summary
Introduced
In Committee
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
112th Congress
Bill Summary
Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Education to allocate grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for the costs of retaining, recalling, rehiring, or hiring employees to provide early childhood, elementary, or secondary education and related services. Allows states to reserve up to 10% of their grant for awards, for the same purposes, to state-funded early learning programs. Requires LEAs and state-funded early learning programs to obligate such funds by the close of FY2013. Prohibits the use of such grants to supplant state funding for education. Directs the Attorney General to carry out a competitive grant program pursuant to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 for the hiring, rehiring, or retention of career law enforcement officers. Makes appropriations to the Community Oriented Policing Stabilization Fund to carry out such program and for transfer to a First Responder Stabilization Fund from which the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) shall make competitive grants for hiring additional firefighters pursuant to the Federal Fire Prevention Control Act of 1974. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose on individual taxpayers in taxable years beginning after 2012 an additional tax equal to 0.5% of so much of their modified adjusted gross income as exceeds $1 million. Defines "modified adjusted gross income" as adjusted gross income reduced by any deduction allowed for investment interest. Provides for an inflation adjustment to the $1 million threshold amount for taxable years beginning after 2013.
AI Summary
This bill, the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act of 2011, aims to stabilize employment in education and public safety by providing federal funding. For education, it directs the Secretary of Education to give grants to states, which then distribute subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) – these are local school districts – to cover costs associated with keeping, rehiring, or hiring teachers and other staff for early childhood, elementary, and secondary education. States can also use up to 10% of their grant for similar purposes in state-funded early learning programs, and both LEAs and these programs must use the funds by the end of fiscal year 2013, with the grants prohibited from replacing existing state education funding. For first responders, the Attorney General will administer a grant program under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to hire, rehire, or retain law enforcement officers, funded by the Community Oriented Policing Stabilization Fund. Additionally, $1 billion from this fund will be transferred to a First Responder Stabilization Fund, from which the Secretary of Homeland Security will award grants to hire more firefighters, as authorized by the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974. Finally, the bill introduces a surtax for individual taxpayers starting in taxable years after 2012: an additional tax of 0.5% will be imposed on so much of their modified adjusted gross income (adjusted gross income minus deductions for investment interest) as exceeds $1 million, with this threshold adjusted for inflation annually starting in 2013.
Sponsors (13)
Richard Blumenthal (D),
Sherrod Brown (D),
Ben Cardin (D),
Bob Casey (D),
Chris Coons (D),
Dianne Feinstein (D),
Tom Harkin (D),
Frank Lautenberg (D),
Patrick Leahy (D),
Bob Menendez (D),
Jeff Merkley (D),
Harry Reid (D),
Debbie Stabenow (D),
Last Action
Cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 50 - 50. Record Vote Number: 177. (consideration: CR S6840; text: CR S6840) (on 10/20/2011)
Official Document
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