United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2011
Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend to all domestic corporations, including S corporations, provisions allowing deferral of tax on gain from the sale of employer securities to an S corporation-sponsored employer stock ownership plan (ESOP). Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish the S Corporation Employee Ownership Assistance Office to foster increased employee ownership of S corporations. Amends the Small Business Act to define "ESOP business concern" and allow such a concern to continue to qualify for loans, preferences, and other programs under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2011
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Mark Hatfield, a former member of the Senate from Oregon. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on September 6, 2011, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Hatfield.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2011
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Reauthorizes and revises the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to appoint 28 directors (currently, 23) who are knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to conservation of fish, wildlife, or other natural resources and represent a balance of expertise in ocean, coastal, freshwater, and terrestrial resource conservation. Removes limitations on the appointment of such Foundation's officers and employees. Requires the Foundation's Executive Director to be appointed by and serve at the direction of the Board as the chief executive officer and to be knowledgeable and experienced in matters relating to fish and wildlife conservation. Gives the Foundation the power to receive and administer restitution and community service payments, amounts for mitigation of impacts to natural resources, and other amounts arising from legal, regulatory, or administrative proceedings, subject to the condition that the amounts are received or administered for purposes that further the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants, and other natural resources. Repeals provisions authorizing the Foundation to establish a national whale conservation endowment fund. Authorizes appropriations for the Foundation for FY2011-FY2015. Authorizes the Foundation to: (1) assess and collect fees for the management of amounts received from federal agencies, and (2) use such federal funds for matching contributions made by private persons, state and local agencies, and other entities (current law requires such use).
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2011
Amends the Budget Control Act of 2011 to require each meeting of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (except any discussing classified information) to be made open to the public and available for television coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2011
Expresses support for: (1) improvement in the collection, processing, and consumption of recyclable material throughout the United States in order to create well-paying jobs, foster innovation and investment in recycling infrastructure, and stimulate the economy; (2) strengthening the U.S. manufacturing base in order to rebuild the domestic economy; (3) a competitive marketplace for recyclable materials; (4) the trade of recyclable commodities; (5) U.S. policies that promote recycling and recyclable materials, that promote using recyclable materials as feedstock to produce new basic materials and finished products, and that establish the equitable treatment of recycled materials; (6) research and development of new technologies to more efficiently and effectively recycle materials such as automobile shredder residue and cathode ray tubes and to remove materials that are impediments to recycling; (7) Design for Recycling to ensure that a good can be recycled safely and economically at the end of its useful life; and (8) the participation of U.S. households, businesses, and governmental entities in recycling programs. Recognizes that the U.S. scrap recycling industry is critical to the future of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2011
Designates August 16, 2011, as National Airborne Day (to recognize the airborne forces of the U.S. Armed Forces). Calls on the people of the United States to observe National Airborne Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2011
Commercial Truck Safety Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a program to improve commercial motor vehicle safety on Interstate System (IS) highways. Directs the Secretary to initiate a rulemaking to establish a demonstration program under which a state governor may request from the Secretary a three-year waiver for covered trucks (six-axle trucks with a maximum gross weight of up to 100,000 pounds) to operate on the state's IS highways. Requires a state, as a condition for receiving a waiver, to: (1) collect data on the waiver's effects, particularly on accident rates involving heavier trucks; and (2) establish a safety committee to review such data.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2011
Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Reauthorization Act or the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities with respect to research on the causes of preterm labor and delivery, tools to detect, prevent, or reduce prevalence of preterm labor and delivery, and the care and treatment of preterm infants. Establishes within NIH a multicenter clinical program to investigate problems in clinical obstetrics, improve the care and outcomes of neonates, and enhance the understanding of DNA and proteins as they relate to the underlying processes that lead to preterm birth. Requires the Director to award grants for planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic operating support for transdisciplinary research centers for prematurity. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Surgeon General, to establish and implement a national science-based provider and consumer education campaign on promoting healthy pregnancies and preventing preterm birth. Reauthorizes provisions related to research on prematurity and preterm births and sets forth specific areas for such research. Requires the Director of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to award grants to establish demonstration projects for: (1) obstetrical services for high risk women of child bearing age remotely using telehealth; and (2) educational activities regarding risk factors for preterm birth. Expands a demonstration project to inform health care providers and the public and improve treatment and outcome for babies born preterm. Requires the Secretary to establish the Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality. Requires a study on hospital readmissions of preterm births.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011
Condemns: (1) the terrorist attacks that occurred in Norway on July 22, 2011, causing many deaths and injuries; and (2) all terrorist actions, including those motivated by hatred and religious or cultural intolerance. Expresses sympathy to the victims of the atrocious acts, their families, and the people and government of Norway. Emphasizes the bonds of friendship and shared heritage between the United States and Norway. Calls on all people to join together to denounce acts of hatred and fear and promote peace and tolerance in their communities and around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2011
Authorizes the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate the mission of the Peace Corps and the ideals on which it was founded.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2011
Air Ambulance Medicare Accreditation and Accountability Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to condition Medicare payment for air ambulance services upon: (1) provision by the supplier or service provider for appropriate medical oversight by a physician, and (2) accreditation of the air ambulance as level III or higher. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish a process for accrediting air ambulances according to three specified levels of accreditation, from lowest to highest; (2) consider certain factors in designating accreditation organizations; (3) establish criteria for use by an accreditation organization to evaluate an air ambulance; and (4) establish certain requirements for the collection of related data. Prohibits reimbursement for air ambulance services under a state plan under SSA title XVII (Medicaid) unless the state develops licensing and regulatory requirements for such services that comply with federal guidelines. Directs the Secretary to establish a revised air ambulance rate structure under the Medicare fee schedule. Requires sole community air ambulance services originating in a rural area to be reimbursed at a higher rate than for services by a non-sole community air ambulance. Requires the Secretary to reduce the update for ambulance services for the failure of suppliers and providers to submit certain quality data to the Secretary . Authorizes the Secretary to arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies to study ground critical care transport.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2011
Recognizes September 11, 2011, as a day of solemn commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001, and as a day to come together as a nation. Offers deepest and most sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Honors the heroic service, actions, and sacrifices of first responders, law enforcement personnel, state and local officials, volunteers, and countless others who aided the innocent victims of those attacks and, in doing so, bravely risked and often gave their own lives. Recognizes the valiant service, actions, and sacrifices of U.S. personnel, including members of the Armed Forces and their families, to support the cause of freedom and defend the security of the United States. Reaffirms that the people of the United States will never forget the challenges our country endured on and since September 11, 2001, and will work tirelessly to defeat those who attacked the United States. Calls upon all people and institutions of the United States, on the 10th anniversary of this tragic day in U.S. history, to observe a moment of remembrance on September 11, 2011. Encourages the observance of the moment of remembrance or prayer to last for one minute beginning at 1:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2011
Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a 30% tax credit for investment in a qualifying offshore wind facility (an offshore facility using wind to produce electricity), and (2) direct the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a qualifying credit for offshore wind facilities program to consider and award certifications for investments eligible for such a credit to qualifying offshore wind facility sponsors. Requires the Secretary to review credits allocated under this Act periodically and authorizes the Secretary to make additional allocations and reallocations of such credits upon determining that: (1) the limit on the total amount of megawatt capacity for offshore facilities with respect to which credits may be allocated under the program has not been attained, or (2) scheduled placed-in-service dates of previously certified facilities have been significantly delayed and the applicant will not meet the required timeline.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2011
No Child Left Inside Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, as a prerequisite to receiving implementation grants, to develop environmental literacy plans, approved by the Secretary of Education, for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 that include environmental education standards and teacher training. Directs the Secretary to award Environmental Education Professional Development Grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to partnerships that include a local educational agency (LEA) and, permissibly, institutions of higher education (IHE), other educational entities, or federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, for activities involving, among other things, teacher training and the development of more rigorous environmental education curricula that advance the teaching of interdisciplinary courses. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, IHEs, other educational entities, federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, or park and recreation departments, for activities to improve and support environmental education that include: (1) advancing content and achievement standards, and (2) developing or disseminating innovations or model programs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2011
Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from requiring a permit under national pollutant discharge elimination system permitting requirements for a discharge resulting from the conduct of any silvicultural activity, such as nursery operations, site preparation, reforestation, thinning, prescribed burning, pest and fire control, harvesting operations, surface drainage, or road use, construction, and maintenance, from which there is runoff. Specifies that nothing in this Act exempts silvicultural activity from permit requirements for the discharge of dredged or fill material into navigable waters.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2011
Affordable Medicines Utilization Act of 2011 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, with respect to FY2012-FY2014, to require an increase in the quarterly Medicaid payment to a state by 50% of the generic drug utilization savings amount if the state's generic substitution rate for the most recent preceding fiscal year for which data is available is greater than its rate for the most recent second preceding fiscal year for which data is available. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine the state's generic substitution rate for such fiscal years. Defines "generic substitution rate" as the share of all drug units for which Medicaid payment is made to a state for the 20 most widely prescribed multiple source drugs under the state program that have a specific National Drug Code.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2011
Recognizes September 11, 2011, as a day of solemn commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001, and as a day to come together as a nation. Offers deepest and most sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Honors the heroic service, actions, and sacrifices of first responders, law enforcement personnel, state and local officials, volunteers, and countless others who aided the innocent victims of those attacks and, in doing so, bravely risked and often gave their own lives. Recognizes the valiant service, actions, and sacrifices of U.S. personnel, including members of the Armed Forces and their families, to support the cause of freedom and defend the security of the United States. Reaffirms that the people of the United States will never forget the challenges our country endured on and since September 11, 2001, and will work tirelessly to defeat those who attacked the United States. Calls upon all people and institutions of the United States, on the 10th anniversary of this tragic day in U.S. history, to observe a moment of remembrance on September 11, 2011. Encourages the observance of the moment of remembrance to last for one minute beginning at 1:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011
Pilot's Bill of Rights - Requires National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) proceedings for the review of decisions of the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to deny, amend, modify, suspend, or revoke an airman's certificate to be conducted, to the extent practicable, in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. Requires the Administrator to: (1) advise the subject of an investigation involving the approval, denial, suspension, modification, or revocation of an airman certificate of specified information pertinent to the investigation; and (2) provide him or her with access to relevant air traffic data. Allows an individual to elect to file an appeal of a certificate denial, a punitive civil action, or an emergency order of revocation in the U.S. district court in which individual resides, in which the action in question occurred, or the district court for the District of Columbia. Allows an adversely affected individual who elects not to file an appeal in a federal district court to file such appeal with the NTSB. Directs the Administrator to begin a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Improvement Program to improve the system of providing airmen with pertinent and timely information before a flight in the national airspace system. Makes Flight Service Station briefings and other air traffic services performed by Lockheed Martin or any other government contractor available to airmen under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Requires the Administrator to review the FAA system for the medical certification of airmen in order to: (1) revise the medical application form, (2) align medical qualification policies with present-day qualified medical judgment and practices, and (3) publish objective medical standards to advise the public of the criteria determining an airman's medical certificate eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2011
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to require each Department of State regional bureau to annually submit a list of goals for combating trafficking in persons (trafficking) for each country in its geographic area of responsibility. Authorizes the Secretary of State to appoint anti-trafficking officers at U.S. embassies who shall: (1) collaborate with other countries to eliminate human trafficking, (2) enhance Department of State anti-trafficking efforts, (3) monitor regional trafficking trends, and (4) assist U.S. embassies to prepare the annual Trafficking in Persons Reports. Directs the President to establish programs with foreign governments and civil society to enhance anti-trafficking capacity. Authorizes the Secretary of State, through the Ambassador-at-Large of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, to: (1) establish a fund to assist foreign governments in meeting urgent needs in trafficking prevention, victim protection, and prosecution of trafficking offenders; and (2) provide assistance for each country with a high prevalence of trafficking that enters into a child protection compact with the United States. Amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to require that a video about U.S. legal rights and resources be developed and shown in embassies and consulates with the greatest concentrations of aliens applying for employment- or education-based nonimmigrant visas. Amends the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to include labor contract fraud under the scope of such Act. Amends the federal criminal code to subject a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien who resides overseas and engages in illicit sexual conduct, including sex trafficking, with a person under 18 years old to fine and/or imprisonment. Subjects a person to fine and/or imprisonment for the knowing destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation, or possession of certain immigration documents. Increases the statute of limitations to 10 years for a person to bring a civil action for an injury received while a minor that was caused by specified sexual- or forced labor-related violations of federal criminal law. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to: (1) make certain alien trafficking victims who had been in the United States to cooperate with law enforcement but because of serious threats fled the United States eligible for a nonimmigrant T visa (trafficking victims cooperating with law enforcement), and (2) make an alien who was the victim of foreign labor contracting fraud eligible for a nonimmigrant U visa (victims of certain crimes). Revises certain trafficking-related reporting requirements for the Attorney General (DOJ) and the Secretary of Labor. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of State to provide the Department of Labor with information relating to child labor and forced labor in the production of goods in violation of international standards. Requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress regarding the use of foreign labor contractors. Authorizes the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs to make renewable one-year block grants to four eligible state or local government entities in different regions of the United States to combat sex trafficking of minors. Authorizes FY2012-FY2015 appropriations. Terminates the program four years after enactment of this Act. Authorizes appropriations through FY2015 for grants for local law enforcement investigations and prosecutions of trafficking and commercial sex act violations. Includes in the model state criminal provisions protections for persons under 18 years old who have been arrested for engaging in commercial sex acts. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to authorize appropriations through FY2015 for: (1) the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center, (2) the Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts To Combat Trafficking in Persons, (3) the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, (4) the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, (5) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for trafficking victim assistance, (6) the Secretary of State to combat trafficking, (7) the Attorney General for trafficking victim assistance in the United States and for assistance to foreign countries to combat trafficking, (8) the President for foreign trafficking victims assistance and to foreign countries to meet minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, (9) the Secretary of Labor for trafficking victim assistance in the United States, (10) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for trafficking investigations, and (11) the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) for trafficking investigations by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 to authorize appropriations through FY2015 for studies and conferences addressing trafficking and sex trafficking in the United States. Amends INA to extend specified asylum and removal protections to aliens who are under the age of 18 as of a qualifying event. Amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to direct: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish specified child advocate programs at immigration detention sites for trafficking victims and vulnerable unaccompanied alien children; and (2) the Secretary of Homeland Security, with respect to individuals who reach the age of 18 and are transferred to DHS, to consider placement in the least restrictive setting available, including alternative detention programs. Makes a child granted U visa status eligible for certain assistance for refugee children. Directs GAO to: (1) conduct a study of the effectiveness of the HHS child advocate program, and (2) conduct a study of the effectiveness of DHS border screening of unaccompanied alien children to determine whether they are trafficking victims.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2011
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Prohibits total outlays for any fiscal year from exceeding 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the preceding calendar year unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess over such 18%. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Prohibits any bill from becoming law that imposes a new tax or increases the statutory rate of any tax or the aggregate amount of revenue, unless approved by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber. Requires a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber to increase the federal debt limit. Authorizes waivers of these requirements: (1) when a declaration of war is in effect against a nation-state and Congress, by a majority roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess; or (2) under other specified circumstances involving military conflict, if Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes such waiver. Prohibits a federal or state court from ordering any increase in revenue to enforce this article.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2011
High School Data Transparency Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to collect the following information annually from each coeducational secondary school that receives federal financial assistance and that has an interscholastic athletic program: (1) the number, gender, and race or ethnicity of students that attended the school; and (2) for each team that competed in athletic competition, the number, gender, and race or ethnicity of participants, the total expenditures, the number, gender, and employment status of trainers, medical personnel, and coaches, the number of competitions, and postseason record. Requires such schools to: (1) make such information available to students and potential students, upon request, and to the public by October 15 of each school year; (2) ensure that all students at the school are informed of their right to request such information; and (3) annually provide such information to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure that such information is posted on the Department of Education's website, (2) notify all secondary schools regarding the availability of the information, and (3) issue guidance on how to collect and report the information required under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011
Medicare and Medicaid Fighting Fraud and Abuse to Save Taxpayers' Dollars Act or Medicare and Medicaid FAST Act - Amends part D (Prescription Drug Benefits) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prohibit sponsors of prescription drug plans (PDPs) from paying claims for prescription drugs that do not include the valid National Provider Identifier for the drug's prescriber. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish procedures and rules to restrict access to the National Provider Identifier Registry in order to deter fraudulent use of it. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid), for any state that has established a State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program meeting certain requirements, to decrease by 10% the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) with respect to any amounts recovered by or paid to the state related to an overpayment due to fraud, waste, or abuse. Allows the state to use such amounts to support its State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Directs the Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General jointly to establish a Commission to examine interoperability and other issues related to State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) update daily the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) database of persons registered to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act to reflect any changes in the information in the Death Master File of the Social Security Administration; (2) agree with the Commissioner of Social Security to obtain death information in order to update such database; (3) establish procedures and rules to restrict access to the database to deter its fraudulent use; and (4) establish procedures and rules to review and investigate pharmacy claims under Medicare part D that contain a registration number not assigned to a practitioner by the Attorney General under the Controlled Substances Act. Amends SSA title XVIII to require certain annual reports to describe the types and financial costs to the Medicare program of improper payment vulnerabilities identified by Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs). Requires the Secretary of HHS to develop a plan to revise the beneficiary incentive program under the Health Instance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to encourage greater participation by individuals in reporting fraud and abuse in the Medicare program. Requires the Secretary of HHS to: (1) establish and implement procedures to eliminate the unnecessary collection, use, and display of Social Security account numbers of Medicare beneficiaries; and (2) ensure that each newly issued Medicare identification card meets specified requirements. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a pilot program utilizing smart card technology to evaluate its applicability to the Medicare program and whether such cards would be effective in preventing Medicare fraud. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish policies and procedures for prepayment review, which may include pre-certification, for all claims for reimbursement for durable medical equipment (DME) at high risk of waste, fraud, and abuse, including power wheelchairs. Requires the Secretary of HHS, the HHS Inspector General, and the Attorney General to increase coordination and data sharing. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish: (1) automated prepayment review of all Medicare claims, (2) a plan to facilitate the inclusion of states in the Medicare-Medicaid Data Match Program, and (3) a plan that allows each state Medicaid agency access to relevant data on improper or erroneous Medicare payments for items or services for dual eligible individuals. Prohibits Medicaid payments as well as payments under SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP) unless a claim contains a valid beneficiary identification number and a valid National Provider Identifier. Directs the Secretary to establish Medicare administrative contractor error reduction incentives. Requires the provider enrollment process and provider screening to be separate from any contract to serve as a Medicare administrative contractor. Directs the Secretary of HHS to report to Congress on measurable metrics for improving Medicare contractor performance. Amends SSA title XI to establish penalties for the illegal distribution of a Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP beneficiary identification number or billing privileges.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011
Currency Exchange Rate Transparency Act - Subjects any bill implementing a trade agreement between the United States and another country (or extending permanent normal trade relations) to a point of order unless the bill is accompanied by a Presidential certification, approved by Congress, stating that, in the 10 years prior to the certification, the government of the country has not engaged in the intervention or manipulation of the rate of exchange between its currency and the U.S. dollar in order to prevent effective balance of payments adjustments or gain unfair competitive advantage in international trade.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2011
Amends the Employee Retirement Income and Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to exclude appraisers of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) from the the meaning of a fiduciary subject to ERISA.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011
Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend coverage to custom fabricated breast prostheses after a mastectomy.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2011
Permits any person who entered into a capital construction fund agreement (an agreement to provide replacement vessels, additional vessels, or reconstructed vessels) with respect to certain vessels operated in the fisheries of the United States to make an election to terminate the capital construction fund established under such agreement. Sets forth provisions concerning the effect of such election, including the distribution and taxation of such funds, on individuals and entities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2011
Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Coverage Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize Medicare coverage of home infusion therapy and home infusion drugs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement the Medicare home infusion therapy benefit in a manner that ensures that: (1) Medicare beneficiaries have timely and appropriate access to infusion therapy in their homes, and (2) there is rapid and seamless coordination between drug coverage under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) and home infusion therapy services coverage under Medicare part B (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI).
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2011
Protecting the Privacy of Social Security Numbers Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the display, sale, or purchase of Social Security numbers without the affirmatively expressed consent of the individual, except in specified circumstances. Directs the Attorney General to study all the uses of Social Security numbers permitted, required, authorized, or excepted under any federal law, including the impact of such uses on privacy and data security. Establishes a public records exception to the prohibition. Directs the Comptroller General to study Social Security numbers in public records. Grants the Attorney General rulemaking authority to enforce this Act's prohibition and to implement and clarify the permitted uses occurring as a result of an interaction between businesses, governments, or business and government. Prohibits a commercial entity from requiring an individual to provide a Social Security number when purchasing a commercial good or service or denying an individual the good or service for refusing to provide that number, with exceptions. Establishes civil and criminal penalties. Extends civil monetary penalties for misuse of a Social Security number. Authorizes: (1) criminal penalties under SSA title II for the misuse of a Social Security number, (2) civil actions and civil penalties against persons who violate this Act, and (3) federal injunctive authority with respect to any violation by a public entity.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2011
American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction that is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine that the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition. Increases the cap on the amount of appropriations that may be used to carry out such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2011
21st Century Readiness Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to support 21st century readiness initiatives that fuse core academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to ensure that students are prepared for postsecondary education and careers, upon graduation from secondary school. Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the ESEA to require the Secretary of Education, as part of the national assessment of title I programs, to examine the extent to which such initiatives improve student readiness for postsecondary education and careers. Includes 21st century readiness initiatives in comprehensive school reform programs and school dropout prevention and reentry programs under title I. Amends title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the ESEA to require high-quality professional development programs to incorporate an aligned system of teaching and learning that includes 21st century skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation), standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessments. Requires LEAs to use title II subgrants to enable educators to deliver instruction on higher-order thinking skills and use the latest available technology in doing so. Amends title IV (21st Century Schools) of the ESEA to include 21st century readiness initiatives in 21st Century Community Learning Center activities. (21st Century Community Learning Centers provide students with before and after school programs to improve their academic performance.) Amends title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the ESEA to allow assessment grants to be used by states to develop or improve assessments that use technology to measure core academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking skills to ensure that students can apply a range of skill competencies alongside core academic subject knowledge, and do so in real-world contexts.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Trash Free Seas Act of 2011 - Amends the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act to: (1) restate a purpose of such Act to be to address the adverse impacts of marine debris on the marine environment, navigation safety, and the U.S. economy through research, source identification, assessment, reduction, removal, and prevention; and (2) rename the Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Program as the Marine Debris Program. Revises Program components to include requiring the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to undertake: (1) marine debris research and assessment and reduction and prevention efforts, with a focus on marine debris posing a threat to living marine resources, the marine environment, navigation safety, or the U.S. economy; (2) efforts to prevent, reduce, and remove the occurrence and impacts of marine debris, including the adverse impacts of derelict fishing gear; and (3) outreach and education of the public on sources of marine debris, threats associated with marine debris, and approaches to identify, determine sources of, assess, reduce, remove, and prevent marine debris and its adverse impacts. Requires the federal information clearinghouse on marine debris to include information on best practices. Defines "marine debris" as any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes. Requires the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee ro report on progress in meeting the purposes of such Act every two (currently three) years. Extends the authorization of appropriations for such program and clearinghouse through FY2015.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Combating Autism Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and reauthorize appropriations through FY2014 for programs established under the Combating Autism Act of 2006, including: (1) the developmental disabilities surveillance and research program; (2) the autism education, early detection, and intervention program; and (3) the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to submit a progress report on: (1) activities related to autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities, and (2) implementation of the Combating Autism Act of 2006. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2012-FY2014 for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research on autism spectrum disorders and reviews of centers of excellence.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Enforcing Orders and Reducing Customs Evasion Act of 2011 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require the Commissioner responsible for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to initiate, upon petition or a referral from another federal agency, an investigation into claims of evasion of antidumping or countervailing duties (including any cash deposits or other security) with respect to covered merchandise entered into the United States. Requires the Commissioner, in the case of an affirmative preliminary determination, to: (1) suspend liquidation of each unliquidated entry of the covered merchandise, (2) review and reassess the amount of bond or other security required to be posted for each entry of covered merchandise, (3) require the posting of a cash deposit for each entry, and (4) take other appropriate measures to ensure the collection of any duties that may be owed on covered merchandise. Requires the Commissioner, in the case of an affirmative final determination, to: (1) suspend or continue to suspend liquidation of each entry of covered merchandise, (2) notify the administering authority (Secretary of Commerce or other responsible U.S. officer) of the determination and request identification of the applicable antidumping or countervailing duties or cash deposit rate for such entries, (3) require the posting of cash deposits and assess duties, (4) review and reassess the amount of bond or other security required to be posted for covered merchandise entered on or after the date of such determination, and (5) take appropriate additional enforcement measures. Requires the administering authority to apply the highest applicable cash deposit or antidumping or countervailing duty in cases where the producer or exporter of covered merchandise is unknown. Applies the amendments made by this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico. Requires the Commissioner, to the maximum extent practicable, to ensure that CBP employs and assigns sufficient personnel to prevent the entry of covered merchandise in a manner that evades antidumping and countervailing duty orders or findings. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), the Commissioner, and the Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assess and properly allocate the resources of CBP and ICE to improve efforts to investigate and combat evasion. Directs the Comptroller General to report on: (1) efforts to prevent the entry of covered merchandise into the U.S. customs territory through evasion, and (2) the estimated amount of duties that could not be collected on covered merchandise that entered U.S. customs territory through evasion during FY2009-FY2010 because the Commissioner did not have the authority to reliquidate the entries of such merchandise.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Justice for Troops Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to provide support to public or private programs designed to connect attorneys who provide pro bono legal assistance with members of the Armed Forces who are in need of such assistance. Limits the total amount of financial support in any fiscal year to $500,000. Directs such financial support to be derived from amounts authorized to be appropriated for DOD operation and maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Preservation of Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend through 2013 the minimum payment amount for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) services for bone mass measurement.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Amends the Clean Air Act to revise the renewable fuel program by: (1) requiring the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that transportation fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the United States, on an annual average basis, contains at least the applicable volume of "next generation biofuel" (currently "cellulosic biofuel"); and (2) replacing the term "cellulosic biofuel" with "next generation biofuel." Defines "next generation biofuel" to mean: (1) renewable fuel that is derived from any cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, or algae that is derived from renewable biomass; or (2) nonethanol renewable fuel that is derived from renewable biomass. Directs the Administrator to allow states that enact a law that elects to not participate in the applicable volume of renewable to not so participate, other than the applicable volumes of renewable fuel required for advanced biofuel, next generation biofuel, and biomass-based diesel.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Designates June 27, 2011, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day. Urges the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to continue working to educate servicemembers, veterans, their families, and the public about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2011
Recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children in the foster care system face. Encourages Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster care system. Supports the designation of May as National Foster Care Month.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2011
Honors the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses during National Small Business Week beginning May 15, 2011. Applauds the efforts and achievements of small business owners and their employees. Recognizes the work of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its resource partners in providing assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Recognizes the importance of ensuring that: (1) guaranteed loans, including microloans and venture capital, are made available to all qualified small businesses; (2) necessary federal resources are provided to management assistance programs delivered by SBA resource partners; (3) SBA small business disaster assistance is provided in a timely and efficient manner; (4) affordable Internet access is available to all people in the United States so that small businesses can utilize such access; (5) regulatory relief is provided to small businesses through the reduction of duplicative or unnecessary regulatory requirements; and (6) leveling the playing field for small business contracting opportunities remains a primary focus.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2011
Welcomes: (1) the historic meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I; and (2) the positive gestures by the government of Turkey, including allowing the liturgical celebration by the Ecumenical Patriarch at the historic Sumela Monastery and the return of the former Greek Orphanage on Buyukada Island to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Urges the government of Turkey to: (1) facilitate the reopening of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Theological School of Halki, and (2) address other long-standing concerns relating to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2011
Iran, North Korea, and Syria Sanctions Consolidation Act of 2011- States that it is U.S. policy to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. Amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to direct the President to impose three or more specified sanctions against a person that knowingly participates in a joint venture with respect to the development of petroleum resources outside of Iran: (1) in which Iran is a substantial partner or investor, or (2) through which Iran could receive technological knowledge or equipment that could contribute to its ability to develop petroleum resources in Iran. Includes certain infrastructure construction whose primary use is to support the transportation of refined petroleum products in the definition of "goods, services, technology, information, or support." Requires the President to respond within 60 days to a congressional request regarding a person's engagement in a sanctionable activity. Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require securities issuers to disclose in their mandatory annual or quarterly reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whether they or their affiliates have: (1) engaged in certain activities relating to Iran, terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; (2) knowingly engaged in specified activities, or knowingly violated certain regulations prescribed under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010; (3) knowingly conducted any transaction or dealing with a person whose property and interests in property are blocked by certain Executive Orders; or (4) knowingly conducted a transaction or dealing with any person listed in the Iranian Transactions Regulations. Specifies the contents of mandatory disclosures. Requires the President to: (1) initiate an investigation into the possible imposition of sanctions when the SEC receives a report that an issuer or its affiliate has engaged in the cited activities, and (2) determine within 180 days of initiating an investigation whether sanctions should be imposed on the issuer or the affiliate concerned. Requires promulgation regulations within 90 days after enactment of this Act governing financial institutions maintaining accounts for foreign financial institutions. Urges the President to initiate diplomatic efforts to expand multilateral sanctions against Iran. Directs the President to report to Congress on: (1) the Central Bank of Iran's involvement in Iran's development of weapons of mass destruction and support of terrorism, and (2) entities and countries providing refined petroleum products to Iran. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress listing all foreign investors in Iran's energy sector. Directs the President to: (1) identify each foreign person or foreign entity for which there is a reasonable basis for determining that the person or entity is an agent, front, instrumentality, official, or affiliate of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or is an IRGC representative; and (2) apply specified property sanctions to such person or entity. Gives priority to investigations of specified sensitive transactions. Sets forth mandatory and discretionary measures to be taken against a foreign person or entity that provides material support to the IRGC. Directs the President to impose specified sanctions against a person that provides shipping or refining services with respect to the exportation of petroleum, oil, or liquified natural gas to be refined or otherwise processed outside of Iran if: (1) the IRGC or any of its affiliates were involved in the development, extraction, production, transportation, or sale of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas in Iran, and the fair market value of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas is $1 million or more; or (2) during a 12-month period, the aggregate fair market value of such petroleum, oil, or liquefied natural gas is $5 million or more. Exempts certain underwriters and insurance providers from such provisions. Requires the President: (1) upon receipt of credible information that a person may have transferred to Iran goods or technologies, or provided post-transfer services, that may be used to commit human rights abuses to investigate and determine within 180 days whether the person engaged in such activity; (2) submit a list of such persons to Congress every 180 days or as new information becomes available; and (3) freeze the assets of a listed person. Amends the Iran Freedom Support Act to: (1) extend the President's authority to provide financial and political assistance to support democracy in Iran through December 31, 2016; and (2) expand the forms of such assistance. Requires the President to appoint a Special Representative on Human Rights and Democracy in the Islamic republic of Iran within the Department of State. Requires the President to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to promote Internet freedom and access to information in Iran. Amends the the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act to include in the scope of such Act a person that: (1) acquired materials mined or extracted within North Korea's territory or control; or (2) provided shipping services for the transportation of goods to or from Iran, North Korea, or Syria relating to such countries' weapons of mass destruction programs, support for acts of international terrorism, or human rights abuses. Excludes from such provisions shipping services for emergency or humanitarian purposes. Prohibits a vessel from knowingly landing at a U.S. port to load or unload cargo or engage in trade if the vessel entered a port in Iran, North Korea, or Syria during the 180-day period preceding the vessel's U.S. port arrival. Provides for enhanced vessel inspections. Directs: (1) the President to publish a list of each individual who is a senior government official of Iran (including the IRGC), North Korea, or Syria, or a close associate of such individual; and (2) the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to not grant an identified individual immigration status in, or admit the individual to, the United States. Requires a domestic or a foreign financial institution operating in the United States to report to the Secretary of the Treasury regarding any transactions with financial institutions, whose property or interests are blocked due to involvement with Iran, North Korea, or Syria, in activities supportive of international terrorism or weapons of mass destruction proliferation. Prohibits such an institution from continuing to operate in the United States if it: (1) continues to engage in transactions with such sanctioned institutions, or (2) fails to report or submits a false report. Directs the President to apply specified property, financial, or export sanctions against a person providing to, or acquiring from, Iran, North Korea, or Syria any good or technology that is used, or is likely to be used, for military applications.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2011
Requires the Defense Commissary Agency (DCA) to operate an enhanced commissary store (store) at Naval Air Station, Brunswick, Maine, and authorizes the DCA to operate a store at a military installation designated for closure or realignment under a defense base closure law. Allows such stores to sell, in addition to regularly-permitted merchandise, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and items in such other merchandise categories as the Secretary of Defense may authorize. Allows the Secretary to retain sale profits to offset the cost of store operation.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of State to publish and update a list of each person the Secretary has reason to believe: (1) is responsible for the detention, abuse, or death of Sergei Magnitsky, participated in related liability concealment efforts, or committed those frauds discovered by Sergei Magnitsky, including conspiring to defraud the Russian Federation of taxes on corporate profits through fraudulent transactions and lawsuits against the Hermitage foreign investment company and to misappropriate entities owned or controlled by Hermitage; or (2) is responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other human rights violations committed against individuals seeking to promote human rights or to expose illegal activity carried out by officials of the government of the Russian Federation. Makes an alien on such list ineligible to enter or be admitted to the United States. Revokes any visa issued for such person. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such prohibition if in the U.S. national interest. Requires congressional notification of any such waiver. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) instruct domestic financial institutions and agencies to take specified measures if the Secretary makes a money laundering determination relating to such conspiracy, and (2) freeze and prohibit U.S. property transactions of an individual who is on the list or who acts as an agent for a listed individual. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such actions if in the U.S. national interest. Requires congressional notification of any such waiver. Subjects a person who violates, attempts to violate, or causes a violation of such money laundering or asset provisions to specified penalties. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations requiring each financial institution that is a U.S. person to: (1) audit the assets within its possession or control to determine whether any such assets are required to be frozen pursuant to this Act, and (2) submit a report to the the Secretary containing the audit's results and a certification that such assets have been frozen. Subjects a financial institution that violates such regulations to specified penalties.
![Official portrait of Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000663_200.jpg)