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Bill· SS. 802 (112th)open
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Lake Thunderbird Efficient Use Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to amend an existing contract or enter into one or more new contracts with the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District for the storage and conveyance of nonproject water in Norman project facilities to augment municipal and industrial supplies for the cities served by the District, if the Secretary determines that there is enough excess capacity in the reservoir on the Little River known as Lake Thunderbird that nonproject water can be stored there. Makes the costs of constructing, operating, and maintaining any additional infrastructure needed to enable the storage and conveyance of nonproject water in Norman project facilities under any provision of this Act the responsibility of the non-federal entity contracting with the Secretary for storage and conveyance rights.
Bill· SS. 813 (112th)open
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Cyber Security Public Awareness Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit an annual report that: (1) summarizes major cyber incidents involving networks of executive agencies, except for the Department of Defense (DOD); (2) provides aggregate statistics on the number of breaches of networks of executive agencies, the volume of data exfiltrated, and the estimated cost of remedying the breaches; and (3) discusses the risk of cyber sabotage. Requires a similar report by the Secretary of DOD. Directs: (1) the Attorney General and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to submit reports and annual updates describing investigations and prosecutions by the Department of Justice (DOJ) relating to cyber crimes, resources devoted to the enforcement, investigation, and prosecution of such crimes, and legal impediments to such prosecutions; (2) the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report on the extent of financial risk to issuers of securities caused by cyber crimes, on any resulting legal liability, and on whether current financial statements of issuers transparently reflect that risk to shareholders; and (3) designated primary regulators responsible for the security of specified critical industries to submit annual reports describing vulnerabilities to, and the prevalence of, cyber attacks for each industry. Directs the Attorney General, in coordination with the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, to submit a report on: (1) whether federal courts have granted timely relief in matters relating to botnets and other cyber crime and cyber security threats; and (2) recommended changes to the rules of civil or criminal procedure, the resources, capabilities, and specialization of courts to which such cases may be assigned, and federal civil and criminal laws. Directs the Secretary of DHS to: (1) submit annual reports describing policies and procedures for federal agencies to assist a private sector entity in defending its information networks against cyber threats that could result in loss of life or significant harm to the national economy or national security; (2) contract with the National Research Council or another federally funded research and development corporation for reports on available technical options for enhancing the security of the information networks of entities that own or manage critical infrastructure; (3) submit annual reports on impediments to public awareness of common cyber security threats; (4) submit annual reports on the vulnerability to malicious activity of U.S. telecommunications networks due to the presence of technology produced by foreign suppliers linked to a foreign government; and (5) submit a report on the threat of a cyber attack disrupting the U.S. electrical grid and the national security implications.
Bill· HRH.R. 1510 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
TSA Screening of Minors Act of 2011 - Prohibits the screening of a minor passenger by a pat down search under the supervision of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without: (1) the consent, and in the presence, of the minor's parent; or (2) the presence of a representative of the air carrier or foreign air carrier in the case of a minor not accompanied by a parent.
Bill· HRH.R. 1516 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Renewable Fuel Pipeline Act of 2011 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow federally-guaranteed loans for renewable fuel pipelines in amounts equal to 80% of the project cost as estimated at the time the guarantee is issued. Defines "renewable fuel" as fuel that: (1) is produced from renewable biomass and that is used to replace or reduce the quantity of fossil fuel present in a transportation fuel; and (2) includes all types of ethanol and biodiesel. Prohibits the Secretary of Energy (DOE) from requiring a demonstration of existing contractual obligations for a specific minimum capacity of pipeline usage in determining whether there is a reasonable prospect of repayment with respect to a renewable fuel pipeline project. Authorizes the Secretary to make guarantees for projects that commence construction not later than September 30, 2013, for the installation of sufficient infrastructure to allow for the cost-effective deployment of clean energy technologies appropriate to each region of the United States, including renewable fuel pipelines.
Bill· HRH.R. 1515 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act of 2011 or STANDUP Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to award incentive grants to states with graduated driver licensing laws that require novice drivers younger than age 21 to comply with a two-stage licensing process before receiving an unrestricted driver's license. Requires such laws, at a minimum, to include: (1) a learner's permit stage that commences at age 16 or older, lasts at least six months, prohibits driver use of a cellular phone or other communications device in nonemergency situations, and remains in effect until commencement of the intermediate stage or the driver attains age 18; (2) an intermediate stage in effect until the driver attains age 18 that commences immediately after expiration of the learner's permit stage, lasts at least six months, prohibits driver use of a cellular phone or other communications device in nonemergency situations, prohibits nighttime driving, prohibits more than one non-familial passenger under age 21 unless there is a licensed driver at least age 21 present in the vehicle; and (3) any other requirement that the Secretary may require. Deems a state that meets such minimum requirements to be in compliance regardless of whether a state law, enacted before January 1, 2011, establishes a class of license that permits licensees younger than age 18 to drive a motor vehicle in connection with work performed on or for the operation of a farm owned by family members of the licensees. Directs the Secretary to withhold a certain percentage of federal-aid highway funds from states that do not comply with the requirements of this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 1504 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2011
Altamont Corridor Rail Improvement Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Altamont Corridor Rail Project (California) for final design and construction of a new fixed guideway for FY2011-FY2021. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to make allocations for capital investment grants for such fiscal years for any remaining preliminary engineering and final design and construction of the Project. Allows for the use of any alternative analysis or environmental impact report relating the Project to satisfy Federal Railroad Administration capital assistance requirements for new fixed guideway capital projects.
Bill· SS. 800 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2011
Safe Routes to School Program Reauthorization Act - Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to reauthorize appropriations for FY2012-FY2016 for the safe routes to school program. Revises program requirements to specify children kindergarten through 12th grade as the ones to be benefited by the program. Revises criteria used to determine state apportionment of program funds. Includes projects for other nonmotorized modes of transportation besides walking and bicycling as noninfrastructure-related projects. Authorizes states to set-aside up to 10% of apportioned funds for infrastructure improvements that create safe routes to bus stops located outside of the vicinity of schools. Requires each state that receives an apportionment to carry out an assessment of the economic and geographical distribution of funding to ensure that low-income schools are adequately able to access such funds. Defines "low-income school" to mean a school in which 65% or more of students qualify for a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. Requires each state receiving an apportionment for a fiscal year to use a sufficient amount of it to fund a full-time position of coordinator for the state safe routes to school program. Prescribes requirements for the treatment of noninfrastructure and infrastructure projects. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) develop and implement a comprehensive plan for evaluating the effectiveness of safe routes to school, and (2) make grants to an experienced national nonprofit organization to operate a national safe routes to school clearinghouse.
Bill· SS. 793 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2011
Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to prioritize the use of amounts made available to the Secretary for general investigations to carry out harbor deepening projects.
Bill· HRH.R. 1497 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2011
Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to take all necessary steps to: (1) exhume the remains of 13 deceased U.S. sailors buried in or near Protestant Cemetery and Tripoli Castle in Tripoli, Libya; (2) transfer such remains for laboratory identification; (3) in the case of identified remains, transport such remains to a veterans cemetery located near the closest living family member of the deceased (or to another cemetery, as determined by the Secretary); (4) in the case of identified remains, provide a military funeral and burial; and (5) in the case of unidentified remains, transport such remains to Arlington National Cemetery for interment at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Law· HRH.R. 1473 (112th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2011
Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 - Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2011 - Appropriates funds for FY2011 to the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) military personnel; (2) operation and maintenance, including for the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, environmental restoration, overseas humanitarian, disaster, and civic aid, former Soviet Union cooperative threat reduction, and the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund; (3) procurement, including for aircraft, missiles, weapons, tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and purchases under the Defense Production Act of 1950; (4) research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E); (5) Defense Working Capital Funds and the National Defense Sealift Fund; (6) the Defense Health Program; (7) chemical agents and munitions destruction; (8) drug interdiction and counter-drug activities; (9) the Office of the Inspector General; (10) the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System Fund; (11) the Intelligence Community Management Account; and (12) overseas contingency operations, including regular, reserve, and National Guard personnel, operation and maintenance, the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund, the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund, the Iraq Security Forces Fund, the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund, procurement, National Guard and Reserve equipment, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle Fund, RDT&E, and the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund. Specifies authorized, restricted, and prohibited uses of appropriated funds. Rescinds specified funds from various accounts under prior defense appropriations Acts. Reduces specified funds. Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 - Makes continuing appropriations for FY2011. Appropriates amounts for continuing operations, projects, or activities which were conducted in FY2010 and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available in: (1) the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010; (2) the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010; (3) the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010; (4) the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010; (5) the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2010; (6) the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010; and (7) that part of chapter 1 of title I of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 that addresses guaranteed loans in the rural housing insurance fund. Provides funding under this division through FY2011. Authorizes continuation of other specified activities (including activities for entitlements and other mandatory payments) through such fiscal year. Bars any language specifying an earmark in an appropriations Act for FY2010, or in a committee report or joint explanatory statement accompanying such an Act, from having legal effect with respect to funds appropriated by this Act. Prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer of, or release to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions of, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee who: (1) is not a U.S. citizen or a member of the U.S. Armed Forces; and (2) is or was held by DOD on or after June 24, 2009, at the U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Establishes the level of funding for specified agricultural and rural development programs, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and related agencies programs. Establishes the level of funding for the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and for science, and related agencies. Authorizes, restricts, or prohibits specified uses of appropriated funds in the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, with respect to funds appropriated by this Act. Establishes the level of funding for: (1) energy and water development, and related agencies; (2) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); (3) certain loan guarantees under the Energy Policy Act of 2005; (4) financial services and general government; (5) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and (6) the Department of the Interior, the Environmental and Protection Agency (EPA), and related agencies. Requires specified federal departments and agencies to submit to the congressional appropriations committees a spending, expenditure, or operating plan for FY2011 at a detail level below the account level. Establishes the level of funding for: (1) the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and related agencies; (2) the legislative branch; and (3) DOD military construction, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and related agencies. Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the costs and processes of implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Eliminates the PPACA requirement that employers provide free (qualified health plan) choice vouchers to certain employees. Establishes the level of funding for: (1) the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs; and (2) the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and related agencies. Specifies authorized, restricted, and prohibited uses of appropriated funds. Rescinds and/or reduces specified funds from or within various accounts. Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act or SOAR Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to nonprofit organizations to carry out a program to provide expanded school choice opportunities to students who are District of Columbia (DC) residents and who come from certain qualifying low-income households. Repeals the DC School Choice Incentive Act of 2003.
Bill· SS. 772 (112th)open
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2011
Supporting Employee Competency and Updating Readiness Enhancements for Facilities Act of 2011 or the SECURE Facilities Act of 2011 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to modify requirements relating to the Federal Protective Service (FPS) and the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) and to provide for the security of federal facilities, including facilities used for activities covered under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. Requires the Director of FPS to: (1) secure federal facilities protected by FPS and safeguard all occupants, (2) provide adequate numbers of trained personnel to ensure that federal security standards are met, and (3) ensure that areas in and around such facilities are regularly patrolled by FPS officers. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that FPS maintains not fewer than 1,371 full-time equivalent employees in FY 2012, including not fewer than 950 in-service field staff. Requires the Director to: (1) establish minimum training requirements for all armed contract security guards procured by FPS, (2) establish a program to periodically assess the training of guards and the security of federal facilities, (3) update the Security Guard Information Manual and post orders within 180 days and every 2 years thereafter, (4) establish a database to monitor all contracts for guard services, and (5) increase the number of infrastructure security canine teams by up to 15 teams in each of FY2012-FY2015. Directs the Secretary to develop performance-based standards for checkpoint detection technologies for explosives and other threats at facilities protected by FPS. Authorizes the Secretary to assess and collect: (1) fees and security charges from agencies for the costs of providing protective services, and (2) additional charges for the costs of necessary security countermeasures for facilities determined to be noncompliant with ISC security standards. Directs ISC to: (1) prescribe regulations for determining federal facility security levels and to establish risk-based performance standards for facility security, (2) establish protocols for testing facility compliance with such standards, (3) prescribe regulations to determine minimum levels of training and certification of armed contract security guards and to establish a list of prohibited items for entry into federal facilities, (4) establish minimum requirements and a process for providing basic security training for members of Facility Security Committees (FSCs), (5) take necessary actions to enhance the quality and effectiveness of security and protection of federal facilites, and (6) establish an appeals board to consider appeals relating to facility security level and noncompliance determinations. Directs the Secretary to establish a process to authorize an agency to provide protective services for a federal facility instead of FPS. Authorizes the Secretary to prescribe regulations on the carrying of firearms by FPS law enforcement officers while off-duty. Includes such FPS officers as federal employees for purposes of civil service retirement provisions. Requires reports on FPS personnel needs, retention rates within FPS, the feasibility of federalizing the FPS contract guard workforce, methods of funding for FPS, and detecting or preventing explosives from entering federal facilities.
Bill· HRH.R. 1447 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2011
Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act of 2011 - Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration [TSA]) to establish in the TSA an Aviation Security Advisory Committee, including air cargo, general aviation, and airport perimeter security working groups.
Bill· HRH.R. 1472 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2011
Designates a certain portion of Interstate Route 710 located in Los Angeles County, California, as the Jenny Oropeza Highway.
Bill· SS. 754 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Safe Roads Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a national clearinghouse for verified positive alcohol and controlled substance test results and test refusals as well as violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) alcohol and controlled substances regulations of commercial motor vehicle operators. Prohibits the release of clearinghouse information to a commercial motor carrier employer unless there has been compliance with all applicable federal privacy laws and regulations. Authorizes the Secretary to collect fees from such employers and other authorized users for informational requests. Prohibits an employer from hiring an individual to operate a commercial motor vehicle unless the employer has determined that the individual, for the preceding three-year period, has: (1) been tested for use of alcohol and controlled substances; (2) not tested positive for their use, or tested positive but has completed the return-to-duty process; (3) not refused to be tested; and (4) not violated FMCSA alcohol and controlled substances regulations. Directs the Secretary to establish a process: (1) to require employers to request and review any clearinghouse records of individuals before their employment as a commercial motor vehicle operator and for each year thereafter as long as the individual is so employed; and (2) for an individual and a state licensing authority to request and receive information from the clearinghouse. Subjects persons who violate the requirements of this Act to both civil and criminal penalties. Requires the Secretary to take certain actions to enhance DOT oversight of testing sites.
Bill· HRH.R. 1431 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2011
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation, subject to certain conditions, to release specified restrictions on the use of certain property conveyed to Dona Ana County, New Mexico, for airport purposes.
Bill· SS. 734 (112th)open
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2011 - Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Energy for research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of vehicles and related technologies for FY2012-FY2016. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a program of basic and applied research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application activities on materials, technologies, and processes with the potential to substantially reduce or eliminate petroleum use and related emissions of the nation's passenger and commercial vehicles; (2) ensure that the Department of Energy (DOE) continues to support research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application activities and maintains competency in mid- to long-term transformational vehicle technologies with potential to achieve deep reductions in petroleum use and emissions; (3) carry out activities under this Act in collaboration with automotive manufacturers, heavy commercial, vocational, and transit vehicle manufacturers, qualified plug-in electric vehicle manufacturers, compressed natural gas vehicle manufacturers, vehicle and engine equipment and component manufacturers, manufacturing equipment manufacturers, advanced vehicle service providers, fuel producers and energy suppliers, electric utilities, universities, national laboratories, and independent research laboratories; (4) coordinate research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities among relevant programs of the Department and other federal agencies and ensure that there is no duplication of activities among programs; (5) seek opportunities to leverage resources and support state and local initiatives in developing and promoting advanced vehicle technologies, manufacturing, and infrastructure; (6) coordinate with other agencies to conduct research, development, engineering, and demonstration activities on connectivity of vehicle and transportation systems; (7) carry out a research, development, demonstration, engineering, and commercial application program of advanced vehicle manufacturing technologies and practices; and (8) report annually on the technologies developed as a result of the activities authorized by this Act, with emphasis on whether the technologies were successfully adopted for commercial applications and whether products relying on those technologies are manufactured in the United States. Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a program of cooperative research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities on advanced technologies for medium- to heavy-duty commercial, vocational, recreational, and transit vehicles and appoint a Director to coordinate such activities; (2) conduct a competitive grant program to demonstrate the integration of multiple advanced technologies on Class 8 truck and trailer platforms with a goal of improving overall freight efficiency by 50%; (3) develop standard testing procedures and technologies for evaluating the performance of advanced heavy vehicle technologies under a range of representative duty cycles and operating conditions; and (4) evaluate heavy vehicle performance using work performance-based metrics, other than those based on miles per gallon, and appropriate metrics based on the work performed by nonroad systems. Requires the Secretary to undertake a pilot program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial applications of technologies to improve total machine or system efficiency for nonroad equipment and to seek opportunities to transfer research findings and technologies between the nonroad and on-highway equipment and vehicle sectors.
Bill· SS. 747 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2011 - Allows a state to authorize a vehicle with a maximum gross weight (including enforcement tolerances) exceeding certain federal weight limitations to operate on Interstate Highway System (IHS) routes in the state if: (1) the vehicle is equipped with at least six axles, (2) the weight of any single axle does not exceed 20,000 pounds, (3) the weight of any tandem axle does not exceed 34,000 pounds, (4) the weight of any group of 3 or more axles does not exceed 51,000 pounds, and (5) the gross weight of the vehicle does not exceed 97,000 pounds. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a safe and efficient vehicle bridge infrastructure improvement program. Requires the Secretary to apportion amounts from the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund to states for eligible bridge replacement or rehabilitation projects. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose a tax on any vehicles that exceed federal weight limitations operating on the IHS, and (2) establish the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund.
Bill· HRH.R. 1395 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Leading and Expediting Aerotropolis Development Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish an aerotropolis grant program to assist in the development of aerotropolis transportation systems (i.e., planned and coordinated multimodal freight and passenger transportation networks that provide efficient, sustainable, and intermodal connectivity to a defined region of economic significance centered around a major airport). Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to assist in planning, design, environmental review, or land acquisition activities for one or more specified kinds of projects to benefit such systems.
Bill· HRH.R. 1390 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2011
Bus Uniform Standards and Enhanced Safety Act of 2011 or the BUSES Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations to require: (1) monitoring of the safety performance of motorcoach service providers and other commercial motor carriers of passengers; and (2) progressive interventions to correct unsafe practices, and if they are not corrected, an enforcement action. Authorizes the Secretary to organize special enforcement strike forces to target commercial motor vehicle operators when appropriate. Directs the Secretary to: (1) prescribe regulations to establish minimum training requirements for motorcoach drivers, (2) review testing requirements for a commercial driver's license passenger endorsement, (3) develop requirements for the testing of medical examiners who examine commercial motor vehicle operators for physical fitness and seek to be listed in the national registry, (4) review annually the implementation of the commercial driver's license requirements of at least 10 states to assess the validity of physical examination reports and medical certificates submitted by certified medical examiners, and (5) establish the national registry of medical examiners. Sets forth additional Medical Review Board functions. Requires the Secretary to review and report to Congress on federal commercial motor vehicle safety inspection standards. Revises federal motor carrier registration requirements. Directs the Secretary to prescribe federal motor vehicle safety standards for occupant protection systems for new and existing motorcoaches. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a qualified motorcoach safety credit to a taxpayer for the costs of new and existing motorcoaches to comply with the federal motor vehicle safety standards. Requires the Secretary to provide grants (not to exceed $20,000 per vehicle) to motorcoach operators to assist with the cost of retrofitting motorcoaches in order to comply with such federal standards. Amends the Small Business Act to grant the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) the authority to make SBA loans and loan guarantees to motorcoach operators to retrofit their buses and motorcoaches for occupant protection.
Bill· HRH.R. 1379 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2011
Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2011 - National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 to revise and reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program through FY2015. Repeals provisions establishing the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction and an associated advisory committee. Revises responsibilities of Program agencies, including by making: (1) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) responsible for research and development to improve building standards and practices; (2) the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), consistent with its all hazards approach, responsible for facilitating the adoption of model building codes; (3) the United States Geological Survey (USGS) responsible for providing real-time earthquake information; and (4) the National Science Foundation (NSF) responsible for funding basic research. Makes NIST (currently, USGS) responsible for organizing investigations under the post-earthquake investigations program. National Windstorm Impact Reduction Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 to revise and reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program through FY2015. Repeals provisions requiring the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish an Interagency Working Group responsible for the planning, management, and coordination of the Program. Designates NIST as the lead agency and sets forth revised responsibilities of NIST and the other Program agencies: FEMA, NSF, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Natural Hazards Risk Reduction, chaired by the Director of NIST, to oversee the planning and coordination of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, and other federal research for natural hazard mitigation that the Committee considers appropriate. Requires: (1) the Committee to develop strategic plans and coordinated budgets for such Programs; and (2) the Director to establish an Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction, an Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction, and other advisory committees to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, as necessary. Amends: (1) the National Construction Safety Team Act to authorize safety teams to be established for deployment after events causing the failure of infrastructure, as well as buildings, leading to a substantial loss of life; and (2) the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to include among the types of fires subject to the Fire Research Center's research program fires at the wildland-urban interface.
Bill· HRH.R. 1367 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2011
Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2011 - Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Energy for research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of vehicles and related technologies for FY2012-FY2016. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a program of basic and applied research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application activities on materials, technologies, and processes with the potential to substantially reduce or eliminate petroleum use and related emissions of the nation's passenger and commercial vehicles; (2) ensure that the Department of Energy (DOE) continues to support research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application activities and maintains competency in mid- to long-term transformational vehicle technologies with potential to achieve deep reductions in petroleum use and emissions; (3) carry out activities under this Act in collaboration with automotive manufacturers, heavy commercial, vocational, and transit vehicle manufacturers, qualified plug-in electric vehicle manufacturers, compressed natural gas vehicle manufacturers, vehicle and engine equipment and component manufacturers, manufacturing equipment manufacturers, advanced vehicle service providers, fuel producers and energy suppliers, electric utilities, universities, national laboratories, and independent research laboratories; (4) coordinate research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities among relevant programs of the Department and other federal agencies and ensure that there is no duplication of activities among programs; (5) seek opportunities to leverage resources and support state and local initiatives in developing and promoting advanced vehicle technologies, manufacturing, and infrastructure; (6) coordinate with other agencies to conduct research, development, engineering, and demonstration activities on connectivity of vehicle and transportation systems; (7) carry out a research, development, demonstration, engineering, and commercial application program of advanced vehicle manufacturing technologies and practices; and (8) report annually on the technologies developed as a result of the activities authorized by this Act, with emphasis on whether the technologies were successfully adopted for commercial applications and whether products relying on those technologies are manufactured in the United States. Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a program of cooperative research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities on advanced technologies for medium- to heavy-duty commercial, vocational, recreational, and transit vehicles and appoint a Director to coordinate such activities; (2) conduct a competitive grant program to demonstrate the integration of multiple advanced technologies on Class 8 truck and trailer platforms with a goal of improving overall freight efficiency by 50%; (3) develop standard testing procedures and technologies for evaluating the performance of advanced heavy vehicle technologies under a range of representative duty cycles and operating conditions; and (4) evaluate heavy vehicle performance using work performance-based metrics, other than those based on miles per gallon, and appropriate metrics based on the work performed by nonroad systems. Requires the Secretary to undertake a pilot program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial applications of technologies to improve total machine or system efficiency for nonroad equipment and to seek opportunities to transfer research findings and technologies between the nonroad and on-highway equipment and vehicle sectors.
Bill· HRH.R. 1373 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2011
Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue an order to require: (1) the installation of secondary barriers to prevent access to the flight deck of a commercial aircraft; (2) with respect to an aircraft that is equipped with a cockpit door, that such barriers remain locked while the aircraft is in flight and the cockpit door separating the flight deck and the passenger area is open; and (3) with respect to an aircraft that is not equipped with a cockpit door, that such barriers remain locked as determined by the pilot.
Bill· HRH.R. 1371 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2011
Aerotropolis Act of 2011 - Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to extend the eligibility for projects of national and regional significance under the surface transportation grant program to certain aerotropolis transportation system projects. Defines "aerotropolis transportation system" as a planned and coordinated multimodal freight and passenger transportation network that provides efficient, sustainable, and intermodal connectivity to a defined region of economic significance centered around a major airport.
Law· HRH.R. 1363 (112th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
Department of Defense and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 - Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2011 - Appropriates funds for FY2011 for the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) military personnel; (2) operation and maintenance, including for the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, environmental restoration, overseas humanitarian, disaster, and civic aid, former Soviet Union cooperative threat reduction, and the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund; (3) procurement, including for aircraft, missile, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and purchases under the Defense Production Act of 1950; (4) research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E); (5) Defense Working Capital Funds and the National Defense Sealift Fund; (6) the Defense Health Program; (7) chemical agents and munitions destruction; (8) drug interdiction and counter-drug activities; (9) the Office of the Inspector General; (10) the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System Fund; and (11) the Intelligence Community Management Account. Specifies authorized, restricted, and prohibited uses of appropriated funds. Rescinds specified funds from various accounts under prior defense appropriations Acts. Appropriates funds for deployments and other activities in support of overseas contingency operations, including for: (1) regular, reserve, and National Guard personnel; (2) operation and maintenance; (3) the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund; (4) the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund; (5) the Iraq Security Forces Fund; (6) procurement; (7) National Guard and reserve equipment; (8) the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle Fund; (9) RDT&E; (10) Defense Working Capital Funds; (11) the Defense Health Program; (12) drug interdiction and counter-drug activities; (13) the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund; and (14) the Office of the Inspector General. Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Amendments, 2011 - Makes further continuing appropriations for various federal programs. Adjusts various program fund amounts. Provides operational rate limits. Rescinds various program funds.
Bill· HRH.R. 1361 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2011
Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Buildings Act - Requires the Federal Acquisition Regulation to be revised to: (1) direct federal procurement executives involved in the acquisition, construction, or major renovation of any facility to increase infrastructure gender parity by constructing buildings in such a way that the number of toilets in women's restrooms will equal or exceed the number of toilets (including urinals) in men's restrooms or, if such a number is unachievable or not feasible, to receive a statement by the Administrator of General Services (GSA) as to why such a number of toilets is not needed; and (2) direct federal procurement executives involved in leasing buildings to give preference to the leasing of facilities that meet or exceed the female toilet to male toilet ratio of one to one. Requires the Director of Federal Procurement Policy to issue guidance to all federal procurement executives providing direction and instructions to renegotiate the design of proposed facilities, renovations for existing facilities, and leased facilities to incorporate improvements that are consistent with this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 1334 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2011
Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion Act of 2011 - Requires the government: (1) to provide leadership to negotiate a multilateral treaty or other international agreement that provides for the dismantlement and elimination, under strict international control, of all nuclear weapons in every country by 2020; (2) once the President certifies that all countries have eliminated such weapons or begun such elimination under established legal requirements, to redirect resources that are being used for nuclear weapons programs to addressing human and infrastructure needs and to converting nuclear weapons industry employees, processes, plants, and programs to constructive, ecologically beneficial peacetime activities; (3) to undertake efforts to eliminate war, armed conflict, and all military operations; and (4) to promote policies to induce all other countries to join in such commitments.
Bill· HRH.R. 1338 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2011
Focusing Resources, Economic Investment, and Guidance to Help Transportation Act of 2011 - Declares U.S. policy with respect to freight transportation. Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) an Office of Freight Planning and Development. Directs the Secretary to develop a long-term National Freight Freight Transportation Strategic Plan to guide planning and investments in the national transportation system to move freight. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop new or improve existing tools to support an outcome-oriented, performance-based approach to evaluate proposed freight-related and other transportation projects; (2) facilitate the collection of transportation-related data to support a broad range of evaluation methods and techniques to assist in making transportation investment decisions; and (3) consider improvements to the Commodity Flow Survey that reduce identified freight data gaps and deficiencies and help evaluate forecasts of transportation demand. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a competitive grant program for capital investment projects that improve the efficiency of the national transportation system to move freight, and (2) give priority to projects with the highest system performance improvement relative to their benefit-cost analysis. Limits the federal share of project net capital costs at 80%. Requires a grant recipient to submit to the Secretary: (1) a project management plan and an annual financial plan for a project with a total cost of $500 million or more, and (2) an annual financial plan for a project with a total cost of $100 million or more. Repeals specified prohibitions against the transfer of amounts from the Highway Trust Fund to the Port Infrastructure Development Fund.
Bill· HRH.R. 1327 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2011
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) which apply such grants to their collegiate housing property.
Bill· HRH.R. 1310 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2011
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt a qualified emergency medical device from the excise tax on medical devices. Defines "qualified emergency medical device" as a medical device furnished by first responders or ambulance services in providing out-of-hospital or pre-hospital care, or transport to a medical care facility, for individuals with illnesses, injuries, or other medical emergencies or in need of medical transport, extrication, or evacuation.
Bill· SS. 705 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) which apply such grants to their collegiate housing property.
Bill· SS. 695 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Commercial Driver Compliance Improvement Act - Requires all commercial motor vehicles involved in interstate commerce and operated by a driver subject to both federal hours-of-service and record of duty status requirements, in order to improve compliance with federal hours-of-service regulations, to be equipped with an electronic on-board recording device meeting performance requirements and certification criteria and certain other requirements prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation (DOT).
Bill· HRH.R. 1279 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Aircraft Passenger Whole-Body Imaging Limitations Act of 2011 - Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) (TSA) to ensure that advanced imaging technology is used for the screening of passengers only in accordance with this Act. Prohibits the use of advanced imaging technology as a method of screening a passenger unless: (1) the National Academy of Sciences determines the technology does not pose a threat to public health; (2) the technology is equipped with a privacy filter or other privacy-protecting technology; and (3) another method of screening, such as metal detection, explosive trace detection, or behavioral profiling, demonstrates reasonable cause for using advanced imaging technology to detect a possible threat to aviation security. Allows use of an enhanced pat-down search of passengers if such other screening methods, including use of advanced imaging technology, demonstrate reasonable cause for utilizing advanced imaging technology to detect a possible threat to aviation security. Requires that passengers: (1) be provided information on the operation of such technology and specified related matters, including privacy policies and the right to request a pat-down search; and (2) be offered such a pat-down search in lieu of such screening. Prohibits the storage, transfer, sharing, or copying in any form of an image of a passenger generated by advanced imaging technology after a boarding determination is made. Imposes a civil penalty upon any U.S. officer or employee who knowingly stores, transfers, shares, or copies advanced imaging screening images. Prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from using any security technology or methodology for screening passengers unless there are established performance measures to determine if: (1) such technology is cost effective, reliable, and safe; and (2) there is no other equally effective and less invasive technology.
Bill· HRH.R. 1277 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
Southern Borderlands Public Safety Communications Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to make competitive grants for public-private partnerships that finance equipment and infrastructure to improve the public safety of persons who are residents of rural areas of the United States near the border with Mexico by enhancing their access to reliable mobile communications. Directs the Secretary to focus on projects in areas impacted by the illegal smuggling and trafficking of people and drugs. Declares that persons eligible for grants include states, counties, municipalities, organizations representing agricultural producers and other rural Americans, and telecommunications providers. Repeals the International Forestry Cooperation Act of 1990 to offset sums appropriated under this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 1282 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2011
National Metro Safety Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation, notwithstanding certain prohibitions, to: (1) develop, implement, and enforce national safety standards for transit agencies operating heavy rail on fixed guideways; and (2) require such standards to include National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regarding crashworthiness, emergency access and egress, event recorders, and hours of service.
Bill· SS. 692 (112th)open
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
National Hurricane Research Initiative Act of 2011 - Requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]) to establish a National Hurricane Research Initiative to: (1) conduct research to enable improvement of the understanding and prediction of hurricanes and other tropical storms, development of infrastructure that is resilient to the forces associated with such storms, mitigation of the impacts of hurricanes on coastal populations, the coastal built environment, and natural resources, and improvement of communication with the public about hurricane forecasts and risks associated with hurricanes to reduce the harmful impacts of hurricanes and improve society's response to destructive storms; and (2) provide training for the next generation of hurricane researchers and forecasters. Directs the Under Secretary, in coordination with the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), to: (1) develop a five-year implementation plan for the Initiative, to be revised at least every five years; (2) establish objectives for hurricane research; (3) facilitate the establishment of a public website for the Initiative; and (4) submit to Congress a coordinated annual report for the Initiative. Allows the Under Secretary to carry out a series of national workshops and conferences to address hurricane-related research questions. Requires: (1) the NSF Director to establish a program to award grants for hurricane research; (2) the Under Secretary to carry out related research; and (3) each entity carrying out research under this Act to collaborate with existing federal and federally funded research centers operating in related fields, for-profit organizations, and governments to gather and share experiential information and to advance scientific and engineering knowledge, technology transfer, and technology commercialization in the course of conducting research and its application to mitigating the impacts of hurricanes and other tropical storms on society.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 115 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Designates July 8, 2011, as Collector Car Appreciation Day.
Bill· HRH.R. 1262 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Reform the Postal Service for the 21st Century Act - Urges the Postal Service to consider: (1) a simplified rate structure for election ballots sent by voters; (2) creating a Forever Box for customers to mail parcels of a certain size, analogous to the Forever Stamp; and (3) establishing and marketing packages of postal services and products. Requires the Postal Service to implement a plan to replace or convert, by January 1, 2017, 2,000 gasoline-powered delivery vehicles with electric vehicles manufactured in the United States. Authorizes the Post Service to: (1) borrow money and issue obligations as necessary to carry out such plan or to help finance energy efficiency projects for operations and facilities; and (2) use its capabilities, including its vehicles, to provide services, other than postal services, to generate revenue if providing such service is consistent with the public interest. Requires the Postal Service to submit a plan on the co-location of post offices at retail facilities while ensuring continued service to small communities and rural areas. Allows wine or malt beverages to be mailed by a licensed winery or brewery for direct delivery by the Postal Service to an addressee who is at least 21 years of age. Requires the Postal Service to study and report on: (1) ways to promote the use of transpromotional mailings (from more than one source) and consolidated mailings (from more than one agency), and (2) the costs to executive agencies of sending mail by using the Postal Service compared to other carriers. Authorizes the Postal Service to: (1) enter arrangements whereby the sender may defer payment of postage until the item has been delivered; (2) promote the creation of mailing pools to allow members to take advantage of postage rates applicable to bulk mailings and other discounts; and (3) carry out a pilot program to test an integrated electronic system for the receipt, storage, transport, and delivery of mail directed to physical addresses and post office boxes. Establishes an advocate for competition in the Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission. Requires the Postmaster General and the Commission to issue a policy on contracting officer delegations of authority. Sets forth provisions concerning postal contracts, including requirements for: (1) posting justifications of noncompetitive contracts, and (2) a review of ethical issues relating to proposed contracts. Requires the Postal Service to: (1) publish notice and provide a period for public comment before adding, eliminating, or modifying any mailing rules; and (2) report on implementing special classifications and service agreements in connection with the establishment and operation of a system for regulating rates and classes for market-dominant products. Requires the Postal Service and the Commission to report on creating a not-for-profit venture capital program to help the Postal Service identify and develop electronic communication products that would increase net revenue.
Bill· HRH.R. 1261 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2011
Chief Technology Officer Act - Establishes in the Executive Office of the President an Office of the Federal Chief Technology Officer (FCTO). Includes among the functions of the FCTO to: (1) analyze and advise the President and agency officials regarding the government's information technology infrastructures, strategy, and use; (2) ensure the security and privacy of the federal information technology infrastructure and networks; (3) promote technological innovation in the federal government; (4) establish public-private sector partnership initiatives; and (5) lead specified interagency efforts, including a planning process to ensure the use of best-in-class technologies, the sharing of best practices, and improvement in the use of technology in support of government requirements. Requires the Office to serve as a source of analysis and advice for the President and agency heads regarding major government policies, plans, and programs associated with information technology. Requires the FCTO to: (1) be a member of the Domestic Policy Council; and (2) publish an annual report on programs to promote technological innovations, recommendations for policies to encourage the generation of such innovations, and information on the Office's activities and accomplishments.
Bill· SS. 673 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard to convey the decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter STORIS to the Storis Museum, a nonprofit entity of Juneau, Alaska, provided that the Museum agrees to enumerated conditions.
Bill· SS. 670 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Green Taxis Act of 2011 - Allows states or political subdivisions to prescribe requirements for fuel economy for taxicabs and other automobiles if such requirements are at least as stringent as federal requirements and if such vehicles: (1) are automobiles that are capable of transporting not more than 10 individuals, including the driver; (2) are commercially available or are designed and manufactured pursuant to a contract with such state or subdivision; (3) are operated for hire pursuant to a license, permit, or other authorization issued by such state or subdivision; (4) provide local transportation for a fare determined on the basis of the time or distance traveled; and (5) do not exclusively provide transportation to and from airports. Amends the Clean Air Act to allow states or political subdivisions to adopt and enforce standards for the control of emissions from new motor vehicles that are taxicabs and other vehicles if such standards will be at least as protective of public health and welfare as applicable federal standards and if such vehicles meet the other criteria specified above.
Bill· HRH.R. 1243 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Green Taxis Act of 2011 - Allows states or political subdivisions to prescribe requirements for fuel economy for taxicabs and other automobiles if such requirements are at least as stringent as federal requirements and if such vehicles: (1) are automobiles that are capable of transporting not more than 10 individuals, including the driver; (2) are commercially available or are designed and manufactured pursuant to a contract with such state or subdivision; (3) are operated for hire pursuant to a license, permit, or other authorization issued by such state or subdivision; (4) provide local transportation for a fare determined on the basis of the time or distance traveled; and (5) do not exclusively provide transportation to and from airports. Amends the Clean Air Act to allow states or political subdivisions to adopt and enforce standards for the control of emissions from new motor vehicles that are taxicabs and other vehicles if such standards will be at least as protective of public health and welfare as applicable federal standards and if such vehicles meet the other criteria specified above.
Bill· HRH.R. 1220 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard to convey the decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter STORIS to the Storis Museum, a nonprofit entity of Juneau, Alaska, provided that the Museum agrees to enumerated conditions.
Bill· HRH.R. 1218 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2011
Repeals the prohibition against state use of toll revenues as a credit toward the non-federal state matching share requirement for Appalachian development highway projects (thus allowing a state to use such revenues as a non-federal share match for such Appalachian highway projects).
Bill· SS. 646 (112th)open
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2011 - National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 to revise and reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program through FY2015. Repeals provisions establishing the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction and an associated advisory committee. Revises responsibilities of Program agencies, including by making: (1) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) responsible for research and development to improve building standards and practices; (2) the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), consistent with its all hazards approach, responsible for facilitating the adoption of model building codes; (3) the United States Geological Survey (USGS) responsible for providing real-time earthquake information; and (4) the National Science Foundation (NSF) responsible for funding basic research. Makes NIST (currently, USGS) responsible for organizing investigations under the post-earthquake investigations program. National Windstorm Impact Reduction Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 to revise and reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program through FY2015. Repeals provisions requiring the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish an Interagency Working Group responsible for the planning, management, and coordination of the Program. Designates NIST as the lead agency and sets forth revised responsibilities of NIST and the other Program agencies: FEMA, NSF, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Natural Hazards Risk Reduction, chaired by the Director of NIST, to oversee the planning and coordination of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, and other federal research for natural hazard mitigation that the Committee considers appropriate. Requires: (1) the Committee to develop strategic plans and coordinated budgets for such Programs; and (2) the Director to establish an Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction, an Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction, and other advisory committees to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, as necessary. Amends: (1) the National Construction Safety Team Act to authorize safety teams to be established for deployment after events causing the failure of infrastructure, as well as buildings, leading to a substantial loss of life; and (2) the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to include among the types of fires subject to the Fire Research Center's research program fires at the wildland-urban interface.
Bill· SS. 652 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for Long-Term Development - Establishes the American Infrastructure Financing Authority (AIFA) as a wholly-owned government corporation, headed by a Chief Executive Officer and managed by a Board of Directors, which shall provide direct loans and loan guarantees to facilitate transportation, water, or energy infrastructure projects. Requires infrastructure projects assisted under this Act to have costs that are reasonably anticipated to equal or exceed $100 million ($25 million for rural infrastructure projects). Sets forth special requirements for infrastructure projects in rural areas. Establishes an Office of Rural Assistance to provide technical assistance in the development and financing of rural infrastructure projects. Establishes an Office of Special Inspector General to conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations of the business activities of AIFA. Prohibits financial assistance from AIFA for any private project for which no public benefit is created. Sets forth terms for loans or loan guarantees for infrastructure projects and for the repayment of such loans. Requires an annual independent audit of AIFA finances. Requires the Chief Executive Officer of AIFA to: (1) establish fees with respect to loans and loan guarantees that are sufficient to cover AIFA's administrative costs, and (2) take actions to make AIFA a self-sustaining entity, with administrative and federal credit subsidy costs fully funded by fees and risk premiums on loans and loan guarantees. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2012 the exemption from alternative minimum tax (AMT) for tax-exempt private activity bonds.
Bill· SS. 625 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Requires states, at a minimum, to cooperate with affected nonmetropolitan local officials responsible for transportation through regional transportation planning organizations to develop and implement long-range statewide transportation plans and statewide transportation improvement programs, with emphasis on addressing the transportation needs of nonmetropolitan areas of the state. Defines a regional transportation planning organization as a multi-jurisdictional organization composed of nonmetropolitan local officials (or their designees) and representatives of local transportation systems who all volunteer for such organization.
Bill· SS. 615 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Fiscal Accountability and Transparency in Infrastructure Spending Act of 2011 - Requires each executive agency to obtain a life-cycle cost analysis for each major infrastructure project prior to obligating funds. Defines "life-cycle cost analysis" as a process for evaluating the total economic worth of an infrastructure project by analyzing specified costs over a minimum 50-year period. Authorizes the use of alternate infrastructure type bidding procedures for awarding contracts for projects on the National Highway System and for major infrastructure projects. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to require states to utilize the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (developed under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Project I-37A) for the initial design phase of all authorized highway projects.
Bill· SS. 609 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Comprehensive Assessment of Regulations on the Economy Act of 2011 - Establishes within the Department of Commerce the Cumulative Regulatory Assessment Committee to assess the cumulative energy and economic impacts of federal regulatory mandates that: (1) are promulgated or issued (or are expected to be initiated) by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or a state or local government from January 1, 2010, to January 1, 2020; (2) apply to one or more impacted unit; and (3) implement any provision or requirement relating to interstate or international transport of air pollution with respect to any national ambient air quality standard, attainment of any such standard, new source performance standards, hazardous air pollutants, greenhouse gas emissions, cooling water intake structures, effluent guidelines for regulating the discharge of pollutants, the handling and disposal of coal combustion residuals, the regulation of fuels, or regional haze or reasonably attributable visibility impairment under the Clean Air Act or any other environmental regulations expected to have a significant impact on the electric power sector, the petroleum refining sector, the petrochemical production sector, pipeline facilities regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) or EPA, exploration, production, or transportation of oil and natural gas, or any other manufacturing sector. Defines "impacted unit" as any: (1) electric generating unit that sells electricity into the grid; (2) industrial, commercial, or institutional boiler or process heater; (3) petroleum refining facility that produces gasoline, heating oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, or petrochemical feedstocks; (4) petrochemical facility; (5) hydrocarbon exploration, extraction, manufacturing, production, or transportation facility; or (6) biofuel facility.
Bill· SS. 608 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Maritime Lien Reform Act of 2011 - Bars specified federal shipping laws related to maritime liability from: (1) establishing maritime liens on state or federal fishing licenses (authorizing a person or use of a vessel to engage in fishing), and (2) authorizing civil actions to enforce maritime liens on such licenses. Specifies that a "fishing license" is governed solely by the state or federal law under which it was issued and is not included in the whole or as an appurtenance or intangible of a vessel.
Bill· HRH.R. 1171 (112th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2011
Marine Debris Act Reauthorization Amendments of 2011 - Reauthorizes appropriations through FY2016 for, and revises provisions of, the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act. Replaces provisions establishing within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Program with provisions establishing the Marine Debris Program. Revises provisions governing such Program, including by requiring the Administrator of NOAA to: (1) investigate, identify sources of, assess, reduce, remove, and prevent the occurrence of marine debris and to address and prevent adverse impacts of such debris on the marine environment, navigation safety, and the economy; (2) address land-based sources of marine debris, develop fishing gear modifications or alternatives to conventional fishing gear posing a threat to the marine environment, and develop effective nonregulatory measures and incentives to cooperatively reduce the volume of lost and discarded fishing gear and to aid in its recovery; (3) undertake national and regional coordination to assist states, Indian tribes, and regional organizations to address marine debris issues that are particular to their areas; (4) develop tools and products to improve efforts to address marine debris and make them available to researchers, the marine debris community, and the general public; and (5) lead the development and implementation of a strategy to promote international action to reduce the incidence of marine debris. Requires the Administrator to host a Global Marine Debris Coordination Conference in 2015 and at least every four years thereafter. Defines "marine debris" to mean any man-made object that: (1) intentionally or unintentionally, is discarded, disposed of, or abandoned; and (2) enters the coastal or marine environment directly from a vessel, a facility, or shore or indirectly, by being carried via a river, stream, or storm drain or by other means.