hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
United States Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1760
Sponsor: Sen. Coleman, Norm [R-MN]
Introduced: 2003-10-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative fees
Arts, Culture, Religion
Department of Commerce
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic data interchange
Electronic government information
Federal officials
Fees
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Intellectual property
Law
Libraries
Patents
Science, Technology, Communications
Trademarks
User charges

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-20
text: 
United States Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act of 2003 - Amends Federal patent law to: (1) lower patent filing and basic national fees; (2) increase excess claims, disclaimer, appeal, extension, revival, and maintenance fees; and (3) add new application examination, patent search, and patent issuance fees.
 
Prescribes fees under the Trademark Act of 1946 for electronic and paper applications for trademark registration. 
Credits all Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) funds to a PTO Account in the Treasury. 
Exempts such funds from the appropriation process, thus allowing the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of PTO to collect such funds and use them for PTO operations until expended. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S12890-12891)
action_date: 2003-10-20
text: Introduced in Senate
LIHEAP Emergency Reform Act

Bill: 108-s-1761
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2003-10-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Department of Health and Human Services
Economics and Public Finance
Energy
Energy assistance for the poor
Families
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Heating
Housing and Community Development
Law
Standards

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-20
text: 
LIHEAP Emergency Reform Act - Amends the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to authorize the Governor of a State to apply to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for certification of an emergency in that State and for an allotment of certain appropriated amounts.
 
Directs the Secretary to adopt prescribed procedures for equitable consideration of such applications.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-10-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12891-12892)
action_date: 2003-10-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Social Security Act Improvements for the Terminally Ill Act

Bill: 108-s-1762
Sponsor: Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]
Introduced: 2003-10-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Disabled
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Social security eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-20
text: 
Social Security Act Improvements for the Terminally Ill Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period in the disability insurance program for terminally ill individuals. Authorizes disability benefits for any eligible individual whose underlying impairment results in death within six months after what would have been the start of the waiting period.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-10-20
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14 Chestnut Street, in Liberty, New York, as the "Ben R. Gerow Post Office Building".

Bill: 108-s-1763
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2003-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Commemorations
Subjects: Congress
Congressional tributes
Government Operations and Politics
Local officials
Names
New York State
Postal facilities

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: 
Designates the U.S. Postal Service facility located at 14 Chestnut Street, in Liberty, New York, as the Ben R. Gerow Post Office Building. 

action_date: 2004-06-07
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Designates the U.S. Postal Service facility located at 14 Chestnut Street, in Liberty, New York, as the Ben R. Gerow Post Office Building. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-06-07
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 573.
action_date: 2004-06-07
text: Committee on Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Collins without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2004-06-07
text: Committee on Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Collins without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2004-06-02
text: Committee on Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to designate the building located at 493 Auburn Avenue, N.E., in Atlanta, Georgia, as the "John Lewis Civil Rights Institute".

Bill: 108-s-1764
Sponsor: Sen. Miller, Zell [D-GA]
Introduced: 2003-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Commemorations
Subjects: Black history
Blacks
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil rights movements
Civil rights workers
Congress
Congressional tributes
Georgia
Government Operations and Politics
Historic sites
House of Representatives
Members of Congress
Minorities
Names

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: 
Designates the building located at 493 Auburn Avenue, N.E., in Atlanta, Georgia, as the John Lewis Civil Rights Institute.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
National Right-to-Work Act

Bill: 108-s-1765
Sponsor: Sen. Lott, Trent [R-MS]
Introduced: 2003-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Commerce
Construction industries
Construction workers
Employee rights
Labor unions
Payroll deductions
Railroad employees
Railroads
Transportation and Public Works
Unfair labor practices
Union dues
Union security

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: 
National Right-to-Work Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to repeal those provisions that permit employers, pursuant to a union security agreement, to require employees to join a union as a condition of employment (including provisions permitting railroad carriers to require, pursuant to such an agreement, payroll deduction of union dues or fees as a condition of employment). 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to prohibit the use of certain conservation funding to provide technical assistance under the conservation reserve program.

Bill: 108-s-1766
Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Introduced: 2003-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural conservation
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental Protection
Reprogramming of appropriated funds

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: 
Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to prohibit the use of certain conservation funding to provide technical assistance under the conservation reserve program. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (text of measure as introduced: CR S12975)
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12971-12975)
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Auditor Independence and Tax Shelters Act

Bill: 108-s-1767
Sponsor: Sen. Levin, Carl [D-MI]
Introduced: 2003-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Accounting
Auditing
Business ethics
Commerce
Conflict of interests
Corporate accountability
Corporate governance
Corporation directors
Executives
Financial planning
Financial services
Income tax
Investment advisers
Securities fraud
Securities regulation
Stocks
Tax evasion
Tax shelters
Taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: 
Auditor Independence and Tax Shelters Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to prohibit a registered public accounting firm from providing tax shelter services to their audit clients.
 
Defines tax shelter services as services provided by a registered public accounting firm (or by an associated person of that firm) to an issuer, or an officer or director of an issuer, to design, organize, promote, assist, or execute any investment, entity, plan, arrangement, or transaction for which a significant purpose is the avoidance or evasion of Federal income tax by such issuer, or an officer or director of such issuer, whether acting as a direct or indirect participant, and for which such firm may receive fees in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate.
 
Requires an audit committee, as a prerequisite to its approval of a non-audit service, to determine whether a reasonable likelihood exists that the service would impair the independence of the registered public accounting firm by resulting in the firm's: (1) auditing its own work for the issuer; (2) performing a management function for the issuer; (3) advocating in a public forum for the issuer; or (4) promoting the stock or other financial interest of the issuer.
 
Prohibits the audit committee from providing advance approval of such service if it determines that such a reasonable likelihood exists.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S12978)
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12976-12978)
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
National Class Action Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1769
Sponsor: Sen. Breaux, John B. [D-LA]
Introduced: 2003-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Class actions (Civil procedure)
Damages
District courts
Jurisdiction
Legal fees

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: 
National Class Action Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal judicial code to require: (1) the portion of any attorney's fee paid to class counsel based on a recovery of coupons in a class action settlement to be based on the value to class members of the coupons redeemed; and (2) the attorney's fee in such a settlement otherwise to be based upon the amount of time class counsel expended working on the action, subject to court approval.
 
Grants a U.S. district court jurisdiction over a class action in which one-third or fewer of the members of all proposed plaintiff classes in the aggregate are citizens of the State in which the action was originally filed. Lists grounds under which a U.S. district court may decline to exercise jurisdiction over a class action in which greater than one-third but less than two-thirds of the members of the plaintiff class are citizens of the State in which the action was originally filed. Bars a U.S. district court from exercising jurisdiction over a class action (with exceptions) in which: (1) two-thirds or more of the members of all proposed plaintiff classes are citizens of the State in which the action was originally filed; (2) the primary defendants are States, State officials, or other governmental entities against whom the district court may be foreclosed from ordering relief; or (3) the number of members of all proposed plaintiff classes in the aggregate is less than 100.
 
Allows a class action over which a district court would have jurisdiction under this Act to be removed to a U.S. district court by any: (1) defendant without the consent of all defendants; or (2) plaintiff class member who has intervened, seeks to be designated as a representative class member, and is not a named or representative class member without the consent of all members of such class.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Indian Money Account Claim Satisfaction Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1770
Sponsor: Sen. Campbell, Ben Nighthorse [R-CO]
Introduced: 2003-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Alternative dispute resolution
Auditing
Class actions (Civil procedure)
Department of the Interior
Federal-Indian relations
Indian claims
Law
Minorities
Trusts and trustees

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: 
Indian Money Account Claim Satisfaction Act of 2003 - Establishes the Indian Money Account Claim Satisfaction Task Force: (1) to complete an analysis of records, data, and other historical information with regard to the conduct of an historical accounting submitted by the parties in the class action to the district court in January 2003 (Cobell v. Norton (No. 96cv01285, D.D.C.)); and (2) after such completion to hold meetings with representatives of the plaintiffs in the civil action, the Departments of Justice and of the Interior and any other parties that, in the discretion of the Task Force, are necessary to carryout out its duties. 
 
Requires the Task Force to develop appropriate methodologies or models to conduct an accounting to determine in current dollars the balances of: (1) all individual Indian money accounts opened in or after 1985; (2) all individual Indian money accounts opened on or after the enactment of a certain Act of June 24, 1938, regarding deposit, care, and investment of Indian moneys, and before 1985; and (3) all individual Indian money accounts opened before such enactment.
 
Establishes the Indian Money Claims Tribunal to serve as arbitrator if an eligible individual elects to have the amount of the balance in the individual Indian money account determined through arbitration. Binds the individual and the United States to any determination made by the Tribunal.
 
Requires payments made pursuant to this Act to be derived from the permanent judgment appropriation (commonly known as the Judgment Fund), without further appropriations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-29
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 108-389.
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S12979-12980)
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12978-12979)
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicaid Psychiatric Hospital Fairness Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1771
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2003-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Medicaid
Mental care facilities
Mental health services
Psychiatric hospitals
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: 
Medicaid Psychiatric Hospital Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act with respect to reimbursement for specified emergency care and services of private institutions for mental diseases that are subject (under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Medicaid (EMTALA) Program) to certain requirements for examination and treatment for emergency medical conditions. Requires the Medicaid program to reimburse such institutions for care and services required to stabilize an emergency medical condition, the treatment for which is within the range of services that such institution typically provides, of an individual between ages 21 and 65 who came or was transferred to the institution.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12980-12983)
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Customs Business Fairness Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1772
Sponsor: Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
Introduced: 2003-10-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bankruptcy
Debtor and creditor
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Surety and fidelity
Tariff

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: 
Customs Business Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends Federal bankruptcy law governing priority among claims and expenses to place in the tenth order of priority any allowed unsecured claims of customs brokers for duties, taxes, or other charges paid to the United States Customs Service on behalf of the debtor that arise out of the importation of merchandise entered for consumption within one year before the filing date of the bankruptcy petition.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2003-10-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Biotechnology Future Investment Expansion Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1773
Sponsor: Sen. Santorum, Rick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2003-10-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Accounting
Capital gains tax
Clinical trials
Commerce
Corporate debt
Corporate finance
Corporate reorganizations
Corporation taxes
Drug industry
Finance and Financial Sector
Health
Income tax
Investments
Losses
Pharmaceutical research
Science, Technology, Communications
Tax credits
Tax exclusion
Tax incentives

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-22
text: 
Biotechnology Future Investment Expansion Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that in the case of a biomedical research corporation, any owner shift involving a five-percent shareholder which occurs as the result of a qualified investment during the testing period shall be treated as occurring before the testing period. (Thus not counting toward net operating loss and tax credit carryover limitations.)
 
Defines: (1) &quot;biomedical research corporation&quot; as a domestic corporation not in bankruptcy which has a drug or biologic in certain clinical trials; and (2) &quot;qualified investment&quot; as a stock acquisition in a biomedical research corporation acquired in cash at its original issue.
 
Requires a biomedical research corporation to meet a five-year expenditure test with respect to any qualified investment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-10-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Terrorist Firearms Detection Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1774
Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2003-10-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Congress
EBB Terrorism
Firearms
Firearms control
Security measures
Sunset legislation
X-rays

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-22
text: 
Terrorist Firearms Detection Act of 2003 - Repeals sunset provisions of the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 (which makes it illegal to manufacture, import, possess, or transfer a firearm that is not detectable by walk-through metal detectors or airport x-ray machines).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2003-10-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Health Care Safety Net Amendments Technical Corrections Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1775
Sponsor: Sen. Bond, Christopher S. [R-MO]
Introduced: 2003-10-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Administrative procedure
Clinics
Collection of accounts
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Health and Human Services
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Grants-in-aid
Higher education
Housing and Community Development
Law
Licenses
Managed care
Medical education
Medical fees
Mental health services
Public health personnel
Rural health
Scholarships
Science, Technology, Communications
Student loan funds
Telemedicine

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-22
text: 
Health Care Safety Net Amendments Technical Corrections Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2002 to make technical and conforming amendments respecting: (1) health centers; (2) rural health outreach; (3) telehealth; (4) mental health services via telehealth; (5) health professional shortage areas; and (6) National Health Service Corps personnel, scholarships, and loan repayment.
 
Authorizes grants to State professional licensing boards for State cooperation to reduce statutory and regulatory barriers to telemedicine.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-29
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2003-10-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-10-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Intermodal Equipment Safety and Responsibility Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1776
Sponsor: Sen. Campbell, Ben Nighthorse [R-CO]
Introduced: 2003-10-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Commerce
Department of Transportation
Federal preemption
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Intermodal transportation
Law
Liability (Law)
Maintenance and repair
Motor vehicle safety
Restrictive trade practices
Traffic accidents and safety
Trucking
Trucks

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-23
text: 
Intermodal Equipment Safety and Responsibility Act of 2003 - Subjects controllers of interchangeable intermodal equipment to commercial motor vehicle safety regulation and liability, including systematic inspection, maintenance, and repair requirements.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to conduct inspections.
 
Prohibits a controller from retaliating against any motor carrier in response to a request for safety maintenance or repair of equipment intended for interchange, including failing to provide requested safe equipment in a timely fashion.
 
Prohibits controller delegation of this maintenance responsibility.
 
Directs the Secretary to issue implementing regulations as part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S13135-13137)
action_date: 2003-10-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13135)
action_date: 2003-10-23
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill for the relief of Marcela Silva do Nascimento.

Bill: 108-s-1777
Sponsor: Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA]
Introduced: 2003-10-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Private Legislation
Subjects: Immigration

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-23
text: 
Declares Marcela Silva do Nascimento eligible for issuance of an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident under the Immigration and Nationality Act, upon payment of the required visa fees.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2003-10-23
text: Introduced in Senate