any substantive modifications to the Plan made during the preceding two years, (4) recommendations to improve progress in restoring and protecting the Sound watershed, (5) priority actions for implementation of the Plan for the next two years, and (6) a description of the means by which federal funding and actions will be coordinated with the actions of the Long Island Sound states and other entities. Requires the President to submit, together with the annual U.S. budget, information regarding each federal agency involved in the protection and restoration of the Sound watershed. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Act (EPA) to coordinate the actions of federal agencies that impact water quality in the Sound watershed to improve the water quality and living resources of the watershed. Requires a federal agency that owns or occupies real property, or carries out activities, within the Sound watershed to: (1) participate in regional and subwatershed planning, protection, and restoration activities with respect to the watershed; and (2) ensure that the property and activities carried out by the agency are consistent with the Plan. Amends the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006 to terminate the Long Island Sound Stewardship Advisory Committee on December 31, 2016 (currently 2011). Extends reporting requirements by requiring the Advisory Committee to submit to the Administrator and the decision making body of the Long Island Sound Study Management Conference an annual report through FY2016 on stewardship sites. Makes the amendments to such Act become effective on October 1, 2011. Extends through FY2016 the authorization of appropriations to the Administrator for the implementation of the Management Conference of the Long Island Sound Study, the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006, the Long Island Sound Grants, and Long Island Sound Stewardship Grants.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2011
Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to prescribe regulations requiring each motor carrier owning or leasing at least one motorcoach transporting passengers subject to DOT jurisdiction to display prominently in each motorcoach an understandable letter grade rating system allowing motorcoach passengers to compare the safety performance of motorcoach operators. Requires that such regulations also require motor carriers and any person selling motorcoach tickets to display the rating system in all announcements, advertisements, and points of sale for such motorcoach services and operations. Defines "motorcoach" as the term "over-the-road bus" is defined under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, except that "motorcoach": (1) includes a motor vehicle used to transport passengers that has a gross vehicle weight of at least 10,001 pounds, and (2) excludes a bus used in public transportation that is provided by a state or local government or a school bus.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2011
Community Integrated Nursing Care Homes Demonstration Program Act or the CINCH Demonstration Program Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the CINCH demonstration program to test the viability of multiple small-house nursing care homes that are embedded within residential neighborhoods and collectively certified to provide services through a single eligible operating entity in order to reduce administrative costs and provide cost savings to Medicare and Medicaid programs. Sets forth requirements a small-house nursing care home must meet to be eligible to participate, including requirements to: (1) be certified by a government entity to operate a nursing home; (2) operate in compliance with any direct care and certified nurse assistant staffing requirements under federal, state, and local law; (3) provide nursing home services that shall not be less comprehensive or high-acuity than services provided by the eligible operating entity within the immediate surrounding community; (4) provide for meals cooked in the nursing home; (5) meet specified staffing, care, service, and training levels; and (6) consist of a specified physical environment that is designed to look and feel like a home, rather than an institution. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct the program for a five-year period; (2) select up to six sites to participate, each to be operated by a different entity, with not less than two sites located in rural areas; (3) develop a process to allow a site, after the demonstration program, to continue operation through a single entity and to receive certification as a single provider for purposes of Medicare and Medicaid; and (4) select a technical assistance provider responsible for selecting, assisting, and evaluating the performance of eligible operating entities and ensuring that small-house nursing care homes satisfy this Act's requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2011
Clean Ports Act of 2011 - Declares that federal preemption of state and local law relating to a price, route, or service of any motor carrier of property shall not apply to the authority of a state, local government, or the political authority of two or more states to adopt requirements for motor carriers providing services at port facilities that are reasonably related to the reduction of environmental pollution, traffic congestion, the improvement of highway safety, or the efficient utilization of such port facilities, provided adoption or enforcement of such requirements does not conflict with federal law. Declares that nothing in this Act may be construed to limit the rights reserved to any state or political subdivision of a state under the Clean Air Act.
![Official portrait of Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000148_200.jpg)