hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
TANF Financial Education Promotion Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-813
Sponsor: Sen. Corzine, Jon S. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Agricultural extension work
Agriculture and Food
Aid to dependent children
Cash welfare block grants
Commerce
Community organization
Consumer education
Economics and Public Finance
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial planning
Government Operations and Politics
Labor and Employment
Personal budgets
Saving and investment
Urban affairs
Welfare work participation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: TANF Financial Education Promotion Act of 2003 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require a State to specify in its State plan how it intends to establish goals and take action to promote financial education among parents and caretakers receiving TANF assistance through collaboration with community-based organizations, financial institutions, and the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of the Department of Agriculture.
Defines financial education as education that promotes an understanding of consumer, economic, and personal finance concepts, including the basic principles involved with earning, budgeting, spending, saving, investing, and taxation.
Designates financial education a work activity for TANF purposes.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4961-4962)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4961)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to include Hepatitis A vaccines in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program under title XXI of the Public Health Service Act.

Bill: 108-s-814
Sponsor: Sen. Santorum, Rick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Compensation (Law)
Economics and Public Finance
Excise tax
Government liability
Government trust funds
Hepatitis
Law
Taxation
Vaccines

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include any vaccine against hepatitis A under the 75-cents-per-dose manufacturer's excise tax.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to establish a center for excellence for applied research and training in the use of advanced materials in transport aircraft.

Bill: 108-s-815
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Aeronautics
Aerospace industries
Aircraft
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Higher education
Plastics
Polymers
Research and development
Research centers
Science, Technology, Communications
Technological innovations
Technology transfer

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: 
Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish a Center for Excellence that focuses on applied research and training regarding the durability and maintainability of advanced materials used in transport airframe structures, including the use of polymeric composites in large transport aircraft.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-816
Sponsor: Sen. Conrad, Kent [D-ND]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Ambulances
Ambulatory care
Authorization
Building construction
Capital investments
Case mix (Medical care)
Clinics
Community health services
Department of Health and Human Services
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Federal aid to health facilities
Federally-guaranteed loans
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government lending
Government trust funds
Hospital care
Hospital rates
Hospitals
Housing and Community Development
Interest rates
Labor and Employment
Land transfers
Maintenance and repair
Medical fees
Medical laboratories
Medical tests
Medicare
Nurse practitioners
Nurses
Physicians
Physicians' assistants
Revolving funds
Rural health
Social Welfare
Subsidies
Transportation and Public Works
Wages

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Health Care Access and Rural Equity Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to make a variety of changes with regard to rural health care and such matters as: (1) urban and rural standardized payment amounts under the Medicare inpatient hospital prospective payment system (PPS); (2) disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustment for rural hospitals; (3) payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals; (4) adjustment to the Medicare inpatient hospital PPS wage index to revise the labor-related share of such index; (5) treatment of certain sole community hospitals to limit the decline in payment under the PPS for hospital outpatient department services; (6) the critical access hospital program; and (7) permanent treatment of certain physician pathology services under Medicare.
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish and use alternative guidelines for geographic reclassification of certain hospitals located in sparsely populated States.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to give the Secretary the authority to make and guarantee loans from the loan fund to any rural entity for projects for capital improvements.
Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for a five-year extension of the authorization for appropriations for certain Medicare rural grants.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4962-4963)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-817
Sponsor: Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil procedure
Confidential communications
Court records
Discovery (Law)
Evidence (Law)
Government Operations and Politics
Right of privacy

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal judicial code to prohibit a court from entering an order restricting the disclosure of information obtained through discovery, approving a settlement disagreement that would restrict such disclosure, or restricting access to court records in a civil case, unless the court has found that: (1) such order would not restrict the disclosure of information which is relevant to the protection of public health or safety; or (2) the public interest in the disclosure of potential health or safety hazards is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information, and the requested protective order is no broader than necessary to protect the privacy interest. Prohibits any party from requesting, as a condition for the production of discovery, that another party stipulate to an order that would violate this Act.
Prohibits a court from: (1) approving or enforcing an order prohibited under this Act, or any provision of an agreement between parties to a civil action, that restricts a party from disclosing information to any Federal or State agency with authority to enforce laws regulating an activity relating to such information; or (2) enforcing any provision of a settlement agreement that prohibits a party from disclosing that a settlement was reached or the terms of the settlement, other than the amount paid, or from discussing a case or evidence that involves matters related to public health or safety, except where the court finds that the public interest in disclosure of potential health and safety hazards is outweighed by a confidentiality interest.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4963-4964)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Independent Office of Advocacy Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-818
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Advice and consent of the Senate
Appropriations
Armed Forces and National Security
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Deregulation
Disabled
Economic statistics
Economics and Public Finance
Enterprise zones
Executive reorganization
Government Operations and Politics
Government and business
Government statistics
Law
Minorities
Minority business enterprises
Ombudsman
Presidential appointments
Regulatory impact statements
Small Business Administration
Small business
Subsidies
Urban affairs
Veterans' benefits
Women
Women in business

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Independent Office of Advocacy Act of 2003 - Amends the Small Business Act regarding the establishment of the Office of Advocacy to: (1) require each annual budget submitted by the President to include a separate statement of the amount of appropriations requested for such Office; (2) require the Office to recommend methods for the delivery of financial assistance to women-owned businesses, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals or veterans, and businesses designated as HUBZone small businesses, and evaluate the efforts of Federal agencies and the private sector in assisting such businesses; (3) require the Office to make recommendations and submit specified reports concerning issues and regulations affecting small business and any necessity for corrective action; and (4) require the Office to evaluate the efforts of the Federal Government and private industry to assist small businesses owned by veterans and service-disabled veterans. Requires the SBA to provide appropriate administrative support to the Office.
Requires the Chief Counsel to report annually to the President and specified congressional committees on agency compliance with Federal regulatory analysis requirements.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4965-4966)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4964-4965)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Law Enforcement Officers Retirement Equity Act

Bill: 108-s-819
Sponsor: Sen. Mikulski, Barbara A. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Annuities
Civil service retirement
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of the Treasury
Families
Federal employees
Federal law enforcement officers
Labor and Employment
Mandatory retirement
Social Welfare
Survivors' benefits
Tax administration
Tax evasion
Tax returns
Taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Law Enforcement Officers Retirement Equity Act - Redefines the term "law enforcement officer" under provisions of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to include: (1) Federal employees not otherwise covered by such term whose duties include the investigation or apprehension of suspected or convicted individuals and who are authorized to carry a firearm; and (2) such employees of the Internal Revenue Service whose duties are primarily the collection of delinquent taxes and the securing of delinquent returns.
Requires that such service which is performed by an incumbent law enforcement officer be treated: (1) on or after the enactment date of this Act, for all purposes, as service performed as a law enforcement officer, irrespective of how such service is treated under the following; and (2) before, on, or after such date, for purposes of CSRS and FERS, as service performed as such an officer, but only if an appropriate written election is submitted to the Office of Personnel Management five years after such date or before separation from Government service, whichever is earlier.
Provides that nothing under current law respecting mandatory separation from Government service under CSRS or FERS shall cause the involuntary separation of an officer before the end of the three-year period beginning on such date.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-06-20
text: Committee on Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Financial Management, the Budget, and International Security.
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4967-4968)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4967)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Perchlorate Community Right-to-Know Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-820
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Armed Forces and National Security
Aviation fuels
Chemicals
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Economics and Public Finance
Employee training
Energy
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental monitoring
Fees
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Government lending
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Groundwater
Infrastructure
Interest
Interest rates
Investment of public funds
Labor and Employment
Law
Potable water
Revolving funds
Rockets (Aeronautics)
Rockets (Ordnance)
Space activities
Standards
Storage
Transportation and Public Works
Water Resources Development
Water pollution control
Water supply
Wells

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Perchlorate Community Right-to-Know Act of 2003 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require that information on the discharge and storage of perchlorate be reported to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the appropriate State water pollution control agency.
Impose fines on violators.
Requires that fines be deposited in a newly created Perchlorate Pollution Prevention Fund and used for loans to public water suppliers and private well owners to replace water contaminated by perchlorate.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4968-4969)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Child Care Lending Pilot Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-822
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Day care
Economics and Public Finance
Families
Federal aid programs
Government Operations and Politics
Government lending
Law
Nonprofit organizations
Small Business Administration
Small business
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Child Care Lending Pilot Act of 2003 - Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to allow the proceeds of loans made through the Small Business Administration (SBA) to local development companies for plant acquisition, construction, or expansion to be used to assist small, nonprofit child care businesses, provided that: (1) the loan will be used for a sound business purpose approved by the SBA; and (2) each business receiving the assistance meets eligibility requirements applicable to for-profit businesses.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-09-17
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11639)
action_date: 2003-07-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9054)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4970-4972)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Pension Benefits Protection Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-825
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Age discrimination
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Defined benefit pension plans
Department of the Treasury
Early retirement
Employee rights
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Law
Retirement age
Social Welfare
Tax administration
Taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Pension Benefits Protection Act of 2003 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code) to protect pension benefits of employees in defined benefit (DB) plans, and to ensure that age discrimination laws are applied to conversions to cash balance plans and other such plans that are hybrids of DB's and defined contribution plans.
Requires ERISA, the Code, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1967 to be applied and administered without regard to certain proposed regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury that relate to reductions of accruals and allocations because of the attainment of any age, and to application of nondiscrimination cross-testing rules to cash balance plans.
Amends ERISA and the Code to protect certain DB plan participants from forced conversions to hybrid DB plans by plan amendments which change the way the accrued benefit to participants or beneficiaries are expressed and which reduce the rate of future benefit accrual of one or more participants. Requires employers, at the time such amendment takes effect, to provide employees who have attained 40 years of age or 10 years of service with certain notices and an election upon retirement to receive benefits as determined either under the plan in effect at time of retirement or under the plan in effect immediately before the plan amendment.
Sets forth a formula to determine when a plan amendment adopted by a large (100 or more participants) DB plan shall be treated as wearing away accrued benefits.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4973-4974)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to provide for transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic violence.

Bill: 108-s-826
Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Introduced: 2003-04-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Case management
Child abuse
Commuting
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Counseling
Crime and Law Enforcement
Day care
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency housing
Families
Family services
Family violence
Federal aid to Indians
Federal aid to housing
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Homeless
Housing subsidies
Indian housing
Job hunting
Labor and Employment
Minorities
Relocation
Rent
Social Welfare
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs
Victims of crimes
Vocational guidance
Wife abuse
Women

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: 
Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to require the Attorney General to award grants to States, units of local government, Indian tribes, and other organizations to carry out programs to provide short-term housing assistance and related support services to minors, adults, and their dependents: (1) who are homeless, or in need of transitional housing or other housing assistance, as a result of fleeing a situation of domestic violence; and (2) for whom emergency shelter services or other crisis intervention services are unavailable or insufficient.
 
Limits the duration of such assistance to an 18-month period, except that a grant recipient may extend such assistance for an additional six-month period with respect to any minor, adult, or dependent who has been unable to acquire permanent housing despite a good-faith effort to do so.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5061-5062)
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Nutrient Removal Assistance Act

Bill: 108-s-827
Sponsor: Sen. Sarbanes, Paul S. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2003-04-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Chesapeake Bay
Construction costs
Delaware
District of Columbia
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental technology
Estuaries
Federal aid to water pollution control
Infrastructure
Maryland
New York State
Nitrogen
Nonpoint source pollution
Pennsylvania
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Science, Technology, Communications
Sewage treatment
Virginia
Waste water treatment
Water Resources Development
Water treatment plants
Watersheds
West Virginia

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Nutrient Removal Assistance Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants to States and municipalities to upgrade municipal wastewater treatment plants of a specified capacity and located within the Chesapeake Bay watershed with nutrient removal technologies.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5064)
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5062-5064)
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Chesapeake Bay Environmental Education Pilot Program Act

Bill: 108-s-828
Sponsor: Sen. Sarbanes, Paul S. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2003-04-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Chesapeake Bay
Computer networks
Conferences
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Curricula
Delaware
Distance education
District of Columbia
Economics and Public Finance
Educational accountability
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Environmental Protection
Environmental assessment
Environmental education
Environmental protection groups
Federal aid to education
Forest conservation
Government Operations and Politics
Higher education
Maryland
New York State
Nonprofit organizations
Pennsylvania
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Restoration ecology
Riparian ecology
Science, Technology, Communications
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Stream conservation
Teacher education
Teaching materials
Teleconferencing
Virginia
Water Resources Development
Water quality
Watersheds
West Virginia

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Chesapeake Bay Environmental Education Pilot Program Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a Chesapeake Bay Environmental Education Grant Pilot Program of matching grants for developing, demonstrating, or disseminating information on practices, methods, or techniques relating to environmental education and training in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Makes eligible for such grants public elementary or secondary schools and nonprofit environmental or educational organizations located in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New York Pennsylvania, Virginia, or West Virginia.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5064-5065)
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5062-5064)
action_date: 2003-04-09
text: Introduced in Senate