United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2011
National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2011 - Establishes the National Criminal Justice Commission. Directs the Commission to: (1) review all areas of the criminal justice system, including federal, state, local, and tribal governments' criminal justice costs, practices, and policies; (2) make findings regarding such review and recommendations for changes to prevent, deter, and reduce crime and violence, reduce recidivism, improve cost-effectiveness, and ensure the interests of justice at every step of the criminal justice system; (3) consult with government and nongovernment leaders, including the United States Sentencing Commission; and (4) submit a final report on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to Congress, the President, and state, local, and tribal governments and make such report available to the public. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Commission should work toward unanimously supported findings and recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2011
Preserving Access to Life-Saving Medications Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require a prescription drug manufacturer to notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) of a discontinuance, interruption, or other adjustment of the manufacture of the drug that would likely result in a shortage of such drug. Requires: (1) six months notice of any discontinuance or planned interruption or adjustment, and (2) notice as soon as practicable after becoming aware of such interruption or adjustment in the case of any other interruption or adjustment. Applies this Act to any approved prescription drug that is not a product that was originally derived from human tissue and was replaced by a recombinant product. Sets forth the types of adjustment for which a manufacturer must submit notice, including: (1) adjustments related to the supply of raw materials, (2) adjustments to production capabilities, (3) business decisions that may affect the manufacture of the drug, and (4) other adjustments as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2011
Medication Therapy Management Empowerment Act of 2011 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to increase the number of diseases and conditions for which beneficiaries may be targeted for medication therapy management (MTM) services. Requires a Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) sponsor to establish a process, subject to approval by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for identifying individuals who are not targeted beneficiaries, are not otherwise offered MTM services, and whom a pharmacist or other qualified provider determines may benefit from MTM services. Requires any such individual to be treated as a targeted beneficiary. Requires any MTM program to offer both comprehensive and targeted medication reviews to individuals dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (under SSA title XIX), regardless of whether they are MTM-targeted beneficiaries. Requires a PDP sponsor to offer any willing pharmacy in its network and any other qualified health care provider the opportunity to provide MTM services. Requires the PDP sponsor to reimburse pharmacists and other qualified health care providers furnishing MTM services based on the resources used and the time required to provide such services. Directs the Secretary of HHS to: (1) establish measures and standards for data collection by PDP sponsors to evaluate performance of pharmacies and other entities in furnishing MTM services; and (2) support the continued development and refinement of performance measures. Provides pharmacies and other entities that furnish MTM services with additional incentive payments based on their performance in meeting quality measures established under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2011
Repeals certain provisions which require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military retired pay or would be entitled to such pay, except for being under 60 years of age. Prohibits recoupment by the Secretary of Defense (DOD) of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund. Repeals the optional authority of (and instead requires) the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an annuity to a member's dependent children when there is no eligible surviving spouse. Directs the Secretary concerned to restore annuity eligibility to a surviving spouse who earlier agreed to transfer such eligibility to a surviving child or children of a member.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2011
Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny to taxpayers with gross revenues in excess of $100 million in a taxable year (applicable large taxpayers): (1) the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs, (2) the tax deduction for qualified tertiary injectant expenses, (3) the exemption from restrictions on the deductibility of passive losses, (4) the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells, and (5) the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas, or primary products thereof. Requires applicable large taxpayers to amortize their geological and geophysical expenditures over a seven-year period. Imposes on producers of taxable crude oil or natural gas a 13% excise tax on the removal price of such oil and natural gas produced from lands on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. Allows a nonrefundable credit against such tax for royalties paid under federal law with respect to the production of such crude oil and natural gas. Denies a foreign tax credit to any large integrated oil company that is subject to a levy of a foreign country or possession of the United States and receives an economic benefit from such country or possession (dual capacity taxpayer) if such country or possession does not impose a generally applicable income tax.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2011
Harriet Tubman National Historical Parks Act - Establishes in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, Maryland, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System. Establishes in Auburn, New York, the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park also as a unit of the National Park System. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with certain entities for the historic preservation, restoration, interpretation, and maintenance of such historical parks. Requires the Secretary to complete a general management plan for them.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2011
Access to Information About Missing Children Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to allow, upon ex parte application to a federal judge or magistrate, the disclosure of any information held by any federal agency to federal officers or employees who are personally and directly engaged in an investigation, judicial or administrative proceeding, or federal grand jury proceeding relating to the case of a missing or exploited child. Prohibits the disclosure of information that would identify a confidential informant or seriously impair a civil or criminal investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2011
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services. Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner, (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law, (3) a certified nurse-midwife, or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2011
Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require all election-related designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under the Act to be filed directly with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that an appropriate site on Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery be provided for a memorial marker, to be paid for with private funds, to honor the memory of the Jewish chaplains who died while on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, so long as the Secretary of the Army has exclusive authority to approve the design and site of the memorial marker.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Deepwater Horizon Survivors' Fairness Act - Amends federal maritime law formerly known as the Shipowners' Liability Act of 1851 to exclude a claim for personal injury or wrongful death arising from the blowout and explosion of the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon that occurred on April 20, 2010 (the Deepwater Horizon incident), from provisions limiting a vessel owner's liability in specified instances to the value of the vessel and its pending freight. Amends the Death on the High Seas Act to allow a civil action in law or in admiralty against the person or vessel responsible for a Deepwater Horizon incident death. (Current law allows only a civil action in admiralty when death is caused by a wrongful act, neglect, or default.) Authorizes any related recovery to include fair compensation for nonpecuniary loss (care, comfort, companionship, and society) plus a fair compensation for the decedent's pain and suffering. (Current law allows only fair compensation for pecuniary loss sustained by the individuals for whose benefit the action is brought.) Amends the Jones Act to authorize any recovery in a civil action at law against the employer of a seaman who dies from the Deepwater Horizon incident to include fair compensation for nonpecuniary loss, plus a fair compensation for the decedent's pain and suffering. (Current law allows only certain wrongful death and survival claims as is available to railway employees.) Permits a plaintiff in certain civil actions for damages for personal injury or wrongful death arising from the Deepwater Horizon incident to: (1) sever such claims from other claims in the action, and (2) prohibit the transfer of such claims for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Commercial Seafood Consumer Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to strengthen federal activities for ensuring that commercially distributed seafood meets federal food quality and safety requirements. Directs the Secretary and other appropriate federal agencies to enter into agreements to strengthen interagency cooperation on seafood safety, labeling, and fraud, including regarding examining and testing seafood imports, inspections of foreign facilities, establishing a distribution chain tracking system, data sharing, and public outreach. Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to report deceptive seafood marketing and fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Directs the Secretary to increase the number of laboratories certified to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards in the United States and in countries that export seafood to the United States to analyze food and ensure that the laboratories comply with applicable federal laws. Authorizes the Secretary to increase the number and capacity of laboratories operated by NOAA involved in testing and other activities under this Act as necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act and as provided for in appropriations Acts. Sets forth provision authorizing: (1) the refusal of admission of imported seafood or seafood products originating from a country or exporter if such seafood does not meet federal requirements, and (2) increased inspection of shipments of seafood from countries that do not meet federal requirements and that lack adequate certified laboratories. Authorizes the Secretary to send inspectors to an originating country or exporter to assess seafood practices and processes and to provide technical assistance related to U.S. requirements. Requires the development and publication of an annual list of standardized names to identify seafood at the distribution, marketing, and consumer retail stages.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Discount Pricing Consumer Protection Act - Amends the Sherman Act to declare that any contract, combination, conspiracy, or agreement setting a minimum price below which a product or service cannot be sold by a retailer, wholesaler, or distributor violates the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2011 - Amends the Clayton Act to grant the United States exclusive authority to bring suit for injunctive relief against a common carrier that is not a rail common carrier subject to the jurisdiction of the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Revises provisions prohibiting anticompetitive transactions except for those approved by specified federal agencies acting under certain statutes to eliminate the exemption for certain STB approved transactions. Provides that, in any civil action against a rail common carrier, the U.S. district court shall not be required to defer to the primary jurisdiction of the STB. Empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to regulate, and engage in antitrust enforcement regarding, collective rate agreements and certain transactions, including railroad mergers and acquisitions. Permits treble damages against railroad common carriers in antitrust suits to parties injured by antitrust violations without regard to whether such railroads have filed rates or whether a complaint challenging rates has been filed. Amends federal transportation law to terminate the exemptions from antitrust laws for collective ratemaking agreements. Requires the STB, when reviewing a proposed agreement, to take into account its impact upon shippers, consumers, and affected communities. Revises STB authority to provide that a rail carrier, corporation, or a person participating in an approved transaction is not exempt from specified antitrust laws. Makes such provision inapplicable to any transaction relating to the pooling of railroad cars approved by the STB or its predecessor agency.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Patent Reform Act of 2011 - Defines the "effective filing date" of a claimed invention as the actual filing date of the patent or the application for patent containing a claim to the invention (thus replacing the current first-to-invent system), except as specified. Requires the effective filing date for a claimed invention in an application for reissue or reissued patent to be determined by deeming the claim to the invention to have been contained in the patent for which reissue was sought. Amends federal patent law to rewrite provisions concerning: (1) the conditions for patentability, including a one-year grace period (a prior art exception) for inventors to file an application after certain disclosures of the claimed invention by the inventor or another who obtained the subject matter from the inventor; and (2) false marking actions. Sets forth derived patent provisions. Replaces interference proceedings with derivation proceedings. Replaces the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Amends damages provisions to: (1) require court-identified determination factors and methodologies, (2) provide willful infringement standards, and (3) revise specified defenses and evidentiary requirements. Revises and adds various other rights and requirements related to patents, including regarding: (1) post-grant procedures, (2) inter partes review, (3) reexaminations, (4) citation of prior art, (5) U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) fee setting authority, (6) preissuance submissions by third parties, and (7) venue. Allows appeals of specified Board decisions to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Establishes supplemental examinations to consider, reconsider, and correct information. Revises provisions concerning the residency of federal circuit judges and the facilities and administrative support which must be provided to them. Defines the term "micro entity" for both an assigned and unassigned application, including specifying for both that an entity qualifies as a small entity if it is so defined in regulations issued by the USPTO Director and has not been named on five or more previously filed patent applications. Deems any strategy for reducing, avoiding, or deferring tax liability insufficient to differentiate a claimed invention from the prior art when evaluating specified conditions of patentability. Prohibits using a failure to disclose the best mode as a basis on which any claim of a patent may be canceled or held invalid or otherwise unenforceable.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem to be adulterated: (1) food intended for children three years of age or younger if the container is composed of bisphenol A (BPA); (2) a baby bottle or cup that is intended for use by children three years of age or younger, that does not contain a food when such bottle or cup is sold or distributed at retail, and that is composed of BPA; and (3) infant formula if the container (excluding packaging on the outside of a container that does not come into contact with infant formula powder) is composed of BPA. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) issue a revised safety assessment for food containers composed of BPA, taking into consideration different types of such containers and the use of such containers with respect to different foods; and (2) determine whether there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure to BPA through food containers or other items composed of BPA, taking into consideration potential adverse effects from low-dose exposure and the effects of exposure on vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, infants, children, the elderly, and populations with high exposure to BPA.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), within 30 days after this Act's enactment, to finalize the proposed rule entitled "Oil Pollution Prevention; Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Rule Requirements--Amendments" to exempt certain milk containers and associated piping and appurtenance from the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure program. Prohibits the Administrator from taking regulatory action against dairy and dairy product producers, processors, handlers, and distributors related to such exemption until the effective date of the finalized rule.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal a provision (added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) that extends to corporations that are not tax-exempt the requirement to report payments of $600 or more.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Gun Show Background Check Act of 2011 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require registration of gun show promoters and to set forth the responsibilities of promoters, licensees, and other transferors. Provides that if any part of a firearm transaction takes place at a gun show, each licensed importer, manufacturer, and dealer who transfers one or more firearms to a person who is not licensed shall, within 10 days after the transfer, submit a report of the transfer to the Attorney General. Sets forth penalties for violations. Grants the Attorney General authority to enter the place of business of any gun show promoter and any place where a gun show is held, during business hours and without a showing of reasonable cause or a warrant, for purposes of examining records and the inventory of licensees conducting business to determine compliance with this Act. Increases penalties for: (1) serious record-keeping violations by licensees; and (2) violations of criminal background check requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to authorize the Attorney General to deny the transfer of a firearm or the issuance of a firearms or explosives license or permit (or revoke such license or permit) if the Attorney General: (1) determines that the transferee is known (or appropriately suspected) to be engaged in terrorism or has provided material support or resources for terrorism; and (2) has a reasonable belief that the transferee may use a firearm in connection with terrorism. Allows any individual whose firearms or explosives license application has been denied to bring legal action to challenge the denial. Extends the prohibition against the sale or distribution of firearms or explosives to include individuals whom the Attorney General has determined to be engaged in terrorist activities. Imposes criminal penalties on individuals engaged in terrorist activities who smuggle or knowingly bring firearms into the United States. Authorizes the Attorney General to withhold information in firearms and explosives license denial revocation lawsuits and from employers if the Attorney General determines that the disclosure of such information would likely compromise national security.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit: (1) the transfer or possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, except for its lawful possession within the United States on or before the date of this Act's enactment; and (2) the importation or bringing into the United States of such a device. Sets forth exceptions to such ban. Sets penalties for violations. Requires a large capacity ammunition feeding device manufactured after this Act's enactment to be identified by a serial number that clearly shows that the device was manufactured after enactment and such other identification as the Attorney General may prescribe.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) ensure the deployment of a nationwide public safety interoperable broadband network in the 700 MHz band which is deployed in both rural and urban areas; (2) reallocate and integrate the 700 MHz D block spectrum for use by public safety entities; (3) permit flexible use of the narrowband spectrum; (4) ensure that the nationwide public safety broadband network is fully interoperable on a nationwide basis; and (5) establish a 10-year public safety advisory board. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to increase the electromagnetic spectrum allocation for public safety services by 10 megahertz. Permits the FCC, if consistent with the public interest for a licensee to relinquish voluntarily some or all of its licensed spectrum usage rights in order to permit the assignment of new initial licenses, to disburse to that licensee portions of the auction proceeds related to the new use that are attributable to the licensee's relinquished spectrum usage. Extends FCC auction authority until September 30, 2020. Authorizes secondary use of the public safety spectrum, subject to specified limitations and conditions. Establishes in the Treasury: (1) the Public Safety Interoperable Broadband Network Construction Fund; and (2) the Public Safety Interoperable Broadband Network Maintenance and Operation Fund. Directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish a grant program to assist public safety entities establish a nationwide public safety interoperable broadband network in the 700 MHz band.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific attack that occurred at the "Congress on your Corner" event hosted by Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, on January 8, 2011. Offers heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those killed in that attack. Expresses hope for the rapid and complete recovery of those wounded in the shooting. Honors the memory of Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman. Applauds the bravery and quick thinking exhibited by those who prevented the gunman from taking more lives and helped to save those who had been wounded. Recognizes the service of the first responders who raced to the scene and the health care professionals who tended to the victims once they reached the hospital and whose service and skill saved lives. Reaffirms the bedrock principle of American democracy and representative government, memorialized in the First Amendment and which Representative Giffords herself read in the Hall of the House of Representatives on January 6, 2011, of "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Stands firm in the belief in a democracy in which all can participate and in which intimidation and threats of violence cannot silence the voices of any American. Honors the service and leadership of Representative Giffords, a distinguished Member of the House of Representatives, as she courageously fights to recover. States that when the Senate adjourns on this day, it does so out of respect to the victims of this attack.
United States · United States Congress · 22 December 2010
Makes a technical correction to delete a certain cross reference in S.Res. 700 (approving specified regulations issued by the Office of Compliance on March 21, 2008, applying certain veteran preference requirements of the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 to the Senate and Senate employees).
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2010
Security Screening Confidential Data Privacy Act - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or prison term of up to one year on any individual who: (1) photographs or otherwise records an image produced using advanced imaging technology during the screening of an individual at an airport or upon entry into any building owned or operated by the federal government without express authorization pursuant to a federal law or regulation; or (2) distributes such image to any individual who is not authorized pursuant to a federal law or regulation to receive it. Exempts: (1) individuals who record or distribute an image soley to be used in a criminal investigation or prosecution; and (2) journalists who publish an image in good faith that the image was not recorded or distributed in violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2010
Preventing Sex Offenders Access to Children in Our Communities Act of 2010 - Amends the Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act to require jurisdictions subject to such Act (i.e., states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and certain Indian tribes) to prohibit registered sex offenders from: (1) accepting a position of employment, including a volunteer position, which by the inherent nature of the position places such sex offender in direct and substantial contact with minors; or (2) obtaining a permit or permission to carry out an activity or performance that would present direct and substantial contact with minors. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants and enter into contracts with public agencies or nonprofit private organizations to establish a community accessible sex offender tips and support program to provide for anonymous or confidential tips regarding sex offenders who are not complying with registration or other applicable requirements. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) coordinate with the head of each executive agency to determine which government publications could be made available on government web sites and no longer printed; (2) devise a strategy to reduce overall government printing costs by not less than $15 million over a five-year period beginning with FY2011; and (3) ensure that essential printed documents continue to be made available to Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries and individuals living in areas with limited Internet access or use.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2010
Erin's Law - Amends part B (Child and Family Services) of title IV (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award Erin Maxwell memorial grants to eligible Indian tribes or tribal organizations for hiring child protective services workers.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2010
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 - Provides for repeal of the current Department of Defense (DOD) policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces, to be effective 60 days after the Secretary of Defense has received DOD's comprehensive review on the implementation of such repeal, and the President, Secretary, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) certify to the congressional defense committees that they have considered the report and proposed plan of action, that DOD has prepared the necessary policies and regulations to exercise the discretion provided by such repeal, and that implementation of such policies and regulations is consistent with the standards of military readiness and effectiveness, unit cohesion, and military recruiting and retention. Provides that, until such time as the above conditions are met, the current policy shall remain in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2010
Approves specified regulations issued by the Office of Compliance on March 21, 2008, applying certain veteran preference requirements of the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 to the Senate and Senate employees.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2010
Approves specified regulations issued by the Office of Compliance on March 21, 2008, applying certain veteran preference requirements of the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 to certain legislative branch employing offices and their covered employees.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2010
Condemns the November 2010 attack by the government of North Korea against the Republic of Korea in violation of the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement. Expresses deep condolences to the government and people of the Republic of Korea, especially the families on Yeonpyeong Island who suffered from this attack and lost their loved ones. Recognizes that maintaining peace on the Korean peninsula requires constant vigilance and stands with the people and the government of the Republic of Korea in this time of crisis. Calls on the international community, especially China, to condemn this attack and enjoin the government of North Korea to halt all nuclear activities in accord with U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874, and refrain from further actions that may destabilize the Korean Peninsula. Calls on the President to work with the government of the Republic of Korea to take all necessary steps to deter further North Korean aggression. Urges the Administration to continue a bilateral economic relationship with the Republic of Korea. Reaffirms the commitment of the United States to its alliance with the Republic of Korea.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2010
Criminal History Background Checks Pilot Extension Act of 2010 - Amends the PROTECT Act to extend the Child Safety Pilot Program (allowing certain volunteer organizations to obtain national and state criminal history background checks on their volunteers).
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2010
Flood Insurance Affordability and Risk Notification Act - Amends the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 to delay, for a five-year period, the effective date for the mandatory purchase of flood insurance for certain new flood hazard areas not previously designated as having special flood hazards (with "100-year floodplains"). Limits such delay to geographic areas whose state or local governments have developed an evacuation plan and implemented an outreach and communication plan to advise occupants of flood risks and evacuation routes. Makes the preferred risk rate method premium available for flood insurance coverage for properties located in such areas during such five-year time period. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to set forth a five-year phase-in of flood insurance rates for newly mapped areas not previously designated as having special flood hazards. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) work to enhance communication and outreach to states, local communities, and property owners about the effects of any potential changes or updates to National Flood Insurance Program rate maps, including their effects on flood insurance purchase requirements; (2) engage with local communities to enhance communication and outreach to their residents; and (3) make certain information available to the public on the FEMA website, including information on the availability and cost of flood insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2010
Healthy Food Financing Initiative - Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) a Healthy Food Financing Initiative to provide assistance in order to: (1) improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas; (2) create and preserve quality jobs; and (3) revitalize low-income communities by providing loans and grants to eligible food retailers to overcome the higher costs and initial barriers to entry in underserved, urban, suburban, and rural areas.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2010
Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act of 2010 - Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act, title II of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009, to extend: (1) through 2011 the $250 economic recovery payments to recipients of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (title XVI of the Social Security Act), railroad retirement benefits, and veterans disability compensation or pension benefits; and (2) through 2011 the special tax credit for certain government retirees. Makes additional appropriations through FY2013 to cover such payments.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2010
Unemployment Insurance Stabilization Act of 2010 or USA Act - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Extends the final date for entering a federal-state agreement under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program through January 3, 2012. Postpones the termination of the program until June 9, 2012. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until January 4, 2012, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and June 10, 2012, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 to authorize a state by law to apply certain requirements of the Act, with specified substitutions, for determining an extended unemployment compensation period. Requires the state's "on" and "off" indicators to be based on its rate of insured unemployment and rate of total unemployment for the period between enactment of this Act (or, if later, the date established pursuant to state law), and ending on or before December 31, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2010
Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act of 2010 - Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act, title II of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009, to extend: (1) through 2011 the $250 economic recovery payments to recipients of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (title XVI of the Social Security Act), railroad retirement benefits, and veterans disability compensation or pension benefits; and (2) through 2011 the special tax credit for certain government retirees. Makes additional appropriations through FY2013 to cover such payments.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2010
Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize and extend funding for a grant program for reducing diesel emissions. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) provide contracts and rebates to eligible entities to achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions; and (2) support rebate programs administered by states that are designed to achieve such reductions. Includes among entities eligible to receive funding for reducing diesel emissions: (1) an entity that has the capacity to sell diesel vehicles or equipment to, and arrange financing for, individuals or entities that own or operate diesel fleets or to upgrade diesel vehicles or equipment with verified or EPA-certified engines or technologies; and (2) any private individual or entity that is the owner of record of a diesel vehicle or fleet and that acts pursuant to a contract, license, or lease with a federal, regional, state, local, or tribal agency or port authority with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality and in accordance with requirements for notice and approval as the Administrator of the EPA may establish for the use of vehicles to be purchased or retrofitted using a grant, rebate, or loan under such Act. Includes Puerto Rico within the meaning of "state" under such Act. Revises provisions concerning the distribution and use of, and applications for, funds.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Amends title VIII (Impact Aid) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to complete Impact Aid payments to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) within three fiscal years of their appropriation. (The Impact Aid program compensates LEAs for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their school districts.)
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to include as an account, for purposes of determining consumer liability for unauthorized electronic fund transfers, an account of a municipality or a school district used for the purpose of carrying out the official duties of that municipality or school district. Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to issue final rules to define the terms "municipality" and "school district" for purposes of, and to otherwise carry out, this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Wrongful Convictions Tax Relief Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow wrongfully incarcerated individuals: (1) an exclusion from gross income for compensation received relating to their incarceration and for the first $50,000 of annual income received by such an individual after December 31, 2009; and (2) a refundable tax credit for 50% of payroll taxes on employment and self-employment income, up to $50,000 of such income. Limits the duration of such tax benefits to the lesser of 15 years or the number of years such an individual was incarcerated. Defines "wrongfully incarcerated individual" as an individual who was convicted of a criminal offense and was then pardoned or found not guilty of such offense because of innocence after serving all or a portion of a prison term. Disqualifies individuals with prior convictions punishable by more than one year of imprisonment.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week, 2010. Encourages: (1) children and teens to live drug-free lives; and (2) people in the United States to promote drug-free communities and to participate in drug prevention activities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2010
Job Preservation for Parents in Poverty Act - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to revise and extend the Emergency Contingency Fund for State Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Programs (Emergency Contingency Fund) at current levels through the first quarter of FY2011. Places a certain amount of appropriations in reserve for use in FY2012. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from making a grant from the Emergency Contingency Fund for a fiscal year after FY2012. Limits expenditures for subsidized employment to employment for: (1) a member of a needy family (without regard to whether the family is receiving assistance under the state TANF program); or (2) a member of a needy family who has exhausted (or, within 60 days, will exhaust) all rights to receive unemployment compensation under federal and state law. Reduces the funding level of the (regular) Contingency Fund for State Welfare Programs for FY2012 and FY2013 (to offset appropriations for this Act).
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2010
H-2A Improvement Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include within the H-2A nonimmigrant visa category (temporary agricultural workers) an alien coming temporarily to the United States to work as a sheepherder, goat herder, or dairy worker. Exempts an employer filing a petition to employ such a worker from the requirement to show that the position is of a seasonal or temporary nature. Provides for a three-year initial period of admission with additional three-year extensions. Authorizes such alien to petition to become a lawful permanent resident after having worked as a sheepherder, goat herder, or dairy worker in the United States for not fewer than 33 of the preceding 36 months.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2010
Designates October 30, 2010, as a national day of remembrance for U.S. nuclear weapons program workers, including uranium miners, millers, and haulers. Encourages the people of the United States to support and participate in appropriate ceremonies, programs, and other activities to commemorate such date as a national day of remembrance for past and present workers in the U.S. nuclear weapons program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2010
Notification of Origin of Telecommunications and Internet Consumer Exchanges Act of 2010 or NOTICE Act of 2010 - Requires business entities that initiate or receive certain customer service communications to disclose their physical location if located outside the United States. Directs each such business entity to annually certify to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it has complied or failed to comply with the disclosure. Treats such a business entity's failure to comply as a regulatory violation under the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA) regarding unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Requires FTC enforcement and subjects violators to penalties under the FTCA.
![Official portrait of Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000148_200.jpg)