hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2755
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bankruptcy
Commerce
Consumer credit
Consumer education
Counseling
Credit cards
Education
Families
Fees
Finance charges
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Higher education
Interest
Interest rates
Law
Liability (Law)
Nonprofit organizations
Parent and child
Personal budgets
Social Welfare
Students
Youth

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2004, or the Credit Card Act of 2004 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) to require advance notice of any increase in interest rate regarding a credit card account under an open end consumer credit plan. Grants the credit card holder the right to cancel the account before the effective date of the increase.
 
 Prohibits penalties, finance charges, interest charges, or cancellations from being imposed for: (1) on-time payments; (2) payments in full; or (3) over-the-limit fees for creditor-approved transactions.
 
Requires specified disclosures for annual percentage rates of interest that only exist for a limited time (introductory or &quot;teaser&quot; rates).
 
Requires certain disclosures regarding: (1) pay-off timing in connection with repayment of the outstanding balance; and (2) late payment deadlines and relevant postmark dates.
 
Amends Federal bankruptcy law to provide that debts under an open end credit plan incurred on or within 60 days before the order for relief are not subject to statutory exceptions to a discharge in bankruptcy if the annual rate of interest charged on the account was more than 20 percentage points above the Federal prime lending rate on the last day of month during which the interest was charged (thus providing the debtor with a legal means of avoiding an abusive rate of interest).
 
Amends TILA to set forth specified requirements governing credit card applications from underage consumers.
 
Subjects creditor violations relating to an open end credit plan that is not secured by real property or a dwelling to twice the amount of any finance charge in connection with the transaction, or to such amount as may be appropriate in the case of an established pattern or practice of such violations. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8743-8746)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to extend a certain high priority corridor in the States of Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Bill: 108-s-2756
Sponsor: Sen. Allard, Wayne [R-CO]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to transportation
Highway finance
Infrastructure
Interstate highway system
Nebraska
Road construction
Roads and highways
South Dakota
Wyoming

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 to designate Heartland Expressway from Denver, Colorado, through Wyoming and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to Rapid City, South Dakota, as a high priority corridor on the National Highway System. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8746-8747)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Judicial Branch Financial Accountability Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2757
Sponsor: Sen. Fitzgerald, Peter [R-IL]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Accounting
Administration of justice
Appellate courts
Auditing
Civil service retirement
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Courts of special jurisdiction
District courts
Economics and Public Finance
Federal budgets
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial statements
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Judicial compensation
Judicial officers
Labor and Employment
Legislation
Pension funds
Supreme Court
U.S. Sentencing Commission

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Judicial Branch Financial Accountability Act of 2004 - Requires the Federal Judiciary annually to have financial statements prepared and independently audited covering judicial branch activities.
 
Directs the Judicial Conference of the United States to determine whether to have separate financial statements for specified components of the Federal Judiciary.
 
Requires the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to prepare the financial statements required by this Act and to have such statements independently audited.
 
Requires the Judicial Conference to submit an implementation plan and recommendations to the Senate Judiciary and Governmental Affairs Committees and the House Judiciary and Government Reform Committees.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8748)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8747-8748)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Legislative Branch Financial Accountability Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2758
Sponsor: Sen. Fitzgerald, Peter [R-IL]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Accounting
Architect of the Capitol
Arts, Culture, Religion
Auditing
Botanical gardens
Capitol (Washington, D.C.)
Congressional Budget Office
Congressional agencies
Congressional reorganization
Economics and Public Finance
Federal budgets
Federal libraries
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial statements
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
House of Representatives
Legislation
Library of Congress
Police
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Senate

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Legislative Branch Financial Accountability Act of 2004 - Requires the Senate, House of Representatives, Library of Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office, Government Printing Office, U.S. Botanic Garden, Architect of the Capitol, U.S. Capitol Police, and any congressional legislative branch entity not required by statute to have annual financial statements independently audited to each have a financial statement prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and have the statement independently audited, for the preceding calendar year covering all such entity's accounts and associated activities.
 
Requires the entities to report to appropriate congressional committees on: (1) the implementation of this Act, including whether the establishment of an office is necessary; and (2) recommendations, including legislative actions and amendments to this Act, if necessary, to effectively carry it out.
 
Sets forth requirements for the preparation and audit of the statements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8748-8749)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8747-8748)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Children's Health Protection and Improvement Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2759
Sponsor: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Economics and Public Finance
Families
Federal aid to child health services
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Health insurance
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Medicaid
Medically uninsured
Poor children
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Children's Health Protection and Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise the extended availability through FY 2004 of SCHIP allotments for FY 1998 through 2001. 
 
Specifies formulae for amounts to be used in computing redistributions for FY 2003, 2003, and 2004. Provides for reallocation of 70 percent of the expiring FY 1998, 1999, and 2000 funds to States that have fully expended their annual allotments. Extends the availability of the remaining 30 percent of such expiring funds with the States that currently have them.
 
Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2002 SCHIP allotments to remain available through FY 2006. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2003 and 2004 SCHIP allotments to remain available through the end of FY 2007. Requires redistribution of the other 50 percent of such funds to States that have fully spent their allotments during the three-year period they were available.
 
Requires a second redistribution according to the same 70-30 formula of any retained or redistributed funds still unexpended at the end of the two-year extention or redistribution.
 
Provides for continued authority for qualifying States to use certain funds for Medicaid expenditures.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-10-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10259-10260)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8750-8751)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8749-8750)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Public Safety Officers' Defense Act

Bill: 108-s-2760
Sponsor: Sen. Kyl, Jon [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Appellate courts
Appellate procedure
District courts
Emergency Management
Evidence (Law)
Fire fighters
Habeas corpus
Jurisdiction
Law
Law enforcement officers
Limitation of actions
Murder
Police
Rescue work
Sentences (Criminal procedure)

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Public Safety Officers' Defense Act - Amends the Federal judicial code to deny a court, justice, or judge jurisdiction to consider any claim relating to the judgment or sentence in an application for a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of a person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court for killing a public safety officer, unless the applicant shows constitutional error or that the claim qualifies for consideration based on a new rule of constitutional law or a factual predicate that could not have been previously discovered. Directs that any such application presented to a court, justice, or judge other than a district court be transferred to the appropriate district court for consideration or dismissal, with an exception.
 
Sets forth requirements regarding time limits in: (1) district court (e.g., any motion by either party for an evidentiary hearing shall be filed and served not later than 90 days after the State files its answer); and (2) the court of appeals (e.g., the court shall decide the appeal from an order granting or denying a writ of habeas corpus not later than 120 days after the date on which the brief of the appellee is filed). Makes time limitations under this Act applicable to an initial application, a second or successive application, and any re-determination of an application or related appeal following a remand by the court of appeals or the Supreme Court for further proceedings.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to encourage the use of indigenous feedstock from the Caribbean Basin region with respect to ethyl alcohol for fuel use.

Bill: 108-s-2762
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Alcohol as fuel
Caribbean area
Energy
Latin America
Tariff preferences

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Amends the Tax Reform Act of 1986 with respect to duty-free treatment for ethyl alcohol and mixtures of it for fuel use if they are indigenous products of a U.S. insular possession or Caribbean Basin Initiative beneficiary country. Revises the formula for the local feedstock requirement and the definition of base quantity.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-09-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9591)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8751-8752)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8751)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to clarify the treatment of accelerator-produced and other radioactive material as byproduct material.

Bill: 108-s-2763
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Environmental Protection
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Independent regulatory commissions
Law
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear energy
Nuclear energy research
Radioactive wastes
Radioisotopes
Radioisotopes in medicine
Radioisotopes in research
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to redefine &quot;byproduct material&quot; to include: (1) any discrete source of radium-226 produced, extracted, or converted after extraction, for use in a commercial, medical, or research activity; (2) any material that has been made radioactive by use of a particle accelerator and is produced, extracted, or converted after extraction for use such activities; and (3) any discrete source of naturally occurring radioactive material, other than source material that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) determines would pose a threat similar to that posed by a discrete source of radium-226 and is likewise extracted or converted after extraction, for use in such activities.
 
Instructs the NRC to: (1) promulgate final regulations establishing requirements and standards it considers necessary for the acquisition, possession, transfer, use, or disposal of byproduct material identified in this Act; and (2) cooperate with the States in formulating those regulations.
 
Prescribes transition guidelines.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8752)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2764
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Casualty insurance
Coinsurance
Commerce
Compensation (Law)
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
EBB Terrorism
Insurance companies
Law
Legislation
Life insurance
Losses
Property insurance
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Terrorism Insurance Extension Act of 2004 - Amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA) to extend the terrorism risk insurance program from 2005 through 2007.
 
Repeals the condition on the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to pay or adjust compensation for insured losses after termination of the program that limits such losses to those arising from an act of terrorism occurring only during the period in which the program was in effect.
 
Defines &quot;Program Year 4&quot; as calendar 2006 and &quot;Program Year 5&quot; as calendar 2007.
 

 
Increases the insurance marketplace aggregate retention amount for Program Years 4 and 5.
 
Directs the Secretary to apply TRIA to providers of group life insurance.
 
Instructs the Presidential Working Group on Financial Markets to report to Congress its recommendations for legislation to address the long-term availability and affordability of insurance for terrorism risk.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8752-8753)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Exchange Rates and International Economic Policy Coordination Act of 1988 to clarify the conditions under which the Secretary should enter into negotiations to correct currency manipulations by other countries.

Bill: 108-s-2765
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 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
International competitiveness
Trade negotiations

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Amends the Exchange Rates and International Economic Policy Coordination Act of 1988 with respect to the conditions for required actions by the Secretary of the Treasury to initate expedited negotiations for exchange rate adjustments by a foreign country the Secretary considers to be manipulating the rate of exchange between its currency and the U.S. dollar in order to prevent effective balance of payments adjustments or gain unfair competitive advantage in international trade.
 
Repeals the requirement that such a country have a material global account surplus as well as a significant bilateral trade surplus with the United States. (Thus requires only that it have a significant bilateral trade surplus with the United States; that is, the Secretary is required to take action to initiate exchange rate adjustment negotiations with any country that has a significant bilateral trade surplus with the United States, regardless of its material global account status.)
 
Requires the Secretary's annual report to specified congressional committees to contain a detailed explanation of the test used to determine if a country is manipulating the rate of exchange between its currency and the dollar for such purposes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8754)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Thomas P. O'Hara Public Land Career Opportunity Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2768
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Alaska
Employee rights
Employee selection
Federal employees
Government Operations and Politics
Promotions
Transfer of employees

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Thomas P. O'Hara Public Land Career Opportunity Act of 2004 - Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to provide competitive status to certain permanent Federal employees in Alaska after completing one year of service.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8757)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8757)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide that imported ethanol shall not count toward satisfaction of any renewable fuel standard that may be enacted.

Bill: 108-s-2769
Sponsor: Sen. Daschle, Thomas A. [D-SD]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alcohol as fuel
Alternative energy sources
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Imports
Standards

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
States that ethanol that is imported or derived from imported matter shall not count toward satisfaction of any renewable fuel standard that may be enacted following enactment of this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8758)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8757-8758)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to establish a National Commission on American Indian Trust Holdings.

Bill: 108-s-2770
Sponsor: Sen. Daschle, Thomas A. [D-SD]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Commerce
Compensation (Law)
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of the Interior
Easements
Energy
Energy industries
Federal advisory bodies
Federal-Indian relations
Gas industry
Gas pipelines
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Grazing
Indian lands
Law
Mining royalties
Minorities
Oil and gas leases
Oil and gas royalties
Petroleum industry
Petroleum pipelines
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Timber sales
Transportation and Public Works
Trusts and trustees

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Establishes the National Commission on American Indian Trust Holdings to fully examine: (1) the allegations made in the letter dated April 5, 2004, from Special Master Alan L. Balaran to the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth; (2) whether grazing, leasing, and other trust asset interests have been managed equitably and in a manner consistent with Federal trust law (including regulations); and (3) such other alleged breaches of the fiduciary responsibility owed by the United States to Indian tribes and individual Indians that come to the Commission's attention.
 
Requires the Commission to: (1) build on the investigations of other entities, and avoid unnecessary duplication, by reviewing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of earlier studies of the management by the Department of Interior of Indian trust assets and trust funds; and (2) report to the President and Congress its findings and recommendations for corrective measures that can be taken to recoup any losses suffered by Indian tribes or individual Indians as a result of breaches of fiduciary duty by the Department or to prevent any breaches of fiduciary duty in the future.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8759-8760)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8758-8759)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate