Agriculture

To temporarily waive the risk management purchase requirement for agricultural producers adversely impacted by Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee so that such producers are eligible to receive assistance under the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), and Tree Assistance Program (TAP).

United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2011

Waives the risk management purchase requirement for an agricultural producer in a designated disaster county adversely impacted by Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee for assistance eligibility under: (1) the supplemental revenue assistance program; (2) the emergency assistance for livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish program; and (3) the tree assistance program. Sets forth the conditions to be met in order for a producer to receive such assistance.

Legal Agricultural Workforce Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2011

Legal Agricultural Workforce Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a W-visa nonimmigrant classification for temporary agricultural workers. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish: (1) a nonimmigrant temporary agricultural worker program (W-visa) which shall include annual numerical limitations and monthly limitations based on enrollment requests, historical agricultural employment needs, and the reports of U.S. workers applying for agricultural employment; and (2) a trust fund to administer and enforce the program and provide a monetary incentive for such workers to return to their countries upon visa expiration. Sets forth program provisions, including: (1) enrollment requirements, (2) a visa preference allocation system, (3) a biometric identification card requirement, (4) U.S. worker protections, and (5) visa increases due to extraordinary and unusual employment circumstances. Makes such agricultural workers ineligible for need-based federal financial assistance.

AMERICAN SPECIALTY AGRICULTURE ACT

United States · United States House of Representatives · 8 September 2011

Foodborne Illness Reduction Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2011

Foodborne Illness Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act (the Acts) to include in the definition of "adulterated" a product containing an emerging pathogen associated with actual or potential human illnesses or death, including pathogens such as antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella or enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) Shiga toxin-producing serotypes of Escherichia coli (E. coli). Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to: (1) define specified food safety terms, and (2) set forth civil penalties for food safety law violations. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to: (1) identify significant foodborne disease pathogens, (2) determine levels of food product contamination, (3) establish public health goals to reduce foodborne illness, (4) prescribe pathogen reduction performance standards and implement a sampling program to determine food establishment compliance, (5) establish an accredited meat and meat food product testing program, and (6) implement adulterated food tracing protocols. Requires certain food establishments to sample for the presence of identified pathogens at any production or processing point. Permits banning food imports from countries refusing inspections by the Secretary. Sets forth notice and recall provisions. Defines a "foodborne illness outbreak" as the occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from the ingestion of a certain food. Requires the Secretary to: (1) enhance foodborne illness surveillance systems through the coordination and integration of such systems, the development of improved epidemiological tools, and the provision of timely public information; (2) establish guidelines for a system to take and analyze food samples; (3) establish a national public education program on food safety; and (4) conduct specified research concerning food safety. Establishes penalties under the Acts for the introduction into commerce of unsafe or misbranded products of up to $100,000, 20 years' imprisonment, or both. Requires studies concerning: (1) the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point-based Inspection Models Project, and (2) worker safety in the meat packing and poultry processing industry, including the relationship between line speed and worker safety.

A bill to provide assistance for agricultural producers adversely affected by damaging weather and other conditions relating to Hurricane Irene.

United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2011

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to provide emergency conservation program assistance and emergency watershed protection program assistance to agricultural producers in qualifying counties adversely affected by Hurricane Irene and related weather conditions.

American Specialty Agriculture Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2011

American Specialty Agriculture Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish an H-2C nonimmigrant visa for an alien having a residence in a foreign country which he or she has no intention of abandoning and who is coming temporarily (10-month maximum per contract period) to the United States to perform agricultural labor or services, including the pressing of apples for cider on a farm. Requires an employer or employer association to file an H-2C petition with the Department of Agriculture (USDA) which shall include specified employment-related attestations. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) penalties; (2) working conditions, wages, and transportation reimbursement; (3) admissions and extensions of stay; (4) abandonment of employment and worker replacement; (5) legal assistance; and (6) arbitration and mediation. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct investigations and random audits of employer work sites. Requires an employer to guarantee to offer the worker employment for the hourly equivalent of at least 50% of the work hours during the total anticipated period of employment. Limits the number of annual fiscal year H-2C admissions. Prohibits the admission of spouses and children of H-2C workers. Extends coverage under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act to H-2C workers. Makes the provisions of this Act effective two years after its enactment. Terminates authority to petition for H-2A temporary agricultural workers two years after enactment of this Act.

To provide assistance for agricultural producers adversely affected by damaging weather and other conditions relating to Hurricane Irene.

United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2011

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to provide emergency conservation program assistance and emergency watershed protection program assistance to agricultural producers in qualifying counties adversely affected by Hurricane Irene and related weather conditions.

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to Miami-Dade County certain federally owned land in Florida, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 19 August 2011

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to Miami-Dade County, Florida, federally owned land comprising the Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Directs the County to pay specified costs.

Fit for Life Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2011

Fit for LIFE Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the offering of fruits and vegetables in low-income communities through supermarkets. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to: (1) expand programs to include the provision of free fresh fruits and vegetables in secondary schools, child care centers, and family child care homes; (2) expand summer food service programs for children; and (3) establish a program providing nutritious food to at-risk school children on weekends and during extended school holidays during the school year. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a grant program to enable local and tribal governments to conduct a food security assessment. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of HHS to establish programs to reduce and prevent obesity in children. Requires the Secretaries of Education and HHS to award grants for health and fitness programs in secondary schools in low-income communities. Requires the Secretary of HHS to award grants to states for a community navigator program. Expands coverage of obesity treatment and prevention programs and services in federal programs. Establishes the National Commission on Child Obesity. Sets forth grant programs to increase physical activity in low-income communities and schools and prevent childhood obesity.

To prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from restricting certain hunting activities in the Kisatchie National Forest, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2011

Prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) from restricting the use of dogs in deer hunting activities within the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana unless those restrictions are applicable to the smallest practicable parts and are necessary for the reduction or control of trespassing onto adjacent land.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act

United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2011

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act - Amends the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Establishment Act of 1999 to modify the boundary of the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota by including in the Historic Site a visitor facility and administrative site located on a specified parcel of land that consists of: (1) approximately 25 acres of land within the Buffalo Gap National Grassland in Jackson County, South Dakota; and (2) approximately 3.65 acres of land at the Delta 1 Launch Control Facility for the construction and use of a parking lot and for other administrative uses. Transfers administrative jurisdiction over such land from the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to the Secretary of the Interior. Modifies the boundary of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland to exclude the transferred land.

To amend section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 to provide flexibility to the definition of rural areas.

United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011

Amends the Housing Act of 1949, with respect to financial assistance to farm owners through the Farmers Home Administration, to permit the Secretary of Agriculture to consider as rural or a rural area for farm housing purposes a place, town, village, or city with a population of 35,000 or less that demonstrates that it is experiencing economic distress from which such financial assistance would be of significant value in helping it recover. Cites as evidence of economic distress: (1) an unemployment rate higher than the national average, or (2) an average wage or home sale price lower than the national wage.

To provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in Pound, Virginia.

United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2011

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to convey, without consideration, to the Mullins and Sturgill Cemetery Association of Pound, Virginia, specified National Forest System land in the Jefferson National Forest in Wise County, Virginia, which contains the Mullins and Sturgill Cemetery and its access road. Requires such conveyance to be subject to the condition that the real property be accepted by the recipient in its "as is" condition at the time of conveyance. Requires such property's exact acreage and legal description to be determined by a survey that is satisfactory to the Secretary, the cost of which to be borne by the recipient.

NOMINATION OF BRIAN T. BAENIG, OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, TO BE AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

United States · United States Senate · 28 July 2011

Farming Flexibility Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011

Farming Flexibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to consider mung beans and pulse crops as covered commodities whose planting on base acres is prohibited unless the commodity, if planted, is destroyed before harvest. Provides that: (1) as of crop year 2012 producers on a farm may reduce the base acres for any covered commodity for a crop year by one acre for each acre used for the production of fruits or vegetables (other than potatoes) for processing; (2) such acres devoted to fruits or vegetables shall be included in base acres for the covered commodity for the subsequent crop year unless the producers on the farm make the election to produce fruits and vegetables for the subsequent crop year; and (3) if a farm's base acres are recalculated the production of fruits or vegetables shall be considered to be the same as the planting, prevented planting, or production of a covered commodity. Requires producers to: (1) demonstrate that they have entered into a contract to produce a fruit or vegetable crop for processing, (2) produce such crop as part of a crop rotation program to achieve agronomic and pest and disease management benefits, and (3) provide evidence of the crop's disposition.

Farming Flexibility Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2011

Farming Flexibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to consider mung beans and pulse crops as covered commodities whose planting on base acres is prohibited unless the commodity, if planted, is destroyed before harvest. Provides that: (1) as of crop year 2012 producers on a farm may reduce the base acres for any covered commodity for a crop year by one acre for each acre used for the production of fruits or vegetables (other than potatoes) for processing; (2) such acres devoted to fruits or vegetables shall be included in base acres for the covered commodity for the subsequent crop year unless the producers on the farm make the election to produce fruits and vegetables for the subsequent crop year; and (3) if a farm's base acres are recalculated the production of fruits or vegetables shall be considered to be the same as the planting, prevented planting, or production of a covered commodity. Requires producers to: (1) demonstrate that they have entered into a contract to produce a fruit or vegetable crop for processing, (2) produce such crop as part of a crop rotation program to achieve agronomic and pest and disease management benefits, and (3) provide evidence of the crop's disposition.

Community-Supported Agriculture Promotion Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2011

Community-Supported Agriculture Promotion Act - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to carry out a Community-Supported Agriculture Promotion program to promote community-supported agriculture. Provides Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funding for the program through FY2018.

Livestock Marketing Fairness Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2011

Livestock Marketing Fairness Act - Amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to prohibit a livestock sale forward contract (with an exception for specified cooperatives) that: (1) does not contain a firm base price that may be equated to a fixed dollar amount on the contract day; (2) is not offered for open public bid; (3) is based on a formula price; or (4) provides for the sale of more than 40 cattle, 30 swine, or other livestock in a quantity as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA). Defines: (1) "firm base price" as a transaction using an external source reference price; (2) "formula price" as any price term that establishes a base from which a purchase price is calculated on the basis of a price that will not be determined or reported until a date after the forward price is established (with specified exclusions); and (3) "forward contract" as a livestock purchase contract that provides for livestock delivery to a packer at a date that is more than seven days after the date on which the contract is entered into, without regard to whether the contract is for a specified lot of livestock or a specified number of livestock over a certain period of time.

Chimney Rock National Monument Establishment Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2011

Chimney Rock National Monument Establishment Act - Designates the Chimney Rock National Monument in Colorado to preserve, protect, and restore the cultural, historic, natural, educational, and scenic resources of Chimney Rock and adjacent land and to provide for public interpretation and recreation consistent with the protection of such resources. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make minor adjustments to the boundaries of the Monument to reflect the inclusion of significant archaeological resources discovered on adjacent National Forest System land. Permits only such uses of the Monument that would further the purposes specified above. Allows for continued use of the Monument by Indian tribes for traditional ceremonies and as a source of traditional plants and materials. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out vegetation management treatments within the Monument, except that timber harvesting shall only be used when necessary for ecosystem restoration or the control of fire, insects, or diseases. Permits volunteers and scientific researchers to work within the Monument. Requires the Secretary to develop a management plan for the Monument.

HARVEST Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2011

Helping Agriculture Receive Verifiable Employees Securely and Temporarily Act of 2011 or the HARVEST Act of 2011 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to redefine "H-2A worker" to include a nonimmigrant who: (1) is seeking to perform agricultural labor in the United States in a job for which U.S. workers are not available and willing to perform such service or labor, and (2) commutes each day across the U.S. border and returns to his or her foreign residence and place of abode at the end of each business day. Sets forth employer and employee association petition and attestation requirements. Requires H-2A employers to participate in the the E-Verify program. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct investigations and random audits of employer work sites; and (2) the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide each H-2A worker with a single machine-readable, counterfeit-resistant document that authorizes the alien's U.S. entry, serves as an employment eligibility document, and has at least one biometric identifier. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) penalties; (2) working conditions, wages, transportation, and housing; (3) admissions and extensions of stay; and (4) worker replacement. Amends the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act to: (1) limit the conditions under which the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) may provide legal assistance for any alien or provide financial assistance to any person or entity that provides legal assistance for any alien, (2) require a good faith mediation attempt prior to bringing a civil action for damages on behalf of an H-2A worker, (3) require an H-2A employer to post LSC contact information in the dwelling and at the work site of each nonimmigrant employee in a language in which all employees can understand, and (4) require that the LSC pay a prevailing defendant's costs. Authorizes appropriations to adjudicate H-2A petitions.

Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012

United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2011

Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 - Makes appropriations for FY2012 for the Department of the Interior for: (1) the Bureau of Land Management (BLM); (2) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); (3) the National Park Service (NPS) (including a transfer of funds); (4) the U.S. Geological Survey; (5) the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement; (6) the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement; (7) the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) (including transfers of funds); (8) the Office of the Secretary; (9) departmental offices for insular affairs (including transfer of funds); (10) the Office of the Solicitor; (11) the Office of Inspector General; (12) the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (including transfers of funds); (13) wildland fire management (including transfers of funds); (14) the Central Hazardous Materials Fund; and (15) natural resource damage assessment and restoration. Makes appropriations for FY2012 for: (1) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (including transfers and rescissions of funds), (2) the Department of Agriculture for the Forest Service (including transfers of funds), and (3) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the Indian Health Service (IHS). Makes appropriations for FY2012 for specified related agencies, including: (1) the National Institutes of Health (NIH) , (2) the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, (3) the Executive Office of the President, (4) the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, (5) the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation, (6) the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development, (7) the Smithsonian Institution, (8) the National Gallery of Art, (9) the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, (10) the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, (11) the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, (12) the Commission of Fine Arts, (13) the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, (14) the National Capital Planning Commission, (15) the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, (16) Presidio Trust, and (17) the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission.

American Land Act

United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2011

American Land Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), for FY2012-FY2016, to offer for competitive sale by auction 8% of the federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and 8% of the National Forest System lands. Requires the lands to be sold to be configured so as to maximize their marketability or to achieve management objectives. Permits either Secretary to include the mineral rights in a sale of land under this Act for not more than 50% of the total acreage sold, if such inclusion is likely to maximize that land's marketability.

Wallow Fire Recovery and Monitoring Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2011

Wallow Fire Recovery and Monitoring Act - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct and report on a hazard tree and commercial timber evaluation that identifies timber resources appropriate for removal within the Wallow Fire Area in Arizona and New Mexico not later than the date that is the earlier of: (1) 30 days after the completion of the burned area emergency response for the Wallow Fire Area; or (2) 45 days after the date of containment of the Wallow Fire. Requires the Secretary to: (1) exclude from areas identified for tree removal high fire-severity burned areas on steep slopes, slopes with an incline greater than 40%, riparian areas, and fragile erosive sites, unless tree removal in those areas is necessary to address public health and safety concerns; and (2) limit the removal of trees under a timber removal project under this Act to hazard trees and trees that are already down, dead, or severely root-sprung, such that mortality is highly probable. Provides that: (1) nothing in this Act authorizes new permanent road construction for timber removal, and (2) it is the intent of Congress that all timber removal projects carried out under this Act be completed within 18 months of this Act's enactment. Requires the Secretary, in the case of a timber removal project to be conducted in a Community Protection Management Area, to prepare an environmental assessment for the proposed agency action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Subjects timber removal projects carried out under this Act to the special administrative process and judicial review process under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. Requires amounts collected from a timber removal project carried out under this Act to be available for expenditure by the Secretary for forest restoration treatments in the Wallow Fire Area.

Honoring Service Through National Park Access Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2011

Honoring Service Through National Park Access Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available to members of the uniformed services or members of the National Guard or Reserves at a reduced rate equal to 50% of the cost of the Pass that is sold to the public. Makes such a Pass valid for one year after its date of issuance. Requires Passes to be made available, at a cost of $10, to veterans who were separated from military service under conditions other than dishonorable. Makes such a Pass valid for the lifetime of a passholder.

Arizona Wallow Fire Recovery and Monitoring Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2011

Arizona Wallow Fire Recovery and Monitoring Act - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct and report on a hazard tree and commercial timber evaluation that identifies timber resources appropriate for removal within the Wallow Fire Area not later than the earlier of: (1) 30 days after the completion of the burned area emergency response for the Wallow Fire Area; or (2) 45 days after the date of containment of the Wallow Fire. Requires the Secretary to: (1) exclude from areas identified for tree removal high fire-severity burned areas on steep slopes, slopes with an incline greater than 40%, riparian areas, and fragile erosive sites, unless tree removal in those areas is necessary to address public health and safety concerns; and (2) limit the removal of trees under a timber removal project under this Act to hazard trees and trees that are already down, dead, or severely root-sprung, such that mortality is highly probable. Provides that: (1) nothing in this Act authorizes new permanent road construction for timber removal, and (2) it is the intent of Congress that all timber removal projects carried out under this Act be completed within 18 months of this Act's enactment. Requires the Secretary, in the case of a timber removal project to be conducted in a Community Protection Management Area, to prepare an environmental assessment for the proposed agency action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Subjects timber removal projects carried out under this Act to the special administrative process and judicial review process under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. Requires amounts collected from a timber removal project carried out under this Act to be available for expenditure by the Secretary without further appropriation for forest restoration treatments on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona.

REAPS Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2011

Reducing the Deficit through Eliminating Agriculture Direct Payment Subsidies Act of 2011 or REAPS Act of 2011 - Amends the the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to terminate direct payments for covered commodities and peanuts. Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to limit to $65,000 per crop year: (1) average crop revenue election (ACRE) and counter-cyclical payments for one or more covered commodities, and (2) ACRE payments for peanuts. Applies such provisions to the 2012 crop year.

National Future Farmers of America Commemorative Coin Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011

National Future Farmers of America Commemorative Coin Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold and silver coins in commemoration of the National Future Farmers of America Organization and the 85th anniversary of such Organization. Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one year period, beginning on January 1, 2014. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $25 per gold coin and $10 per silver coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National FFA Foundation in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the creation of an endowment to enhance and expand programs that encourage the development of leadership skills, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education and the Future Farmers of America.

Farmers' Freedom Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2011

Farmers' Freedom Act of 2011 - Exempts certain farm vehicles (including the individual operating the vehicle) from certain federal requirements (for a commercial driver's license, drug testing, medical certificates, and hours of service) governing the operation of motor vehicles. Prohibits federal transportation funding to a state from being terminated, limited, or otherwise interfered with as a result of the state's exempting a covered farm vehicle (including the individual operating that vehicle, but excluding any farm vehicle transporting hazardous materials requiring a placard) from any state requirements governing the operation of that vehicle.

Practical Energy Plan Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2011

Practical Energy Plan Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a new tax credit for investment in a qualifying pioneer project. Defines a "qualifying pioneer project" as a project which captures carbon dioxide that is emitted in connection with power generation or industrial production, that is subject to an eligible enhanced oil recovery contract, and that is delivered for use by a qualified carbon dioxide trunkline that has a free flow capacity of not less than 7.5 million metric tons and extends not less than 300 miles. Allows business-related tax credits for: (1) pioneer project carbon dioxide production, and (2) deployment of carbon dioxide that is captured during a 10-year period and delivered by the taxpayer under an eligible enhanced oil recovery contract. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make annual projections of the present value of the expected increase in federal revenues from oil production using carbon dioxide from qualifying pioneer projects and to suspend such a project if costs exceed expected increases in revenues. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit: (1) a schedule for the issuance of final decisions on applications for permits to drill under an oil and gas lease under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act; (2) a report on critical safety system preparedness and oil spill response and containment preparedness prior to the issuance of each of the first 10 drilling permits for leases on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic coasts or a permit to drill in a new area off the coast of a state; and (3) the results of a study on oil and natural gas resources in the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea. Directs the Secretary to: (1) require that geological and geophysical exploration plans for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) include a third-party reviewed response plan that describes the means and timeline for containment and termination of an ongoing discharge of oil, (2) conduct specified offshore oil and gas lease sales, and (3) promulgate regulations providing for the issuance of seismic surveying cost credits for the provision of data from seismic surveying of the OCS and use of such credits for payment of bonus bids owed for oil and gas lease sales. Amends the Clean Air Act to exempt sources of pollution located offshore of Alaska from pollution control requirements for OCS activities. Revises the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards by requiring at least a 4% annual increase in the average fuel economy level beginning in model year 2017, unless the standards are technologically unachievable, cannot be achieved without materially reducing the overall safety of automobiles, or are not cost effective. Requires the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to: (1) prescribe separate standards for passenger and non-passenger automobiles to achieve a combined fuel economy average of at least 34.1 miles per gallon for model year 2016 (currently 35 miles per gallon for model year 2020) for the total fleet of automobiles manufactured, and (2) determine the greatest achievable fuel efficiency improvement targets for rules pertaining to commercial medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and work trucks. Authorizes the Secretary to implement regulations for vehicle classes and components of such vehicles on an accelerated basis. Requires manufacturers to ensure that no less than 50% of light-duty vehicles manufactured in model years 2015-2017 (90% of such vehicles manufactured in 2018 and subsequent model years) are choice-enabling vehicles. Requires the Secretary to: (1) certify the maximum feasible levels of advanced alternative fuel blend possible; and (2) develop a model label for pumps dispensing advanced alternative fuels that allows consumers to evaluate the relative value, energy density, and expected vehicle performance of any particular advanced alternative fuel blend. Authorizes the Secretary to establish a fuel options standard credit trading program to allow manufacturers whose annual covered inventory exceeds the light-duty vehicle requirements to earn credits to be sold to manufacturers that are unable to achieve such requirements. Revises requirements concerning agency procurement of liquid transportation fuel, alternative or synthetic fuel, and energy efficient products. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to replace the incentive program for the production of cellulosic biofuels with one for the production of renewable fuels. Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to require the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to: (1) update national model building energy codes at least every three years, and (2) establish targets for overall energy savings in buildings and minimum building efficiency standards. Establishes in DOE a Homes and Buildings Energy Retrofits Program that has an annual target energy efficiency retrofit rate of 5% for homes and 2% for commercial buildings. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to make loans to eligible entities (defined as public power districts, public utility districts, or specified electric cooperatives that borrowed and repaid, prepaid, or are paying an electric loan made or guaranteed by the Rural Utilities Service) for making loans to consumers for implementing energy efficient measures. Amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act to direct federal agencies to ensure that new federal buildings are designed to enhance energy efficiency. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to: (1) prohibit agencies from entering into or renewing a lease of a commercial building unless there is clearly and publicly available information concerning the actual energy consumption of the building for each of the five most recent years, and (2) require each energy manager to implement energy- or water-saving measures that are life cycle cost-effective. Sets forth provisions concerning reducing the inventory of federal civilian real property. Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to: (1) require the Secretary of Energy to carry out a grant program to pay the federal share of creating a revolving loan program for manufacturers to implement commercially available technologies or processes that significantly reduce system energy intensity; (2) include computer monitors and displays, personal computers, and cable, satellite, and fiber optic service set-top boxes as covered products under the energy conservation program for consumer products other than automobiles; and (3) require the Secretary to establish an energy conservation standard for each type or class of covered industrial equipment if certain conditions are met.

Dietary Supplement Labeling Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2011

Dietary Supplement Labeling Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to expand the registration requirements for a dietary supplement manufacturing facility to: (1) require the submission of a description, ingredient list, and label and labeling for each dietary supplement product manufactured; and (2) require a manufacturer to update its registration for new, reformulated, or discontinued products within 30 days. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to compile a list of dietary supplement ingredients and proprietary blends of ingredients that the Secretary determines could cause potentially serious adverse events, drug interactions, contraindications, or potential risks to subgroups such as children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Directs the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to: (1) evaluate the safety of dietary supplement ingredients and proprietary blends of ingredients that the Institute determines could cause potentially serious adverse events, drug interactions, contraindications, or potential risks to subgroups; and (2) identify proprietary blends of ingredients for which the weight per serving of the ingredient in the proprietary blend should be provided on the label. Deems a dietary supplement that does not meet the requirements of this Act to be misbranded. Requires the Secretary to establish a definition for the term “conventional food” for purposes of the FFDCA, taking in account foods marketed as dietary supplements.

A resolution congratulating the Soil Science Society of America on its 75th anniversary.

United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2011

Congratulates the Soil Science Society of America on its 75th anniversary. Commends the Soil Science Society of America for its dedicated service to advance soil science and management. Supports the promise of the Soil Science Society of America to continue to enrich the lives of all people of the United States by improving stewardship of the environment, combating world hunger, and enhancing the quality of life for the future.

Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2011

Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund Act of 2011 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to establish the Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund, consisting of revenues from duties paid on imported citrus or citrus products, to support scientific research, technical assistance, and development activities to combat both domestic and invasive citrus diseases and pests harming the United States. Establishes the Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund Advisory Board. Makes Fund amounts available to the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a coordinated program of research and product development relating to: (1) scientific research of both domestic and invasive diseases and pests afflicting the citrus industry; and (2) support for the dissemination and commercialization of relevant information, techniques, and technologies discovered through Fund research or other research projects intended to solve problems caused by citrus production diseases and invasive pests. Requires the President to notify certain congressional committees before entering into a trade agreement that could result in a decrease in the amount of: (1) duties paid on imported citrus or citrus products, and (2) funds transferred into the Fund.

Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2011

Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009 to repeal the December 31, 2011, termination date for trade adjustment assistance (TAA) programs. Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend TAA programs through December 31, 2016. Extends TAA through December 31, 2016, for: (1) workers, (2) firms, (3) farmers, and (4) communities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through December 31, 2016, the 80% tax credit for health insurance costs (including advance payments) for TAA (as well as Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation [PBGC] pension) recipients. Makes TAA recipients who are in a break in training under a training program, or who are receiving unemployment compensation, eligible for such tax credit for the period through December 31, 2016. Amends the IRC, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to extend through December 31, 2016, the TAA pre-certification period rule disregarding any 63-day lapse in creditable health care coverage for TAA workers. Extends the continued eligibility for the credit for qualifying family members and certain qualified TAA-eligible individuals and PBGC pension recipients for COBRA premium assistance through December 31, 2016. Extends through December 31, 2016, coverage under an employee benefit plan funded by a voluntary employees' beneficiary association established pursuant to an order of a bankruptcy court, or by agreement with an authorized representative. Expands rules for valuing assets in grantor retained annuity trusts to require: (1) that the right to receive fixed amounts from an annuity last for a term of not less than 10 years and that such fixed amounts not decrease during the first 10 years of the annuity term, and (2) that the remainder interest have a value greater than zero when transferred.

Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011

Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011 - Requires the President to establish the Committee for the Cumulative Analysis of Regulations that Impact Energy and Manufacturing in the United States to analyze and report on the cumulative and incremental impacts of covered rules and actions of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning air, waste, water, and climate change for each of calendar years 2016, 2020, and 2030. Requires such analysis to include: (1) estimates of the impacts of the such rules and actions on the global economic competitiveness of the United States, electricity prices, fuel prices, employment, and the reliability and adequacy of bulk power supply in the United States; and (2) a discussion and an assessment of the cumulative impact on consumers, small businesses, regional economies, state, local, and tribal governments, local and industry-specific labor markets, and agriculture. Includes among "covered rules" specified national standards for air quality and air pollutants and hazardous and solid waste and other rules promulgated under specified provisions of the Clean Air Act on or after January 1, 2009. Defines "covered action" as any action on or after such date by the EPA, a state, a local government, or a permitting agency as a result of the application of specified Clean Air Act (CAA) provisions with respect to an air pollutant that is identified as a greenhouse gas. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to increase and extend appropriations for FY2012-FY2016 for diesel emissions reduction.

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into building leasing agreements.

United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2011

Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to enter into certain building leasing agreements.

Brian T. Baenig, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, vice Krysta Harden.

United States · United States Senate · 22 June 2011

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2011

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011 - Creates a lawful prospective immigrant status for a qualifying alien present in the United States, as well as for such alien's qualifying spouse and children who may be outside the United States. Provides for status adjustment to lawful permanent resident. Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2011 or the DREAM Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to cancel the removal of, and adjust to the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence on a conditional basis, an alien who: (1) entered the United States on or before his or her 15th birthday and has been present in the United States for five years preceding this Act's enactment; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (4) has not participated in the persecution of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion; (5) has not been convicted of certain offenses under federal or state law; (6) has been admitted to an institution of higher education (IHE) in the United States or has earned a high school diploma or general education development certificate in the United States; and (7) was age 35 or younger on the date of this Act's enactment. Provides for status adjustment to lawful permanent resident. Directs the Attorney General (DOJ) to stay the removal proceedings of an alien who meets certain requirements and who is at least five years of age and enrolled full-time in a primary or secondary school. Limits the eligibility of an alien in conditional permanent resident status for higher education assistance. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2011 or the AgJOBS Act of 2011 - Confers "blue card status" upon an alien who has fulfilled specified periods of agricultural employment in the United States, is otherwise admissible, and has not been convicted of specified crimes. Provides for adjustment to permanent resident status if the alien has fulfilled other specified periods of agricultural employment in the United States. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise H-2A visa (agricultural labor or temporary or seasonal services) provisions. Establishes the Commission on Agricultural Wage Standards under the H-2A program. Revises unlawful presence inadmissibility provisions, including family-unity based exceptions. Establishes in the Treasury: (1) the Department of Homeland Security Legalization Program Account, and (2) the Immigration Reform Penalty Account. Sets forth immigration-related worksite enforcement provisions, including provisions regarding: (1) unlawful employment of aliens, (2) document verification, (3) the employment verification system, and (4) responsibilities of the Social Security Administration (SSA). Permits the disclosure of certain taxpayer information to DHS. Requires the issuance of: (1) fraud-, tamper-, and wear-resistant Social Security cards; and (2) machine-readable, tamper-resistant employment authorization documents with biometric identifiers. Makes it an unfair immigration employment practice to discriminate based on national origin or citizenship status. Revises immigration-related activities of the SSA and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Authorizes appropriations for responsibilities under this Act for: (1) DHS, (2) SSA, (3) the DOJ, and (4) the Department of State. Prohibits the adjustment of an alien in lawful prospective immigrant status to the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence until specified border related enhancements in personnel and resources are established, funded, and operational. Provides for additional: (1) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel; (2) Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) personnel; (3) DHS personnel assigned to investigate alien smuggling; (4) immigration litigation attorneys; (5) ports of entry along the northern and southern borders; and (6) equipment and assets along the borders, including unmanned aerial systems, cameras, sensors, satellites, and radar coverage. Directs the Secretary of State to report annually regarding the exchange of North American immigration, law enforcement, and security information among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Provides for: (1) increased border-related cooperation with Mexico, and (2) expansion of Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism programs. Provides reimbursement for state and county prosecutors in border states for prosecuting federally initiated and referred drug cases. Authorizes border relief grants for tribal, state, or local law enforcement and related agencies in proximity to the border or in a designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Establishes the Immigration and United States-Mexico Border Enforcement Commission. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to set out the scope of state and local immigration-related enforcement authority. Directs the Secretaries of Homeland Security, Interior, Agriculture, Defense, and Commerce to develop a border protection strategy. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a Border Communities Liaison Office in every Border Patrol sector on the southern or northern border. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) establish a visa exit tracking system, and (2) equip all U.S. ports of entry with the United States-Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology system (US-VISIT). Increases: (1) civil penalties for illegal entry; (2) fines and penalties for the reentry of previously removed aliens; and (3) penalties concerning stowaways, vessels, and aircraft. Revises voluntary departure provisions. Authorizes appropriations for the state criminal alien assistance program (SCAAP). Sets forth provisions regarding issuance of detainers by DHS personnel for aliens apprehended by state or local law enforcement officials for controlled substance violations. Revises passport, visa, and immigration fraud provisions. Directs: (1) the United States Sentencing Commission to promulgate or amend passport fraud sentencing guidelines, and (2) the Attorney General to develop immigration fraud prosecution guidelines. Expands the definition of conveyances subject to forfeiture for smuggling. Requires commercial vehicles transporting passengers from outside the United States to a U.S. airport or seaport to provide arrival/departure manifests. Authorizes DHS to share manifest and passenger name information with other government authorities, including foreign governments. Subjects an operator of a vessel or motor vehicle to fine and/or imprisonment for evading a federal checkpoint. Authorizes grants for Indian tribes adversely affected by illegal immigration. Authorizes Department of State and Foreign Service special agents to investigate: (1) illegal passport or visa issuance or use, (2) Department-related identity theft and document fraud, and (3) federal offenses committed in the special maritime and territorial jurisdictions (nonmilitary) of the United States. Makes inadmissible and deportable convicted alien: (1) sex offenders who fail to register, and (2) street gang members. Sets forth, with respect to immigration-related enforcement activities: (1) protections for vulnerable populations, (2) apprehension procedures of more than 10 people involving children, and (3) detention procedures for families with children. Requires the creation of secure alternatives to detention (excluding alien terrorists). Enumerates humane detention conditions, including conditions for children and vulnerable populations. Requires the appointment of a detention commission. Authorizes access to counsel for aliens in removal proceedings. Directs the Attorney General to establish a National Legal Orientation Support and Training Center to ensure quality and consistent implementation of group legal orientation programs nationwide. Sets forth protections for: (1) refugees, including designation of refugee groups; and (2) stateless persons in the United States, including mechanisms for regularizing status. Establishes in DHS a position of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Ombudsman. Eliminates the one-year time limit for filing an asylum claim. Establishes the Standing Commission on Foreign Workers, Labor Markets, and the National Interest to establish employment-based immigration policies that promote economic growth while minimizing job displacement, wage depression, and unauthorized employment in the United States. Revises family and employment based immigrant visa provisions. Recaptures unused FY1992-FY2007 visas. Increases immigration visas for: (1) sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and (2) brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. Provides a specified visa allocation for the unmarried sons and unmarried daughters of permanent resident aliens. Exempts certain aliens with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics from numerical limits. Revises the definition of "immediate relative" to include the spouse and child of a lawful permanent resident. Establishes a status adjustment process for certain military family members. Redefines "child" to include a stepchild under 21 years old. Provides specified relief for orphans and widows/widowers. Authorizes the status adjustment of a fiance/fiancee or alien spouse and any minor children (K-visa) to conditional permanent resident status if such alien marries a petitioner within three months after U.S. admission. Exempts children of certain naturalized Filipino World War II veterans from worldwide or numerical immigrant limitations. Permits workers who are eligible for permanent resident status adjustment but for whom a visa number is unavailable to apply for adjustment. Uniting American Families Act of 2011 - Includes a "permanent partner" within the scope of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Defines a "permanent partner" as an individual 18 or older who: (1) is in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 or older in which both individuals intend a lifelong commitment; (2) is financially interdependent with the other individual; (3) is not married to, or in a permanent partnership with, anyone other than the individual; (4) is unable to contract with the other individual a marriage cognizable under this Act; and (5) is not a first, second, or third degree blood relation of the other individual. Creating American Jobs Through Foreign Capital Investment Act - Amends the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 to make the EB-5 visa (alien investor) regional center program permanent. Eliminates sunset provisions for: (1) the J-1 visa waiver (Conrad state 30/medical services in underserved areas) program, and (2) the special immigrant nonminister religious worker program. Extends the H-1C visa program providing nonimmigrant nurses in health professional shortage areas. Revises entry provisions for H-1B visa foreign medical graduates and provides for an increase under specified conditions in the annual per-state cap of 30 foreign doctors. Exempts from worldwide immigration numerical limitations alien physicians who have completed state waiver or exemption service requirements, including alien physicians who completed such service before the date of enactment of this Act. Includes nationals of Ireland coming to the United States under a treaty of commerce to perform specialty occupation services in the nonimmigrant E-3 visa category. Authorizes: (1) temporary workers (E, H, I, L O, or P visas) who have not violated their status to renew their same category visa from within the United States; and (2) alien spouses of nonimmigrant H-visa aliens to work in the United States. Gives an alien who ceases to be employed by his or her petitioning employer 60 days to leave the United States or apply for a change of status. Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act or the POWER Act - Excludes from the definition of "immigrant" a nonimmigrant alien who files a petition for status if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that the alien: (1) has suffered abuse or harm as a result of having been a victim of criminal activity, (2) has suffered substantial abuse or harm related to specified labor or employment violations related to a workplace claim (workplace violation), (3) is a victim of specified criminal activity and would suffer extreme hardship upon removal, (4) has suffered a workplace violation and would suffer extreme hardship upon removal, (5) has been helpful to specified authorities investigating a workplace violation, or (6) is a material witness or is likely to be helpful in the investigation of a workplace claim and fears retaliatory activities by the employer. Sets forth provisions governing procedural requirements and protections in an enforcement action leading to a removal proceeding taken against an alien: (1) as a result of information provided to DHS in retaliation against an individual for exercising employment or other legal rights, (2) at a facility about which a workplace claim has been filed, or (3) who has filed a workplace claim or who is a material witness in any proceeding involving a workplace claim. Amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act to allow state leadership activity grants to be used to provide technical assistance to faith and community-based organizations. Directs the National Institute for Literacy to disseminate information regarding integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs. Provides grants to states for integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide: (1) tax credits to teachers of English language learners, (2) tax deductions for the expenses of becoming certified as such teachers, and (3) tax credits for employers' expenses in making adult education and literacy services available to their employees. Requires the Commissioner for Education Research of the National Center for Education Research to establish a national research and development center for adult education and literacy. Establishes the Presidential Award for Business Leadership in Promoting United States Citizenship to be awarded to companies and other organizations that make extraordinary efforts in assisting their employees and members to learn English and increase their understanding of U.S. history and civics. Renames the Office of Citizenship of DHS as the Office of Citizenship and New Americans. Authorizes the Office to make grants to states and subgrants to local governments to assist them in integrating immigrants. Establishes the New Citizens Award program. Provides for the status adjustment to lawful permanent resident of certain: (1) Haitian orphans, and (2) Liberian nationals. Provides grants to state courts for programs to assist individuals with limited English proficiency to access and understand state court proceedings. Provides permanent resident status adjustment for a qualifying alien who was, on September 10, 2001, the spouse, child, or unmarried son or daughter of an alien who died as a direct result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist activity against the United States. Makes such provisions inapplicable to an alien who is inadmissible or deportable under criminal or security grounds, including September 11, 2001, terrorist activity. Directs the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to expand programming that prioritizes alternatives to emigration from countries with the highest rates of irregular migration to the United States. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should review U.S. policy toward Latin America in order to strengthen hemispheric security through the reduction of poverty, expansion of equitable trade, and support for democratic institutions, citizen security, and the rule of law.

Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2011

Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to list permissible sources of dogs and cats used by research facilities to include dogs and cats obtained: (1) from a licensed dealer, (2) from a publicly owned and operated pound or shelter that meets specified requirements, (3) by donation from a person who bred and raised the dog or cat or owned it for not less than one year, or (4) from a research facility licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Sets forth additional monetary penalties for related violations. Prohibits federal facilities from purchasing or otherwise acquiring dogs or cats for exhibition purposes (currently, for research, experimentation, or exhibition purposes) except from: (1) the operator of an auction that comports with legal requirements, or (2) a person holding a valid dealer or exhibitor license. Prohibits dealers from selling or otherwise providing any research facility (currently, any individual or entity) with random source dogs or cats unless specified certification requirements are met.

Fulfilling U.S. Energy Leadership Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011

Fulfilling U.S. Energy Leadership Act of 2011 - Sets forth energy production programs for: (1)advanced and plug-in vehicle deployment, (2) research and development (R&D) for advanced batteries and raw materials, (3) tax credits for advanced and fuel-efficient motor vehicles, (4) oil and gas development on the outer Continental Shelf (OCS), (5) alternative fuel deployment, (6) clean sources of electricity, (7) financing clean energy initiatives, and (8) rural energy savings. Directs the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to conduct an R&D and commercial application program for alternative fuel transportation technology. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to direct the Secretary promulgate regulations governing reduced petroleum consumption by the federal fleet Establishes within the Department of Energy (DOE) a national plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment program. Directs the Secretary to implement a national assessment and develop a national plan for plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment. Establishes a communities program for targeted plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) an R&D funding program for technologies supporting the development, manufacture, and deployment of plug-in electric drive vehicles and related charging infrastructure; (2) a clean energy standard that promotes the use of renewable and other low-carbon sources of electricity; and (3) the Next Step Energy Storage Research Center. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study the supply of raw materials. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act to require electric utilities to develop a plan to support the use of plug-in electric drive vehicles, including medium- and heavy-duty hybrid electric vehicles. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require the Secretary to guarantee loans for specified automotive battery purchases that use advanced battery technology. Authorizes loan guarantees also for renewable fuel pipelines. Establishes the Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Technical Advisory Committee. Directs the President to establish the Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Interagency Task Force. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) modify criteria for consumer tax credits for advanced vehicles; (2) allow a tax credit for certain new fuel-efficient motor vehicles; (3) allow an idling reduction tax credit; (4) revise excise tax credits based on the price of crude oil; (4) modify the alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit; (5) extend the tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel; (6) prescribe a special rule for systems installed on coal-fired electric generation units; (7) allow a tax credit for carbon sequestration from coal facilities; (8) modify the tax credit for carbon dioxide sequestration; (9) create a clean energy coal bond; (10) allow seven-year accelerated depreciation for new nuclear power facilities; (11) allow a tax credit for advanced energy manufacturing; (12) modify and extend the tax credit for steel industry fuel; and (13) extend the tax credit for producing fuel from coke or coke gas. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to offer for leasing any moratorium area in the Gulf of Mexico more than 50 miles off the coastline. Prohibits the export of oil and natural gas produced on the OCS. Establishes the Alternative Fuel Trust Fund. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to: (1) instruct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a seismic inventory of oil and natural gas, and prepare a summary of marine resources on the OCS in the Atlantic Region, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and the Alaska Region; (2) authorize appropriations for bioenergy research and development, (3) set forth a large-scale carbon storage program, (4) authorize appropriations for nuclear energy workforce training, and (5) require a small modular reactor initiative. Amends the OCSLA to establish the Offshore Safety Bureau. Increases loan guarantees for nuclear power and other innovative sources. Establishes an interagency working group to promote a domestic manufacturing base for nuclear components and equipment. Establishes: (1) the Clean Energy Investment Fund, and (2) the Clean Energy Deployment Administration. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to instruct the Secretary of Agriculture to make loans to eligible entities that agree to use such funds to make loans to qualified consumers for the purpose of implementing energy efficiency measures. Extends the tax deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings and the tax credits for energy-efficient homes (new and existing) and energy-efficient appliances.

CARE Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011

Children's Act for Responsible Employment of 2011 or the CARE Act of 2011 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to define "oppressive child labor," for purposes of the Act's child labor prohibitions, as the employment of any employee who is: (1) 16 or 17 in any occupation found by the Secretary of Labor to be particularly hazardous for their employment or detrimental to their health or well-being; (2) 14 or 15, unless the employment is confined to periods which do not interfere with the employee's schooling, health, or well-being; or (3) under 14. Revises the Act's exemptions to make the restrictions on oppressive child labor inapplicable to the following: (1) employment in agriculture of an employee under 18 years of age by his or her parent, or by a person standing in the place of the parent, on a farm owned by the parent or person (current law uses an age- and consent-based scheme); and (2) employment of an employee under age 16 by a parent, or a person standing in place of a parent, other than in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, or any other employment the Secretary finds to be particularly hazardous for the employment of children age 16 or 17 or detrimental to their health or well-being (current law applies the child labor restrictions to particularly hazardous agricultural employment, except where the child is employed by a parent or a person standing in place of the parent on a farm owned or operated by such person). Eliminates any waiver of such prohibitions for hand-harvesting of certain crops. Increases civil and establishes criminal penalties for child labor violations. Directs the Secretary to revise federal child labor regulations to prohibit the employment of children under 18 in duties involving the handling of pesticides.

To replace the current Forest Service administrative appeals process with a pre-decisional administrative review process modeled after the successful approach used in the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2011

Forest Service Administrative Review Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), through the Forest Service, to establish a pre-decisional administrative review process that will serve as the sole means by which persons can seek an administrative review regarding proposed actions of the Forest Service concerning projects and activities that implement land and resource management plans developed under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974. Sets forth requirements for the pre-decisional administrative review process concerning the occurrence of the review period, eligibility of a participant in the process, and notice of the proposed decision. Exempts from such process an emergency situation that exists for which immediate implementation of a proposed action is necessary. Applies certain judicial review provisions of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 with respect to: (1) the judicial review of an action challenging a proposed action under this Act, and (2) any request for an injunction regarding such an action. Makes this Act non-applicable to: (1) an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project under such Act that has its own special administrative review process, and (2) a proposed action under this Act for which a categorical exclusion is provided.

Regulatory Balance Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2011

Regulatory Balance Act - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to perform a cost-benefit analysis on any proposed regulation that is determined to be a significant regulatory action (as defined by Executive Order 12866) and submit such analysis to Congress before such regulation takes effect.

Electing Members to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives.

United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2011

Elects specified named Members to the following House Committees: (1) Agriculture, (2) Transportation and Infrastructure, and (3) Ways and Means.

National Future Farmers of America Commemorative Coin Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2011

National Future Farmers of America Commemorative Coin Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold and silver coins in commemoration of the National Future Farmers of America Organization and the 85th anniversary of such Organization. Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one year period, beginning on January 1, 2014. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $25 per gold coin and $10 per silver coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National FFA Foundation in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the creation of an endowment to enhance and expand programs that encourage the development of leadership skills, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education and the Future Farmers of America.

To facilitate a land exchange involving certain National Forest System lands in the Inyo National Forest, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2011

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), in any land exchange involving the conveyance of certain National Forest System land within the boundaries of Inyo National Forest in California, to accept for acquisition in such exchange certain non-federal lands in California lying outside the boundaries of the Forest, if acquiring them is desirable for National Forest System purposes. Authorizes the Secretary to accept a cash equalization payment that exceeds 25%. Requires any such payment to be deposited into the Treasury account established under the Sisk Act and made available for the acquisition of land for addition to the System.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2112) making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2011

Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2112) making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012.

American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2011

American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction that is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine that the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition. Increases the cap on the amount of appropriations that may be used to carry out such Act.

Rural America Preservation Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2011

Rural America Preservation Act of 2011 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to cap maximum annual direct and counter-cyclical payments to an individual (for covered commodities and peanuts) at $20,000 and $30,000, respectively. Revises limitation provisions for marketing loan gains, loan deficiency payments, and commodity certificate transactions, and establishes an annual combined limitation of $75,000 for such payments. Doubles payment limitations for single farming operations. Limits an individual or a legal entity to a combined annual payment of $250,000. Revises provisions respecting limitation of benefits to active farmers. Makes foreign individuals and foreign entities ineligible for agricultural program benefits.

Foodborne Illness Reduction Act of 2011

United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2011

Foodborne Illness Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), In the case of any Class I recall, to distribute to each retail grocery or other establishment that sells food directly to customers in the United States a summary notice containing product information about each food or food product subject to such recall. Defines "Class I recall' as a food recall classification that covers a health-hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of the food or food product being recalled will cause a serious, adverse health consequence or death. Amends the Poultry Products Inspection Act to consider a poultry product adulterated if it is contaminated with Salmonella or Campylobacter. Amends the the Federal Meat Inspection Act to consider any carcass, part thereof, meat, or meat food product adulterated if it is contaminated with Salmonella, Toxoplasma gondii, or enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) Shiga toxin-producing serotypes of Escherichia coli (E. coli) Requires that specified slaughterhouses, processing establishments, and grinding facilities perform specified tests for the presence of E. coli in ground beef. Subjects imported trim, bench trim, and ground beef to the same testing requirements as domestic trim, bench trim, and ground beef. Requires domestic facilities to conduct secondary testing of such meat before processing into a final ground beef product. Requires the Secretary, through the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), to redesign FSIS E. coli sampling and verification programs.

Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012

United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2011

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 - Makes FY2012 appropriations for the: (1) Department of Agriculture (USDA), (2) Food and Drug Administration (FDA), (3) Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and (4) Farm Credit Administration. Specifies certain uses and limits on or prohibitions against the use of funds appropriated by this Act.