United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Commends United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for creating the three-person panel to advise the Secretary-General on the implementation of the government of Sri Lanka's commitment to human rights accountability. Urges the government of Sri Lanka, the international community, and the United Nations (U.N.) to establish an independent international accountability mechanism to look into reports of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other human rights violations committed by both sides during and after the war in Sri Lanka. Urges the government of Sri Lanka to allow humanitarian organizations, aid agencies, journalists, and international human rights groups greater freedom of movement, including in internally-displaced persons camps. Insists that the President develop a policy towards Sri Lanka that reflects U.S. interests.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2011
Respect for Marriage Act - Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse" to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2011
International Travelers Bill of Rights Act of 2011 - Requires an individual or entity that operates a website that provides access to international travel services to provide on its website, in a clear and conspicuous way, information regarding the health and safety risks of overseas vacation destinations marketed on the site, including (1) information compiled by the Department of State that includes country-specific travel warnings and alerts; and (2) information on the availability of onsite health and safety services or a disclaimer that such services may not be available and travel may pose an increased risk to health or safety. Requires a site operator to: (1) establish a process under which an overseas vacation destination will be suspended from its website as a result of consumer complaints regarding poor medical care, unsafe or unsanitary facilities, or other health-related issues; and (2) make all such complaints publicly available on its website. Allows an operator to modify complaints at the request of the complainant and to remove offensive language and personal identification information. Treats a violation as an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2011
Pediatric Research Consortia Establishment Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public or nonprofit private entities to pay all or part of the cost of planning, establishing, and providing basic operating support for up to 20 national pediatric research consortia. Requires the Director of NIH to take unmet research needs into account when making awards under this Act. Declares that research conducted under this Act shall supplement, but not replace, research that is otherwise conducted or supported as part of the comprehensive pediatric research portfolio. Requires consortia to conduct basic, clinical, behavioral, social, or translational research, as well as training in, and demonstration of, advanced diagnostic and treatment methods relating to pediatrics. Requires the Director of NIH to: (1) provide for the coordination of information and ensure regular communication between consortia, and (2) require periodic reports on the activities of the consortia. Requires each consortium under this Act to be formed from a collaboration of cooperating institutions with a lead institution, meeting requirements that may be prescribed by the Director of NIH. Declares that payments made under this Act may be provided for a period of five years and extended for additional five-year periods with enhanced funding opportunities based on an appropriate scientific review of the operations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2011- Provides that: (1) specified diseases, including heart disease, lung disease, tuberculosis, hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus, and specified cancers, of federal employees in fire protection activities shall be presumed to be proximately caused by such employment if the employee is diagnosed with the disease within 10 years of the last active date of employment in fire protection activities; (2) the disability or death of such an employee due to such a disease shall be presumed to result from personal injury sustained while in the performance of duty; and (3) such presumptions may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence. Defines an "employee in fire protection activities" as a firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician, rescue worker, ambulance personnel, or hazardous material worker, who: (1) is trained in fire suppression; (2) has the legal authority and responsibility to engage in fire suppression; (3) is engaged in the prevention, control, and extinguishment of fires or response to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk; and (4) performs such activities as a primary responsibility of his or her job. Directs the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to examine the implementation of this Act and appropriate scientific and medical data related to the health risks associated with firefighting and to report to Congress on: (1) an analysis of the injury claims made under this Act; (2) an analysis of the available research related to the health risks associated with firefighting; and (3) recommendations for any administrative or legislative actions necessary to ensure that those diseases most associated with firefighting are included in the presumption created by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act or FIT Kids Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require annual state and local educational agency report cards to include specified information on school health and physical education programs. Includes the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles by students within ESEA grant programs that support school counseling, smaller learning communities, community learning centers, and parental involvement in their childrens' education. Revises the professional development program for teachers and principals to include training for physical and health education teachers, and training on improving students' health habits and participation in physical activities. Directs the Secretary of Education to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for a study that: (1) assesses the effect health and physical education have on students' ability to learn; and (2) makes recommendations for improving, and measuring improvements to, their health and physical education in schools.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2011
Pill Mill Crackdown Act of 2011 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to: (1) double the term of imprisonment and triple the fine for the prohibited distribution of a schedule II or schedule III controlled substance by the operator of a pill mill, (2) increase the penalties for such operator distribution of a controlled substance to a person under age 21 from twice to thrice the maximum punishment or term of supervised release authorized, and (3) exclude such operator distribution from the applicability of provisions authorizing an alternative fine of not more than twice the gross profits or other proceeds derived by a defendant from a drug offense. Expresses the sense of Congress that such prohibited operator distribution is a violation for which certain property is subject to forfeiture. Requires the proceeds from disposition of such property to be used for controlled substance monitoring programs in the states and for block grants to states for community mental health services and for prevention and treatment of substance abuse. Changes the classification of specified quantities of dihydrocodeinone from a schedule III to a schedule II controlled substance.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2011
Fairness in Medicare Bidding Act or FIMBA - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for Aged and Disabled) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare competitive acquisition program for durable medical equipment and prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). Rescinds specified unobligated balances of all discretionary appropriations, except those for the Department of Defense (DOD) or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine and identify each account, program, project, and activity to which this rescission and its amount shall apply.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Strengthen Fisheries Management in New England Act of 2011 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary) or Secretary of the Treasury to annually make available to the New England Fishery Management Council, for the funding of Council research (including cooperative research) and monitoring priorities, all sums received by the United States as fines, penalties, and forfeitures of property for violations of any provision of this Act or any other marine resource law enforced by the Secretary from violations within the Council's fishery management jurisdiction.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2011
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2011 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Requires disregard of any hours worked by a firefighter under a qualified trade-of-time arrangement for purposes of any determination relating to federal eligibility for or the amount of any overtime pay.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
FEHBP Prescription Drug Integrity, Transparency, and Cost Savings Act - Prohibits the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from entering a contract or approving a health benefits plan with a carrier that is a party to a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) carrier arrangement to provide or administer prescription drug coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) unless the PBM and the carrier comply with the requirements for PBM carrier arrangements set forth by this Act. Directs OPM to terminate a contract or discontinue a plan that fails to comply with such requirements. Prohibits: (1) a PBM under a carrier arrangement from being under common corporate control with a prescription drug manufacturer or a retail pharmacy, and (2) OPM from permitting a carrier under common corporate control with a PBM to earn a profit from such control. Sets forth terms and requirements for PBM carrier arrangements under the FEHBP, including: (1) drug substitution restrictions, (2) PBM reimbursement of carriers, (3) sale by a PBM of utilization and claims data, (4) drug pricing and the basis for reimbursement, (5) PBM provision to plan enrollees of an explanation of benefits statement regarding prescription drugs, (6) nondiscriminatory contracts regarding required participation, (7) OPM access to PBM contract information, and (8) civil monetary penalties for making false statements or claims to the government.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2011
Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to deny an application for a new animal drug that is a critical antimicrobial animal drug unless the applicant demonstrates that there is a reasonably certainty of no harm to human health due to the development of antimicrobial resistance attributable to the nontherapeutic use of the drug. Defines "critical antimicrobial animal drug" as a drug intended for use in food-producing animals that contains specified antibiotics or other drugs used in humans to treat or prevent disease or infection caused by microorganisms. Requires the Secretary to withdraw approval of a nontherapeutic use of such drugs in food-producing animals two years after the date of enactment of this Act unless certain safety requirements are met. Directs specified congressional committees to hold hearings on the implementation of such a withdrawal of approval.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the charitable tax deduction for contributions of qualified vehicles (i.e., highway motor vehicles, boats, or airplanes) to: (1) set forth revised acknowledgment requirements for vehicles valued at $2,500 or less and vehicles valued at more than $2,500; and (2) revise the penalty for submitting a fraudulent acknowledgment.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2011
Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to define a "high volume retail breeder" as a person who, in commerce, for compensation or profit: (1) has an ownership interest in or custody of one or more breeding female dogs; and (2) sells, via any means of conveyance, more than 50 of the offspring of such dogs for use as pets in any one-year period. Considers such a breeder of dogs to be a dealer. Requires dealers to include on licensing applications and annual renewals the total number of dogs exempted from exercise on the premises of the dealer in the preceding year by a licensed veterinarian. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to promulgate requirements for the exercise of dogs at facilities owned or operated by a dealer, including requiring daily access to exercise that: (1) allows the dogs to move sufficiently in a way that is not forced, repetitive, or restrictive; and (2) is in an area that is spacious, cleaned at least once a day, free of infestation by pests or vermin, and designed to prevent the dogs from escaping. Allows an exemption if: (1) a licensed veterinarian determines that a dog should not exercise because of the health, condition, or well-being of the dog; and (2) such determination is reviewed and updated at least once every 30 days by the veterinarian, unless the basis for the determination is a permanent condition. Subjects such a determination to review and approval by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2011
Prescribe A Book Act - Creates a Pediatric Early Literacy program under which the Secretary of Education awards matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of three-part models through which: (1) health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer them recommendations and strategies for doing so; (2) health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five-years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and (3) volunteers reading to children in health care facility waiting areas show parents the techniques and pleasures of reading aloud to children. Requires that the books provided to children under the program be obtained at a discount.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2011
Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and implement a Pancreatic Cancer Initiative to assist in coordinating activities to address the high mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to establish the Interdisciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Coordinating Committee to: (1) provide advice on overall research objectives and benchmarks for pancreatic cancer research; (2) develop and update not less than every five years a strategic plan for pancreatic cancer research awareness; and (3) conduct evaluations and make recommendations as needed to the Secretary, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) regarding the prioritization and award of NIH research grants relating to pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to develop a primary care provider education program on pancreatic cancer. Requires the Director of NCI and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a communication tool kit for patients and their families that focuses on specific pancreatic cancer issues relating to patient choices and patient care. Allows the Secretary to award grants to research institutions for use in developing innovative compounds or technologies for the prevention, early detection, or treatment of those cancers with five-year survival rates of less than 50%. Requires the Secretary to focus on pancreatic cancer during the initial five fiscal years of awarding such grants. Allows the Secretary to designate two additional Specialized Programs of Research Excellence focusing solely on pancreatic cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2011
Huntington's Disease Parity Act of 2011 - Directs the Commissioner of Social Security, for purposes of determining cognitive, behavioral, and physical disability under titles II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act (SSA), to amend specified Listings of Impairments by providing medical and evaluation criteria for Huntington's Disease. Amends SSA title II to waive the 24-month waiting period for coverage under the Medicare program for individuals diagnosed with Huntington's Disease.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2011
States that the House of Representatives: (1) stands in solidarity with the people of Egypt in their democratic aspirations; (2) condemns the use of violence against unarmed protestors by the Egyptian security services and hired gangs of thugs, urges the release of any peaceful protestors who remain in custody, and calls for an end to the imposition of emergency or martial law; (3) deplores the targeted beatings and arrests of Egyptian and international journalists, as well as human rights and democracy advocates; (4) expresses its gratitude to the Egyptian army for its restraint and for remembering that its mission is to safeguard the Egyptian people; and (5) calls upon the government of Egypt and the political opposition to work together to transition Egypt to a credible democracy and a new era for the Egyptian people.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on acquired bone marrow failure diseases, (2) establish the National Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Registry, and (3) establish the Advisory Committee on Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Diseases to provide recommendations to the Secretary on the Registry. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to, and enter to contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the management of the Registry. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, to conduct pilot studies to determine which environmental factors may cause acquired bone marrow failure diseases. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, to: (1) establish outreach and information programs targeted to minority populations affected by such diseases; (2) undertake a coordinated outreach effort to connect Hispanic, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities with comprehensive services focused on treatment of, and information about, such diseases; and (3) awards grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, entities to perform research on such diseases. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to award grants to entities to improve diagnostic practices and quality of care with respect to patients with such diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to include as a "countervailable subsidy" requiring action under a countervailing duty or antidumping duty proceeding the benefit conferred on merchandise imported into the United States from foreign countries with fundamentally undervalued currency. Defines "benefit conferred," in cases where the currency of a foreign country is exchanged for foreign currency (i.e., U.S. dollars) obtained from export transactions, as the difference between: (1) the amount of currency provided by a foreign country in which the subject merchandise is produced; and (2) the amount of currency such country would have provided if the real effective exchange rate of its currency were not fundamentally undervalued. Declares that the fact that such a subsidy is also provided in circumstances not involving export shall not, for that reason alone, mean it cannot be considered export contingent and actionable under a countervailing duty and antidumping duty proceeding. Requires the administering authority to determine that the currency of a foreign country is fundamentally undervalued if for an 18-month period: (1) the government of the country engages in protracted, large-scale intervention in one or more foreign exchange markets; (2) the country's real effective exchange rate is undervalued by at least 5%; (3) the country has experienced significant and persistent global current account surpluses; and (4) the country's government has foreign asset reserves exceeding the amount necessary to repay all its debt obligations falling due within the coming 12 months, 20% percent of the country's money supply, and the value of the country's imports during the previous 4 months. Requires the use, for calculating a country's "real effective exchange rate undervaluation," of certain guidelines of the Consultative Group on Exchange Rate Issues of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or, if those guidelines are not available, generally accepted economic and econometric techniques and methodologies. Requires the use, also, of inflation-adjusted, trade-weighted exchange rates. Applies the amendments made by this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2011
Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2011 - Allows federal employees to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay available for either the: (1) birth of a child; or (2) placement of a child with the employee for either adoption or foster care. Makes available (subject to specified requirements) for any of the 12 weeks of leave an employee is entitled to for such purposes: (1) four administrative weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth or placement involved; and (2) any accumulated annual or sick leave. Authorizes the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to promulgate regulations to increase the amount of paid parental leave available to such an employee to a total of eight administrative workweeks, based on the consideration of: (1) the benefits to the federal government, including enhanced recruitment and employee retention; (2) the cost to the government; (3) trends in the private sector and in state and local governments; (4) the federal government's role as a model employer; and (5) the impact of increased paid parental leave on lower-income and economically disadvantaged employees and their children. Amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow the same substitution for covered congressional employees, Government Accountability Office (GAO) employees, and Library of Congress employees. Counts certain service by an employee of the executive branch, Congress, GAO, or the Library of Congress while on active duty as a member of the National Guard or Reserves as service for that branch or agency for purposes of determining such employee's eligibility to take or substitute leave as provided under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2011
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Expansion Act of 2011 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Revises the formula for making Tier-1 credits in an applicant's EUCA for a benefit year. Increases the figures in the formula (the lesser of which shall be the amount credited): (1) from 80% to 131% of the total amount of regular compensation (including dependents' allowances) payable to the individual during the benefit year, and (2) from 20 to 34 times the individual's average weekly benefit amount for the benefit year. Authorizes a state to elect to pay Tier-2, Tier-3, or Tier-4 extended unemployment compensation (EUC), or a combination of them, before payment of an increased Tier-1 EUC until the state determines that such increased Tier-1 EUC may be paid without undue delay. Authorizes a state to pay extended compensation to an otherwise eligible individual before any additional EUC is paid under this Act, if the individual claimed extended compensation for at least one week of unemployment after the initial exhaustion of EUC. Extends the program until September 22, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2011
Savings Enhancement for Education in College Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the allowance for payment of expenses for computer technology and equipment from qualified tuition programs, (2) allow a tax credit for contributions to such programs, (3) allow limited direction of investment of contributions or earnings in a qualified tuition program, and (4) allow an exclusion, up to $600, from the gross income of an employee for employer contributions to a qualified tuition program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
High School Athletics Accountability Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct coeducational elementary and secondary schools that participate in any ESEA program to: (1) report annually certain information on equality in their school athletic programs to the Commissioner for Educational Statistics; and (2) make such information available, upon request, to their students, potential students, and the public. Directs the Commissioner to ensure that such data are posted on the Department of Education's Web site within a reasonable period of time.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2011
Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 2011 - Directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor to prepare and publish a monthly Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI) that indicates changes over time in expenditures for consumption which are typical for individuals aged 62 years of age or older. Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) to provide for the use of such new CPI in the computation of cost-of-living increases for Social Security benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Directs the President to appoint a Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia within the Department of State. Authorizes the Special Envoy, subject to direction by the President and the Secretary of State, to represent the United States in matters and cases relevant to religious freedom in: (1) contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental organizations, and specialized agencies of the United Nations (U.N.), the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other international organizations; and (2) multilateral conferences and meetings relevant to religious freedom. Defines "Near East" as Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and including the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Defines "South Central Asia" as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2011
Expresses the sense of Congress that an appropriate site on Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery be provided for a memorial marker, to be paid for with private funds, to honor the memory of the Jewish chaplains who died while on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, so long as the Secretary of the Army has exclusive authority to approve the design and site of the memorial marker.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2011
National Infrastructure Development Bank Act of 2011 - Establishes the National Infrastructure Development Bank as a wholly owned government corporation. Makes the Bank's Board of Directors responsible for monitoring and overseeing energy, environmental, telecommunications, and transportation infrastructure projects. Authorizes the Board to: (1) issue public benefit bonds and provide financing to infrastructure projects; and (2) borrow on the global capital market and lend to entities and commercial banks for funding infrastructure projects. Requires the Board to establish criteria for determining project eligibility for financial assistance under this Act. Sets forth the duties of the Bank's executive committee and audit committee. Requires the Bank to establish a risk management committee, which shall: (1) create financial, credit, and operational risk management guidelines for the Bank; (2) set standards to ensure diversification of lending activities by both region and infrastructure project type; and (3) create conforming standards for infrastructure finance securities. Exempts all notes, debentures, bonds or other such obligations issued by the Bank, and the interest on or credits with respect to such bonds or other obligations, from state or local government taxation. Terminates the Bank after 15 years.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2011
Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act - Amends federal military retired pay provisions to: (1) permit veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 50% to concurrently receive both retired pay and disability compensation; (2) eliminate provisions requiring a phase in between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2013, of concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation; (3) eliminate a phase-in of concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation for disabled veterans determined to be individually unemployable; and (4) require a limited reduction in retired pay for qualified disability retirees with less than 20 years of retirement-creditable service.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2011
Honors: (1) those who lost their lives due to the tragic earthquake of January 12, 2010; and (2) the sacrifice of the men and women of the government of Haiti, the U.S. government, the United Nations (U.N.), and the international community for their response to the calamity. Expresses solidarity with the people of Haiti as they work to rebuild their neighborhoods, livelihoods, and country. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to support long-term Haitian reconstruction. Supports the Administration's efforts to prevent the spread of cholera, treat persons who contract the disease, provide technical assistance to the Haitian Ministry of Public Health, and improve water, sanitation, and health systems. Urges the President and the international community to: (1) focus assistance on the government of Haiti's priorities, (2) develop and improve communications and participatory mechanisms to more substantially involve Haitian civil society at all stages of the cholera and post-earthquake responses, and (3) give priority to programs that protect vulnerable populations. Urges the President to: (1) make necessary resources available to U.S. and U.N. agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private volunteer organizations, and regional institutions; (2) assess the long-term needs for confronting the cholera epidemic in Haiti; and (3) lead humanitarian and development efforts with the government of Haiti, the Haitian Diaspora, and international actors who share in the goal of a better future for Haiti.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Public Option Deficit Reduction Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to offer through Exchanges a health benefits plan (public health insurance option) that ensures choice, competition, and stability of affordable, high-quality coverage throughout the United States. Declares that the Secretary's primary responsibility is to create a low-cost plan without compromising quality or access to care. Sets forth provisions related to the establishment and governance of the public health insurance option, including that such plan: (1) may be made available only through Exchanges; (2) must comply with requirements applicable to other health benefits plans offered through such Exchanges, including requirements related to benefits, benefit levels, provider networks, notices, consumer protections, and cost sharing; and (3) must offer bronze, silver, and gold plan levels. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish an office of the ombudsman for the public health insurance option; (2) collect such data as may be required to establish premiums and payment rates; (3) establish geographically adjusted premiums at a level sufficient to fully finance the costs of the health benefits provided and administrative costs related to the operation of the plan; and (4) establish payment rates and provide for greater payment rates for the first three years. Requires repayment of start-up costs for the public health insurance option. Authorizes the Secretary to utilize innovative payment mechanisms and policies to determine payments for items and services under the public health insurance option.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act - Designates specified lands within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Realize America's Maritime Promise Act or the RAMP Act - Requires the total budget resources for expenditures from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for harbor maintenance programs to equal the level of receipts plus interest credited to such Fund for that fiscal year. Limits the use of such resources to such programs only. Declares that it shall be out of order in the House of Representatives or the Senate to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report that would cause total budget resources for the Fund in a fiscal year for harbor maintenance programs to be less than the level of receipts plus interest credited to the Fund for that fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Teacher Education Assistance Creating Hope for Our Future Act of 2011 or TEACH for Our Future Act of 2011 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the loan forgiveness available to public elementary and secondary school teachers under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and Direct Loan (DL) programs. Makes inapplicable to public school teachers the requirements limiting loan forgiveness to: (1) new borrowers on or after October 1, 1998; and (2) highly qualified teachers in certain schools that serve a high proportion of disadvantaged students. Maintains the requirement that such teachers teach full-time for five consecutive complete school years before becoming eligible for loan forgiveness. Raises to $25,000 the amount of the FFEL or DL outstanding that may be forgiven after a public school teacher's fifth complete school year of teaching. Maintains current loan forgiveness eligibility requirements for private elementary and secondary school teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Lumbee Recognition Act - Extends federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, which makes its members eligible for the services and benefits provided to Indians because of their status as members of a federally recognized tribe. Deems members of the Tribe residing in Robeson, Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland Counties in North Carolina to be within the delivery area for such services. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for the Tribe. Prohibits the Tribe from conducting gaming activities. Requires North Carolina to exercise jurisdiction over all criminal offenses committed, and all civil actions that arise, on North Carolina lands owned by, or held in trust for, the Lumbee Tribe or any dependent Indian community of the Tribe.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Redesignates: (1) the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps; and (2) the Secretary of the Navy as the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps. Makes similar redesignations with respect to the Department Under Secretary, the Department Assistant Secretaries, and the General Counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2011
Recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps and congratulates the volunteers who have dedicated their lives to make a difference in the world. Supports the designation of March 2011 as Peace Corps Month. Renews the U.S. commitment to world peace and friendship and to help developing countries reach their development goals.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Supports the goal of ensuring that all Holocaust survivors in the United States are able to live with dignity, comfort, and security in their remaining years. Applauds the nonprofit organizations and agencies that work tirelessly to honor and assist Holocaust survivors in their communities. Urges the Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in conjunction with the Administration on Aging (AoA), to provide Holocaust survivors with needed social services through existing programs. Encourages the AoA to expeditiously develop and implement programs that ensure Holocaust survivors are able to age in place in their communities and avoid institutionalization during their remaining years.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2010
Fair Playing Field Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the classification of workers for employment tax purposes, to: (1) repeal the prohibition against issuance of regulations and guidance by the Secretary of the Treasury on workers' employment tax status (i.e., as an employee or as an independent contractor) enacted by the Revenue Act of 1978; (2) direct the Secretary to issue regulations and other guidance to clarify the proper employment status of workers for employment tax purposes; (3) prohibit a retroactive assessment of employment tax, except with respect to certain skilled workers, for tax periods after December 31, 1978, and before a specified reclassification date for worker misclassifications, unless the taxpayer had no reasonable basis for not treating a worker as an employee; (4) require taxpayers who hire independent contractors on a regular and ongoing basis to provide such contractors with notice of their federal tax obligations, the labor and employment law protections that do not apply to them, and their right to seek a status determination from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); and (5) eliminate reduced penalty provisions for failure to withhold income taxes for taxpayers who lack a reasonable basis for treating a worker as other than an employee (i.e., as an independent contractor).
United States · United States Congress · 10 August 2010
Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue regulations not later than October 1, 2012, requiring corporations and limited liability companies formed in a state that does not have an incorporation system providing for the disclosure, updating, and verification of beneficial ownership information to file with the Secretary information about their beneficial ownership as required by this Act. Sets forth requirements for state incorporation systems with respect to beneficial ownership information, including: (1) identification of beneficial owners by name, current address, and non-expired passport or state-issued driver's license; (2) identification of any affiliated legal entity that will exercise control over an entity to be incorporated and the identities of the beneficial owners of such affiliated entities; (3) updating of lists of beneficial owners not later than 60 days after any change in information related to such owners; and (4) additional information and verification required for beneficial owners who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Requires states that adopt an incorporation system to maintain beneficial ownership information for five years after an incorporated entity terminates. Imposes a civil penalty on any person who: (1) provides false or fraudulent beneficial ownership information; (2) fails to provide complete or updated beneficial ownership information; or (3) knowingly discloses the existence of a subpoena, summons, or other request for beneficial ownership information without authorization. Requires the Secretary to publish a proposed and final rule to require persons who form a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust, or other legal entity to establish anti-money laundering programs. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on: (1) state requirements for the disclosure of beneficial ownership information; (2) whether the lack of such information has impeded investigations into entities suspected of terrorism, money laundering, and other criminal activities; and (3) whether the failure to require beneficial ownership information for partnerships and trusts formed or registered in the United States has elicited international criticism and what steps the United States has taken or is planning to take in response.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Seniors Protection Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to disburse a $250 payment to recipients of Social Security, SSI (Supplemental Security Income under title XVI of the Social Security Act), railroad retirement benefits, and veterans disability compensation or pension benefits if no cost-of-living adjustment is payable in 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act of 2010 - Establishes as an independent federal entity the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or People With Other Significant Disabilities. (Effectively replacing the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled.) Requires the Committee to establish and publish in the Federal Register a list of products and services suitable for federal government procurement which are provided by qualified nonprofit agencies for people who are blind or for people with other significant disabilities. Requires federal agencies to procure from such qualified nonprofit agencies, at a Committee-established price, products (except prison-made products) or services essentially the same as those on the procurement list. Requires the Committee to designate a tax-exempt central nonprofit agency or agencies for people who are blind and one or more for people with other significant disabilities, which shall evaluate their respective nonprofit agencies and recommend suitable products or services to add to the procurement list. Authorizes the Committee to conduct pilot or demonstration projects on methods to increase the use of: (1) such products or services by the federal government; as well as (2) people who are blind and people with other significant disabilities. Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to require the Committee Chairman to: (1) appoint an Inspector General for the Committee; and (2) establish a Panel on the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or People With Other Significant Disabilities. Establishes in the general fund of the Treasury in a separate account a Committee for Purchase Fund for the collection and deposit of fees from each central nonprofit agency. Repeals the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2010
Railroad Hours of Service Employees Technical Corrections Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 to consider that a railroad employee, subject to hours of service under federal law, meets the hours of service eligibility requirement under FMLA if: (1) the employee has worked for or been paid for at least 60% of the applicable total guarantee, or the equivalent, for the previous 12-month period, by the employer with respect to whom FMLA leave is requested; and (2) the employee has worked for or been paid by that employer for at least 504 hours (not counting personal commute time or time spent on vacation leave or medical or sick leave) during such period. Defines "applicable guarantee" for an employee, as established in the applicable collective bargaining agreement or, if none exists, in the employer's policies as: (1) the minimum number of hours for which an employer has agreed to schedule a nonreserve status employee for any given period; and (2) the number of hours for which an employer has agreed to pay a reserve status employee for any given period.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2010
Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 - Revises provisions concerning the post-9/11 veterans' educational assistance program to, among other things: (1) revise definitions concerning eligibility, and include certain National Guard service as service qualifying for such assistance; (2) revise assistance amounts (including monthly stipends), and types of approved programs of education; (3) allow the pursuit of educational programs at institutions other than institutions of higher learning, including on-job training and apprenticeships, flight training, and correspondence courses; (4) provide an assistance amount for programs of education pursued while on active duty; (5) repeal the limit on the use of such assistance for the payment of only one licensing or certification test; (6) allow an individual entitled to supplemental educational assistance to transfer such entitlement to the post-9/11 program; (7) bar the duplication of benefits under other educational assistance programs; (8) increase the amount of the reporting fee paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to an educational institution for providing information concerning an individual's enrollment in a program of education; (9) extend to certain National Guard and reserve personnel members eligibility to receive public-private contributions for additional educational assistance; (10) reauthorize through 2016 the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education; and (11) revise cost-of-living adjustments under the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program. Provides an alternate subsistence allowance amount for veterans entitled to such allowance due to service-connected disabilities.
![Official portrait of Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/6a46604a8b827ec333b929fe_200.jpg)