hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore the deduction for the travel expenses of a taxpayer's spouse who accompanies the taxpayer on business travel.

Bill: 108-s-2920
Sponsor: Sen. Ensign, John [R-NV]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business travel
Commerce
Families
Income tax
Married people
Parent and child
Tax deductions
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the restrictions on the tax deduction for the travel expenses of a taxpayer's spouse, dependent, or other individual accompanying the taxpayer on business travel.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act

Bill: 108-s-2921
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Commemorations
Subjects: Anniversaries
Astronautics
Astronauts
Coins and coinage
Copper
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Gold
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Labor and Employment
Laboratories
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Precious metals
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Research and development facilities
Science, Technology, Communications
Silver
Space activities
Spacecraft
Survivors' benefits

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to mint and issue: (1) ten dollar gold coins; (2) five dollar gold coins; (3) one dollar silver coins; and (4) half-dollar silver coins emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of NASA and JPL.
 
Directs each Federal agency and U.S. instrumentality that has in its possession any craft or any part of a craft that flew in space to: (1) retrieve any gold, silver, copper, and other precious metal that may be used in the production of any coins under this Act from such craft or part; and (2) deposit such metals with the Director of the United States Mint.
 
Requires that all sales of coins minted under this Act include a surcharge of : (1) $75 per coin for the ten dollar coin; (2) $35 per coin for the five dollar coin; (3) $10 per coin for the one dollar coin; and (4) $3 for the half-dollar coin, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for the purposes of providing financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2922
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Communication in medicine
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Continuing education
Data banks
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Health education
Health information systems
Higher education
Hypertension
Labor and Employment
Lung diseases
Medical education
Medical personnel
Medical records
Medical research
Research centers
Research grants
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific education
Scientists

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of the Institute with respect to research on pulmonary hypertension and to coordinate the Director's activities with related activities of other national research institutes and National Institutes of Health agencies. Requires the Director to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of centers to conduct research and programs on pulmonary hypertension, including: (1) basic and clinical research into the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, and treatment of the disease; (2) training programs for scientists and health professionals; (3) programs to provide information and continuing education to health professionals; and (4) programs for the dissemination of information to the public. 
 
 Requires the Director to establish: (1) a data system for the collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of data derived from patient populations with pulmonary hypertension; and (2) an information clearinghouse to facilitate and enhance knowledge and understanding of pulmonary hypertension by health professionals, patients, industry, and the public.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10716-10717)
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Clinical Research Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2924
Sponsor: Sen. Santorum, Rick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Clinical trials
Communication in medicine
Communication in science
Community and school
Data banks
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Higher education
Human experimentation in medicine
Information technology
Infrastructure
Infrastructure (Economics)
Labor and Employment
Medical education
Medical ethics
Medical records
Medical research
Mentoring
Research centers
Research grants
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific education
Scientists

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
Clinical Research Act of 2004 - Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health to award clinical research support grants to eligible academic health centers to: (1) defray the costs of unfunded Federal requirements for the protection of human research costs; and (2) support activities leading to innovative ways to meets such requirements in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Requires that health centers receive a proportionate share of the total grant money awarded based on the amount invested by the grantee in clinical research compared to the total clinical research investment of all grantees.
 
Allows the Director to award clinical research infrastructure grants to eligible academic health centers for: (1) necessary infrastructure to facilitate the transfer of new understandings of disease mechanisms gained in the laboratory into the development of new methodologies for diagnosis, therapy, and prevention; (2) the initial testing of human subjects; and (3) addressing obstacles impeding the expeditious application of new science, including a lack of up-to-date information technology systems and a shortage of willing participants.
 
Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make up to five grants to eligible academic health centers to form partnerships between the centers involved and health care providers for carrying out clinical human subject research to demonstrate how academic research centers may collaborate with the practicing health care community in such research.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Tax Equalization and Compliance Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2925
Sponsor: Sen. Santorum, Rick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Barber and beauty shops
Commerce
Contractors
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Income tax
Labor and Employment
Leases
Self-employed
Social Welfare
Social security taxes
Tax credits
Tax returns
Tipping

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
Small Business Tax Equalization and Compliance Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the tax credit for social security taxes paid for employee cash tips to employers of cosmetologists. 
 
Requires employers of cosmetologists to report income and tips of their cosmetologist employees and to provide income and tip information to self-employed cosmetologists to whom they pay more than $600 in the taxable year. Imposes similar reporting requirements upon individuals who rent chairs to cosmetologists. Requires such employers to provide their cosmetologist employees and self-employed cosmetologists with information on the tax and tip reporting obligations of employees and self-employed individuals. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2926
Sponsor: Sen. Voinovich, George V. [R-OH]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Brownfields
Commerce
Cost of living adjustments
Depressed areas
Economics and Public Finance
Enterprise zones
Environmental Protection
Hazardous wastes
Income tax
Indexing (Economic policy)
Job creation
Labor and Employment
Law
Liability for environmental damages
Oil pollution
Pollution control
Real estate development
Refuse and refuse disposal
Tax credits

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business tax credit for up to 50 percent of qualified remediation expenditures for contaminated sites (property used in a trade or business on which there has been a release (or threat of release) or disposal of any hazardous substance) in certain poverty-rated areas. Defines &quot;qualified remediation expenditures&quot; as expenditures for: (1) the abatement or control of any hazardous substance, petroleum, or any petroleum by-product at a contaminated site in accordance with a State-approved remediation and redevelopment plan; (2) the complete demolition of a structure; (3) the removal and disposal of property; and (4) the reconstruction of utilities on a contaminated site.
 
Requires States to allocate credit amounts under an allocation plan that considers specified criteria, including: (1) poverty rates: (2) location of a contaminated site; and (3) the amount of new employment expected to result from redevelopment. Imposes a ceiling on the State environmental remediation credit and limits the national environmental remediation credit for each calendar year to $1 billion. Sets forth special rules for: (1) allocating unused environmental remediation credit carryover amounts among States: (2) adjusting the limitation on the national environmental remediation credit for inflation; (3) assigning portions of the credit; and (4) recapturing credit amounts if a taxpayer fails to properly complete environmental remediation under a State approved remediation and redevelopment plan.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S10725-10727)
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10725)
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Exchange Rates and International Economic Policy Coordination Act of 1988 to clarify the definition of manipulation with respect to currency, and for other purposes.

Bill: 108-s-2927
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Balance of payments
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional reporting requirements
Foreign exchange
International Affairs
Negotiations

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
Amends the Exchange Rates and International Economic Policy Coordination Act of 1988 with respect to bilateral negotiations with countries considered to manipulate the rate of exchange between their currency and the U.S. dollar for purposes of preventing effective balance of payments adjustments or gaining unfair competitive advantage in international trade.
 
Reduces the preconditions for the initiation of negotiations by the Secretary of the Treasury to possession of significant bilateral trade surpluses with the United States (removing the other current condition of possession of material global current account surpluses).
 
Declares that a country shall be considered to be manipulating the rate of exchange between its currency and the U.S. dollar if there is a protracted large-scale intervention in one direction in the exchange markets.
 
Requires the Secretary's annual report to specified congressional committees on international economic policy to include a detailed explanation of the test the Secretary uses to determine whether or not a country is manipulating the rate of exchange.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to clarify the status of certain employee benefit plans under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

Bill: 108-s-2928
Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [R-OR]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Nonprofit organizations
Social Welfare
Tax-deferred compensation plans
Taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
Provides that a nonprofit corporation's employee benefit plan shall be considered to be a governmental plan under the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), if the nonprofit corporation was: (1) incorporated on September 16, 1998, under a State nonprofit corporation statute; and (2) organized for the express purpose of supporting the missions and goals of a public corporation which was created by a State statute effective on July 1, 1995, is a governmental entity under State law, and is a member of the nonprofit corporation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend the minimum medicare deadlines for filing claims to take into account delay in processing adjustments from secondary payor status to primary payor status.

Bill: 108-s-2929
Sponsor: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Medicare
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend for one year the minimum filing deadline for certain Medicare claims for items and services furnished between January 1, 1987, and August 11, 1993, to account for a delay in processing adjustments from secondary to primary payor status.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S10714-10715)
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act

Bill: 108-s-2930
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Commerce
Consumer price indexes
Cost of living adjustments
Economics and Public Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Old age, survivors and disability insurance

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act - Directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor to prepare and publish a monthly Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI) that indicates changes over time in expenditures for consumption which are typical for individuals aged 62 years of age or older. Authorizes appropriations. 
 
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) to provide for the use of such new CPI in the computation of cost-of-living increases for social security and Medicare benefits under such programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Auto Choice Reform Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2931
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Automobile insurance
Choice of law
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Consumer education
Consumer protection
Crime and Law Enforcement
Damages
Drug abuse
Drunk driving
Federal preemption
Finance and Financial Sector
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Insurance agents
Insurance companies
Insurance premiums
Labor and Employment
Law
Liability (Law)
Liability insurance
Limitation of actions
Negligence
No-fault automobile insurance
State laws
Torts
Traffic accidents and safety
Uninsured motorists
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Auto Choice Reform Act of 2004 - Authorizes motor vehicle insurers to offer a choice between the personal injury protection and tort maintenance systems prescribed by this Act. 
Deems persons who fail to select a type of insurance to have elected insurance under the tort maintenance system.
Authorizes the appropriate State official to establish a consumer notification program regarding: (1) the comparative cost of insurance under the personal injury protection and tort maintenance systems; and (2) the benefits, rights, and obligations of the insurers and insureds under such systems. Requires insurers to provide such information to a consumer before the consumer chooses insurance.
Prescribes minimum requirements for the personal injury protection system and the tort maintenance system. 
Exempts a State from application of this Act if the State: (1) declares by statute by a specified date that this Act shall not apply; or (2) finds that average premiums will not be reduced by an average of at least 30 percent for persons choosing the personal injury protection system.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10727-10728)
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2933
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2004-10-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Auditing
Clinical trials
Commerce
Communication in medicine
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Data banks
Department of Health and Human Services
Drug advertising
Drug approvals
Drug industry
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Governmental investigations
Health information systems
Law
Medical research
Medical supplies
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Nonprofit organizations
Periodicals
Product safety
Research centers
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: 
Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2004 or the FACT Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and operate a data bank of registry information on clinical trials for drugs, biological products, and devices.
 Requires the principal investigator or a responsible person to submit clinical trial information to the Secretary. 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) seek a memorandum of understanding with the heads of other Federal agencies to include in the registry clinical trials sponsored by such agencies; and (2) establish procedures to allow voluntary submission of clinical trial information not involving drugs, biological products, or devices.
 
Allows the Secretary to: (1) require that information from such other clinical trials be submitted to the registry in cases in which it is in the interest of public health; and (2) correct any information included in the registry that is factually and substantively inaccurate, false, or misleading.
 
Extends requirements of this Act to clinical trials conducted outside of the United States under certain circumstances.
 
Requires the responsible person for proposals submitted to the Secretary requesting financial assistance to conduct research to submit registry information to the Secretary.
 
Prohibits a responsible person or a manufacturer from performing any act that prohibits, limits, or imposes unreasonable delays on the ability of an individual to discuss or publish the results of a clinical trial.
 
Requires the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to study the extent to which data submitted to the registry has impacted the public health.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10728-10730)
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Introduced in Senate