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cluding the information and recommendations required 
under such subsection. 
SEC. 372. REPORT ON FLOOD-IN-PROGRESS DETERMINA-
TION. 
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency shall review the processes and procedures 
for determining that a flood event has commenced or is 
in progress for purposes of flood insurance coverage made 
available under the national flood insurance program 
under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 and for 
providing public notification that such an event has com-
menced or is in progress. In such review, the Adminis-
trator shall take into consideration the effects and implica-
tions that weather conditions, such as rainfall, snowfall, 
projected snowmelt, existing water levels, and other condi-
tions have on the determination that a flood event has 
commenced or is in progress. Not later than the expiration 
of the 6-month period beginning upon the date of the en-
actment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit a re-
port to the Congress setting forth the results and conclu-
sions of the review undertaken pursuant to this section 
and any actions undertaken or proposed actions to be 
taken to provide for a more precise and technical deter-
mination that a flooding event has commenced or is in 
progress. 
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SEC. 373. STUDY ON REPAYING FLOOD INSURANCE DEBT. 
Not later than the expiration of the 6-month period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency shall submit a report to the Congress setting forth 
a plan for repaying within 10 years all amounts, including 
any amounts previously borrowed but not yet repaid, owed 
pursuant to clause (2) of subsection (a) of section 1309 
of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
4016(a)(2)). 
SEC. 374. NO CAUSE OF ACTION. 
No cause of action shall exist and no claim may be 
brought against the United States for violation of any no-
tification requirement imposed upon the United States by 
this subtitle or any amendment made by this subtitle. 
SEC. 375. AUTHORITY FOR THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO 
PROVIDE SPECIALIZED OR TECHNICAL SERV-
ICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, upon the request of a State or local govern-
ment, the Secretary of the Army may evaluate a levee sys-
tem that was designed or constructed by the Secretary for 
the purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program es-
tablished under chapter 1 of the National Flood Insurance 
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4011 et seq.). 
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(b) REQUIREMENTS.—A levee system evaluation 
under subsection (a) shall— 
(1) comply with applicable regulations related 
to areas protected by a levee system; 
(2) be carried out in accordance with such pro-
cedures as the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency, may establish; and 
(3) be carried out only if the State or local gov-
ernment agrees to reimburse the Secretary for all 
cost associated with the performance of the activi-
ties. 
Subtitle E—Repeal of the Office of 
Financial Research 
SEC. 381. REPEAL OF THE OFFICE OF FINANCIAL RE-
SEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle B of title I of the Dodd- 
Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act 
is hereby repealed. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS
TO
THE DODD- 
FRANK ACT.—The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and 
Consumer Protection Act is amended— 
(1) in section 102(a), by striking paragraph 
(5); 
(2) in section 111— 
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(A) in subsection (b)(2)— 
(i) by striking subparagraph (A); and 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(B), (C), (D), and (E) as subparagraphs 
(A), (B), (C), and (D), respectively; 
(B) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ‘‘sub-
paragraphs (C), (D), and (E)’’ and inserting 
‘‘subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D)’’; 
(3) in section 112— 
(A) in subsection (a)(2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘direct the Office of Financial Research 
to’’; 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B); and 
(iii) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), (I), (J), (K), 
(L), (M), and (N) as subparagraphs (B), 
(C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), (I), (J), (K), 
(L), and (M), respectively; and 
(B) in subsection (d)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘the 
Office of Financial Research, member 
agencies, and’’ and inserting ‘‘member 
agencies and’’; 
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(ii) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘the 
Office of Financial Research, any member 
agency, and’’ and inserting ‘‘any member 
agency and’’; 
(iii) in paragraph (3)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘, acting through 
the Office of Financial Research,’’ 
each place it appears; and 
(II) in subparagraph (B), by 
striking ‘‘the Office of Financial Re-
search or’’; and 
(iv) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking 
‘‘, the Office of Financial Research,’’; 
(4) in section 116, by striking ‘‘, acting through 
the Office of Financial Research,’’ each place it ap-
pears; and 
(5) by striking section 118. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT TO THE PAPERWORK 
REDUCTION ACT.—Effective as of the date specified in 
section 1100H of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and 
Consumer Protection Act, section 1100D(a) of such Act 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) DESIGNATION AS AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY.— 
Section 3502(5) of subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, 
United States Code (commonly known as the Paperwork 
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Reduction Act) is amended by inserting ‘the Bureau of 
Consumer Financial Protection,’ after ‘the Securities and 
Exchange Commission,’.’’. 
(d) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—The table of con-
tents for the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Con-
sumer Protection Act is amended— 
(1) by striking the item relating to section 118; 
and 
(2) by striking the items relating to subtitle B 
of title I. 
TITLE IV—COMMITTEE ON THE 
JUDICIARY 
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Help Efficient, Acces-
sible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 
2011’’. 
SEC. 402. ENCOURAGING SPEEDY RESOLUTION OF CLAIMS. 
The time for the commencement of a health care law-
suit shall be 3 years after the date of manifestation of 
injury or 1 year after the claimant discovers, or through 
the use of reasonable diligence should have discovered, the 
injury, whichever occurs first. In no event shall the time 
for commencement of a health care lawsuit exceed 3 years 
after the date of manifestation of injury unless tolled for 
any of the following— 
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(1) upon proof of fraud; 
(2) intentional concealment; or 
(3) the presence of a foreign body, which has no 
therapeutic or diagnostic purpose or effect, in the 
person of the injured person. 
Actions by a minor shall be commenced within 3 years 
from the date of the alleged manifestation of injury except 
that actions by a minor under the full age of 6 years shall 
be commenced within 3 years of manifestation of injury 
or prior to the minor’s 8th birthday, whichever provides 
a longer period. Such time limitation shall be tolled for 
minors for any period during which a parent or guardian 
and a health care provider or health care organization 
have committed fraud or collusion in the failure to bring 
an action on behalf of the injured minor. 
SEC. 403. COMPENSATING PATIENT INJURY. 
(a) UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF DAMAGES FOR ACTUAL 
ECONOMIC LOSSES IN HEALTH CARE LAWSUITS.—In any 
health care lawsuit, nothing in this title shall limit a claim-
ant’s recovery of the full amount of the available economic 
damages, notwithstanding the limitation in subsection (b). 
(b) ADDITIONAL NONECONOMIC DAMAGES.—In any 
health care lawsuit, the amount of noneconomic damages, 
if available, may be as much as $250,000, regardless of 
the number of parties against whom the action is brought 
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or the number of separate claims or actions brought with 
respect to the same injury. 
(c) NO DISCOUNT OF AWARD FOR NONECONOMIC 
DAMAGES.—For purposes of applying the limitation in 
subsection (b), future noneconomic damages shall not be 
discounted to present value. The jury shall not be in-
formed about the maximum award for noneconomic dam-
ages. An award for noneconomic damages in excess of 
$250,000 shall be reduced either before the entry of judg-
ment, or by amendment of the judgment after entry of 
judgment, and such reduction shall be made before ac-
counting for any other reduction in damages required by 
law. If separate awards are rendered for past and future 
noneconomic damages and the combined awards exceed 
$250,000, the future noneconomic damages shall be re-
duced first. 
(d) FAIR SHARE RULE.—In any health care lawsuit, 
each party shall be liable for that party’s several share 
of any damages only and not for the share of any other 
person. Each party shall be liable only for the amount of 
damages allocated to such party in direct proportion to 
such party’s percentage of responsibility. Whenever a 
judgment of liability is rendered as to any party, a sepa-
rate judgment shall be rendered against each such party 
for the amount allocated to such party. For purposes of 
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this section, the trier of fact shall determine the propor-
tion of responsibility of each party for the claimant’s 
harm. 
SEC. 404. MAXIMIZING PATIENT RECOVERY. 
(a) COURT SUPERVISION OF SHARE OF DAMAGES 
ACTUALLY PAID TO CLAIMANTS.—In any health care law-
suit, the court shall supervise the arrangements for pay-
ment of damages to protect against conflicts of interest 
that may have the effect of reducing the amount of dam-
ages awarded that are actually paid to claimants. In par-
ticular, in any health care lawsuit in which the attorney 
for a party claims a financial stake in the outcome by vir-
tue of a contingent fee, the court shall have the power 
to restrict the payment of a claimant’s damage recovery 
to such attorney, and to redirect such damages to the 
claimant based upon the interests of justice and principles 
of equity. In no event shall the total of all contingent fees 
for representing all claimants in a health care lawsuit ex-
ceed the following limits: 
(1) Forty percent of the first $50,000 recovered 
by the claimant(s). 
(2) Thirty-three and one-third percent of the 
next $50,000 recovered by the claimant(s). 
(3) Twenty-five percent of the next $500,000 
recovered by the claimant(s). 
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(4) Fifteen percent of any amount by which the 
recovery by the claimant(s) is in excess of $600,000. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The limitations in this section 
shall apply whether the recovery is by judgment, settle-
ment, mediation, arbitration, or any other form of alter-
native dispute resolution. In a health care lawsuit involv-
ing a minor or incompetent person, a court retains the 
authority to authorize or approve a fee that is less than 
the maximum permitted under this section. The require-
ment for court supervision in the first two sentences of 
subsection (a) applies only in civil actions. 
SEC. 405. PUNITIVE DAMAGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Punitive damages may, if other-
wise permitted by applicable State or Federal law, be 
awarded against any person in a health care lawsuit only 
if it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that such 
person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant, 
or that such person deliberately failed to avoid unneces-
sary injury that such person knew the claimant was sub-
stantially certain to suffer. In any health care lawsuit 
where no judgment for compensatory damages is rendered 
against such person, no punitive damages may be awarded 
with respect to the claim in such lawsuit. No demand for 
punitive damages shall be included in a health care lawsuit 
as initially filed. A court may allow a claimant to file an 
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amended pleading for punitive damages only upon a mo-
tion by the claimant and after a finding by the court, upon 
review of supporting and opposing affidavits or after a 
hearing, after weighing the evidence, that the claimant has 
established by a substantial probability that the claimant 
will prevail on the claim for punitive damages. At the re-
quest of any party in a health care lawsuit, the trier of 
fact shall consider in a separate proceeding— 
(1) whether punitive damages are to be award-
ed and the amount of such award; and 
(2) the amount of punitive damages following a 
determination of punitive liability. 
If a separate proceeding is requested, evidence relevant 
only to the claim for punitive damages, as determined by 
applicable State law, shall be inadmissible in any pro-
ceeding to determine whether compensatory damages are 
to be awarded. 
(b) DETERMINING AMOUNT
OF PUNITIVE DAM-
AGES.— 
(1) FACTORS
CONSIDERED.—In determining 
the amount of punitive damages, if awarded, in a 
health care lawsuit, the trier of fact shall consider 
only the following— 
(A) the severity of the harm caused by the 
conduct of such party; 
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