United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
Freedom from Restrictive Excessive Executive Demands and Onerous Mandates Act of 2011 - Amends the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) to revise the regulatory process (rulemaking) with respect to small entities (e.g., small businesses, small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions). Defines "economic impact" with respect to a proposed or final rule to mean: (1) the economic effects on small entities directly regulated by the rule, and (2) the reasonably foreseeable economic effects of the rule on small entities resulting from their transactions with other businesses and entities directly regulated by the rule. Expands judicial review of agency rulemaking to permit small entities to seek judicial review of initial regulatory flexibility analyses and to obtain an injunction of a proposed rule that is noncompliant with RFA requirements. Requires each agency to establish a plan for the periodic review (every nine years) of: (1) its rules that have a significant adverse economic impact on small entities, and (2) any small entity compliance guide required to be published by an agency. Sets forth criteria for review of a rule, including the continued need for the rule, the complexity of the rule, and the impact of the rule on small entities. Expands to all agencies the procedures for gathering comments on rules that will have a significant economic impact on small entities. Extends RFA requirements to informal agency guidance documents. Amends the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 to require each agency to review on a periodic basis the civil penalties it imposes on small entities for violations of statutory or regulatory requirements. Imposes certain additional requirements on agencies prior to the issuance of a final rule, including requirements for: (1) publication of an initial regulatory flexibility analysis, (2) a determination of the average cost of a rule for affected small entities and the number of small entities affected or reasonably presumed to be affected, and (3) consultation with the Chief Counsel for Advocacy for the Small Business Administration (SBA) with respect to the accuracy of information relating to the cost and impact of a final rule. Authorizes appropriations to the Small Business Administration for FY2012-FY2014 to carry out this Act. Repeals certain provisions of the Small Business Act and the Energy Security and Efficiency Act of 2007 to offset the costs of carrying out this Act and to reduce the federal deficit.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2011
National Guard Empowerment and State-National Defense Integration Act of 2011 - Reestablishes the position of Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau (Vice Chief). Terminates the position of Director of the Joint Staff of the National Guard Bureau (Director) and transfers existing duties of the Director to the Vice Chief. Adds the Chief of the National Guard Bureau (Chief) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue the Task Force for Emergency Readiness (TFER) pilot program as a permanent FEMA program. Requires the Administrator to carry out the program in at least five states in addition to the five states in which the program is carried out as of the enactment of this Act. Requires the Chief to: (1) identify, using catastrophic disaster response plans for each state developed under the program, any gaps in state civilian and military response capabilities that federal military capabilities are unprepared to fill; (2) notify the Secretary of Defense and the respective Commanders of the U.S. Northern and Pacific Commands of any such gaps; and (3) assist, acting through the Adjutants General of the States, states in developing state plans on responses to catastrophic disaster emergencies. Directs the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to enter into a memorandum of understanding on coordination between Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and between such departments and the states, in the use of military forces in response to domestic emergencies. Authorizes appropriations for the DOD for FY2012 for National Guard: (1) continuity of operations, continuity of government, and consequence management in connection with response to terrorist and other attacks and catastrophes; (2) emergency preparedness and response activities; and (3) staffing of joint operations coordination centers in response to terrorist and other attacks and catastrophes. States that the U.S. Northern and Pacific Commands shall be the combatant commands principally responsible for the military support of civil authorities in the United States. Requires the Commander of each Command and the Chief to enter into a memorandum of understanding setting forth the operational relationships, and individual roles and responsibilities, during responses to domestic emergencies among such Commands and the National Guard Bureau. Requires the officers serving as Commander of Army North Command and Commander of Air Force North Command to be officers in the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, respectively. Directs the Secretary of Defense to modify specified regulations prescribed pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 to provide for the use of available appropriated State Partnership Program funds for contacts between members of the National Guard and civilian personnel of foreign governments outside the ministry of defense on matters within the core competencies of the National Guard.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2011
States that the federal government should take no action to redeem, assume, or guarantee state debt, and that the Secretary of the Treasury should report to Congress negotiations to engage in actions that would result in an outlay of federal funds on behalf of creditors to a state.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2011
Municipal Bond Market Support Act of 2011 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to the small issuer exemption from interest expense allocation rules for financial institutions to: (1) permanently increase from $10 million to $30 million the annual limit on the amount of tax-exempt obligations that a small issuer may issue, and (2) allow an inflation adjustment to such increased limit amount after 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2011
State Child Welfare Innovation Act - Amends title XI of the Social Security Act to renew through FY2014 the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to authorize states to conduct child welfare program demonstration projects likely to promote the objectives of part B (Child and Family Services) or E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA). Repeals the requirement for state project applications to consider certain types of proposals. Replaces such requirement with specified conditions for state eligibility to conduct a new demonstration project. Sets forth child welfare improvement policies. Revises requirements for project applications, evaluations, and reports.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2011
Reaffirms support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a democratic Jewish state of Israel and a democratic Palestinian state living in peace and mutual recognition. States that any Palestinian unity government must forswear terrorism, accept Israel's right to exist, and reaffirm previous agreements made with Israel. Opposes any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between leaders in Israel and the Palestinians. Urges Palestinian leaders to cease efforts at circumventing the negotiation process, including through a unilateral declaration of statehood or by seeking recognition of a Palestinian state from other nations or the United Nations (U.N.). Supports the President's opposition to a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state. States that the Senate will consider restrictions on aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) should the PA persist in efforts to circumvent direct negotiations. Reaffirms the requirement under U.S. law precluding assistance to a PA that includes Hamas unless that PA and all its ministers accept Israel's right to exist and all prior agreements and understandings with the governments of the United States and Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the new markets tax credit through 2016; (2) provide for an inflation adjustment to the limitation amount for such credit after 2012; and (3) allow an offset against the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for such credit.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Wounded Warrior Tax Equity Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prevent any extension of the tax collection period after assessment for taxpayers who are members of the Armed Forces due to a hospitalization for combat zone injuries.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Small Business Tax Equalization and Compliance Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the tax credit for social security taxes paid for employee cash tips to employers of cosmetologists. Requires employers of cosmetologists to report income and tips of their cosmetologist employees and to provide income and tip information to self-employed cosmetologists to whom they pay more than $600 in the taxable year. Imposes similar reporting requirements upon individuals who rent chairs to cosmetologists. Requires such employers to provide their cosmetologist employees and self-employed cosmetologists with information on the tax and tip reporting obligations of employees and self-employed individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
National Endowment for the Oceans Act - Establishes in the Treasury the National Endowment for the Oceans which shall fund grants for programs to restore, protect, maintain, or understand living marine resources and their habitats, and ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources, including baseline scientific research, ocean observing, and other programs in coordination with federal and state agencies. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make grants for such purposes. Requires state matching funds for specified projects. States that programs funded in Great Lakes states shall also seek to attain the goals embodied in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Plan, the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, or other collaborative planning efforts of the Great Lakes Region. Directs the Secretary to make grants to: (1) coastal states or affected Indian tribes, and (2) regional planning bodies to create and implement regional strategic plans. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Endowment for the Oceans Council.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act of 2011 - Prohibits a state or local jurisdiction from imposing multiple or discriminatory taxes on or with respect to the sale or use of digital goods or services delivered or transferred electronically to a customer. Excludes from the definition of "digital service" telecommunications service, Internet access service, or audio or video programming service. Restricts taxation of digital goods and services to the retail sale of such goods and services and by the jurisdiction encompassing a customer's tax address. Prohibits the use of existing regulations or administrative rulings relating to the taxation of tangible personal property or other services to impose any tax on the sale or use of digital goods or services. Grants jurisdiction to federal district courts to prevent a violation of this Act, without regard to the amount in controversy or the citizenship of the parties. Expresses the sense of Congress that each state shall take reasonable steps to prevent multiple taxation of digital goods and services where a foreign country has imposed a tax on such goods and services.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Engineering Education for Innovation Act or E 2 for Innovation Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award planning grants and matching implementation grants to states to integrate engineering education into kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) instruction and curricula. Requires each state that desires an implementation grant to develop quantifiable benchmarks for activities supported by such grants and submit them to the Secretary for approval. Requires states to use implementation grants to: (1) establish assessment tools and challenging academic content and achievement standards for engineering education, (2) develop or obtain effective engineering education curricula, (3) develop or improve engineering teacher training programs, and (4) recruit qualified engineering teachers for needy schools. Authorizes states to use such grants to: (1) facilitate distance learning and online education in engineering, and (2) invest in after-school engineering education programs. Directs the Institute of Education Sciences to support engineering education research and an evaluation of this Act's grant programs. Requires the Secretary to use the evaluation's findings to provide information to the public and technical assistance to states on best practices and promising innovations in K-12 engineering education.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Regulation of Mortgage Servicing Act of 2011 - Requires a mortgage servicer to assign one case manager to each borrower that seeks a mortgage loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Requires the case manager to: (1) manage the communication between the servicer and the borrower, and (2) make decisions about the borrower's eligibility for a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Prohibits a servicer from initiating a foreclosure action against a borrower unless the servicer has performed specified tasks related to offering the borrower, if eligible, a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Requires a servicer to suspend a foreclosure action initiated before the enactment of this Act until such tasks have been performed. Prohibits a servicer, during the suspension period, from: (1) sending the borrower a notice of foreclosure, (2) conducting or scheduling a sale of the real property securing the mortgage, or (3) causing final judgment to be entered against the borrower. Prescribes requirements a servicer must meet in order to be deemed to have made a reasonable effort to obtain necessary information to determine a borrower's eligibility for a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Requires a servicer, before notifying a borrower of his or her ineligibility for a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure, to obtain the services of an independent reviewer to review the borrower's file and determine whether or not the borrower is eligible. Makes a violation of this Act a bar to a foreclosure action. Allows a servicer in compliance with this Act, however, to bring or proceed with a foreclosure action, regardless of any prior violation.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2011
Bone Health Promotion and Research Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and implement a National Bone Health Program under which: (1) the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may conduct, support, and promote the coordination of research, investigations, demonstrations, training, and studies relating to the control, prevention, and surveillance of osteoporosis and related bone diseases; (2) the Secretary may coordinate and carry out national education and outreach activities to support, develop, and implement education initiatives and outreach strategies appropriate for osteoporosis and related bone diseases; and (3) the Secretary may award grants to states and Indian tribes for comprehensive osteoporosis and related bone disease control and prevention programs. Requires the Director of CDC to establish the Osteoporosis and Related Bone Disease Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health on activities addressing such diseases. Directs the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and intensify NIH research programs for osteoporosis and related bone diseases, including by awarding planning grants or contracts for the establishment or enhancement of research programs for such diseases. Authorizes the Director of CDC to award grants or enter into cooperative agreements for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on such diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
Hiring Heroes Act of 2011- Amends the Wounded Warriors Act to extend until January 1, 2015, the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide the same rehabilitation and vocational benefits to members of the Armed Forces with severe injuries or illnesses as are provided to veterans. Expands the authority of the VA Secretary to make payments to employers to provide on-job training to veterans to include veterans who have not been rehabilitated to the point of employability. Entitles certain veterans with service-connected disabilities who have exhausted their rights to unemployment benefits to participation in an additional VA rehabilitation program. Limits the duration of such a program to 24 months. Makes the 12-year period of eligibility for a VA rehabilitation program inapplicable under such an additional program. Instructs the VA Secretary to follow-up on the employment status of veterans who participate in a VA rehabilitation program. Requires (current law encourages) participation by eligible members in the Transitional Assistance Program (TAP) of the Department of Defense (DOD). Requires (under current law, authorizes) the provision of preseparation counseling to members whose discharge or release is anticipated. Instructs the Secretary of Labor to follow-up on the employment status of members who complete their participation in the TAP. Directs the VA Secretary to award grants to up to three nonprofit organizations under a collaborative veterans' training, mentoring, and placement program for eligible veterans seeking employment. Requires participants in the TAP to receive individualized assessments of civilian positions for which they may be qualified based on a joint DOD, VA, and Department of Labor study of the equivalencies between military skills and civilian employment requirements. Authorizes the appointment of an honorably discharged member of the uniformed services to a position in the civil service, without regard to specified civil service examination, certification, and appointment provisions, if otherwise qualified. Requires executive agencies to establish programs to provide employment assistance to members who are being separated from active duty. Directs the Secretary of Labor to carry out an outreach program to provide employment assistance to certain veterans who have been receiving assistance under the Unemployment Compensation for Ex-servicemembers program. Authorizes a pilot program to assess the feasibility of providing work experience to certain members of the Armed Forces who are on terminal leave. Requires (under current law, authorizes) a VA demonstration project on the credentialing and licensing of veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2011
National Oilheat Research Alliance Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Renames the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2000 the National Oilheat Research, Consumer Education, and Efficiency Act of 2011. Revises criteria for membership in the National Oilheat Research Alliance. Directs the Alliance to: (1) submit proposed biennial (currently, annual) budgets to the Secretary of Energy (DOE); and (2) maintain a data collection process to track equipment, service, and related safety issues. Authorizes the Secretary to recommend changes to budget programs and activities of the Alliance. Directs the Secretary to report biennially to Congress on certain Alliance activities. Prohibits assessments collected under this Act from being passed through to or otherwise required to be paid by either retail purchasers or ultimate consumers of oilheat. Requires a qualified state association to deposit in a separate account the funds received under this Act. Directs the Alliance to ensure that specified percentages of assessments collected for each calendar year are used to: (1) conduct research, development, and demonstration activities relating to oilheat; (2) implement consumer assistance programs; and (3) conduct consumer education activities relating to oilheat. Directs the Alliance to: (1) ensure that heating system conversion assistance is coordinated with administrators of a specified low-income home energy assistance program and with the Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons; and (2) develop, with states, a coordinated heating oil efficiency and upgrade plan to implement cost-effective efficiency programs and activities. Repeals the mandate for an annual market survey and analysis of changes in the price of oilheat relative to other energy sources. Prohibits the use of funds derived from assessments collected by the Alliance to lobby. Authorizes the Secretary to impose a fine or take other action to ensure compliance with this Act (including referral to an appropriate law enforcement authority) if the Alliance, a qualified state association, or any other entity or person violates this Act. Extends the sunset date for the National Oilheat Research Alliance program to 19 years after the date on which it was established.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2011
Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions allowing a tax exclusion for benefits paid to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical providers by states and local government by: (1) increasing the amount of benefits excludible, and (2) extending such tax exclusion through 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to rename: (1) the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 as the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 1993, and (2) the Public Lands Corps as the Public Lands Service Corps (the Corps). Permits Corps participants to work in the National Marine Sanctuary System, coral reefs, and other coastal, estuarine, and marine habitats, and other lands and facilities administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Requires the: (1) establishment of a department-level office within the Department of the Interior, Forest Service, and NOAA for the coordination of Corps activities; and (2) designation of a Corps coordinator for each agency within the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce that administers such activities. Establishes an Indian Youth Service Corps liaison. Expands those authorized to be in the Corps to permit the enrollment of consulting interns. Permits enrollment for a term of up to two years. Requires: (1) a recruitment program for the Corps, and (2) a training program at residential conservation centers or at other sites to provide training for Corps participants. Describes the types of natural and cultural resources conservation projects that may be carried out by the Corps. Authorizes: (1) the Corps to provide certain visitor and interpretation services, (2) establishing residential conservation centers, and (3) individual placements of consulting interns to perform management analysis activities for agencies under the Secretary's jurisdiction carrying out appropriate natural and cultural resources conservation projects. Authorizes cooperative agreements and competitive grants for Indian tribes and qualified youth or conservation corps to establish Indian Youth Service Corps programs. Requires the Secretary to issue management guidelines for programs of the Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an individual taxpayer to elect once every five years a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for use by the taxpayer or a dependent.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2011
Medicare Hospice Care Access Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to recognize attending physician assistants as attending physicians to serve hospice patients.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2011
Declares the sense of the Senate that: (1) stable and affordable housing is an essential component of an effective strategy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention, treatment, and care; and (2) the United States should make a commitment to providing adequate funding for developing housing as a response to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2011
Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act - Requires the days of active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of the reserves may retire for non-regular (reserve) service to occur in in any two consecutive fiscal years (under current law, in the same fiscal year).
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act to provide that the value of certain funeral and burial arrangements involving an irrevocable trust whose named beneficiary is the funeral provider are not to be considered, under the SSI program, as resources available to the individual.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Pay Our Troops Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, during a federal funding gap impacting the Armed Forces, to transfer to the Secretary of Defense (DOD), and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) in the case of the Coast Guard, amounts necessary to continue to provide pay and allowances to members of the Armed Forces, including the reserves, who perform active service during the funding gap.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Tax Return Due Date Simplification and Modernization Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to change tax return due dates for partnerships (from April 15 to March 15, with extensions until September 15), S corporations (from March 15 to March 31, with extensions until September 30), and C corporations (from March 15 to April 15, with extensions until October 15). Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2011, to modify by regulation the due dates for extensions of tax returns for partnerships, estates, employee benefit plans, and tax-exempt organizations. Sets a due date of April 15 for the annual information return of a foreign trust with a U.S. owner and for the report of foreign bank and financial accounts (with extensions until October 15). Extends the automatic extension for corporation income tax returns from three to six months.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act or Campus SaVE Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education (IHE) participating in a title IV program to include in its annual security report on campus security policy and crime statistics a statement of current policies for reporting crimes or other emergencies in or on noncampus buildings or property (currently, only reporting of crimes on campus is required). Requires such report to include statistics concerning the occurrence of domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking incidents reported to campus security authorities or local police. Requires schools to protect victim confidentiality when reporting criminal threats to the campus community. Directs IHEs to include in their annual security report a statement of policy regarding its programs to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and the procedures it follows when such an offense is reported. Requires such procedures to include: (1) the provision, in writing, to students or employees that report that they have been the victim of such an offense certain information regarding their rights, disciplinary processes, victim services, and safety planning; (2) a description of how the IHE will help enforce any protective order; and (3) information about how the IHE will protect victim confidentiality. Requires an IHE's policy regarding such offenses to include: (1) education that promotes awareness of the offenses; (2) possible sanctions or protective measures imposed following disciplinary action; (3) procedures victims should follow after such an offense occurs; (4) information about to whom the alleged offense should be reported; (5) institutional disciplinary procedures; and (6) the notification of victims regarding their options for, and assistance in, changing academic, living, transportation, and working situations. Directs the Secretary of Education to seek the counsel of the Attorney General and Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the development, and dissemination to IHEs, of best practices for preventing and responding to incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to deem an individual receiving outpatient observation services in a hospital to be an inpatient with respect to satisfying the three-day inpatient hospital requirement in order to entitle the individual to Medicare coverage of any post-hospital extended care services in a skilled nursing facility (SNF).
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Designates April 23, 2011, as National Adopt A Library Day. Honors organizations that help facilitate donations to schools and libraries. Urges people in the United States who own unused books to donate them to local libraries.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2011
Honors the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are serving or have served in Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. Calls on the people of the United States to reflect on the service of those members and veterans and to hold them in a special place of honor, both now and in the future.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2011 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities (employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees). Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas. Allows only disparate treatment claims. Prohibits related retaliation. Makes this Act inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations, and (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the Armed Forces. Declares that this Act does not repeal or modify any federal, state, territorial, or local law creating a special right or preference concerning employment for a veteran. Provides for the construction of this Act regarding: (1) enforcement by employers of rules and policies, (2) sexual harassment, (3) certain shared facilities such as showers or dressing facilities, (4) construction of new or additional facilities, (5) dress and grooming standards, and (6) provision of employee benefits to married vs. unmarried couples. Declares that, in this Act, "married" refers to marriage as that term is defined in the Defense of Marriage Act (a legal union between one man and one woman). Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from collecting statistics from covered entities on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or compelling the collection by covered entities of such statistics. Provides for enforcement, including giving the EEOC, the Librarian of Congress (LOC), the Attorney General (DOJ), and U.S. courts the same enforcement powers as they have under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and other specified laws. Allows actions and proceedings, subject to exception, against the United States and the states.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans Act of 2011 or SERVE Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code concerning the prohibition on disruptions of funerals of members or former members of the Armed Forces to increase the period covered under such prohibition from one to two hours before and after a military funeral. Includes within such unlawful conduct any disturbance or disruption occurring within 500 feet of the residence of a surviving member of a deceased's immediate family. Provides civil remedies, including actual and statutory damages. Makes identical changes under federal veterans' provisions concerning the prohibition on certain demonstrations and disruptions at national cemeteries, including Arlington National Cemetery.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Declares that the Senate: (1) remains committed to ensuring access to lifesaving breast cancer screening, diagnostic, and treatment services, particularly for medically underserved women, and to discovering and delivering cures for breast cancer and encouraging the development of screening tools that are more accurate and less costly; and (2) supports increasing awareness and improving education about breast cancer, the importance of early detection, and the availability of screening services for women in need.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2011
Insurance Fairness for Amputees Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act to require a group health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits and also provides benefits for prosthetics and custom orthotics to offer such prosthetics and custom orthotics in the same manner as applicable to medical and surgical benefits. Prohibits separate financial requirements or more restrictive treatment limitations. Requires a health plan that does not provide coverage for benefits outside of a network to ensure that such provider network is adequate to ensure enrollee access to prosthetic and custom orthotic devices and related services provided by appropriately credentialed practitioners and accredited suppliers. Limits coverage for required benefits for prosthetics and custom orthotics to the most appropriate device or component that adequately meets the medical requirements of the patient. Requires benefits to include repair and replacement due to normal wear and tear, irreparable damage, a change in the condition of the patient, or as otherwise determined appropriate by the treating physician. Prohibits any annual or lifetime dollar limitation on benefits for prosthetics and custom orthotics unless such limitation applies in the aggregate to all benefits. Directs the Comptroller General to study the effects of the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Safe Roads Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a national clearinghouse for verified positive alcohol and controlled substance test results and test refusals as well as violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) alcohol and controlled substances regulations of commercial motor vehicle operators. Prohibits the release of clearinghouse information to a commercial motor carrier employer unless there has been compliance with all applicable federal privacy laws and regulations. Authorizes the Secretary to collect fees from such employers and other authorized users for informational requests. Prohibits an employer from hiring an individual to operate a commercial motor vehicle unless the employer has determined that the individual, for the preceding three-year period, has: (1) been tested for use of alcohol and controlled substances; (2) not tested positive for their use, or tested positive but has completed the return-to-duty process; (3) not refused to be tested; and (4) not violated FMCSA alcohol and controlled substances regulations. Directs the Secretary to establish a process: (1) to require employers to request and review any clearinghouse records of individuals before their employment as a commercial motor vehicle operator and for each year thereafter as long as the individual is so employed; and (2) for an individual and a state licensing authority to request and receive information from the clearinghouse. Subjects persons who violate the requirements of this Act to both civil and criminal penalties. Requires the Secretary to take certain actions to enhance DOT oversight of testing sites.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement a comprehensive program to achieve a 50% reduction in the mortality rate of lung cancer by 2020. Requires the program to include initiatives throughout HHS, including: (1) a strategic review and prioritization by the National Cancer Institute of research grants; (2) the establishment by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of quality standards and guidelines for facilities that conduct computed tomography screening for lung cancer; and (3) the provision of funds to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a Lung Cancer Early Detection Program that provides low-income, uninsured, and underserved populations that are at high risk for lung cancer access to early detection services. Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to coordinate with the Secretary of HHS in implementing this Act and implementing coordinated care programs for military personnel and veterans diagnosed with lung cancer. Requires the Secretary of HHS to establish: (1) the Lung Cancer Computed Tomography Screening and Treatment Demonstration Project; and (2) the Lung Cancer Advisory Board to monitor the programs established under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education for Alzheimer's Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover comprehensive Alzheimer's disease and related dementia diagnosis and services.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2011
Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, during a federal funding gap impacting the Armed Forces, to transfer to the Secretary of Defense (DHS), and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) in the case of the Coast Guard, amounts necessary to continue to provide pay and allowances to members of the Armed Forces, including the reserves, who perform active service during the funding gap. Allows for the provision of such pay and allowances, at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense, for: (1) civilian DOD personnel providing support to such members; and (2) DOD contractor personnel providing direct support to such members. Prohibits any such transfer after December 31, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
Hospice Evaluation and Legitimate Payment Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the face-to-face encounter framework in hospice care. Allows a clinical nurse specialist, physician assistant, or other health professional (in addition to a hospice physician or a nurse practitioner, as under current law) to conduct the face-to-face encounter with an individual to determine continued eligibility for hospice care before the first 60-day (currently, 180-day) recertification period and each subsequent recertification period. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Medicare Hospice Payment Reform demonstration program to test any revisions to the methodology for determining payment rates for routine home care and other hospice care services. Sets at every three years the frequency of surveys of certified hospice program entities.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
Repeal the CLASS Entitlement Act - Repeals provisions of the Public Health Service Act enacted under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (entitled the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act or the CLASS Act) which establish a national, voluntary insurance program for purchasing community living assistance services and supports in order to provide individuals with functional limitations with tools that will allow them to maintain their personal and financial independence and live in the community. Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to repeal provisions providing appropriations for the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information through FY2015.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces (military spouse) who moves with such member to another state under a permanent change of station order a tax credit for up to $500 of qualified relicensing costs incurred by such spouse. Defines "qualified relicensing costs" as costs for a state license or certification to engage in the profession that such military spouse engaged in while residing in the former state.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 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 · 30 March 2011
National Women's History Museum Act of 2011 - Directs the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to convey, by quitclaim deed, to the National Women's History Museum, Inc. (the Museum) specified property in the District of Columbia, on terms which the Administrator deems appropriate. Requires the purchase price for the property to be: (1) its market value based on its highest and best use, as determined by an independent appraisal; and (2) paid into the Federal Buildings Fund. Requires the property to be dedicated for use as a site for a national women's history museum for a 99-year period. Provides for the reversion of the property to the United States without any obligation for repayment of any amount of the purchase price if: (1) it is not used as a site for a national women's history museum during the 99-year period, and (2) the Museum has not commenced construction of a museum facility on such property in a 5-year period other than for reasons beyond the Museum's control.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Office of the Homeowner Advocate Act of 2011 - Establishes in the Department of the Treasury the Office of the Homeowner Advocate to assist homeowners, housing counselors, and housing lawyers in resolving problems with the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) of the Making Home Affordable initiative of the Secretary of the Treasury, authorized under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. Prohibits any modification of a mortgage under the Making Home Affordable Program, or with any funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), unless the servicer of the mortgage loan has determined, in accordance with standards and requirements established by the Secretary, that the mortgagor cannot afford to make payments under the terms of the existing mortgage loan. (Thus prohibits participation in such Program for borrowers who strategically default.) Requires the Secretary to revise the guidelines for HAMP to establish that the data collected by the Secretary from each mortgage servicer and lender participating in the Program is made public at the individual record level in a specified manner.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Energy Security Act of 2011 - Establishes in the Executive Office of the President the national energy security program to coordinate federal government activities and policies to ensure that the United States meets goals for reducing oil dependence, oil imports, and oil consumption as well as other energy policy goals. Declares it is the goal of the United States to reduce oil consumption by 2030 by an amount equal to or greater than the quantity of oil imported from outside of North America. Directs the President, in coordination with the National Energy Security Council (established by this Act) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to develop a national oil independence plan, which shall be updated biennially. Directs the President to review existing federal programs and authorities (including tax policies) to determine: (1) which of them could be used to accelerate reductions in oil dependence, and (2) the means to maximize such reductions. Establishes in the Executive Office of the President the National Energy Security Council.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the 15-year recovery period classification for qualified leasehold improvement, restaurant, and retail improvement property, for purposes of the depreciation tax deduction.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Greater Accountability in the Lending Fund Act of 2011 - Amends the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 relating to the Small Business Lending Fund Program to: (1) remove a requirement that the capital investment received by an eligible small business under the Program be evidenced by stock or other financial instrument that carries the highest dividend or interest rate payable; (2) terminate the Program 15 years after the enactment of such Act; (3) prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury from making capital investments under the Program if the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is appointed receiver of 5% or more of the institutions receiving an investment under the Program; (4) prohibit Program participation by any institution in which the Secretary made an investment under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008; (5) revise provisions concerning consideration of private investment under the Program; (6) require the approval of (under current law, requires consultation with) appropriate financial regulators when determining whether an institution should receive a capital investment; and (7) revise the benchmark against which changes in the amount of small business lending shall be measured.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for railroad track maintenance, to: (1) expand the types of maintenance expenditures eligible for such credit, and (2) extend such credit through 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success Act of 2011 or SECTORS Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require the Secretary of Labor to award renewable three-year competitive industry or sector partnership grants to eligible entities to develop strategies that: (1) encourage growth and competitiveness through work with employers within a targeted industry cluster; (2) help workers move toward economic self-sufficiency and ensure that they have access to supportive services; (3) address the needs of firms with limited human resources or in-house training capacity, including small- and medium-sized firms; and (4) coordinate with entities that carry out state and local workforce investment, economic development, and education activities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Recognizes that Geraldine A. Ferraro's vice-presidential candidacy forever enriched the American political landscape and forged a new path for women of the United States. Pays tribute to Congresswoman Geraldine A. Ferraro's work to improve the lives of women and families not only in the Ninth Congressional District of New York, whom she represented, but also the lives of women and families all across the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2011
Support for Survivors Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to identify the most appropriate and effective means for the preservation by the Department of Defense (DOD) of documentary evidence of incidents of sexual assault or harassment in which a member of the Armed Forces is the victim (covered incidents), which shall be a single means to be used by all the military departments. Requires the means identified to be in electronic form and to include the full protection of the victim's privacy and lifetime access to such evidence. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a joint task force to determine whether to establish a documentary evidence form, report, or document in lieu of forms, reports, and documents currently generated by DOD. Requires the Secretary to: (1) report to Congress on the means of preservation identified; and (2) provide for the implementation of such means by the military departments within 18 months after the enactment of this Act.
![Official portrait of Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000663_200.jpg)