hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
National Clean and Safe Water Fund Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1539
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Aquifers
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Conservation easements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental law enforcement
Federal aid to water pollution control
Fines (Penalties)
Government trust funds
Infrastructure
Land transfers
Law
Potable water
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sedimentation
Sewage treatment
Sewerage
Storm drains
Waste water treatment
Water Resources Development
Water conservation
Water quality
Water supply
Water treatment plants
Watersheds
Wetlands

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 
National Clean and Safe Water Fund Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a National Clean and Sage Water Fund to carry out water quality projects.
 
Grants priority to projects located in a watershed in a State where there has been a violation of that Act or the Safe Drinking Water Act.
 
Permits the use of civil penalties assessed under that Act or the Safe Drinking Water Act to be used for these remedial projects. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR 8/1/2003 S10669-10670)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10669, S10670-10671)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Indian Trust Payment Equity Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1540
Sponsor: Sen. Daschle, Thomas A. [D-SD]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Accounting
Auditing
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Economics and Public Finance
Energy
Federal aid to Indians
Federal-Indian relations
Finance and Financial Sector
Government trust funds
Indian lands
Law
Mining leases
Minorities
Oil and gas leases
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Timber sales
Trusts and trustees

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 
Indian Trust Payment Equity Act of 2003 - Requires the Secretary of the Interior for each of FY 2004 through 2008 to use $2 billion of the amounts in the Indian Trust Payment Equity Fund established by this Act to provide payments to Indian tribes for amounts owed by the United States to individual Indian money account holders as a result of mismanagement of the individual Indian money fund.
 
Authorizes the Secretary: (1) to enter into a contract with an Indian tribe under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, or amend such a contract, to provide funds to the Indian tribe from the Fund to assist it in performing audits of individual Indian money accounts in accordance with generally accepted Federal accounting standards; and (2) if the account holder accepts the results of an audit, to use amounts in the Fund as partial payment until a full accounting is satisfied.
 
Provides that nothing in this Act: (1) negates or otherwise affects the requirement of the Department of the Interior to complete the accounting; or (2) constitutes a settlement regarding any individual Indian money account or any civil action to compel an accounting and payment of amounts owed to such account holders.
 
Establishes the Indian Trust Payment Equity Fund in the Treasury to be used to carry out this Act, consisting of amounts appropriated under this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10671)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Tribal Economic Enhancement Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1542
Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Alaska
Bank accounts
Branch banking
Capital investments
College costs
Commerce
Community development
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Cost of living adjustments
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Finance and Financial Sector
Higher education
Home ownership
Housing and Community Development
Housing finance
Income tax
Indexing (Economic policy)
Indian economic development
Indian housing
Indian lands
Indigenous peoples
Infrastructure
Interest
Investment tax credit
Law
Low-income housing
Minorities
Personal budgets
Poverty
Saving and investment
Securities regulation
Small business
Social Welfare
Stockholders
Tax credits
Tax exclusion
Tax-exempt securities
Taxation
Trusts and trustees

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 
Tribal Economic Enhancement Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) permit certain Indian governments or subdivisions to make the subchapter S (small business) election; (2) permit tax exemption for interest from tribal bonds; (3) exempt from volume cap limits any qualified bond of an Indian tribal government; (4) modify requirements concerning the authority of tribal governments to issue tax-exempt bonds; (5) require consideration of Indian housing waiting lists for low-income housing credit allocations; and (6) provide for an Indian set-aside for the new markets tax credit.
 
Savings for Working Families Act of 2003 - States as a purpose of this Act to provide for the establishment of individual development account programs that will provide individuals and families with limited means an opportunity to accumulate assets and to enter the financial mainstream. Provides procedures for opening and maintaining such an account and qualifying for matching funds.
 
Amends Federal law concerning national banks to permit the establishment of de novo branches on Indian lands.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Access to Employment and English Acquisition Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1543
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Adult education
Church and social problems
Civics education
Commerce
Community organization
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Labor
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Educational planning
Educational tests
English language
Families
Family services
Federal aid to education
Free enterprise
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Immigrant education
Immigration
Literacy programs
Mathematics
Performance measurement
Reading
Religion
Translating and interpreting
Youth employment

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 
Access to Employment and English Acquisition Act of 2003 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for: (1) job training that integrates occupational skills training with language acquisition; and (2) specified services for individuals who are Limited English Proficient (LEP).
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award incentive grants to States for exemplary performance in carrying out integrated training programs.
 
Directs the Secretary to carry out demonstration, pilot, multiservice, and multistate projects that provide training to establish or upgrade the job and related skills of special participant populations that face multiple barriers to employment, including low-income individuals with substantial language or cultural barriers, offenders, homeless individuals, or other hard-to-serve populations.
 
Amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act with respect to adult education and literacy services to assist immigrants who are not proficient in English in improving their reading, writing, speaking, and mathematics skills and acquiring an understanding of the American free enterprise system, individual freedom, and the responsibilities of citizenship.
 
Authorizes the national leadership activities of the Secretary of Education to include awarding grants to communities experiencing large increases of individuals with Limited English Proficiency for the purpose of providing English language and civics education programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10671-10672)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Data-Mining Reporting Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1544
Sponsor: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Classified defense information
Computer matching
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal investigation
Criminal justice information
Data banks
Due process of law
Electronic government information
Government paperwork
Identification of criminals
International Affairs
Law
Legislation
Official secrets
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Technological innovations
Technology assessment
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 
Data-Mining Reporting Act of 2003 - Requires the head of each Federal department or agency that is engaged in any activity to use or develop data-mining technology to report annually to Congress on all such activities.
 

 
Defines &quot;data-mining&quot; as a query, search, or other analysis of one or more electronic databases, where: (1) at least one of the databases was obtained from or remains under the control of a non-Federal entity, or the information was acquired initially by another Federal department or agency for purposes other than intelligence or law enforcement; (2) the search does not use a specific individual's personal identifiers to acquire information concerning that individual; and (3) a Federal department or agency is conducting the query, search, or other analysis to find a pattern indicating terrorist or other criminal activity.
 
Mandates annual updates, including any new data-mining technologies.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR 8/1/2003 S10672-10673)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10672)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Liability Reform Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1546
Sponsor: Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Alcoholic beverages
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Damages
Drug abuse
Drunk driving
Evidence (Law)
Federal preemption
Government Operations and Politics
Lease and rental services
Liability (Law)
Limitation of actions
Negligence
Products liability
Punitive damages
Retail trade
Small business
State laws
Transportation and Public Works
Warranties

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Small Business Liability Reform Act of 2003 - Allows punitive damages to be awarded against a small business only if the claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that conduct carried out by the defendant with a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of others was the proximate cause of the harm that is the subject of the action. Limits such punitive damages to the lesser of three times the amount awarded for economic and noneconomic losses, or $250,000. Makes such limitation inapplicable if the court finds that the defendant acted with specific intent to cause the type of harm for which the action is brought. Provides liability limitation exceptions. 
States that in any civil action against a small business: (1) each defendant shall be liable only for the amount of noneconomic loss allocated to that defendant in direct proportion to the percentage of responsibility of that defendant for the harm caused to the plaintiff; and (2) the court shall render a separate judgment against each defendant describing such percentage of responsibility.
Excepts from such liability limitations specified misconduct of a defendant.
Mandates that, in any product liability action covered by this Act, a product seller other than a manufacturer shall be liable to a claimant only if such claimant establishes that: (1) the product that caused the harm was sold, rented, or leased by the seller, the seller failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to the product, and such failure was the proximate cause of harm to the plaintiff; (2) the seller made an express warranty applicable to such product, the product failed to conform to the warranty, and such failure caused the harm to the plaintiff; or (3) the product seller engaged in intentional wrongdoing, and such wrongdoing caused the harm to the plaintiff.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR 8/1/2003 S10676-10679)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10674-10676)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to make a technical correction with respect to the definition of qualifying State.

Bill: 108-s-1547
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Economics and Public Finance
Families
Federal aid to child health services
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Health insurance
Medicaid
Medically uninsured
Poor children
Social Welfare
Welfare eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 
Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to make a technical amendment to the definition of qualifying State used for purposes of giving certain States operating under waivers of specified State plan requirements the authority to use up to 20 percent of their FY 1998 through 2001 SCHIP allotments, for fiscal years in which they are available, for paying the costs of covering under Medicaid (SSA title XIX) certain low-income children whose family income meets an income eligibility standard under such waivers of at least 185 percent of the poverty line. Reduces such percentage of the poverty line from 185 percent to 184 percent with respect to any one or more categories of children (other than infants) who are Medicaid-eligible.

action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

 
Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to make a technical amendment to the definition of qualifying State used for purposes of giving certain States operating under waivers of specified State plan requirements the authority to use up to 20 percent of their FY 1998 through 2001 SCHIP allotments, for fiscal years in which they are available, for paying the costs of covering under Medicaid (SSA title XIX) certain low-income children whose family income meets an income eligibility standard under such waivers of at least 185 percent of the poverty line. Reduces such percentage of the poverty line from 185 percent to 184 percent with respect to any one or more categories of children (other than infants) who are Medicaid-eligible.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-09-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2003-09-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2003-09-03
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2003-09-03
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR 8/1/2003 S10847; text as passed Senate: CR 8/1/2003 S10847)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR 8/1/2003 S10847; text as passed Senate: CR 8/1/2003 S10847)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1548
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Alcohol as fuel
Biomass energy
Diesel motor
Energy
Excise tax
Oils and fats
Oilseeds
Tax credits

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 
Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish, for a limited period of time: (1) a biodiesel fuels credit business credit; and (2) as a credit against the gasoline and diesel fuel excise tax, a credit equal to the sum of the alcohol fuel mixture credit plus the biodiesel mixture credit.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-09-17
text: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR 8/1/2003 S10681-10683)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10680-10681)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to phase out reduced price lunches and breakfasts by phasing in an increase in the income eligibility guidelines for free lunches and breakfasts.

Bill: 108-s-1549
Sponsor: Sen. Dole, Elizabeth [R-NC]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Education
Elementary and secondary education
Income
School lunch program
Social Welfare
Welfare eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 
Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to phase out reduced price lunches and breakfasts by phasing in increases in income eligibility for free lunches and breakfasts by specified increments from 130 percent of the Office of Management and Budget nonfarm income poverty guidelines for July 1, 2003, to 185 percent of such guidelines for July 1, 2008, and every subsequent school year.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-03-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2669)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Pension Stability Act

Bill: 108-s-1550
Sponsor: Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Accounting
Administrative procedure
Bonds
Collective bargaining
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Corporate finance
Defined benefit pension plans
Department of the Treasury
Federal advisory bodies
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government securities
Governmental investigations
Insurance premiums
Interest rates
Investments
Law
Legislation
Pension funds
Pension trust guaranty insurance
Valuation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 
 Pension Stability Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code to replace the 30-year Treasury rate with a rate based on conservatively invested long-term corporate bonds for certain pension plan funding requirements. Sets forth rules for phasing in such new interest rate.
 
Establishes the Commission on Defined Benefit Pension Plans. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10683)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Excellence through Choice to Elevate Learning Act

Bill: 108-s-1551
Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2003-07-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Charter schools
Commerce
Congress
Congressional investigations
Corporation taxes
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Educational vouchers
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Families
Federal aid to education
Income tax
Parent-school relationships
Private schools
Religion
Religious education
Scholarships
School choice
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Student transportation
Tax exclusion
Tax rates
Taxation
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs
Waste in government spending

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: 
Excellence through Choice to Elevate Learning Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to States for private or public school choice vouchers for children from low-income families who are enrolled in low-performing elementary or secondary public schools.
 
Requires each grantee State to provide scholarships (at $2,000 per year, but with continuing awards) to the parents of eligible children through a lottery system administered for all eligible schools by the State educational agency. Requires that a child eligible for such a scholarship be: (1) enrolled in an eligible public elementary or secondary school; and (2) a member a family with income not more than 200 percent of the poverty line.
Allows the use of such funds for: (1) payment of tuition and fees at the school selected by the scholarship child's parents, plus reasonable transportation costs; (2) up to $500 of supplementary academic services, if the parents choose a provider (with an appropriate refund policy) which the State determines capable of rendering such services; and (3) educational programs that help the child achieve high levels of academic excellence, if the child chooses to attend a public school.
Requires: (1) a grantee State to allow lawfully operating public and private elementary and secondary schools serving the area involved, including religious schools, to participate in the program; (2) participating schools or providers of supplementary academic services to comply with specified antidiscrimination requirements; and (3) national evaluation of the program by the Comptroller General.
Directs specified congressional committees to identify, and report to certain congressional leaders on, wasteful Federal spending (including loopholes to revenue raising tax provisions) as a means of providing funding for this Act.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR 8/1/2003 S10684-10685)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10683-10684)
action_date: 2003-07-31
text: Introduced in Senate