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Bill· HRH.R. 6689 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2012
Amends the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the design, planning, and construction of, and land acquisition for, a project to reclaim and reuse wastewater in Sacramento County, California. Requires the project to consist of three phases, the first of which shall include the planning, design, and construction of water conveyance and related infrastructure to provide recycled water to irrigate approximately 4,500 acres of land in southern Sacramento County.
Bill· HRH.R. 6684 (112th)open
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2012
Spending Reduction Act of 2012 - Title I: Agriculture - Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to terminate the increase in the value of supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program) benefits for Puerto Rico and American Samoa on March 1, 2013. Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to limit categorical SNAP eligibility to households receiving specified other program benefits in cash. Eliminates the requirement that a state agency using a standard utility allowance provide such allowance to a household that receives assistance under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 or other energy assistance program if such household incurs out-of-pocket heating or cooling expenses exceeding such assistance. Eliminates: (1) administrative cost sharing to states for certain employment and training programs, (2) state bonus programs for effective SNAP administration, and (3) indexing for the nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program. Reduces FY2013 funding for employment and training programs. Authorizes FY2013 appropriations to carry out the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. States that this title and the amendments made by this title shall take effect on enactment of this Act, and shall apply only with respect to certification periods that begin on or after such date. Title II: Committee on Energy and Commerce - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to repeal provisions: (1) appropriating funds to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to states for activities (including planning activities) related to establishing an American Health Benefit Exchange (a state health insurance exchange), (2) establishing and appropriating funds to the Prevention and Public Health Fund (a Fund to provide for expanded and sustained national investment in prevention and public health programs to improve health and help restrain the rate of growth in private and public sector health care costs), and (3) appropriating funds for the establishment and operation of the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) program (designed to foster the creation of qualified nonprofit health insurance issuers to offer qualified health plans in the individual and small group markets). Rescinds any unobligated balance appropriated under such provisions. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) extend the reduction of the threshold level of permissible state taxes on health care providers before federal funding to the state for Medicaid is reduced; (2) reduce the state disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotment for FY2022; and (3) repeal provisions prohibiting states from reducing eligibility levels for Medicaid. Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP) of SSA to repeal provisions prohibiting states from reducing eligibility levels for CHIP. Repeals provisions that increased Medicaid payments to territories though FY2019. Decreases the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Repeals provisions providing bonus payments to states for enrollment and retention programs for children covered under Medicaid and CHIP. Title III: Financial Services - Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) to repeal authority for: (1) judicial procedures for the orderly liquidation of certain financial companies, and (2) the Orderly Liquidation Fund. HAMP Termination Act of 2012 - Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) from providing assistance under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) under the Making Home Affordable initiative. Exempts from this prohibition assistance provided on behalf of homeowners to whom an offer to participate in HAMP was provided before enactment of this Act. Prohibits certain unobligated funds from being made available under HAMP. Restricts the use of such funds solely to federal budget deficit reduction. Directs the Secretary to: (1) study the extent of usage of HAMP by, and its impact upon, covered homeowners; and (2) publish on the Department of the Treasury website that HAMP has been terminated. Declares that Congress encourages banks to work with homeowners to: (1) provide loan modifications to those that are eligible, and (2) assist with foreclosure prevention programs and information on loan modifications. Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to repeal the requirement for an annual transfer of funds from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Repeals: (1) the Consumer Financial Protection Fund, (2) the Victims Relief Fund, and (3) the authorization of appropriations and requirement for an annual report. Authorizes appropriations for FY2013-FY2014. Amends Dodd-Frank to eliminate the Office of Financial Research. Title IV: Committee on the Judiciary - Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2012 - Sets conditions for lawsuits arising from health care liability claims and actions concerning the provision of health care goods or services or any medical product affecting interstate commerce. Establishes a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers, or through the use of reasonable diligence should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first, unless tolled for any of the following: (1) upon proof of fraud, (2) intentional concealment, or (3) the presence in the the injured person of a foreign body that has no therapeutic or diagnostic purpose or effect. Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000, regardless of the number of parties against whom the action is brought or the number of separate claims or actions brought with respect to the same injury. Provides that each party shall be liable only for the amount of damages allocated to such party in direct proportion to such party's percentage of responsibility, and not for the share of any other person. Requires the court to supervise the arrangements for payment of damages to protect against conflicts of interest that may have the effect of reducing the amount of damages awarded that are actually paid to claimants. Limits contingent fees. Permits punitive damages to be awarded against any person in a health care lawsuit only if: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that such person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or that such person deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury such person knew the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (2) a judgment for compensatory damages has been rendered against that person. Sets forth factors that may be considered in determining the amount of punitive damages, which shall be limited to the greater of $250,000 or two times the amount of economic damages awarded. Prohibits the award of punitive damages against a manufacturer or distributor of, a supplier of any component or raw material of, or a health care provider that prescribes or dispenses, a medical product that complies with FDA standards. Requires the court, at the request of any party in the lawsuit, to enter a judgment ordering that future damages be paid by periodic payments, in accordance with the Uniform Periodic Payment of Judgments Act promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, if an award of future damages equaling or exceeding $50,000 is made against a party with sufficient insurance or other assets to fund such a payment. Title V: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform - Increases federal employee contributions under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) by 5% of salary over 5 years, beginning in calendar year 2013. Increases retirement contributions for: (1) Members of Congress in CSRS and FERS and for congressional employees in CSRS by 8.5% (by 7.5% for congressional employees in FERS) of salary over 5 years, beginning in calendar year 2013; and (2) Members of Congress and certain federal employees who begin federal service after December 31, 2012, and who have less than 5 years of creditable service for retirement purposes (revised annuity employees). Requires any excess contributions made by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) or the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to be deposited to the credit of the Postal Service Fund, rather than the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. Modifies rules for determining government contributions to CSRS and FERS made after December 31, 2012, and requires any excess contributions to FERS to be used for reducing the unfunded liability of CSRS. Eliminates the annuity supplement for FERS employees hired after December 31, 2012, except for certain law enforcement officers, firefighters, nuclear material couriers, border protection officers, and air traffic controllers. Allows federal employees (including employees of USPS and PRC) and Members of Congress in CSRS or FERS to deposit any payment they receive for accumulated and accrued annual or vacation leave into their Thrift Savings Fund accounts. Requires the Executive Director of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board to promulgate regulations for such deposits. Title VI: Committee on Ways and Means - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the limitation on the recapture of advance payment amounts of the tax credit for health insurance premium assistance that exceed the allowable amount of such credit for certain low-income taxpayers. Requires taxpayers who are claiming the refundable portion of the child tax credit to include their social security numbers on their tax returns. Repeals the program of block grants to states for social services under title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) of the Social Security Act, effective October 1, 2012. Sequester Replacement Act of 2012 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to remove veterans' medical care from the accounts subject to a sequester. Abolishes the distinction between security and nonsecurity categories of discretionary spending for new budget authority in FY2013. Combines the dollar amounts of the current categories ($686 billion for the security category and $361 billion for the nonsecurity category) into a single amount of $1.047 trillion in new budget authority. Revises sequestration requirements for FY2013 to require a $19.104 billion across-the-board decrease in the discretionary spending category as of January 2, 2013. Directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue a supplemental sequestration report for FY2013 to eliminate any discretionary spending breach of the $1.047 trillion spending limit, as adjusted by the $19.104 billion across-the-board reduction requirement of this Act. Directs the President to order a sequestration, if any, as required by such report. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to authorize the chair of the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives or the Senate to make adjustments to any legislative measure to conform to the discretionary spending limits of this Act. Nullifies any sequestration order the President may issue under the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to carry out reductions to direct spending for the FY2013 defense function (050).
Bill· HRH.R. 6688 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2012
Averting the Fiscal Cliff Act - Title I: Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act - Subtitle A: Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act - Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 - Makes permanent: (1) the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, and (2) provisions of the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 that reduce tax rates on capital gain and dividend income. Extends through 2013 the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer provisions of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2013: (1) the increased expensing allowance for depreciable business assets, and (2) the increased alternative minimum tax (AMT) exemption amount for individual taxpayers. Subtitle B: Pathway to Job Creation Through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act - Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012 - States that the purpose of this Subtitle is to provide for the enactment of comprehensive tax reform in 2013. Defines a "tax reform bill" as a bill of the 113th Congress that is introduced in the House of Representatives by the chair of the Committee on Ways and Means not later than April 30, 2013 (or the first legislative day thereafter if the House is not in session on that day), the title of which is "a bill to provide for comprehensive tax reform." Requires the chair of the Joint Committee on Taxation to notify the House and Senate upon determining that such an introduced bill contains proposals to: (1) consolidate the 6 current individual income tax brackets into a maximum of 2 brackets (of 10% and not higher than 25%), (2) reduce the corporate income tax rate to not more than 25%, (3) repeal the alternative minimum tax (AMT), (4) broaden the tax base to maintain revenue between 18% and 19% of the economy, and (5) change from a worldwide to a territorial system of taxation. Provides for expedited consideration of such bill in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Title II: Sequestration Replacement Act - Subtitle A: Agriculture - Agricultural Reconciliation Act of 2012 - Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to terminate the increase in the value of supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program) benefits for Puerto Rico and American Samoa on the date of enactment of the Averting the Fiscal Cliff Act. Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to limit categorical SNAP eligibility to households receiving specified other program benefits in cash. Eliminates the requirement that a state agency using a standard utility allowance provide such allowance to a household that receives assistance under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 or other energy assistance program if such household incurs out-of-pocket heating or cooling expenses exceeding such assistance. Eliminates: (1) administrative cost sharing to states for certain employment and training programs, (2) state bonus programs for effective SNAP administration, and (3) indexing for the nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program. Reduces FY2013 funding for employment and training programs. Authorizes FY2013 appropriations to carry out the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. States that this title and the amendments made by this title shall take effect on enactment of this Act, and shall apply only with respect to certification periods that begin on or after such date. Subtitle B: Committee on Energy and Commerce - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to repeal provisions: (1) appropriating funds to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to states for activities (including planning activities) related to establishing an American Health Benefit Exchange (a state health insurance exchange), (2) establishing and appropriating funds to the Prevention and Public Health Fund (a Fund to provide for expanded and sustained national investment in prevention and public health programs to improve health and help restrain the rate of growth in private and public sector health care costs), and (3) appropriating funds for the establishment and operation of the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) program (designed to foster the creation of qualified nonprofit health insurance issuers to offer qualified health plans in the individual and small group markets). Rescinds any unobligated balance appropriated under such provisions. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) extend the reduction of the threshold level of permissible state taxes on health care providers before federal funding to the state for Medicaid is reduced; (2) reduce the state disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotment for FY2022; and (3) repeal provisions prohibiting states from reducing eligibility levels for Medicaid. Amends SSA title XXI (Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP) to repeal provisions prohibiting states from reducing eligibility levels for CHIP. Repeals provisions that increased Medicaid payments to territories though FY2019. Decreases the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Repeals provisions providing bonus payments to states for enrollment and retention programs for children covered under Medicaid and CHIP. Subtitle C: Financial Services -- Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) to repeal Title II (Orderly Liquidation Authority), including the Orderly Liquidation Fund, and to restore any federal law amended by it as if title II of Dodd-Frank had not been enacted. HAMP Termination Act of 2012 - Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) to terminate the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to provide new mortgage modification assistance under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), except with respect to existing obligations on behalf of homeowners already extended an offer to participate in the program. Declares unavailable after the enactment of this Act for obligation or expenditure under HAMP any amounts made available for HAMP under EESA title I that: (1) have been allocated for use but not yet obligated, and (2) are not necessary for providing HAMP assistance on behalf of those homeowners already extended an offer to participate in HAMP. Directs the Secretary to study: (1) the extent to which HAMP is used by homeowners who are active duty members of the Armed Forces (or their spouses or parents), veterans, or Gold Star-eligible widows, parents, or next of kin of Armed Forces members who died in military operations; and (2) the impact of the program on them. Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to repeal the obligation of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve Board) to transfer quarterly to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) the amount of funds determined by the CFPB Director to be reasonably necessary to carry out CFPB authorities. Repeals the Consumer Financial Protection Fund and the Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund. Repeals the exclusion of CFPB funds from construction as government funds or appropriated monies. Subjects the CFPB funds to the annual congressional authorization and appropriation process. Amends Dodd-Frank to repeal the Office of Financial Research. Subtitle D: Committee on the Judiciary - Help Efficient, Accessible, Low Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2012 - Sets forth provisions regulating lawsuits for health care liability claims concerning the provision of health care goods or services or any medical product affecting interstate commerce. Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions. Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility. Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Limits the fees to a decreasing percentage based on the increasing value of the amount awarded. Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer, and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000. Limits the liability of manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and providers of medical products that comply with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. Provides for periodic payments of future damage awards. Subtitle E: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform - Increases federal employee contributions under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) by 5% of salary over 5 years, beginning in calendar year 2013. Increases retirement contributions for: (1) Members of Congress in CSRS and FERS and for congressional employees in CSRS by 8.5% (by 7.5% for congressional employees in FERS) of salary over 5 years, beginning in calendar year 2013; and (2) Members of Congress and certain federal employees who begin federal service after December 31, 2012, and who have less than 5 years of creditable service for retirement purposes (revised annuity employees). Requires any excess contributions made by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) or the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to be deposited to the credit of the Postal Service Fund, rather than the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. Modifies rules for determining government contributions to CSRS and FERS made after December 31, 2012, and requires any excess contributions to FERS to be used for reducing the unfunded liability of CSRS. Eliminates the annuity supplement for FERS employees hired after December 31, 2012, except for certain law enforcement officers, firefighters, nuclear material couriers, border protection officers, and air traffic controllers. Allows federal employees (including employees of USPS and PRC) and Members of Congress in CSRS or FERS to deposit any payment they receive for accumulated and accrued annual or vacation leave into their Thrift Savings Fund accounts. Subtitle F: Committee on Ways and Means - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the limitation on the recapture of advance payment amounts of the tax credit for health insurance premium assistance that exceed the allowable amount of such credit for certain low-income taxpayers, and (2) require taxpayers who are claiming the refundable portion of the child tax credit to include their social security numbers on their tax returns. Repeals the program of block grants to states for social services under title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) of the Social Security Act. Subtitle G: Sequester Replacement - Sequester Replacement Act of 2012 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to remove veterans' medical care from the accounts subject to a sequester. Abolishes the distinction between security and nonsecurity categories of discretionary spending for new budget authority in FY2013. Combines the dollar amounts of the current categories ($686 billion for the security category and $361 billion for the nonsecurity category) into a single amount of $1.047 trillion in new budget authority. Revises sequestration requirements for FY2013 to require a $19.104 billion across-the-board decrease in the discretionary spending category as of January 2, 2013. Directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue a supplemental sequestration report for FY2013 to eliminate any discretionary spending breach of the $1.047 trillion spending limit, as adjusted by the $19.104 billion across-the-board reduction requirement of this Act. Directs the President to order a sequestration, if any, as required by such report. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to authorize the chair of the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives or the Senate to make adjustments to any legislative measure to conform to the discretionary spending limits of this Act. Nullifies any sequestration order the President may issue under the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to carry out reductions to direct spending for the FY2013 defense function (050).
Bill· SS. 3683 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2012
Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act - Amends the Washington State Wilderness Act of 1984, with respect to certain lands in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National Forests in the state of Washington designated as part of the Glacier Peak Wilderness, to specifically allow the operation and maintenance of Green Mountain Lookout. Prohibits the Chief of the Forest Service from moving the Lookout from its current location on Green Mountain in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest unless the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) determines that its move is necessary to preserve the Lookout or to ensure the safety of individuals on or around Green Mountain. Requires the Secretary, if such a determination is made, to move the Lookout to a location outside of the lands described in this Act, above.
Bill· HRH.R. 6666 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2012
Healthy Communities through Helping to Offer Incentives and Choices to Everyone in Society Act - Expands coverage of obesity treatment under titles XVIII (Medicare), including part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program), and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act. Sets forth requirements to expand training of health professionals and the community on treating and preventing obesity. Requires activities to encourage physical activity, including the development of assessment tools on barriers in communities to physical activity, planning and implementing model communities of play that increase physical activity, the development of state and national strategies to encourage Americans to be physically active outdoors, and dissemination of best practices to encourage physical activity outdoors. Sets forth requirements to address physical education in schools, including to: (1) issue guidelines for physical education in elementary and secondary schools; (2) revise the definition of “core academic subject” to include physical education; (3) issue physical activity guidelines for preschool children and recommend that each Head Start agency implement such guidelines; (4) promote healthy, active lifestyles by students within specified educational grant programs; and (5) revise 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. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of employees: (1) the value of any on-premises employer-provided athletic facility; and (2) fees, dues, or membership expenses paid to an athletic or fitness facility by an employer for its employees. Allows employers a tax deduction for fees, dues, or membership expenses paid to an athletic or fitness facility. Allows a medical care tax deduction for qualified sports and fitness expenses. Revives a grant program for the administration of national or regional programs to provide instructional activities on a variety of sports for low-income youth. Expands activities to educate consumers about nutrition, physical activity, and healthy lifestyles and to improve eating and physical habits. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to award grants to expand, establish, or maintain urban community gardens. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to make grants to assist local planning decisions and policies that increase the access of individuals to physical activity. Establishes a program to award grants for costs related to allowing the use of a school’s facilities and equipment by people other than the school’s students or staff. Authorizes the collection and analysis of data on fitness, activity levels and nutrition.
Bill· HRH.R. 6665 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2012
Farmers Protection Act of 2012 - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to permit the taking of any migratory game bird, including waterfowl, coots, and cranes, on or over land that: (1) is not a baited area; and (2) contains a standing crop (including an aquatic crop), standing, flooded, or manipulated natural vegetation, flooded harvested cropland, or an area on which seed or grain has been scattered solely as the result of a normal agricultural practice.
Bill· HRH.R. 6664 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2012
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to convey to the state of California a parcel of approximately 12.55 acres of National Forest System land in the Pacific Southwest Region to permit the state to use such land to relocate the South Operations Coordination Center. Defines "South Operations Coordination Center" as the state facility that is jointly operated by the state and the Forest Service and is used for providing emergency support for wildland fires and other emergencies. Requires the state, as consideration for the conveyance of the land, to pay an amount equal to the fair market value of the conveyed land. Requires the state to cover the costs to be incurred by the Secretary, or to reimburse the Secretary for the costs incurred in carrying out such conveyance. Subjects such conveyance to valid existing rights.
Bill· SS. 3674 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2012
Farmers Protection Act of 2012 - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to permit the taking of any migratory game bird, including waterfowl, coots, and cranes, on or over land that: (1) is not a baited area; and (2) contains a standing crop (including an aquatic crop), standing, flooded, or manipulated natural vegetation, flooded harvested cropland, or an area on which seed or grain has been scattered solely as the result of a normal agricultural practice.
Bill· SS. 3669 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2012
Provides assistance, from Treasury funds not otherwise appropriated, for watersheds adversely affected by qualifying natural disasters.
Bill· HRH.R. 6631 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2012
Virgin Islands Energy Crisis Relief Act - Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), through the Rural Utilities Service, to make a grant to the Water and Power Authority of the U.S. Virgin Islands for energy generation, transmission, and distribution in rural communities with extremely high energy costs. Provides related funding through FY2015. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make grants to the Authority to convert base power production in the Virgin Islands from fuel oil to liquefied natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas. Authorizes appropriations through FY2017. Increases, through FY2018, the number of Virgin Islands households eligible for low-income energy assistance.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 822 (112th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2012
Elects specified named Members to the following House Committees: (1) Agriculture; and (2) Science, Space, and Technology.
Bill· HRH.R. 6601 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2012
Carcinogen-Free Label Act of 2012 - Directs the head of each federal agency that regulates a covered product to establish a program to permit the labeling of such a product that does not contain any carcinogens as "Carcinogen-Free." Defines a "covered product" to mean any product offered for sale that is: (1) regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), or the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); and (2) intended for individual or residential use. Requires such agency heads to coordinate to develop an easily recognizable label: (1) to be affixed to a covered product to signify that it has been approved for "Carcinogen-Free" labeling, and (2) to include a notice stating that "This product does not contain known or likely carcinogens that increase your risk of cancer." Prohibits the introduction or offering for introduction into interstate commerce of a covered product affixed with a "Carcinogen-Free" label if: (1) the head of each federal agency that regulates the product has not approved an application for the labeling of the product as "Carcinogen-Free," or (2) the product contains any substance that is not listed in such application. Sets forth requirements regarding: (1) application approval and confidentiality; (2) random testing of covered products, random audits of facilities in which such products are manufactured, and measures to ensure compliance with agency guidance; (3) application fees; and (4) penalties for violations. Requires such agency heads to: (1) issue guidance to prevent the introduction of carcinogens into such product during its manufacture, storage, and transportation; and (2) post on the agency's public website a list of all covered products regulated by that agency that have been approved for labeling as "Carcinogen-Free."
Bill· HRH.R. 6600 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2012
Kosher and Halal Food Act of 2012 - Amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to provide for the increased purchase of Kosher and Halal food and to modify the labeling of the commodities list under the emergency food assistance program to enable Kosher and Halal food bank operators to identify which commodities to obtain from local food banks.
Bill· SS. 3632 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2012
Kosher and Halal Food Act of 2012 - Amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to provide for the increased purchase of Kosher and Halal food and to modify the labeling of the commodities list under the emergency food assistance program to enable Kosher and Halal food bank operators to identify which commodities to obtain from local food banks.
Bill· HRH.R. 6567 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2012
State Nutrition Assistance Flexibility Act of 2012 - States that the purpose of this Act is to provide federal financial assistance to the states in the form of a single grant to allow the states flexibility in providing, and financing the provision of, supplemental food and nutrition assistance. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to provide each qualifying state with a specified quarterly grant for each of FY2013 through FY2022. Requires a state to certify that such supplemental food and nutrition assistance will include specified work and benefits use requirements. Authorizes states to: (1) set aside funds to be used during periods of unexpectedly high unemployment or program enrollment, and (2) use up to 30% of funds for other welfare-related programs. Prohibits supplemental food and nutrition assistance from being provided to aliens who are not residing legally in the United States. Requires annual state audits. Sets forth federal program authorities and nondiscrimination provisions. Repeals the: (1) the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program); (2) the emergency food assistance program; (3) community food projects; (4) the commodity supplemental food program; (5) the senior farmers' market nutrition program; and (6) the fresh fruit and vegetable program.
Bill· HRH.R. 6563 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2012
Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) (Secretary) to establish a veteran jobs corps to employ veterans: (1) in conservation, resource management, and historic preservation projects on public lands and maintenance and improvement projects for cemeteries under the jurisdiction of the National Cemetery Administration; and (2) as firefighters and law enforcement officers. Requires priority employment for veterans who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. Provides for such employment in coordination with the Attorney General, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, and the Interior. Directs the Secretary to establish a steering committee for assistance in providing such employment. Directs the head of each federal agency to develop a plan for exercising, during the five-year period beginning on the enactment of this Act, current Department of Defense (DOD) and VA authority to hire qualified veterans for positions within the federal government. Includes as qualified veterans those who: (1) are disabled or recently separated; (2) served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized; or (3) while serving on active duty, participated in a military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to ensure that, under such plans, agencies shall appoint no less than 10,000 qualified veterans during the five-year period. Requires the Director to report to the congressional veterans and oversight committees on activities carried out under this section. Requires a state, as a condition for receipt of a grant or contract from the VA for support of disabled veterans' outreach specialists and local veterans' employment representatives, to establish a program which issues a license or credential to a veteran without requiring any training or apprenticeship if such veteran: (1) receives a satisfactory score on completion of an examination administered by that state, and (2) has at least 10 years of experience in a military occupational specialty that is similar to the civilian occupation for which such license or credential is required. Directs the Secretary of Labor to: (1) furnish each one-stop (job search) center with a list of all Internet websites and applications identified as beneficial for veterans in pursuit of employment; (2) coordinate with public and private entities to identify websites and applications not included on such list that match veterans seeking employment with available jobs based on skills acquired as members of the Armed Forces, and allow employers to post information about available jobs; and (3) report on such websites and applications to the veterans and education committees. Directs the Secretary, as a condition of a grant or contract to a state for certain veterans' employment and training programs, to require the state to demonstrate the consideration of any military training received by a veteran when approving or denying a license or certification as a nursing assistant, certified nursing assistant, commercial driver, emergency medical technician EMT-B or EMT-1, or emergency medical technician-paramedic. Directs the Secretaries of Labor and Education to jointly conduct and report to Congress on a study to determine the value and utility of a registry of recognized postsecondary credentials valued by employers, individuals, providers of education and training, economic development professionals, state and local officials, and other relevant stakeholders. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish minimum funding levels for specified veterans' benefits contracts and grants to ensure that each state receives sufficient funding to support at least one disabled veterans' outreach program specialist and one local veterans' employment representative per 5,000 square miles of service delivery area within the state. Directs the Secretary of Labor, during the three-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, to provide the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) to veterans and their spouses at locations other than military installations in at least three and up to five states selected by the Secretary based on the highest rates of veteran unemployment. Requires reports from such Secretary and the Comptroller General to Congress on such TAP training. Expands VA small business contracting goals to include small businesses fully, but conditionally, owned by one or more veterans. Treats the surviving spouse of a service-disabled veteran who acquires the ownership interest in a small business of the deceased veteran as such veteran, for purposes of eligibility for VA service-disabled small business contracting goals and preferences, for a period of: (1) 10 years after the veteran's death, if such veteran was either 100% disabled or died from a service-connected disability; or (2) 3 years after such death, if the veteran was less than 100% disabled and did not die from a service-connected disability. Treats a small business acquired by the surviving spouse or dependent from a member of the Armed Forces killed during active duty as a small business owned and controlled by a service-disabled veteran, for purposes of VA small business contracting goals and preferences. Continues such treatment for the period beginning on the date of the member's death and ending on the earlier of: (1) the date on which the surviving spouse remarries or relinquishes such ownership interest or ten years after the member's death, or (2) the date on which the surviving dependent relinquishes such ownership interest or ten years after the member's death. Provides that if the Secretary determines, for purposes of VA small business contracting goals, that an individual would have had a greater degree of ownership of a small business in a state other than a community property state, then the Secretary shall treat such small business as licensed in a non-community property state. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a 100% continuous levy upon the property and rights of Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) providers and suppliers neglecting or refusing to pay taxes. Permits the Secretary of State to deny, revoke, or limit a passport to any individual upon receiving certification from the Secretary of the Treasury that such individual has a delinquent tax debt in an amount in excess of $50,000. Extends through March 31, 2017, the current $90 limit on VA pension paid to veterans residing in nursing homes when their nursing costs are paid through title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act. Increases, for corporations with assets of at least $1 billion, the required estimated income tax payments otherwise due in the third quarter of: (1) 2013 by 0.25%, and (2) 2017 by 0.50%. Requires the next required installment to be appropriately reduced to reflect the amount of this increase.
Bill· HRH.R. 6481 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2012
School Food Modernization Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to issue loan guarantees to local educational agencies, tribal organizations, or consortia of such entities to finance the construction, remodeling, or expansion of infrastructure or the purchase of durable equipment that will facilitate their provision of healthy meals through the school breakfast and lunch programs. Favors loan guarantee applicants that demonstrate a substantial or disproportionate need (as compared with other applicants) for food service infrastructure or durable equipment. Prohibits a loan guarantee from covering more than 90% of a loan's principal. Directs the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to experienced third-party training institutions to provide school food service personnel with the training and technical assistance they need to meet updated school lunch program nutrition standards.
Bill· HRH.R. 6503 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2012
Clean Fuels Innovation Act of 2012 - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) complete the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to analyze the potential impacts of the development of renewable energy on public land and any land use plans, and (2) amend such land use plans as determined appropriate. Establishes similar requirements for the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) with respect to National Forest System land. Requires the Secretary of Interior to establish a renewable energy leasing pilot program under which lease sales of certain sites are conducted on covered lands administered by the Secretary to carry out renewable energy projects. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to jointly determine whether or not to expand the pilot program to all covered lands. Defines "covered land" to mean land that is public land or National Forest System land and not excluded from the development of renewable energy under federal law. Establishes the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior for mitigating the impacts of renewable energy on federal land and carrying out any activity authorized under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, with the exception of the acquisition of land, water, or interests therein. Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to submit a report that: (1) identifies locations on certain military installations in the United States that could be developed for renewable energy production, and (2) describes the administration of the development of commercial-scale renewable energy projects on such installations. Requires the Secretary of Defense to publish a notice of intent to prepare an EIS to support the development of renewable energy on the locations identified. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to determine the feasibility of carrying out a mitigation banking program on federal lands administered by the Secretaries to offset the impacts of renewable energy on such lands.
Bill· HRH.R. 6519 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2012
Defend Your Home Against Wildfire Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) and the Secretary of the Interior to establish a process for the expedited consideration of a permit application submitted by the owner of eligible private property to remove vegetation on federal land adjacent to the property to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire that would threaten a residential structure on such property. Requires the final decision on an application for a vegetation removal permit to be made no later than 14 days after the application is received. Prohibits a vegetation removal permit from authorizing vegetation removal activities by a private landowner on federal land more than 100 feet beyond the boundary or boundaries shared by such land and the eligible private property. Authorizes the Secretary concerned to make a grant to a recipient of a vegetation removal permit to help cover up to 25% of the vegetation removal costs.
Bill· HRH.R. 6518 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2012
State Nutrition Assistance Flexibility Act of 2012 - States that the purpose of this Act is to provide federal financial assistance to the states in the form of a single grant to allow the states flexibility in providing, and in financing the provision of, supplemental food and nutrition assistance. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to provide each qualifying state with a specified quarterly grant for each of FY2013-FY2022. Requires a state to certify that such supplemental food and nutrition assistance will include specified work and benefits use requirements. Authorizes states to: (1) set aside funds to be used during periods of unexpectedly high unemployment or program enrollment, and (2) use up to 30% of funds for other welfare-related programs. Prohibits supplemental food and nutrition assistance from being provided to aliens not residing legally in the United States. Requires annual state audits. Repeals: (1) the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program); (2) the emergency food assistance program; (3) community food projects; (4) the commodity supplemental food program; (5) the senior farmers' market nutrition program; and (6) the fresh fruit and vegetable program.
Bill· HRH.R. 6513 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2012
Amends the Highlands Conservation Act to extend, through FY2024, funding for: (1) land conservation partnership projects in the highlands regions of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; and (2) Forest Service and Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs to assist such states, units of local government, and private forest and farm landowners in the conservation of land and natural resources in that region.
Bill· HRH.R. 6509 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2012
Reducing food-based Inorganic and Organic Compounds Exposure Act of 2012 or the RICE Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promulgate a final regulation under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act establishing the minimum quantity of total arsenic contained in rice or a rice product that will cause the rice or rice product to be deemed to be adulterated under the Act. Requires the regulation to: (1) apply the minimum quantity to rice and rice products regardless of the origin of the arsenic, (2) include the establishment of tolerances, and (3) establish a standard for total arsenic based on the maximum achievable reduction in cancer risk and be at least as protective as the allowable level set for total arsenic in bottled water under the Act.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 804 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2012
Recognizes the importance of animal-based protein as a component of the balanced diet of most individuals in the United States. Encourages the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue promoting the health benefits of, and consumption of, animal-based protein.
Bill· SS. 3606 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act of 2012 - Authorizes any person, entity, or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to propose the regulation of nonnative wildlife taxa. Requires FWS to determine whether the proposal should be approved within 180 days. Requires FWS to promulgate regulations to: (1) specify the criteria for regulating a nonnative taxon as an Injurious I taxon or Injurious II taxon that is injurious to humans, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, wildlife, or wildlife resources; (2) establish a process for assessing and analyzing the risks of taxa that may have been imported into or found in interstate commerce; and (3) designate a wildlife taxon that was previously designated as injurious by statue or the Secretary of the Interior as an Injurious I or Injurious II taxon. Requires the Secretary, five years after enactment of this Act, to: (1) define the phrase “non-native wildlife taxa novel to the United States”; (2) establish a process to ensure that all such taxa are thereafter reviewed by FWS to determine whether they should be regulated as Injurious I or Injurious II taxa prior to allowing their importation; and (3) seek to avoid, in promulgating such regulation, creating a new incentive for animal importers to import novel taxa prior to the effective date of such regulation. Requires FWS, prior to designating a taxon as an Injurious I or Injurious II taxon, to prepare a risk determination. Authorizes FWS to immediately and temporarily designate a nonnative wildlife taxon as Injurious I if an emergency exists because such unregulated taxon poses an imminent threat of harm to individuals in, or wildlife of, the United States or to the U.S. economy or environment. Requires FWS to: (1) establish an electronic, publicly available database that describes all quantities of imports of all live wildlife and the regulatory status of such wildlife; (2) monitor and report on the identities and quantities of nonnative wildlife taxa being imported; and (3) make more rapid determinations on proposals for regulation of importations or shipments of injurious mammals, birds, fish, amphibia, and reptiles under the Lacey Act by requiring the Secretary to forego time-consuming optional administrative steps that are not essential and by authorizing the Secretary to forego economic impact analyses. Gives the Secretary the primary authority to prevent the importation of, and interstate commerce in, wildlife pathogens and harmful parasites. Requires the Secretary to promulgate regulations to impose import restrictions to prevent the importation of, and commerce in, such pathogens and parasites. Establishes exemptions to such requirement. Prohibits any person from: (1) importing or knowingly possessing such an Injurious I or Injurious II taxon, or the descendant of such an animal, that was imported in violation of this Act; (2) engaging in interstate commerce for or knowingly possessing such an animal that was transported in interstate commerce in violation of this Act; and (3) releasing any such taxon into the wild. Sets forth exemptions from such prohibitions. Authorizes FWS to issue permits to qualified institutions to authorize actions otherwise prohibited for such taxon. Establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Requires the Secretary to adopt a fee to be charged on imported live wildlife shipments, excluding shipments made by qualified institutions for scientific, veterinary, or medical research, education, conservation outreach, or display purposes. Establishes the Injurious Wildlife Prevention Fund to carry out this Act.
Bill· SS. 3602 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Food Stamp Restoration Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), for each of FY2014-FY2021, to establish a food stamp block grant program under which the Secretary shall make annual grants to each participating state that establishes a food stamp program and submits a specified annual report to the Secretary. Requires a participating state to certify that its program includes: (1) work requirements; (2) mandatory drug testing; (3) verification of citizenship or lawful U.S. permanent residency; and (4) limitations on the eligible uses of benefits that are at least as restrictive as those in place for the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program). Provides a grant to a participating state in an amount equal to the product of: (1) the specified amount made available for the applicable fiscal year, and (2) the proportion that the number of legal residents in the state whose income does not exceed 100% of the poverty line (applicable to a family of the size involved) bears to the number of such individuals in all participating states for the applicable fiscal year. Requires an annual Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit and report to Congress regarding the effectiveness of the nutritional assistance block grant program and the manner in which each participating state is implementing the program. Permits a participating state to use the grant in any appropriate manner to provide food stamps to its legal residents. Authorizes funds to remain available to a state for five years and requires any funds remaining unused after five years to be deposited in the Treasury.) Repeals: (1) the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, effective September 30, 2013; and (2) specified mandatory and direct funding provisions.
Bill· SS. 3596 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Honoring Service Through National Park Access Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make a lifetime National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available, at a cost of $10, to veterans who were separated from military service under conditions other than dishonorable.
Bill· SS. 3584 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Drought Information Act of 2012 - Amends the National Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006 to specify that: (1) the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere shall continue to support the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Program, and (2) the program's purpose shall be to better inform and provide for more timely decisionmaking to reduce drought related impacts and costs. Revises NIDIS functions to require the NIDIS to, among other things: (1) provide certain information, forecasts, and assessments described in the Act on both national and regional levels; (2) build upon existing forecasting and assessment programs and partnerships, such as those with specified programs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), extension system and economist offices of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Farm Service Agency; and (3) continue ongoing research activities related to drought and the role of extreme weather events and climate variability in drought. Requires the Under Secretary to provide a report to Congress concerning the NIDIS Program that includes a list of persons in the private sector with whom the Under Secretary collaborates on NIDIS implementation and a description of NIDIS outreach activities. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the Act through FY2017.
Bill· HRH.R. 6470 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Pest Elimination Services Transparency and Terminology or the PESTT Act - Amends the Rural Development, Agriculture, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1988, with respect to nuisance animal control activities and agreements of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), to define "urban rodent control" (excepted from such activities) as efforts to directly control any mammal in the order Rodentia in a location that is not an airport or in a rural area. Requires the Comptroller General to submit a report to Congress on activities carried out by the Wildlife Services program of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that: (1) identifies activities that can be carried out by private sector entities, (2) prioritizes those vital to the protection of public health and safety and agricultural production and that can be performed by such entities, and (3) recommends ways to avoid duplication by the Wildlife Services program and the private sector.
Bill· HRH.R. 6455 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) (Secretary) to establish a veteran jobs corps to employ veterans: (1) in conservation, resource management, and historic preservation projects on public lands and maintenance and improvement projects for cemeteries under the jurisdiction of the National Cemetery Administration; and (2) as firefighters and law enforcement officers. Requires priority employment for veterans who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. Provides for such employment in coordination with the Attorney General, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, and the Interior. Directs the Secretary to establish a steering committee for assistance in providing such employment. Directs the Secretary of Labor to commence a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing veterans seeking employment with access to computing facilities in order to: (1) match veterans with available jobs based on veterans' skills acquired as members of the Armed Forces, and (2) allow employers to post information about available jobs. Directs the Secretary, as a condition of a grant or contract to a state for certain veterans' employment and training programs, to require the state to demonstrate the consideration of any military training received by a veteran when approving or denying a commercial driver's license or a certification to be a nursing assistant or certified nursing assistant, or an emergency medical technician or paramedic. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish minimum funding levels for specified veterans' benefits contracts and grants to ensure that each state receives sufficient funding to support at least one disabled veterans' outreach program specialist and one local veterans' employment representative per 5,000 square miles of service delivery area within the state. Directs the Secretary of Labor, during the one-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, to provide the Transition Assistance Program to veterans and their spouses at locations other than military installations in at least three and up to five states selected by the Secretary based on the highest rates of veteran unemployment. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a 100% continuous levy upon the property and rights of Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) providers and suppliers neglecting or refusing to pay taxes. Repeals provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 providing for a program for the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of technologies for ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resource exploration and production. Permits the Secretary of State to deny, revoke, or limit a passport to any individual upon receiving certification from the Secretary of the Treasury that such individual has a delinquent tax debt in an amount in excess of $50,000.
Bill· HRH.R. 6457 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Preserving Healthy Food for the Hungry Act - Amends the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to provide agricultural product market development grants to assist persons in preserving the quality and shelf-life of fruit and vegetable crops produced by such persons on qualified land through the use of mobile and fixed flash freezing and quick freezing units.
Bill· HRH.R. 6461 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Measures to Prevent Childhood Obesity Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require: (1) each health care provider that administers a vaccine set forth in the Vaccine Injury Table to record in the vaccinated person's medical record the person's age, gender, height, and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI); (2) the provider and the vaccine manufacturer to report such information to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS); and (3) the provider to report to the relevant department of the state in which it practices the data collected. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to not more than 20 entities (states and territories with statewide immunization information systems that meet certain requirements) to analyze BMI measurements of children of ages 2 through 18. Gives priority in grant selection to states in which a high percentage of health care providers submit data to a statewide immunization information system that contains immunization data for at least 20 percent of the population under the age of 18 and includes data collected from men and women of a wide variety of ages who reside in a wide variety of geographic areas. Provides standards for BMI measurement in recipient states, including concerning the providing of information on state and local obesity prevention programs. Sets forth state reporting requirements regarding BMI data and obesity prevention and wellness programs and policies. Requires a report to Congress and the Departments of Education and of Agriculture (USDA) analyzing childhood obesity trends and describing programs that significantly lower childhood obesity rates for certain geographic areas and which the Secretary recommends for implementation by states.
Bill· HRH.R. 6462 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2012
Water and Agriculture Technology Economic Revitalization Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit tax-exempt mutual ditch or irrigation companies to earn income from dispositions of certain real property and stock interests without affecting their tax-exempt status. Requires that such income be used to pay the costs of operations, maintenance, and capital improvements of such a company.
Bill· SS. 3568 (112th)open
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2012
Citrus, Wool, and Cotton Trust Fund Act of 2012 - Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund Act of 2012 - 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. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to: (1) modify the article description of certain cotton shirting fabrics, and (2) extend the temporary duty suspensions on such fabrics. Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 to extend through December 31, 2015, the requirement that the Secretary of the Treasury transfer from the Treasury to the Pima Cotton Trust Fund amounts equal to the duties received in the Treasury from certain imported woven fabrics of cotton since January 1, 2004 (currently, January 1, 1994). Repeals the limitation that pima cotton be grown in the United States from the formula for determination of annual payments to a nationally recognized association established for the promotion of pima cotton as well as to the yarn spinners of pima cotton. Limits the latter payments to yarn spinners of pima cotton that produce ring spun cotton yarns in the United States. Requires annual affidavits from shirting manufacturers and from yarn spinners. Amends the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2004 with respect to insufficiencies in the Wool Apparel Manufacturers Trust Fund for U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection payments to manufacturers of certain wool products or for grants by the Secretary of Commerce to manufacturers of worsted wool fabrics. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, in such instances, to transfer to the Trust Fund amounts equivalent to duties received on "Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories, Not Knitted or Crocheted" in order to make such payments and award such grants. Requires such transfers to cover such payments and grants for 2010-2012. Directs the U.S. Trade Representative to continue to make it a priority to address Canada's market-distorting subsidies and practices in the lumber market. Increases by 0.25% the required estimated income tax payments otherwise due in the third quarter of 2017 for corporations with assets of at least $1 billion. Requires the next required installment to be appropriately reduced to reflect the amount of this increase. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend certain customs user fees for the processing of merchandise entered into the United States from October 23, 2021, to November 12, 2021, and other specified customs users fees from October 30, 2021, to November 26, 2021.
Bill· SS. 3559 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2012
Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act or the FUELS Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in implementing the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule with respect to any farm, to require certification of compliance with such rule by: (1) a professional engineer for a farm with an individual tank with an aboveground storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons, an aggregate aboveground storage capacity of at least 42,000 gallons, or a history that includes a spill, as determined by the Administrator; or (2) the owner or operator of the farm (via self-certification) for a farm with an aggregate aboveground storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons but less than 42,000 gallons and no history of spills. Directs the Administrator to exempt from all requirements of such rule any farm with an aggregate aboveground storage capacity of 10,000 gallons or less and no history of spills. Excludes from the aggregate storage capacity of a farm all containers on separate parcels that have a capacity of less than 1,320 gallons.
Bill· HRH.R. 6439 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2012
Keep the Forest in the Family Estate Tax Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide an exemption from the additional estate tax for the disposition or severance of standing timber on a qualified woodland for timber that is harvested consistent with a written forest management plan or under professional guidance, and (2) increase from $750,000 to $5 million the limitation on the reduction in the fair market value of real property used for farming or in another trade or business for estate tax purposes.
Bill· HRH.R. 6418 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2012
No Hungry Kids Act - Nullifies the rule published by the Department of Agriculture on January 26, 2012, establishing nutrition standards for the school lunch and breakfast programs. (This rule is summarized as requiring most schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat fluid milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat and trans fat in meals; and meet the nutrition needs of school children within their calorie requirements.) Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture's minimum nutritional requirements for school lunches from being construed as establishing a calorie maximum for individual school lunches or prohibiting a child from eating a lunch provided by the child's parent or legal guardian.
Bill· SS. 3545 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2012
Family Farmer Bankruptcy Tax Clarification Act of 2012 - Amends chapter 12 (Debt Adjustment of a Family Farmer or Fisherman with Regular Annual Income) of federal bankruptcy law to revise the exclusion from the requirement of full payment under a discharged debtor's plan of any claim owed to a governmental unit arising as a result of the sale, transfer, exchange, or other disposition of a farm asset used in the debtor's farming operation (in which case the claim is treated as unsecured and not entitled to priority payment). Requires the debtor's plan to provide for: (1) the treatment as a non-priority unsecured claim of any claim owed to a governmental unit by the debtor or the estate arising as a result of the sale, transfer, exchange, or other disposition of a farm asset; but also (2) the payment of that claim. Repeals the precondition that such treatment may be made only if the debtor receives a discharge in bankruptcy. Authorizes a governmental unit to file postpetition claims relating to the disposition of farm assets. Authorizes the trustee or the debtor, also, to file such postpetition claims (including a claim for a tax for which a return is due) if the governmental unit has not filed by a specified deadline. Authorizes modification of the bankruptcy plan after its confirmation in order to provide for the payment of a non-priority unsecured claim presented by a governmental unit that arose after the petition filing date.
Bill· HRH.R. 6389 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2012
Sequestration Prevention Act of 2012 - Title I: Fully Repeal the Sequestration Provision of Round 2 of the Budget Control Act - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm--Rudman-Hollings Act), as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011, to repeal its budget goal enforcement requirements (sequestration mandate). Title II: Repeal of Health Care Law - Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), and restores or revives any provisions of law amended or repealed by it as if PPACA had not been enacted. Repeals title I (Coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, and Revenues) and subtitle B (Health) of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, and restores or revives any provisions of law amended or repealed by them as if such title and subtitle had not been enacted. Repeals the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, including the supplemental nutrition assistance program. Title III: Nutrition Assistance Block Grant Program - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a nutrition assistance block grant program of annual grants to each participating state that establishes a nutrition assistance program including work requirements, mandatory drug testing, and benefit use limitations at least as restrictive as those for the supplemental nutrition assistance program. Title IV: Block Grant the Medicaid Program - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Medicaid block grant program of annual grants to each participating state that establishes a medical assistance program for individuals. Repeals title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, and eliminates mandatory direct funding for the existing Medicaid program. Title V: Reduction of Federal Workforce - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine the number of full-time employees employed in each federal agency. Prohibits the head of each federal agency from hiring more than 2 employees for every 3 employees who leave employment in the agency until the number of full-time employees in the agency is 10% less than the number determined by the OMB Director under this title. Title VI: Prohibition on Climate Change and Global Warming Funding - Prohibits the expenditure of federal funds for any activity relating to climate change or global warming. Title VII: Protecting Access to Health Care - Protecting Access to Healthcare Act - Title I: HEALTH Act - Help Efficient, Accessible, Low Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2012 - Prescribes requirements for lawsuits for health care goods and services liability claims. Sets a three-year statute of limitations after the manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions. Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility. Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer, and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000. Limits the liability of manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and providers of medical products that comply with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. Provides for periodic payments of future damage awards. Health Care Safety Net Enhancement Act of 2012 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to deem a hospital or an emergency department and a physician or physician group of that hospital or emergency department to be an employee of the Public Health Service for purposes of any civil action that may arise from providing emergency and post-stabilization services on or after January 1, 2012. Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act of 2012 - Declares that nothing in the McCarran-Ferguson Act (which exempts the insurance business generally from federal regulation) shall modify, impair, or supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance. Applies prohibitions against using unfair methods of competition to the business of health insurance without regard to whether such business is carried on for profit. Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2012 - Amends the PHSA to declare that a health care professional shall not be liable under federal or state law, with certain exceptions, for harm caused by any act or omission if: (1) the professional is serving as a volunteer for purposes of responding to a disaster; and (2) the act or omission occurs during the period of the disaster, in the professional's capacity as such a volunteer, and in a good faith belief that the individual being treated is in need of health care services. Places on the plaintiff in any civil action or proceeding against a health care professional the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the limitation of liability under this Act does not apply. Title VIII: Budget Control Act Spending Cap Adjustments - Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to reenact the requirements for enforcement of discretionary spending limits as they were in effect on January 15, 2012. Specifies discretionary spending caps for the security category (Budget Function 050, largely Department of Defense [DOD]) and the non-security category for FY2013-FY2022.
Bill· HRH.R. 6388 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2012
Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to prescribe regulatory requirements for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events. (The soring of horses refers to the application of blistering agents, burns, lacerations, sharp objects, or other substances or devices to a horse's limb to produce a higher gait by making it painful for the horse to step down.) Replaces the current horse inspector appointment process under which the management of a horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction appoints inspectors with a new process requiring the Secretary to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire such inspectors. Specifies that the term "management" includes sponsoring organizations and event managers. Directs the Secretary to disqualify a horse the Secretary determines is sore for specified minimum time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance. Prohibits a person from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction or allowing any such activity respecting a horse which is sore by the owner of such horse. Expands a list of activities designated as unlawful conduct under such Act to include a prohibition on showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter the gait of such horses and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. Defines "action device" as any boot, collar, chain, roller, or other device that encircles or is placed upon the lower extremity of the leg of a horse in such a manner that it can: (1) rotate around the leg or slide up and down the leg, so as to cause friction; or (2) strike the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse. Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties to the United States for certain HPA violations. Expands the categories of activities the Secretary may disqualify a violator of such Act from participating in to include: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted; or (4) financing the participation of other individuals. Permits the Secretary to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
Bill· HRH.R. 6378 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2012
Air and Health Quality Empowerment Zone Designation Act of 2012 - Allows the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate an area as an air and health quality empowerment zone if the air pollution control district or other local governmental entity (area entity) authorized to regulate air quality for the area nominates the area for such designation, including by submitting a strategic plan designed to address air quality challenges, achieve attainment of air quality standards, and improve the health of the population in the area. Requires a designated area to meet the following criteria: (1) it has been designated as being in extreme nonattainment of the national ambient air quality standard for ozone and in nonattainment of the national ambient air quality standard for PM2.5 (particulate matter diameter); (2) it had nitrogen oxide emissions from farm equipment or emissions of volatile organic compounds from farming in excess of specified limits; (3) it meets or exceeds the national average per capita incidence of asthma; (4) it experiences unemployment rates higher than the national average; and (5) the area entity will provide matching contributions of federal funds toward the activities to be carried out under the strategic plan, which may be in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services. Makes the effective period of area designation the shorter of 10 years or the period ending with revocation by the Administrator. Authorizes grants to an area entity on behalf of each air and health quality empowerment zone for the purpose of carrying out the strategic plan submitted under this Act. Requires a report to Congress on the impact of this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 6373 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2012
Family Farm Relief Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a process for receiving H-2A nonimmigrant visas (temporary agricultural workers) which shall ensure that that petitioners may file such petitions over the Internet or in paper form. (Transfers administration of the H-2A program from the Department of Labor to USDA.) Includes dairy workers in the H-2A category with a maximum 12-month period of admissions which may be renewed three months after the end of each such period. Revises H-2A certification provisions.
Bill· HRH.R. 6370 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2012
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to convey the Forest Service Lake Hill Administrative Site in Summit County, Colorado.
Bill· SS. 3525 (112th)open
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2012
Sportsmen's Act of 2012 - Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure that not less than 1.5% of the amounts made available for the Land and Water Conservation Fund for each fiscal year shall be made available for certain projects identified on an annual priority list to be developed pursuant to this Act. Requires such projects to secure, through rights-of-way or the acquisition of lands or interests from willing sellers, recreational public access to existing federal public lands that have significantly restricted access to hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes. Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of any polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person who meets specified requirements. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to permit individuals carrying bows and crossbows to traverse national park land if the traverse is: (1) for the sole purpose of hunting on adjacent land, and (2) the most direct means of access to such adjacent land. Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, and sport fishing equipment components. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to implement best practices for waste management and removal and carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range in order to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training. Prohibits any person from offering for sale, selling, or having custody, control, or possession of for purposes of offering for sale or selling, billfish (excluding swordfish) or products containing billfish. Treats a violation of such prohibition as an act prohibited by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a plan to assess how best to integrate the goals of the National Fishing Enhancement Act of 1984 and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act with respect to the removal of artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. Establishes the National Fish Habitat Board, which shall: (1) promote, oversee, and coordinate the implementation of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP); and (2) establish national goals and priorities for aquatic habitat conservation. Permits the Board to designate Fish Habitat Partnerships to: (1) coordinate implementation of the NFHAP at a regional level, (2) identify strategic priorities for fish habitat conservation, (3) recommend to the Board fish habitat conservation projects that address a strategic priority of the Board, and (4) develop and carry out such projects. Requires the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to: (1) establish the National Fish Habitat Conservation Partnership Office within USFWS, and (2) develop an interagency operational plan for such Office. Requires the head of each federal agency responsible for acquiring, managing, or disposing of federal land or water to cooperate with the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the USFWS Director to conserve the aquatic habitats for fish and other aquatic organisms within such areas. Prohibits the use of funds made available to carry out this Act for fish and wildlife mitigation purposes under: (1) the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), (2) the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, (3) the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, or (4) any other federal law or court settlement. Requires the USFWS Director, the NOAA Assistant Administrator, and the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to provide technical and scientific assistance to the Partnerships, the project participants, and the Board. Amends the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act to allow the Secretary of the Interior, for each three-year period beginning in 2013, to set the amount to be collected for each Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp sold under such Act. Requires the United States Postal Service (USPS) and the Department of the Interior to collect the amount established for each Stamp sold for a hunting year if the Secretary determines, at any time before February 1 of a calendar year, that all amounts in the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund have been obligated for expenditure. Permits the Secretary, in consultation with the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, to waive requirements under the Act relating to the prohibition on the taking of migratory waterfowl with respect to certain individuals as determined to be appropriate. Authorizes the Secretary to authorize states to issue electronic duck stamps. Requires the USFWS Director to carry out a Joint Ventures Program that: (1) provides financial and technical assistance to support regional migratory bird conservation partnerships, (2) develops and implements plans for the protection and enhancement of migratory bird populations, and (3) complements and supports activities by the Secretary of the Interior and the Director to fulfill obligations under specified migratory bird and conservation Acts. Authorizes the Director to enter into agreements with eligible partners under such Program. Amends the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to extend through FY2017 the authorization of appropriations for allocations to carry out approved wetlands conservation projects. Amends the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act to extend through FY2017 the authorization of appropriations to carry out such Act. Reauthorizes and revises the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act. Removes limitations on the appointment of such Foundation's officers and employees. Gives the Foundation the power to receive and administer restitution and community service payments, amounts for mitigation of impacts to natural resources, and other amounts arising from legal, regulatory, or administrative proceedings, subject to the condition that the amounts are received or administered for purposes that further the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants, and other natural resources. Repeals provisions authorizing the Foundation to establish a national whale conservation endowment fund. Authorizes appropriations for the Foundation for FY2012-FY2017. Amends the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2010 to require such stamp to be: (1) made available to the public for an additional four years; and (2) offered in a choice of five versions depicting an African or Asian elephant, a rhinoceros, a tiger, a marine turtle, or a great ape. Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2012 for the African Elephant Conservation Act, the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994, the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000, the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004, and the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Amends the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) to reauthorize, until July 25, 2022, the program for the completion of appraisals and satisfaction of other legal requirements for the sale or exchange of public land identified for disposal under approved land use plans under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Makes the FLTFA inapplicable to land eligible for sale under specified public land laws. Amends the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003 to revise the nutria eradication program by authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington (currently, only to Maryland and Louisiana). Establishes the goals of such program as: (1) eradicating nutria in Maryland; (2) eradicating or controlling nutria in Louisiana, Delaware, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington; and (3) restoring wetlands damaged by nutria. Requires that the Maryland program consist of management, research, and public education activities carried out in accordance with the USFWS's document entitled "Eradication Strategies for Nutria in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay Watersheds," dated March 2002 and updated in March 2009. Authorizes appropriations for such program for FY2012-FY2016 for financial assistance to Maryland, Louisiana, and on a competitive basis, to other coastal states. Requires the Secretary and the National Invasive Species Council to develop long-term nutria control or eradication programs to: (1) significantly reduce and restore nutria damaged wetlands in Delaware, Oregon, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington; and (2) promote voluntary, public-private partnerships to eradicate or control nutria and restore nutria-damaged wetlands in such states.
Law· HJRESH.J.Res. 117 (112th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2012
Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 - Makes continuing appropriations for FY2013. Appropriates amounts for continuing operations, projects, or activities which were conducted in FY2012 and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available in: the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (division A of P.L. 112-55), except for appropriations designated by Congress for disaster relief in such Act the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (division B of P.L. 112-55), except for appropriations designated by Congress for disaster relief under the heading "Department of Commerce--Economic Development Administration--Economic Development Assistance Programs" in such Act; the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2012 (division A of P.L. 112-74); the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (division B of P.L. 112-74); the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2012 (division C of P.L. 112-74); the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2012 (division D of P.L. 112-74); the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (division E of P.L. 112-74); the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (division F of P.L. 112-74); the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012 (division G of P.L. 112-74); the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (division H of P.L. 112-74); the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012 (division I of P.L. 112-74); the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (except for appropriations designated by Congress for disaster relief under the heading "Department of Transportation--Federal Highway Administration--Emergency Relief" in such Act; and the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. 112-77), except for appropriations under the heading "Corps of Engineers-Civil." Increases such rate of operations by 0.612%. Continues any project or activity in the Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism (OCO/GWOT) at a rate for operations that would be permitted by the amount in the President's FY2013 budget request. Provides funding under this joint resolution until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) enactment of an appropriation for any project or activity provided for in it; (2) enactment of the applicable appropriations Act for FY2013 without any provision for such project or activity; or (3) March 27, 2013. Authorizes continuation of other specified activities (including those for entitlements and other mandatory payments) through such date. Amends the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extensions Act, 2011 to extend through March 27, 2013, the mandatory freeze on the pay of certain federal civilian employees. Declares that any statutory pay adjustment otherwise scheduled to take effect during FY2013 but before March 27, 2013, may take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning after that date. Sets forth reporting requirements of specified federal departments and agencies to congressional appropriations committees through March 27, 2013, on: (1) certain spending, expenditure, or operating plans; and (2) updates to such plans to reflect any adjustments to funding as a result of a sequestration ordered by the President under the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act and any extension to such date. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by November 1, 2012, and each ensuing month through April 27, 2013 to report to such committees on all obligations incurred by each department and agency through March 27, 2013. Allows amounts made available for the Department of Commerce--National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)--Procurement, Acquisition and Construction to be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to maintain the planned launch schedules for the Joint Polar Satellite System and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system. Requires the Director of OMB to report to congressional appropriations committees a plan to maintain the launch schedules and life cycle cost estimates established in FY2012 for such satellite systems and options for reducing costs, including management costs. Requires the Secretary of Education to report to specified congressional committees regarding the extent to which students in the following categories are taught by teachers deemed highly qualified: (1) students with disabilities, (2) English learners, (3) students in rural areas, and (4) students from low-income families. Makes appropriations for payment to the heirs at law of Donald M. Payne, a former Representative from New Jersey.
Bill· SS. 3501 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2012 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of "marihuana." Defines "industrial hemp" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-nine tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. Deems Cannabis sativa L. to meet that concentration limit if a person grows or processes it for purposes of making industrial hemp in accordance with state law.
Bill· SS. 3491 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Qualifying Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business-related tax credit for the production of renewable chemicals. Defines "renewable chemical" as any chemical that is: (1) produced in the United States from renewable biomass; (2) sold or used by the taxpayer as polymers, plastics, or formulated products or for the production of polymers, plastics, or formulated products; and (3) not sold or used for the production of any food, feed, or fuel. Exempts certain chemicals, including those with a biobased content of less than 25%. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a five-year program to allocate credit amounts. Limits the total amount of allocable credits under such program to $500 million, with a limit of $25 million to any taxpayer in any taxable year.
Bill· HRH.R. 6344 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to convey at current state of agricultural use market prices specified lands formerly part of the Fort Bayard Military Reservation, Grant County, New Mexico, to the Village of Santa Clara, the City of Bayard, and Grant County, New Mexico, in tracts of not less than 40 acres, for business and community development. Requires approval of all parties for any such conveyance. Provides that the Secretary shall be responsible for the costs and recovery of any historic or prehistoric cultural properties located on such lands.
Bill· HRH.R. 6308 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Transparency for Lethal Control Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, to submit an annual report to Congress (and make such report publicly available on the Internet) on the animals killed during the preceding year under the wildlife services program or by a state or local entity acting in cooperation with or on behalf of such program.
Bill· HRH.R. 6276 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Commercial Fishing, Farm, and Ranch Risk Management Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a Commercial Fishing, Farm, and Ranch Risk Management Account (CFFR Account) to provide farmers and commercial fisherman with additional capital for investment and to protect against operating losses. Allows a tax deduction for cash contributions to a CFFR Account, limited to 20% of the taxpayer's taxable income attributable to an active farm or commercial fishing business. Imposes a 10% additional tax on amounts in a CFFR Account which are not distributed within 10 years after the establishment of such Account.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 760 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2012
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should reject the provisions of H.R. 6083, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Agriculture, that reduce the availability or amount of benefits provided under the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program) in effect under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.