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Bill· HRH.R. 6564 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2010
Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act of 2010 - Establishes in the Executive Office of the President a national energy security program to coordinate federal activities and policies to reduce oil consumption by 8 million barrels per day by calendar 2030. Directs the President to develop a national oil independence plan to meet or exceed such goal. Establishes also in the Executive Office a National Energy Security Council to assist and advise the President in setting and meeting the national oil independence goal. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate joint regulations establishing fuel efficiency standards and greenhouse gas emissions limitations to maximize reductions in oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for each class of automobiles subject to fuel economy regulations and manufactured for each of model years 2017 through 2030 and for nonroad vehicles. Establishes within the Department of Energy (DOE) a national plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment program and a targeted electric drive vehicle deployment communities program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and publish guidance for model building codes for the inclusion of separate circuits for charging infrastructure in new construction and major renovations of private residences, buildings, or other structures; and (2) award grants to institutions to provide training and education for vocational workforce development to ensure skills needed to work on and maintain plug-in electric drive vehicles and the infrastructure required to support them. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a refundable personal tax credit to a qualified deployment community taxpayer who purchases a new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle and resides in a selected deployment community; (2) revise the new qualified hybrid motor vehicle credit; and (3) extend and revise the credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property. Creates tax-exempt qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle refueling property bonds. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to authorize the Secretary to make guarantees for charging infrastructure and networks of charging infrastructure for plug-in drive electric vehicles, if the infrastructure will be operational prior to December 31, 2016. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to require each electric utility to develop a plan to support the use of plug-in electric drive vehicles. Requires the Federal Energy Management Program and the General Services Administration (GSA) to assess the conversion of federal government fleets to plug-in electric drive vehicles. Directs the GSA Administrator to acquire such vehicles and charging infrastructure and deploy them in a range of locations in the federal fleet. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish the Advanced Batteries for Tomorrow Prize to advance research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of a 500-mile vehicle battery. Creates in the Treasury a 500-mile Battery Fund. Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a research and development funding program for advanced batteries, plug-in electric drive vehicle components, plug-in electric drive infrastructure, and other related technologies. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study and report to Congress on: (1) the raw materials needed for the manufacture of components for plug-in electric drive vehicles; and (2) the infrastructure needed to support such vehicles. Establishes the Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Technical Advisory Committee. Directs the President to establish the Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Interagency Task Force. Requires disposal of an advanced battery from a plug-in electric drive vehicle in accordance with the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct the Secretary of Energy to guarantee loans to eligible entities for the aggregate purchase of not fewer than 200 qualified automotive batteries (designed for use in qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles but purchased for nonautomotive applications) in a calendar year with a total minimum power rating of one megawatt and advanced battery technology. Directs the Secretary to develop and publish model building codes for the inclusion of separate circuits for charging infrastructure in new construction and major renovations of private residences, buildings, or other structures; (2) model construction permitting or inspection processes that allow for the expedited installation of charging infrastructure for purchasers of plug-in electric drive vehicles; and (3) model zoning, parking rules, or other local ordinances that facilitate the installation of, and access to, charging infrastructure. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for grid-interactive plug-in vehicles. Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for a study of the data that may be collected from plug-in electric drive vehicles. Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the EPA Administrator to promulgate regulations to establish: (1) national transportation-related goals for reducing oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; and (2) standardized models and related methods for states, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and air quality agencies to address oil savings and emission reduction goals. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate regulations concerning the consideration of oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in transportation planning. Requires metropolitan planning areas and states to develop surface transportation-related oil savings and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, as well as strategies to meet those targets. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to distribute funds to states and MPOs for investing in transportation greenhouse gas emission reduction programs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase to $230 the amount of qualified transportation fringe (commuter) benefits excluded from an employee's gross income. Makes it the goal of the United States to shift at least 10% of freight shipped by truck to rail or marine shipping by calendar 2020. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a national freight transportation options plan; and (2) make grants to states for the capital costs of facilities, infrastructure, and equipment for high priority rail corridor projects necessary to reduce congestion in freight rail transportation. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report on the benefits and costs of electrification of rail corridors. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an investment tax credit for advanced biofuel facilities as well as grants in lieu of credits for advanced biofuel facility property (under division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). Includes algae-based biofuel in the definition of cellulosic biofuel. Extends: (1) the cellulosic biofuel producer credit; (2) the special allowance for cellulosic biofuel plant property; (3) certain credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel; (4) alcohol fuels tax credits; and (5) alternative fuel excise tax credits. Allows a tax credit for qualified natural gas motor vehicles and creates tax-exempt natural gas vehicle bonds. Allows an expensing deduction for manufacturing facilities producing vehicles fueled by compressed or liquefied natural gas. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regulations for environmental best management practices of oil and gas operators on federal lands. Directs the GSA Administrator to study and report to Congress on means of increasing the number of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas vehicles in the federal fleet. Establishes in DOE an Energy Efficiency Improvement for Heating Oil, Propane, and Kerosene Program to fund state participation in programs operated by a national oilheat research alliance or the Propane Education and Research Council to carry out cost-effective energy efficiency programs for homes and buildings that use home heating oil, propane, and kerosene. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a renewable biomass thermal energy loan program of grants to states to support financial assistance by qualified program delivery entities to replace with certain wood or wood-pellet fired boilers any thermal energy systems in commercial or multifamily residential buildings that use heating oil or another petroleum product. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to: (1) extend the placed-in-service dates applicable to specified alternative energy property eligible for grants in lieu of tax credits; and (2) allow such grants to state utilities with service obligations and mutual or cooperative electric companies.
Bill· HRH.R. 6546 (111th)open
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2010
Transportation Infrastructure Improvements on Federal Lands Act of 2010 - Makes eligible for federal-aid highway assistance preventive maintenance activities on federal lands highways the appropriate federal land management agency demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) are a cost-effective means of extending the useful life of such a highway. Authorizes the use of Federal Lands Highway Program funds for: (1) trails used primarily for transportation; and (2) maintenance of highways, roads, parkways, and trails used primarily for transportation located on public lands, national parks, and Indian reservations, provided such maintenance will improve the asset management of such facilities. Sets the federal share of the cost of a high priority project located on public lands or an Indian reservation, or in a national park or wildlife refuge, at 100%. Makes eligible for federal-aid highway assistance any projects in the vicinity of a federally owned or managed park, refuge, or recreational area open to the general public (Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program) that: (1) are part of an alternative transportation program in which implementation is expected to last more than one year; or (2) involve capital investment grants financing operating costs of fixed guideway projects and systems, buses and related equipment, and bus-related facilities for which capital investment grant assistance has been provided. Earmarks 60% of funds made available to the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program each fiscal year for qualified alternative transportation projects in national parks.
Bill· HRH.R. 6550 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2010
National Emergency Employment Defense Act of 2010 - Replaces Federal Reserve notes with United States Money. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to originate United States Money to address any negative fund balances resulting from a shortfall in available government receipts to fund government appropriations. Subjects to criminal and civil penalties any person who creates or originates United States Money by lending against deposits through "fractional reserve banking." Prohibits borrowing by the Secretary or by any federal agency or department, independent establishment of the executive branch, or any other instrumentality of the United States (other than a national bank, federal savings association, or federal credit union) from any source other than the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to begin to retire all outstanding instruments of U.S. indebtedness by payment in full of the amount legally due the bearer in United States Money. Prescribes requirements for the entry of United States Money into circulation. Directs the Secretary to purchase all net assets in the Federal Reserve System, including the Federal reserve banks. Requires return to any member bank in the form of United States Money of any reserves held by any Federal reserve bank. Establishes: (1) the Monetary Authority to establish monetary supply policy and monitor the nation's monetary status; (2) the Bureau of the Federal Reserve to administer the origination and entry into circulation of United States Money; (3) the Emergency Board to recommend to Congress when a national emergency requires the President to issue a certification of emergency for the exercise of authority by the Monetary Authority as lender of last resort; and (4) a revolving loan fund in the Treasury for relending to banking institutions. Sets forth a conversion process to replace fractional reserve banking with the lending of United States Money. Sets a ceiling on interest rates. Requires the Monetary Authority to instruct the Secretary to disperse monetary grants to states for public infrastructure, education, health care and rehabilitation, pensions, and paying for unfunded federal mandates. Directs the Secretary to make recommendations to Congress for payment of a tax-free Citizens Dividend to all U.S. citizens residing in the United States in order to provide liquidity to the banking system at the commencement of this Act, before governmental infrastructure expenditures have had a chance to work into circulation. Prescribes requirements for federal funding of education programs, coverage of any deficits in Social Security Trust Fund account, a universal health care plan, resolution of aspects of the mortgage crisis, and a program of interest-free lending of United States Money to state and local governmental entities.
Bill· SS. 4035 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2010
Community-Based Mental Health Infrastructure Improvements Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to eligible entities for the construction or modernization of facilities to provide mental health and substance abuse services to individuals. Defines an "eligible entity" as: (1) a state that is the recipient of a Community Mental Health Services Block Grant and a Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant under such Act; or (2) an Indian tribe or a tribal organization. Includes among grant application requirements assurances that facilities will be used for not less than 10 years for community-based mental health or substance abuse services for those who cannot pay for such services. Permits a grant recipient to request permission to transfer such 10-year obligation to another facility. Authorizes a state that receives a grant to award a subgrant to a qualified community program for activities such as: (1) the construction, expansion, and modernization of mental health and substance abuse facilities; (2) the construction and structural modification of facilities to permit the integrated delivery of behavioral health and primary care of specialty medical services to individuals with co-occurring mental illnesses and chronic medical or surgical diseases at a single service site; and (3) acquiring information technology required to accommodate the clinical needs of primary and specialty care professionals. Requires a grant recipient to agree to make available nonfederal contributions matching federal funds provided.
Bill· SS. 4034 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2010
Strengthening Manufacturing and Rebuilding Transit Act of 2010 or SMART Act - Requires the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to give preference to the award of discretionary or competitive grants, loans, loan guarantees, and lines of credit to transportation infrastructure projects, including the purchase of transit vehicle rolling stock, rail, and supporting equipment, in which manufactured goods to be purchased have a domestic content percentage that: (1) exceeds applicable federal requirements; and (2) in the case of rolling stock, is consistent with industry-recognized standards, if available. Directs the Secretary to establish a centralized website that provides rules and guidance, waiver notices, and agency actions of the domestic content standards (Buy America) for DOT federal-aid programs. Requires a federal agency head to subject to public notice and comment any request for waiver, and to publication in the Federal Register and notification to Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of any waiver, of Buy America requirements involving: (1) federal-aid highway and public transportation projects, (2) AMTRAK acquisition and maintenance of equipment and facilities, and (3) intercity passenger rail service corridor capital assistance projects. Directs the DOT Inspector General to report annually to Congress on acquisitions funded by federal transportation infrastructure investments that do not comply with Buy American requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to work with the Hollings Manufacturing Partnership Program and other manufacturing-related local intermediaries to develop a multi-agency comprehensive plan to expand domestic manufacturer rail and transit vehicle supply chains.
Bill· HRH.R. 6525 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2010
Former Bennett Freeze Area Development Act - Requires the Commissioner of the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation (ONHIR), by request of the Navajo Nation or the Hopi Tribe by tribal resolution, to enter into a self-determination contract or contracts with the requesting Indian tribe to plan, conduct, and administer programs, functions, services, or activities, including construction programs administered by the Commissioner that pertain directly to the requesting Indian tribe. Establishes the Former Bennett Freeze Area Rehabilitation Trust Fund in the Treasury. Makes amounts in the Fund available to the Navajo Nation solely for purposes which will contribute to the continuing rehabilitation and improvement of the economic, housing, infrastructure, health, educational, and social condition of families, and Navajo communities, that have been affected by the former Bennett Freeze. Authorizes the Commissioner to carry out a rehabilitation program to redress the effects of federal development restrictions (Bennett Freeze) in the western portion of the Navajo Reservation, limited to housing construction and renovation, infrastructure improvements, and economic development initiatives. Repeals requirements that: (1) the United States be reimbursed for funds appropriated to the Navajo Rehabilitation Trust Fund before its termination; and (2) the income derived by the Navajo Tribe from the surface and mineral estates of certain lands located in New Mexico acquired for the Tribe's benefit be used to reimburse the General Fund of the U.S. Treasury. Reauthorizes the Fund. Grants the Navajo Nation the right to negotiate and approve an Accommodation Agreement with the Hopi Tribe for any Navajo head of household residing on Hopi Partitioned Land that has not otherwise entered into such Agreement but intends to remain on the Land. Amends the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996 to grant any Navajo family that has entered into an Accommodation Agreement the right to: (1) relinquish that Agreement at any time up until the closure of the ONHIR; and after such relinquishment (2) receive the full relocation benefits to which the family would otherwise have been entitled had the family not signed such Agreement, including relocation housing, counseling, and other services.
Bill· HRH.R. 6519 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2010
Railroad Hours of Service Act of 2010 - Extends railroad hours of services requirements and limitations to cover yardmaster employees who supervise and coordinate the activities of workers engaged in railroad traffic operations, including making up or breaking up trains and switching inbound or outbound traffic. Revises the prohibition against a railroad carrier's requiring or allowing a train employee to remain or go on duty unless that employee has had at least 10 consecutive hours off duty during the prior 24 hours. Prohibits requiring or allowing an employee (including a yardmaster employee) from initiating an on duty period unless the employee has had at least 10 consecutive hours off duty immediately prior to going on duty. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to prescribe regulations to: (1) require all deadhead transportation in excess of a specific number of hours to be counted as time on duty; and (2) reset the calendar day clock. Revises the rule that an interim period available for at least 4 hours rest at a place with suitable facilities for food and lodging is not time on duty. Repeals the current list of causes for prevention of a return to duty. Requires a train employee to be notified before going off duty whether such period off duty is an interim release. Prohibits a railroad carrier from requiring or allowing an employee to exceed 2 hours in deadhead transportation per each tour of duty. Revises the limitations on the duty hours of signal employees. Specifies that time on duty spent performing any service for the railroad carrier during a 24-hour period in which the employee is engaged in installing, repairing, or maintaining signal systems includes all work where there is a potential to interact or otherwise come into contact with safety-critical devices or circuits. Treats as service covered by hours of duty limitations the operation by signal employees of motor vehicles requiring a commercial driver's license while on duty. Extends to yardmaster employees certain limitations on the duty hours of dispatching service employees. Declares that all commingle service involving yardmaster service and dispatcher service mixing with freight service shall be covered by the limitations on the duty hours of signal employees. Extends to yardmaster employees, when an emergency exists, the same limitation (to not more than 4 additional hours during a period of 24 consecutive hours for not more than 3 days during a period of 7 consecutive days) that applies to the hours of dispatching service employees in an emergency.
Law· HRH.R. 6516 (111th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2010
Makes technical and conforming changes to the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010.
Bill· HRH.R. 6518 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2010
Research of Alcohol Detection Systems for Stopping Alcohol-related Fatalities Everywhere Act of 2010 or ROADS SAFE Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), to carry out a collaborative research effort to continue to explore the feasibility and the potential benefits of, and the public policy challenges associated with, more widespread deployment of in-vehicle technology to prevent alcohol-impaired driving. Directs the Secretary to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to prescribe certain performance standards to reduce commercial motor vehicle rollover and loss of control crashes and associated deaths and injuries for air-braked truck tractors and motorcoaches with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress regarding the quality of data collected through the National Automotive Sampling System, including the Special Crash Investigations, as well as recommendation for improvements to the data collection program. Requires the Secretary to establish and publicize a hotline for mechanics, passenger motor vehicle dealership personnel, and passenger motor vehicle manufacturer personnel to contact NHTSA confidentially regarding potential passenger motor vehicle safety defects. Requires the Secretary to establish within NHTSA an honors program for the recruitment of engineering, computer science, and other students interested in training with engineers and other safety officials for a career in vehicle safety. Revises requirements for rules on early warning reporting by motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment manufacturers about vehicle or equipment defects. Requires early warning reports to include information on consumer complaints, warranty claims, field reports, or technical service bulletins. Requires all early warning report information to be made available to the public, unless exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Presumes that information shall not be exempt from disclosure, and thus must be made public, if it is: (1) vehicle safety defect information related to incidents involving death or injury; (2) aggregated numbers of property damage claims; or (3) aggregated numbers of consumer complaints related to potential vehicle defects.
Bill· SS. 4021 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2010
Internet and Cybersecurity Safety Standards Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct an analysis to determine the costs and benefits of requiring Internet service providers, communications service providers, electronic messaging providers, electronic mail providers, and other persons who provide a service or capability to enable computers to connect to the Internet to develop and enforce minimum Internet and cybersecurity safety standards for users of computers to prevent terrorists, criminals, spies, and other malicious actors from compromising, disrupting, damaging, or destroying computer networks, critical infrastructure, and key resources. Directs the Secretary to consider the effect that such standards may have on homeland security, the global economy, innovation, individual liberty, and privacy.
Bill· HRH.R. 6509 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2010
Designates a certain portion of Interstate Route 710 located in Los Angeles County, California, as the Jenny Oropeza Highway.
Bill· SS. 4013 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2010
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate a rule: (1) to improve the daytime and nighttime visibility of agricultural equipment operating on public roads; and (2) that establishes minimum lighting and marking standards for such equipment. Requires the Secretary to review and revise such standards at least once every five years to reflect the latest revision of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Standard 279 entitled "Lighting and Marking of Agricultural Equipment on Highways".
Bill· SS. 4014 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2010
Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to promulgate regulations that allow for the replacement or rebuilding of a vessel qualified under specified sections of the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2005 related to: (1) the non-American Fisheries Act trawl catcher processor subsector; and (2) the catcher processor sector of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area non-pollock groundfish fishery.
Bill· HRH.R. 6474 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2010
Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to cease construction of a temporary causeway in connection with the project for the Renard Island Confined Disposal Facility, Green Bay Harbor, Wisconsin, until the Secretary: (1) conducts a review of all bids submitted for construction of the Renard Island Temporary Causeway, Final Cover and Grading element of such project; and (2) submits to specified congressional committees a report on the results of that review.
Law· HRH.R. 6473 (111th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2010
Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2010, Part IV - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through March 31, 2011: (1) increased excise taxes on aviation fuels and the excise tax on air transportation of persons and property; and (2) the expenditure authority for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. Makes funds available for the six-month period beginning on October 1, 2010, for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning projects. Prescribes a formula for calculating funding apportionments and meeting certain other requirements for the six-month period, including a 50% reduction in these apportionments and specified other amounts. Extends through March 31, 2011, the authority of the Secretary of Transportation to make airport improvement project (AIP) grants. Extends through March 31, 2011: (1) the pilot programs for passenger facility fee authorizations at non-hub airports; and (2) disclosure requirements for large and medium hub airports applying for AIP grants. Directs the Secretary to extend through March 31, 2011, the termination date of insurance coverage for domestic or foreign-flag aircraft. Grants the Secretary discretionary authority to further extend such coverage through June 30, 2011. Extends through June 30, 2011, the authority of the Secretary to limit air carrier liability for claims arising out of acts of terrorism. Extends through March 31, 2011: (1) grant eligibility for airports located in the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau; (2) grants to state and local governments for land use compatibility projects under an AIP; and (3) authority for approving an application of the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority for an airport development project grant or for permission to impose a passenger facility fee. Amends the Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act to extend through March 31, 2011: (1) the temporary increase to 95% of the federal government's share of certain AIP project costs; and (2) funding for airport development at Midway Island Airport.
Bill· HRH.R. 6483 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2010
TIFIA Expansion Act of 2010 - Revises Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program requirements to make eligible for TIFIA funding any projects that: (1) are for the design, acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of one or more transportation projects that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases or have a positive impact on traffic congestion; and (2) receive not more than 30% of their funding for capital costs from federal public transportation grant funds. Defines "master credit agreement" as one entered into between the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) and an obligor for such projects that: (1) makes contingent commitments of one or more secured loans or other federal credit instruments at future dates; (2) establishes the amounts and general terms and conditions of such loans or other instruments as well as identifies dedicated revenue sources that will secure their repayment; and (3) provides for the obligation of funds for the loans or other instruments after certain federal requirements have been met. Requires such projects to meet certain planning and programming requirements (as under current law) at the time that loan proceeds are disbursed or other credit assistance is provided pursuant to the master credit agreement. Makes projects with eligible costs reasonably anticipated to equal or exceed $1 billion (mega transportation projects) eligible for federal transportation infrastructure funding. Revises terms of secured loans and lines of credit used to finance certain transportation infrastructure projects to increase the maximum loan amount for such projects from the lesser of 33% to the lesser of 49% of the reasonably anticipated eligible project costs or (as under current law), if the loan does not receive an investment grade rating, the amount of the senior project obligations. Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2015 for such projects.
Bill· SS. 3983 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2010
Authorizes the state of Ohio to use (reprogram) grant funds received from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for intercity passenger rail service capital projects, pursuant to appropriations under title XII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, for any other transportation projects.
Bill· SS. 3982 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2010
Increases from $200 million to $500 million the aggregate allowable amount that can be awarded (liability cap) for a single passenger rail accident or incident that was proximately caused by gross negligence or willful misconduct of a defendant. (Current law limits to $200 million the aggregate allowable award to all rail passengers, against all defendants, for all claims, including claims for punitive damages, arising from a single accident or incident.) Increases from $200 million to $500 million per accident or incident the mandatory total minimum insurance or self-insurance liability coverage Amtrak must maintain.
Bill· HRH.R. 6441 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2010
Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to prescribe regulations requiring motorcoaches to be installed with: (1) safety seat belts at each seating position, (2) improved fire extinguishers or other firefighting equipment, (3) advanced glazing in each portal to prevent passenger ejection, (4) stability enhancing technology to reduce the number and frequency of rollover crashes, and (5) direct tire pressure monitoring systems. Requires the Secretary to prescribe regulations establishing improved strength and crush resistance standards for motorcoach roofs. Requires the Secretary to evaluate and issue performance requirements relating to: (1) the feasibility of establishing flammability standards for motorcoach exterior and interior components, (2) technologies to prevent wheel well fires, and (3) requirements for motorcoaches to be equipped with improved designs for emergency passenger evacuation and fire suppression systems. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct compartmentalization safety countermeasures, occupant impact protection, and collision avoidance research; and (2) issue a standard or regulation based on research results. Authorizes the Secretary to register a person to provide motorcoach services only after that person: (1) undergoes a pre-authorization safety audit, including verification of drug and alcohol testing, vehicle maintenance, and safety management programs; (2) has been interviewed about the carrier's safety management controls and written safety oversight policies and practices; and (3) has demonstrated proficiency to comply with such requirements. Requires each newly registered motorcoach owner or operator transporting property to undergo a safety review within the first 18 months after operations begin. Authorizes the Secretary to establish a fee to cover audit costs. Prescribes disclosure requirements for registration applicants regarding reincarnated motor carriers, and authorizes the Secretary to suspend, amend, or revoke a motor carrier registration for violation of those and other specified requirements, regulations, or orders. Prohibits two or more motorcoach operators from using common ownership, common management, common control, or common familial relationship to avoid compliance, or conceal noncompliance or a history of noncompliance with commercial motor vehicle safety regulations or an order of the Secretary. Prescribes penalties for violation of this prohibition. Requires the Secretary to: (1) determine the safety fitness and assign a rating, updated triennially, for each registered motorcoach operator, and (2) establish a process for monitoring regularly the safety performance of each operator following the assignment of a rating. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish minimum curricular requirements for entry-level motorcoach drivers and drivers upgrading from one class of commercial driver's license to another; and (2) require each motorcoach driver seeking a commercial driver's license (CDL) passenger endorsement to undergo training that includes such requirements before taking the CDL test. Requires the Secretary to issue a final rule in Docket No. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) 2007-27659: Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's Permit Standards that improves the stringency of examination for the CDL passenger-carrying endorsement. Requires the Secretary to submit a plan to Congress requiring all or certain classes of drivers to: (1) have a CDL passenger-carrying endorsement in order to operate a commercial van transporting 9 to 15 passengers in interstate commerce; and (2) be tested for drugs and alcohol. Revises examination requirements for the listing of medical examiners in a national registry. Requires the Secretary to establish a national registry of medical examiners. Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations to require all motorcoaches in interstate commerce to be equipped with electronic onboard recorders. Requires the Secretary to complete a rulemaking proceeding to consider requiring states to conduct annual inspections of commercial passenger motor vehicles. Requires the Secretary to: (1) prescribe regulations on the use of electronic or wireless devices (including cell phones and other distracting devices) by motorcoach operators; and (2) prohibit their use in cases where they interfere with the driver's safe operation of a motorcoach, but not when necessary for driver or public safety in emergency situations. Redefines "employer," for purposes of the application of federal commercial motor vehicle safety standards, to include a person that offers for rent or lease in interstate commerce motor vehicles used to transport more than 15 passengers (including the driver) from the same location, or as part of the same business provides names or contact information of drivers, or holds itself out to the public as a charter bus company. Requires the Secretary to register brokers for transportation of passengers.
Bill· SS. 3954 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2010
Air Cargo Security Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a system for the screening and inspecting of all cargo transported in domestic and foreign all-cargo aircraft, including in intrastate air transportation, to ensure the security of such aircraft. Requires such systems to meet minimum standards that ensure equipment, technology, procedures, or personnel used for screening cargo provide a level of security commensurate with the security level for screening passenger checked baggage. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a system for regularly screening and inspecting shipments of cargo transported in air transportation, including intrastate air transportation, at shipping facilities to ensure that appropriate security controls, systems, and protocols are observed; and (2) enter into arrangements with civil aviation authorities of foreign countries to ensure the regular screening and inspecting at shipping facilities in such countries of such cargo transported by air to the United States. Authorizes the Secretary to increase the number of air cargo inspectors to carry out such screenings and inspections. Directs the Secretary to establish a training and evaluation program for all individuals who handle air cargo to ensure that such cargo is properly handled and safeguarded from security breaches.
Bill· HRH.R. 6423 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2010
Homeland Security Cyber and Physical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2010 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) an Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, which shall be headed by the Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications and which shall include: (1) the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team; (2) a Cybersecurity Compliance Division (established by this Act); and (3) other DHS components with primary responsibility for emergency or national communications or cybersecurity. Directs the Secretary of DHS, acting through the Assistant Secretary or the Director of such Division, to establish and enforce cybersecurity requirements for civilian nonmilitary and non-intelligence community federal systems to prevent, deter, respond to, and recover from cyber attacks and incidents. Requires the Assistant Secretary to chair an interagency working group, which shall: (1) develop risk- and performance-based cybersecurity requirements for civilian federal agency computer networks and federally owned critical infrastructure, to be enforced by the Assistant Secretary through the Director; (2) develop remedies for noncompliance with such requirements, to be executed by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB); (3) recommend budgets for security of such networks; and (4) propose updates for the Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation. Requires all federal entities to report any cyber incidents on their networks to the Director and to the Team, which shall research each incident and report on the extent of any compromise, the attackers, the method of penetration, the ramifications, and recommended mitigation activities. Requires: (1) the Secretary, through the Director, to establish and enforce risk-based cybersecurity requirements for private sector computer networks within covered critical infrastructures; and (2) the Director to require entities determined to be covered critical infrastructures to comply with such requirements and to submit a proposed cybersecurity plan to satisfy such requirements to the first-party regulatory agency or sector-specific agency for approval and enforcement. Prescribes penalties for noncompliance. Requires the Assistant Secretary to: (1) share information regarding cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities and proposed actions to mitigate them with all federal agencies, appropriate state, local, or tribal authority representatives, and all covered critical infrastructure owners and operators; and (2) designate information received from and provided to federal agencies and critical infrastructure owners and operators under this Act as sensitive security information and enforce requirements for handling, storage, and dissemination of such information. Directs the Under Secretary for Science and Technology to support research, development, testing, evaluation, and transition of cybersecurity technology, with an emphasis on research and development relevant to large-scale, high-impact attacks. Requires the Assistant Secretary to: (1) develop a strategic cybersecurity workforce plan as part of the federal agency performance plan; (2) establish a cybersecurity awareness and education curriculum that shall be required for all federal employees and contractors engaged in the design, development, or operation of civilian federal agency computer networks; and (3) implement a strategy to provide federal employees who work in cybersecurity-related areas with the opportunity to obtain additional education. Authorizes: (1) the appointment of up to 500 employees to carry out this Act's requirements without regard to the civil service laws upon certification to Congress that standard federal hiring processes have not resulted in the required number of critical cybersecurity positions being filled; and (2) payment of bonuses necessary to retain such an employee.
Bill· HRH.R. 6422 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2010
Railroad Retirement Fairness Act - Amends the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 to provide that an individual who, at the time the individual makes an inquiry to the Railroad Retirement Board, has a current connection with the railroad industry shall not be deemed to have lost that current connection if: (1) the Board misleads or fails to properly inform that individual about that requirement; and (2) that conduct by the Board, according to the principles of equity, should stop the Board from deeming the individual to have lost that current connection. Deems an individual who is employed with the Department of State in a position the Secretary of State certifies as railroad related to have "a current connection with the railroad industry" for retirement purposes. Applies this Act to annuities applied for on or after February 3, 1989.
Bill· HRH.R. 6409 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2010
Prohibits the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) from requiring the replacement of street and highway signs that are in upper case letters with signs that are in mixed case lettering with the initial letter in upper case followed by lower case lettering.
Bill· HRH.R. 6408 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2010
Authorizes states to return to the Secretary of Transportation certain unobligated stimulus funds made available for high speed rail and intercity rail projects under title XII of Division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Requires the Secretary to deposit such funds into the general fund of the Treasury for federal budget deficit reduction.
Bill· HRH.R. 6410 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2010
Air Cargo Security Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish systems to inspect cargo to ensure the security of all cargo transported in domestic or foreign all-cargo aircraft, including in intrastate air transportation. Requires such systems to meet minimum standards that ensure equipment, technology, procedures, or personnel used to screen cargo provide a level of security commensurate with the security level for the screening of passenger checked baggage. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a system for the regular inspection of shipping facilities for shipments of cargo transported in air transportation, including intrastate air transportation, to ensure that appropriate security controls, systems, and protocols are observed; and (2) enter into arrangements with civil aviation authorities of foreign countries to ensure that such inspections regularly occur at shipping facilities for cargo transported by air to the United States. Authorizes the Secretary to increase the number of air cargo inspectors to carry out such screenings and inspections. Directs the Secretary to establish a training and evaluation program for persons who handle air cargo to ensure that such cargo is properly handled and safeguarded from security breaches.
Bill· SS. 3938 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2010
Designates the airport traffic control tower located at Spokane International Airport in Spokane, Washington, and any successor airport traffic control tower at that location, as the Ray Daves Airport Traffic Control Tower.
Bill· HRH.R. 6402 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2010
Promoting Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles Act of 2010 - Establishes within the Department of Energy (DOE) a Natural Gas Vehicle and Infrastructure Development Program. Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish: (1) a rebate program for owners who convert or repower a conventionally fueled vehicle to a vehicle that operates on compressed or liquefied natural gas or to a mixed-fuel vehicle or a bi-fuel vehicle; (2) an infrastructure deployment program and a manufacturing development program to provide grants for installing natural gas refueling property and developing engines with reduced emissions, improved performance, and lower cost; and (3) a direct loan program to provide loans to manufacturers for the cost of reequipping, expanding, or establishing a facility that will be used for producing new alternative fuel motor vehicles or vehicle components. Establishes within DOE a national plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment program. Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) provide technical assistance to state, local, and tribal governments to create deployment programs for such vehicles; (2) make available to the public information regarding the cost, performance, usage data, and technical data regarding such vehicles and associated infrastructure; (3) carry out a national assessment and develop a national deployment plan; and (4) award grants for preparing a community deployment plan and for implementing programs that support such deployment. Directs the Secretary to develop and publish guidance for: (1) model building codes for charging infrastructure in new construction and major renovations of private residences, buildings, or other structures; (2) model construction permitting or inspection processes that allow for the expedited installation of charging infrastructure for purchasers of plug-in electric drive vehicles; and (3) model zoning, parking rules, or other local ordinances that facilitate the installation of, and allow for access to, publicly available charging infrastructure. Requires the Secretary to award grants to educational institutions to: (1) provide training and education for vocational workforce development to ensure that the workforce has the skills needed to work on and maintain plug-in electric drive vehicles and the infrastructure required to support them; and (2) establish programs to provide training and education in designing plug-in electric drive vehicles, components, and infrastructure to ensure U.S. leadership in this field. Directs: (1) the Federal Energy Management Program and the General Services Administration (GSA) to assess and report to Congress on the conversion of federal government fleets to plug-in electric drive vehicles; and (2) the Administrator of General Services to acquire plug-in electric drive vehicles and the requisite charging infrastructure to be deployed in a range of locations in the federal governmental fleets during a five-year period. Establishes within the national deployment program a targeted plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment communities program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to fund research and development in advanced batteries, plug-in electric drive vehicle components, plug-in electric drive infrastructure, and related technologies; (2) implement a study on recycling of materials from plug-in electric drive vehicles; and (3) establish the Advanced Batteries for Tomorrow Prize for a 500-mile vehicle battery. Establishes in the Treasury the 500-mile Battery Fund. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study and report to Congress on: (1) the raw materials needed for the manufacture of components for plug-in electric drive vehicles; and (2) the infrastructure needed to support such vehicles. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to require each electric utility to develop a plan to support the use of plug-in electric drive vehicles in its service area. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct the Secretary of Energy to guarantee loans for the aggregate purchase of not fewer than 200 qualified automotive batteries in a calendar year that have a total minimum power rating of 1 megawatt and that use advanced battery technology. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to authorize the Secretary to make loan guarantees for charging infrastructure for plug-in drive electric vehicles if the infrastructure will be operational before December 31, 2016. Requires an advanced battery from a plug-in electric drive vehicle to be disposed of in accordance with the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Establishes the Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Technical Advisory Committee. Directs the President to establish the Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Interagency Task Force to ensure awareness, coordination, and integration of the activities of the federal government relating to plug-in electric drive vehicles. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund financing rate to 21 cents a barrel.
Bill· SS. 3884 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Commercial Driver Compliance Improvement Act - Requires all commercial motor vehicles involved in interstate commerce and 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 and design standards and requirements prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation (DOT). Denies the admissibility in any civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding of recorded information retrieved from an electronic on-board recording device installed in a motor vehicle: (1) for any purpose other than to establish compliance or noncompliance with applicable federal hours-of-service requirements; or (2) unless the motor vehicle owner consents to the retrieval of information, or the information is retrieved by a government motor vehicle safety or law enforcement agency and is not used by any person or entity other than that agency.
Bill· SS. 3866 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Aviation Security Innovation & Reform Act of 2010 or AIR Act of 2010 - Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Assistant Secretary) (Transportation Security Administration [TSA]) to prescribe employment standards for air carrier personnel and airport security personnel. (Under current law, the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security (Department of Transportation [DOT]) is required to prescribe such standards.) Revises security screening personnel training plan requirements to require the Assistant Secretary to establish a training plan for TSA Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) that: (1) ensures that TSO training is standardized; and (2) meets certain other requirements, including that each TSO receives training in basic security screening skills and criminal and antiterrorism awareness. Places the TSA, headed by the Assistant Secretary, under the administration of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). (Effectively updates federal law to reflect the transfer of the TSA from DOT to DHS in March, 2003.) Establishes in the TSA the Office of Behavior Analysis, which shall provide behavior assessment training to TSA and other federal, state, and local government law enforcement personnel. Requires the Assistant Secretary to develop partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies to: (1) improve coordination of behavior detection activities; and (2) deploy TSOs specializing in techniques to identify high-risk individuals based on behavior patterns (behavior detection officers) to serve as an additional layer of security and to deter terrorism at train and bus stations and other infrastructure facilities. Directs the Assistant Secretary to: (1) provide a select group of behavior detection officers at Passengers by Observation Techniques airports with an appropriate level of security clearance to access law enforcement and intelligence databases, assist in verifying a passenger's identity, and assist in law enforcement operations; (2) require the TSA Transportation Security Operations Center to use all of the law enforcement and intelligence databases available when checking passengers at the law enforcement official referral level; and (3) standardize and streamline threat-reporting guidelines to allow behavior detection officers or other designated TSA officials to receive Center information in a timely manner. Directs the Assistant Secretary to continue the standardization of TSA security and personnel procedures at U.S. airports. Requires the Assistant Secretary to deploy: (1) behavior detection officers to National Special Security Events designated by the DHS Secretary; and (2) Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response teams at passenger rail facilities to enhance security and cross-training opportunities for behavior detection officers. Directs the Assistant Secretary to establish an electronic medium through which TSOs and behavior detection officers may anonymously submit feedback regarding TSA transportation security programs or management issues.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 666 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Designates October 15, 2010, as National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day to promote programs and activities that will lead to the greater use of cleaner, more efficient transportation that uses new sources of energy. Urges the people of the United States to: (1) increase the personal and commercial use of, and promote public sector adoption of, clean and energy-efficient alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles; and (2) encourage the adoption of federal policies to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil through the advancement and adoption of alternative, advanced, and emerging vehicle and fuel technologies.
Bill· HRH.R. 6351 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Strengthening Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Act - Grants the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) primary authority in the executive branch in the creation, verification, and enforcement of measures for the protection of critical information infrastructure, including the promulgation of risk-informed information security practices and standards applicable to critical information infrastructures that are not owned by or under the direct control of the federal government. Directs the Secretary to: (1) consult with sector specific federal regulatory agencies in exercising such authority; and (2) coordinate with such agencies, through the Executive Office of the President, in establishing enforcement mechanisms. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) conduct audits to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to secure critical information infrastructure; (2) issue subpoenas to determine compliance with federal regulatory requirements for securing such infrastructure; and (3) authorize sector specific federal regulatory agencies to undertake such audits. Establishes within the Executive Office of the President a National Office for Cyberspace, headed by an Executive Cyber Director, who shall have primary authority in the executive branch in leading interagency coordination on security policies relating to the creation, verification, and enforcement of measures regarding the protection of critical information infrastructure.
Bill· HRH.R. 6275 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Air Cargo Security Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), acting through the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (TSA), to: (1) establish at each U.S. airport federal air cargo screening centers to screen cargo transported on domestic and foreign passenger aircraft that operate in air transportation, including intrastate air transportation; (2) establish minimum standards for equipment, technology, procedures, personnel, and methods used to conduct such screening; and (3) ensure that air cargo screening is coordinated with the Certified Cargo Screening Program and any other established air cargo security program. Requires the Assistant Secretary to impose a fee for air cargo screening. Establishes the Air Cargo Security Fund for the deposit of such fees.
Bill· HRH.R. 6326 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Fair and Impartial Recruitment Act of 2010 - Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration [TSA]) to: (1) issue regulations to establish a waiver process to allow an air carrier, foreign air carrier, airport operator, or government to hire an individual who has been disqualified for employment for a position as an airport security screener or in which an individual has unescorted access to a sterile airport area because of a conviction of a specified crime; and (2) establish an appeals process for a disqualified individual that includes notice and an opportunity for a hearing before an impartial third party. Requires the Assistant Secretary to issue a waiver to an individual: (1) who, based on certain criteria, does not pose a terrorism risk; and (2) without regard to whether that individual would otherwise be disqualified by reason of a felony conviction, if the employer establishes acceptable alternate security arrangements.
Bill· HRH.R. 6394 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the transport, purchase, sale, or export of Southcentral or Southeast Alaskan otter pelts taken for certain subsistence purposes.
Bill· HRH.R. 6315 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Marine Debris Act Reauthorization Amendments of 2010 - Reauthorizes appropriations through FY2015 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.
Bill· HRH.R. 6281 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Western Water Supply Enhancement Act - Amends the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of the Interior, in calculating the non-federal share of the cost of an infrastructure improvement or activity proposed by an eligible applicant for a water management improvement grant or agreement, to consider: (1) non-federal funds secured and committed to the planning, design, or construction of improvements authorized for research activity funding, even if such funds are secured and committed in advance of an application for such a grant or agreement; and (2) amounts that the applicant receives from federal power marketing agencies. Directs the Secretary to provide such a grant or agreement to assist any eligible applicant in planning, designing, or constructing any water management improvements as part of a multiyear regional, integrated, and coordinated water conservation and management plan. Requires an applicant, in order to be eligible for such a grant or agreement, to: (1) be located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands; and (2) submit to the Secretary an application that includes a long-term (minimum of five years) water conservation and management plan based on a regional, coordinated, and integrated water conservation and management model for either an entire watershed or river basin or a regional effort that includes multiple partnering irrigation or municipal entities and a proposed budget and schedule for improvements or activities to be planned, designed, constructed, or implemented by the applicant consistent with the plan submitted. Limits the amount provided to a grant or agreement applicant to $15 million for each five-year period. Directs the Secretary to consider providing at least one grant to two of the five Reclamation Regions having submitted a valid grant application.
Bill· HRH.R. 6395 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Amends the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act to repeal certain grant requirements under the Alaska pipeline construction job training grant program, including a request for the grant by the governor of Alaska, with concurrence by the Secretary of Energy (DOE).
Bill· HRH.R. 6347 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Holocaust Accountability and Corporate Responsibility Act of 2010 - Prescribes a certification requirement for certain entities that apply to a state or local government agency for a contract for a federally-funded high-speed rail project. Defines such an entity as a corporation, affiliate, or other entity that controls, is controlled by, or is a member of a partnership or a consortium with, an entity that certifies it had direct involvement in the ownership or operation of the trains on which individuals were deported to extermination camps, death camps, or any facility used to transit individuals to extermination or death camps, between January 1, 1942, and December 31, 1944. Requires such an entity to certify to such agency: (1) whether or not it had any such direct involvement; and (2) if so, to disclose whether it has records, taken property, or made restitution to the victims or their families in connection with such deportations. Prohibits the award of any contract for a high-speed rail project to any entity certifying direct involvement in such deportations that has failed to make restitution to such victims or their families.
Bill· HRH.R. 6295 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Pipeline Safety and Community Empowerment Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to prescribe minimum standards to require: (1) a pipeline facility owner or operator to notify all property owners and residents located within 2,000 feet of a pipeline transmission line of the property's proximity to the line, including its specific location if located on private residential property; and (2) the notice to include a method for electronic access to such information through the Internet and a toll free telephone number, as well as information on how to obtain a map of the pipeline system through the National Pipeline Mapping System. Revises requirements for minimum standards for information a pipeline operator must maintain about a pipeline facility. Directs the Secretary to prescribe such standards requiring an operator to provide that information (including updates and changes), not only to the Secretary (as under current law), but also to state regulatory officials, state and local emergency responders, and other appropriate entities. Revises requirements for additional standards for periodic inspection of pipeline facilities in high-density population areas and environmentally sensitive areas. Directs the Secretary to prescribe standards requiring the mandatory periodic inspection of each pipeline facility with an instrumented internal inspection device ("smart pig") occur at least once every five years. Allows the use of an inspection method, subject to certain requirements, that is not a "smart pig" for any pipeline segment incompatible with a "smart pig." Requires the Secretary to prohibit a pipeline segment from operating under high pressure if that segment cannot be inspected: (1) with a "smart pig"; or (2) using an inspection method at least as effective as one. Directs the Secretary to prescribe minimum standards to require a pipeline facility owner or operator to install automatic or remote shut off valves to reduce risks in the event of a rupture. Requires a pipeline facility owner or operator to ensure that the pipeline facility is equipped with a leak detection system capable of promptly detecting a leak. Directs the Secretary to approve or disapprove modified public education programs submitted by pipeline facility owners or operators. Requires the Comptroller General to assess and report to Congress on the effectiveness of such programs.
Bill· HRH.R. 6299 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Jobs Through Environmental Safeguarding and Streamlining Act of 2010 - Modifies the prohibition, under the surface transportation project delivery pilot program, against assignment to a state of the responsibility of the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) for any conformity determination under the Clean Air Act with regard to highway projects in the state. Allows the Secretary to assign a state that responsibility for an individual project. Treats any project as a highway project if the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is the lead agency for it. Allows the Secretary to assign a state authorities relating to the FHWA and another DOT modal administration with regard to any highway project involving such agencies. Eliminates the limitation to Alaska, California, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas of state participation in the program. Allows program participation by any state meeting the selection criteria. Revises requirements for the written agreement under the pilot program between the Secretary and a state governor to include agreement to carry out the Secretary's assigned responsibilities using the best available science. Limits such an agreement to a five-year renewable term. Allows the agreement to list projects excluded from the program. Prohibits the agreement from imposing on the state a limitation on the use of a project delivery method, if the limitation would not otherwise apply to the state. Treats as a project delivery method state authority to acquire rights-of-way and conduct final design work for a project with state funds on an at-risk basis before completion of the project's environmental review process. Authorizes the Secretary to monitor state compliance with an agreement, instead of conducting an audit, if the state has been participating in the program pursuant to the agreement for ten consecutive years. Requires the Secretary to commence the auditing process, however, if a state, while participating in the monitoring program, repeatedly fails to comply with all aspects of the agreement.
Bill· HRH.R. 6301 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Prevention of Unreasonable Fees Act - Prohibits an operator of a transportation terminal that uses federal funds for terminal construction, or for the purchase or lease of equipment installed there, from charging a fee to a provider of pre-arranged ground transportation service that meets state vehicle and intrastate passenger licensing requirements. Exempts from such prohibition: (1) fees charged to the general public for access to, or use of, the terminal; (2) any fee for the availability of ancillary facilities located there; or (3) any fee for such access or use that the Secretary has approved in advance as reasonable, nonburdensome, nondiscriminatory, and necessary to the provision of prearranged ground transportation service. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) prohibit or restrict a transportation terminal operator from requiring vehicles that cannot safely use public parking facilities to use segregated facilities provided the fee for segregated facilities is no more than that charged to the public for similar facilities; or (2) restrict the right of a state or its political subdivisions to require a license or fee (other than a prohibited transportation terminal fee) for a motor vehicle providing certain other prearranged ground transportation.
Bill· HRH.R. 6291 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Freight is the Future Of Commerce in the United States Act of 2010 or Freight FOCUS Act of 2010 - Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) an Office of Freight Planning and Development, which shall be headed by an Assistant Secretary for Freight Planning and Development. Directs the Assistant Secretary to submit to Congress and publish on DOT's website a national freight plan for supporting freight movement for the next 20 years. Directs the Secretary to establish a Freight Advisory Committee. Directs the Assistant Secretary to: (1) establish a freight corridors of national significance program, and (2) designate such corridors. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to designate one entity to serve as a freight corridor coalition. Requires the freight corridor coalition to submit annually to the Assistant Secretary a freight corridor plan that includes, among other things, a prioritized list of projects that will improve the freight movement performance of the freight corridors of national significance. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to make grants to states for such projects. Requires a grant recipient to submit to the Assistant Secretary: (1) a project management plan and an annual financial plan for a project with a total cost of at least $500 million; and (2) an annual financial plan for a project with a total cost of less than $500 million. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish in the Treasury the Goods Movement Trust Fund. Increases by 12 cents the tax on the sale of diesel fuel used for the transportation of goods by highway. Transfers amounts equivalent to the increase in tax to the Fund. Requires the Secretary to pay an amount based on a certain formula to purchasers of diesel fuel that is not used for the transportation of goods by highway in which such tax was paid. Allows an income tax credit in lieu of payment to certain tax exempt entities.
Bill· HRH.R. 6247 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Smart Technologies for Communities Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish the Smart Communities Technology Initiative to provide grants to eligible entities to develop pilot programs to serve as model deployment sites for large scale installation and operation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to improve safety, mobility, and the environment.
Bill· HRH.R. 6257 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
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· HRH.R. 6292 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Securing Health for Ocean Resources and Environment Act or the SHORE Act - Requires the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere to: (1) review the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) capacity to respond to oil spills; (2) be responsible for developing and maintaining oil spill trajectory modeling capabilities; (3) create and update NOAA's environmental sensitivity index products for each coastal area of the United States and for each offshore area that is leased or under consideration for leasing for offshore energy production; (4) review the current state of NOAA's capacity to monitor, map, and track subsea hydrocarbons; (5) establish a national information center on oil spills; (6) establish an initiative concerning the effects of oil spills resulting from aging and abandoned oil infrastructure; (7) develop an inventory of offshore abandoned or sunken vessels in the U.S. exclusive economic zone and identify priorities for potential preemptive removal of oil or other actions that may be effective to mitigate the risk of oil spills from such vessels; and (8) develop standard national protocols for oil spill response and clean up assessments and develop guidance and tools for oil spill responders. Amends the Oil Pollution Act to: (1) revise provisions concerning the uses of the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund; (2) establish a Gulf of Mexico Regional Citizens' Advisory Council to oversee and monitor facilities and tank vessels and establish offices in Gulf States; and (3) revise limits on liability and removal costs of responsible parties with respect to discharge of oil into or upon the navigable waters or adjoining shorelines or the exclusive economic zone from single-hull and double-hull tank ships and barges. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to make grants to eligible coastal states to implement and revise specified policies and procedures for responding to oil spills. Requires the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary, to: (1) establish a long-term marine environmental monitoring and research program for the marine and coastal environment of the Gulf of Mexico to assess impacts of the oil spill caused by Deepwater Horizon on trust resources (defined as natural resources belonging to, managed by, held in trust by, appertaining to, or otherwise controlled by the United States, any state, an Indian Tribe, or a local government); and (2) direct research and take action to improve the ability of the United States to conduct oil spill prevention, response, and recovery in Arctic waters. Requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard to: (1) assess and take action to reduce the risk of, and improve the capability of the United States to respond to, a maritime disaster in the U.S. Beaufort and Chukchi Seas; (2) identify areas in waters in which routing or other navigational measures are warranted to reduce the risk of oil spills and potential damage to natural resources; and (3) analyze data on oil transported as cargo on vessels in U.S. navigable waters. Requires the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating to: (1) require response plans approved by the Coast Guard under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to be updated at least once every five years and to utilize the best commercially available technology and methods to contain and remove a worst case discharge and to mitigate or prevent a substantial threat of such discharge; and (2) establish a program to evaluate and validate oil pollution containment and removal methods and technologies. Amends the Clean Water Act to revise provisions concerning the national response system to discharges of oil and hazardous substances, including requiring the President to issue guidance for Area Committees to use with respect to the closing and reopening of fishing grounds following an oil spill. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) safety inspections of tank vessels that enter a U.S. port or place; (2) notices to states of transferring oil in bulk as cargo to, from, or within vessels; (3) notices to states and Indian tribes of marine casualties; and (4) publishing Incident Action Plans prepared and approved as a part of the response to an oil spill. Establishes the Federal Oil Spill Research Committee to coordinate a program of oil pollution research, technology development, and demonstration.
Bill· SS. 3856 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2010
Pipeline Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2010 - Prescribes or revises requirements for safety and environmental protection in pipeline transportation. Defines the term "major consequence violation" to mean a violation that contributed to an incident resulting in: (1) one or more deaths or injuries or illnesses requiring hospitalization; (2) environmental harm exceeding $250,000 in damage, including property loss; or (3) a pipeline release of gas or hazardous liquid that ignites or presents a safety threat to the public or the environment in a high consequence area. Subjects to a civil penalty of $250,000 any person that the Secretary of Transportation has found to have committed a major consequence violation of a pipeline marking or excavation notification requirement, pipeline safety standard or regulation, or order. Authorizes the Secretary to impose a civil penalty on a person who obstructs or prevents an inspection or investigation of a gas pipeline or hazardous liquid pipeline. Prescribes a maximum civil penalty of $2.5 million for a related series of major consequence violations. Prohibits a state one-call notification program from exempting municipalities, state agencies, or their contractors from its one-call notification system requirements. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations subjecting offshore hazardous liquid gathering pipelines (except low-stress distribution pipelines) as well as those located within Gulf of Mexico inlets to the same standards and regulations as other hazardous liquid pipelines. Directs the Secretary to prescribe a regulation to require the use of automatic or remote-controlled shut-off valves (or equivalent technology) on pipelines. Requires the Secretary to prescribe regulations to require the use of excess flow valves on new or entirely replaced branch services, multi-family facilities, and small commercial facilities located in high-density population areas and environmentally sensitive areas. Directs the Secretary to evaluate specified questions with respect to integrity management safety system requirements. Requires the Secretary to maintain: (1) a monthly updated summary of all gas and hazardous liquid pipeline inspections conducted by or reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), (2) a list of each gas and hazardous liquid pipeline operator's facility response plan, and (3) an updated map of all pipelines located in high consequence areas that are required to meet integrity management safety regulations. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the safety risks from both onshore and offshore pipelines to which federal pipeline safety requirements do not apply, including gathering lines. Directs the Secretary to update a report to Congress on leak detection systems used by hazardous liquid pipeline operators. Requires the Secretary to: (1) prescribe regulations to establish time limits for accident and incident (i.e., spill or rupture) telephonic notification by pipeline operators to state and local government officials and emergency responders, and (2) review procedures for pipeline operators and the National Response Center to provide coordinated notification to all relevant emergency response officials and revise such procedures as appropriate. Revises national pipeline mapping system requirements to require each pipeline operator to provide the Secretary certain geospatial, technical, or other pipeline data, including design and material specifications. Authorizes the Secretary to engage in activities supporting the exchange of information with domestic and international organizations about the public and environmental risks from pipelines. Directs the Secretary to review and report to Congress on all exemptions for gas and hazardous liquid gathering lines. Authorizes the Secretary to collect geospatial, technical, or other pipeline data on transportation-related oil flow lines (pipelines transporting oil off production grounds across areas not owned by the producer). Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance to Alaska to achieve coordinated oversight of the construction, expansion, or operation of Alaskan pipeline systems. Authorizes the Secretary to require persons proposing the construction, expansion, or operation of certain new gas or hazardous liquid pipelines (including construction inspections and oversight) to pay the costs of pipeline design safety reviews the Secretary conducts. Establishes in the Treasury the Pipeline Safety Design Review Fund. Sets forth certain factors the Secretary shall consider in granting a pipeline operator's application for a waiver (for up to five years, renewable) of any pipeline standard. Treats as a hazardous liquid any non-petroleum fuels, including biofuels that are flammable, toxic, or corrosive or would be harmful to the environment if released in significant quantities. Directs the Secretary to prescribe minimum safety standards for the pipeline transportation of carbon dioxide in gaseous form. Directs the Secretary to study the transportation of non-petroleum hazardous liquids by pipeline, including the extent to which the safety of such lines is unregulated by states. Directs the Secretary to increase the number of PHMSA personnel by a total of 40 full-time employees to carry out the pipeline safety program.
Bill· HRH.R. 6228 (111th)open
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2010
Leave Ethanol Volumes at Existing Levels Act or the LEVEL Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to revise the renewable fuel program, including by: (1) redefining "renewable fuel"; (2) reducing the percentage of renewable fuel that is required to be in gasoline sold or introduced into commerce in the United States (from 9% to 5.4% in 2008, 11.1% to 6.1% in 2009, 12.95% to 6.8% in 2010, 13.95% to 7.4% in 2011, and 15.2% to 7.5% in 2012); (3) revoking the renewable fuel standard for 2013-2022; (4) requiring the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration to provide to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) an estimate of the volumes of gasoline (currently of transportation fuel, biomass-based diesel, and cellulosic biofuel) projected to be sold or introduced into commerce in the following year; (5) making one gallon of cellulosic biomass ethanol or waste derived ethanol equivalent to 2.5 gallons of renewable fuel; (6) repealing provisions concerning cellulosic biofuel and biomass-based diesel; and (7) repealing a requirement that the Administrator of EPA promulgate fuel regulations to implement measures to mitigate adverse impacts on air quality as the result of renewable fuel requirements. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal provisions requiring EPA to report to Congress on current and future impacts of the renewable fuel requirements on environmental issues, resource conservation issues, and the growth and use of cultivated invasive or noxious plants and their impacts on the environment and agriculture. Prohibits the Administrator from permitting or authorizing the introduction into commerce of an ethanol-gasoline blend containing greater than 10% ethanol by volume that is intended for general use in conventional gasoline-powered vehicles or engines. Requires the Administrator to study: (1) the effects of the introduction into commerce of an ethanol-gasoline blend on consumer products; (2) the impact of such blend on engine performance of conventional gasoline-powered vehicles and nonroad engines, emissions from the use of the blend, and materials compatibility and consumer safety issues associated with the use of such blend; and (3) the ability of wholesale and retail gasoline distribution infrastructure to introduce such blend into commerce without widespread misfueling by consumers.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 1669 (111th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2010
Congratulates the National Air Transportation Association for celebrating its 70th anniversary. Applauds the Association for creating programs and resources to enhance the safety of general aviation operators. Commends it for being instrumental in bolstering the general aviation industry during a time of turmoil in the 1940s.
Law· HRH.R. 6190 (111th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2010
Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2010, Part III - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through December 31, 2010: (1) increased excise taxes on aviation fuels and the excise tax on air transportation of persons and property; and (2) the expenditure authority for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. Makes funds available for the three-month period beginning on October 1, 2010, for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning projects. Extends through December 31, 2010, the authority of the Secretary of Transportation to make airport improvement project (AIP) grants. Extends through December 31, 2010: (1) the pilot programs for passenger facility fee authorizations at non-hub airports; and (2) disclosure requirements for large and medium hub airports applying for AIP grants. Extends through FY2011 the authorization of appropriations for the program of assistance to small communities with insufficient air carrier service. Directs the Secretary to extend through December 31, 2010, the termination date of insurance coverage for domestic or foreign-flag aircraft. Grants the Secretary discretionary authority to further extend such coverage through March 31, 2011. Extends through March 31, 2011, the authority of the Secretary to limit air carrier liability for claims arising out of acts of terrorism. Extends through December 31, 2010: (1) grant eligibility for airports located in the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau; (2) grants to state and local governments for land use compatibility projects under an AIP; and (3) authority for approving an application of the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority for an airport development project grant or for permission to impose a passenger facility fee. Amends the Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act to extend through December 31, 2010: (1) the temporary increase to 95% of the federal government's share of certain AIP project costs; and (2) funding for airport development at Midway Island Airport. Extends through FY2011 the termination date for final orders issued by the Secretary with respect to the eligibility of a small community for essential air service compensation.
Bill· HRH.R. 6196 (111th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2010
Reduces from 180 days to 90 days after publication of a final action notice in the Federal Register the deadline for filing a claim seeking judicial review of a permit, license, or approval issued by a federal agency for a highway or public transportation capital project.