hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Tribal Acknowledgment and Indian Bureau Enhancement Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-462
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2003-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Arts, Culture, Religion
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Department of the Interior
Economics and Public Finance
Evidence (Law)
Families
Federal aid to Indians
Federal-Indian relations
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Language and languages
Law
Marriage
Minorities
Religion
Right of petition
Social life and customs
State government-Indian relations
Tribes and tribal system

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-26
text: Tribal Acknowledgment and Indian Bureau Enhancement Act of 2003 - Requires any Indian group in the continental United States that desires to be acknowledged as an Indian tribe to submit to the Secretary of the Interior a letter of intent in advance of or with its documented petition to substantiate claims of continuous existence as an Indian tribe.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) publish at least every three years a list of all Indian tribes entitled to receive services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs; (2) make guidelines available for, and provide advice on, the preparation of documented petitions; and (3) consider the criteria for acknowledgment to be met upon determining that it is more likely than not that the evidence presented demonstrates that the petitioner has met each mandatory criterion.
Specifies the requirements of a petition for acknowledgment.
Sets forth the mandatory criteria for Federal acknowledgment, including evidence that: (1) the group has been identified as an American Indian group on a substantially continuous basis since 1900; (2) a predominant portion of the group has composed a distinct community throughout the historical period; and (3) the petitioner has maintained political influence and authority over its members as an autonomous entity throughout the historical period.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2003-02-26
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2863-2865)
action_date: 2003-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide grants to ensure full and fair participation in certain decisionmaking processes of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Bill: 108-s-463
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2003-02-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Administrative remedies
County politics and government
Department of the Interior
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to Indians
Federal-Indian relations
Government Operations and Politics
Grants-in-aid
Indian claims
Indian lands
Law
Minorities
Trusts and trustees

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-26
text: Requires the Secretary of the Interior, if necessary to protect the interests of the Government or eligible entity and it would promote the interest of just administration in the Bureau of Indian affairs, to provide grants of up to $500,000 to eligible Indian groups or local governments to assist them in participating in the decision-making process relating to a pending action.
Defines pending action as one in which: (1) an Indian group seeks Federal acknowledgment; (2) an Indian tribe seeks restoration to federally acknowledged status that has been terminated; (3) a federally acknowledged Indian tribe asserts trust status with respect to land within an area over which a local government exercises jurisdiction; (4) a federally acknowledged Indian tribe files a petition with the Secretary requesting that land within an area over which a local government exercises jurisdiction be taken into trust for the tribe's benefit; (5) an Indian group or federally acknowledged Indian tribe asserts a claim to land based on a treaty or a law specifically applicable to transfers of land or natural resources from, by, or on behalf of any Indian, Indian tribe, Indian group, or band of Indians; or (6) any other action or proposed action relating to an Indian group or federally acknowledged tribe determined likely to affect significantly the citizens represented by a local government.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2003-02-26
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2863-2865)
action_date: 2003-02-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Renewable Energy Incentives Act

Bill: 108-s-464
Sponsor: Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Agricultural wastes
Agriculture and Food
Air pollution control
Alaska
Alternative energy sources
Biomass energy
Cellulose
Cogeneration of electric power and heat
Commerce
Electric power production
Energy
Energy crops
Energy efficiency
Environmental Protection
Farm manure
Forest products
Geothermal resources
Grain
Hydroelectric power
Incineration
Income tax
Indian lands
Indigenous peoples
Landfills
Law
Legumes
Licenses
Lumber trade
Methane
Minimum tax
Minorities
Municipal solid waste
Pollution control
Poultry
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Refuse as fuel
Solar energy
Sugar
Tax credits
Tax-exempt organizations
Trees
Water pollution control
Wind power
Wood

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Renewable Energy Incentives Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code respecting the renewable resource credit to: (1) increase the credit rate; (2) include alternative resources (solar, open loop biomass, incremental hydropower, incremental geothermal, geothermal, and landfill gas); (3) provide an increased credit for certain co-production facilities, and for qualified facilities on Indian and Alaskan Native Indian lands; (4) allow a credit (and its subsequent transferability) for a qualified facility of a tax-exempt organization or governmental unit; (5) provide for credit transferability; (6) require facility compliance with pollution laws; and (7) eliminate the January 1, 2004, placed-in-service date for purposes of qualified facility eligibility (makes the credit permanent).

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2923-2924)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Access to Innovation for Medicare Patients Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-465
Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Drug therapy
Drugs
Medical innovations
Medicare
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Access to Innovation for Medicare Patients Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of self-injected biologicals approved by the Food and Drug Administration that are prescribed as a complete replacement for a drug or a biological that otherwise cannot be self-administered.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
First Responders Partnership Grant Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-466
Sponsor: Sen. Daschle, Thomas A. [D-SD]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Ambulances
Boundaries
Canada
Chemicals
Crime and Law Enforcement
Disaster relief
EBB Terrorism
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency medicine
Employee training
Energy
Environmental Protection
Equipment and supplies
Federal aid to Indians
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal aid to law enforcement
Fire fighters
Grants-in-aid
Harbors
Health
Hours of labor
Housing and Community Development
Indian law enforcement
Indian medical care
International Affairs
Labor and Employment
Latin America
Law enforcement officers
Marine safety
Medical personnel
Metropolitan areas
Mexico
Minorities
Nuclear power plants
Nuclear security measures
Police
Rescue work
Salaries
Security measures
Terrorism
Transportation and Public Works
Urban affairs

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: First Responders Partnership Grant Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to States, local governments, and Indian tribes to support public safety officers in protecting homeland security and responding to acts of terrorism. Allows such grants to be used to fund overtime expenses, equipment, training, and facilities for such officers. Requires the Secretary to reserve one percent of grant funds for Indian tribes, and five percent for rural States. Provides for the allocation of remaining grant funds, with special consideration for proximity to: (1) areas with potential chemical security risks; (2) international borders; (3) nuclear power plants; (4) port security; and (5) disaster medical assistance teams.
Provides maximum grantee amounts of: (1) five percent of total grant funds for a qualifying State, local government, or Indian tribe; and (2) 20 percent of such total for a State together with any grantees within the State.
Prohibits grant funds from exceeding 90 percent of a program's cost, but authorizes the Secretary to waive the matching funds requirement in the case of grantee fiscal hardship.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
State Sales and Income Tax Deduction Fairness Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-467
Sponsor: Sen. Hutchison, Kay Bailey [R-TX]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Income tax
Local taxation
Medical supplies
Minimum tax
Motor vehicles
Sales tax
State taxation
Tax deductions
Tax rates
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: State Sales and Income Tax Deduction Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) the State and local income tax deduction against the alternative minimum tax; and (2) the deduction of State and local general sales taxes in lieu of State and local income taxes.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2925)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2924)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Senior Nutrition Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-468
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Dairy products
Food relief
Food stamps
Milk
Nutrition
Social Welfare
Welfare eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Senior Nutrition Act of 2003 - Amends the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 to make a person who is at least 60 years old eligible for the commodity supplemental food program if such person: (1) is eligible for the food stamp program; or (2) has a household income that is not more than185 percent of Federal poverty income guidelines.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
TRACE Act

Bill: 108-s-469
Sponsor: Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Ammunition
Arrest
Business records
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Criminal investigation
Criminal justice information
Criminal statistics
Data banks
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic government information
Employee training
Evidence (Law)
Federal aid to law enforcement
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Firearms
Firearms control
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government and business
Government publicity
Identification devices
Identification of criminals
Imports
Indictments
Interstate relations
Labor and Employment
Law
Licenses
Manufacturing industries
Prosecution
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Technological Resource to Assist Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require a licensed manufacturer or importer of firearms to: (1) test fire manufactured or imported firearms as specified by the Attorney General; (2) prepare ballistics images of the fired bullet and cartridge casings; (3) make the records available to the Attorney General for entry into an electronic database; and (4) store the fired bullet and cartridge casings.
Directs the Attorney General to assist firearm manufacturers and importers in complying with these requirements by: (1) acquiring, installing, and upgrading ballistics equipment and bullet and cartridge casing recovery equipment; (2) hiring or designating sufficient personnel to develop and maintain a ballistics database; (3) providing education about the role of ballistics; and (4) providing for the coordination among law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and the firearm industry to curb firearm-related crime and illegal firearm trafficking.
Requires the Attorney General to: (1) establish an electronic database through which State and local law enforcement agencies can promptly access ballistics records that shall not include any identifying information regarding dealers, collectors, or purchasers of firearms; (2) require training for all ballistics examiners; (3) conduct mandatory ballistics testing of all firearms obtained or in the possession of the Department of Justice; and (4) report to Congress on the implementation of this Act.
Prohibits the use of ballistics information of individual guns for prosecutorial purposes unless officials have a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed and that ballistics information would assist in the investigation.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2926-2927)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2925-2926)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
American 5-Cent Coin Design Continuity Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-471
Sponsor: Sen. Allen, George [R-VA]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Anniversaries
Coins and coinage
Commemorations
Congress
Congressional gold medals
Europe
Federal advisory bodies
Fees
France
Government Operations and Politics
History
International Affairs
Jefferson Administration
Land transfers
Public Lands and Natural Resources
West (U.S.)

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: American 5-Cent Coin Design Continuity Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to change the design on the obverse and the reverse of the 5-cent coin for coins issued in 2003, 2004, and 2005 in recognition of the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase and the expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
Amends Federal law governing coins and currency to mandate that: (1) the obverse of any 5-cent coin issued after December 31, 2005, bear an image of Thomas Jefferson; and (2) the reverse of any such coin bear an image of the home of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello.
Establishes the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary on the selection of themes and designs for coins (including circulating and bullion coinage) and for congressional and national medals.
Abolishes the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Northern Neck National Heritage Area Study Act

Bill: 108-s-472
Sponsor: Sen. Allen, George [R-VA]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Arts, Culture, Religion
Commemorations
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Cultural property
Environmental Protection
Historic sites
History
Land use
Nature conservation
Outdoor recreation
Sports and Recreation
Virginia

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Northern Neck National Heritage Area Study Act - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to study and report to specified congressional committees on the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Northern Neck National Heritage Area to be comprised of: (1) the part of eastern coastal Virginia between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers; (2) Westmoreland, Northumberland, Richmond, King George, and Lancaster Counties, Virginia; and (3) other areas adjacent to or in the vicinity of those areas that have similar heritage aspects.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Clean Water Authority Restoration Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-473
Sponsor: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Congress
Congressional powers
Constitutional law
International Affairs
Lakes
Law
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Navigation
Rivers
Territorial waters
Transportation and Public Works
Water Resources Development
Water pollution control
Water quality
Wetlands

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Clean Water Authority Restoration Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to replace the term "navigable waters," throughout the Act, with the term "waters of the United States," defined to mean all waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, the territorial seas, and all interstate and intrastate waters and their tributaries, including lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sandflats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes, natural ponds, and all impoundments of the foregoing, to the fullest extent that these waters, or activities affecting them, are subject to the legislative power of Congress under the Constitution.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2928-2929)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2927-2928)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
American 5-Cent Coin Design Continuity Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-474
Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Anniversaries
Coins and coinage
Commemorations
Congress
Congressional gold medals
Europe
Federal advisory bodies
Fees
France
Government Operations and Politics
History
International Affairs
Jefferson Administration
Land transfers
Public Lands and Natural Resources
West (U.S.)

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: American 5-Cent Coin Design Continuity Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to change the design on the obverse and the reverse of the 5-cent coin for coins issued in 2003, 2004, and 2005 in recognition of the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase and the expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
Amends Federal law governing coins and currency to mandate that: (1) the obverse of any 5-cent coin issued after December 31, 2005, bear an image of Thomas Jefferson; and (2) the reverse of any such coin bear an image of the home of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello.
Establishes the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary on the selection of themes and designs for coins (including circulating and bullion coinage) and for congressional and national medals.
Abolishes the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Preserving Prescription Drug Discounts Act

Bill: 108-s-477
Sponsor: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Canada
Commerce
Drug industry
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Health
Imports
Income tax
Pharmaceutical research
Pharmacies
Prescription pricing
Research and development tax credit
Restrictive trade practices
Science, Technology, Communications
Tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Preserving Prescription Drug Discounts Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to disallow certain deductions and credits for companies that discriminate against Canadian pharmacies that pass along discounts to consumers living in the United States.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2935)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to grant a Federal charter Korean War Veterans Association, Incorporated, and for other purposes.

Bill: 108-s-478
Sponsor: Sen. Sarbanes, Paul S. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Commerce
Federal incorporation
History
Korean War, 1950-1953
Veterans' organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Grants a Federal charter to the Korean War Veterans Association, Incorporated (a nonprofit corporation incorporated under the laws of New York).

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2935-2936)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2935)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Protect America Scholarships of 2003

Bill: 108-s-479
Sponsor: Sen. Edwards, John [D-NC]
Introduced: 2003-02-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Crime and Law Enforcement
EBB Terrorism
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to education
Higher education
International Affairs
Scholarships
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Protect America Scholarships Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide grants for homeland security scholarships.
Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to partnerships of institutions of higher education and qualified employers (nonprofit organizations or public agencies) to enable such partnerships to award scholarships to students who are in qualified academic majors or programs relating to homeland security, in exchange for such students' later performing full-time qualified homeland security service with such employers.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2937-2938)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2936)
action_date: 2003-02-27
text: Introduced in Senate