hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Bipartisan Patient Protection Act

Bill: 108-s-1945
Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2003-11-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Accreditation (Medical care)
Breast cancer
Case management
Child health
Clinical trials
Coinsurance
Commerce
Communication in medicine
Conflict of interests
Consumer protection
Drugs
Emergency medicine
Employee health benefits
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Gynecology
Health care industry
Health information systems
Health insurance
Hospital care
Labor and Employment
Law
Licenses
Limitation of actions
Managed care
Mastectomy
Medical personnel
Obstetrics
Ombudsman
Patients' rights
Performance measurement
Physicians
Prescription pricing
Quality of care
Standards
Women
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Bipartisan Patient Protection Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) with respect to health care coverage. Provides for patient protection and quality care standards for individual and group health plans under PHSA and ERISA. Applies such standards, as well, to: (1) all Federal health care programs, as defined under the Social Security Act; and (2) the Federal employee health benefits program. 
Requires group health plans and health insurance issuers providing health insurance coverage to have approved utilization review programs, claims procedures, and appeal procedures concerning claims denials.
Sets forth provisions concerning group health plans and health insurers and the provision of certain advice and care, including: (1) emergency care; (2) obstetric and gynecological care; (3) specialists care; (4) prescription drugs; (5) participation in approved clinical trials; and (6) health plan information.
Restricts interference by health plans and insurers with the doctor-patient relationship.
Prohibits health plans and insurers from discriminating against a licensed health care professional with respect to participation or indemnification. 
Sets forth limitations on certain class action litigation and other actions. Makes certain civil remedies available. Declares that courts should consider the loss of a nonwage earning spouse or parent as an economic loss to be fully compensated in certain ERISA cases. 
 
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) men and women battling life-threatening, deadly diseases, including advanced breast or ovarian cancer, should have the opportunity to participate in a federally approved or funded clinical trial; (2) a child battling a rare cancer should be allowed to go to a cancer center capable of providing high quality care for that disease; and (3) every patient who is denied care by a health maintenance organization or other health insurance company should have a fair, speedy, and impartial appeal to a review organization that has not been selected by the health plan.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Independent Iraq Intelligence Commission Act

Bill: 108-s-1946
Sponsor: Sen. Corzine, Jon S. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2003-11-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Central Intelligence Agency
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Conventional weapons
Covert operations
Crime and Law Enforcement
Federal advisory bodies
Federal officials
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Information leaking
Intelligence officers
International Affairs
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Middle East and North Africa
Military occupation
Military operations
Misconduct in office
Terrorism
Weapons of mass destruction

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: 
Independent Iraq Intelligence Commission Act - Establishes the National Commission on Iraq Intelligence to examine and evaluate the performance of the U.S. intelligence community with respect to the collection of intelligence, and the quality of intelligence obtained, on the weapons of mass destruction and related delivery systems capabilities of Iraq during the period from 1998 until the conclusion of military operations against Iraq under Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as related intelligence matters with respect to Iraq.
 
Directs the Commission to also conduct an investigation into the relevant facts and circumstances relating to the collection, analysis, reporting, use, and dissemination by the U.S. intelligence community, and others in the executive branch of intelligence, relating to Iraq and Operation Iraqi Freedom.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Intelligence. (text of measure as introduced: CR S15841-15843)
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S15838-15841)
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Introduced in Senate
United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1948
Sponsor: Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV]
Introduced: 2003-11-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Health
History
Military discharges
Military medicine
Nurses
Veterans' benefits
Women
Women veterans
World War II

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act of 2003 - Deems service of a person as a member of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps between July 1, 1943, and December 15, 1945 (qualified service), to be active military service for purposes of all laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Requires: (1) the Secretary of Defense to issue an honorable discharge to each person whose qualified service warrants one; and (2) the discharge to be issued before the end of the one-year period beginning on the enactment of this Act. 
Prohibits benefits from being paid to persons as a result of such enactment for any period before the enactment date.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S15843)
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Return of Talent Act

Bill: 108-s-1949
Sponsor: Sen. Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2003-11-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Aliens
Armed Forces and National Security
Citizenship
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Economic assistance
International Affairs
Military civic action
Military occupation
Naturalization
Peacekeeping forces
Repatriation
War relief

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: 
Return of Talent Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish the Return of Talent Program to permit an eligible permanent resident alien and family members to temporarily return (two years with extension) to the alien's country of citizenship in order to make a material contribution to that country if the country is engaged in post-conflict reconstruction activities. States that such time abroad shall be considered as U.S. physical and continuous residency for naturalization purposes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S15844)
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S15843-15844)
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Prescription Drug Savings Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1950
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2003-11-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Commerce
Drug industry
Drugs
Finance and Financial Sector
Insurance premiums
Medical economics
Medicare
Prescription pricing
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: 
Medicare Prescription Drug Savings Act of 2003 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as added by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for each year beginning with 2006, to: (1) offer a Medicare operated prescription drug plan nationally that only offers standard prescription drug coverage and access to negotiated prices, but not any supplemental prescription drug coverage; and (2) enter into negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers to reduce the purchase cost of covered Medicare part D drugs for eligible part D individuals, and encourage use of more affordable therapeutic equivalents. Requires the monthly beneficiary premium charged under such a plan to be uniform nationally and determined by the Secretary.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-11-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Mexican Agricultural Trade Compliance Act

Bill: 108-s-1952
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Agriculture in foreign trade
Countervailing duties
Dispute settlement
Import restrictions
International Affairs
Latin America
Mexico
Trade agreements
Trade negotiations

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Mexican Agricultural Trade Compliance Act - Determines that U.S. rights under the Uruguay Round Agreements are being denied by Mexico in connection with Mexico's imposition of a 20 percent tax on soft drinks containing high fructose corn syrup, an extension of Mexico's unjustified antidumping order on high fructose corn syrup from the United States. Directs the U.S. Trade Representative, unless certifying to Congress within 30 days after the enactment of this Act that Mexico has eliminated such tax and is otherwise preserving all U.S. trade agreement rights with respect to high fructose corn syrup, to either: (1) suspend, withdraw, or prevent the application of benefits of trade agreement concessions to carry out a trade agreement with Mexico; or (2) impose duties or other import restrictions on the goods of Mexico, and fees or restrictions on the services of Mexico.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S15977-15978)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Deep Sea Coral Protection Act

Bill: 108-s-1953
Sponsor: Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Alaska
Animals
Coastal zone
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Coral reefs
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Commerce
Ecological research
Ecosystem management
Endangered species
Environmental Protection
Environmental law enforcement
Environmental monitoring
Equipment and supplies
Federal advisory bodies
Fines (Penalties)
Fishery agreements
Fishery management
Fishing boats
Forfeiture
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Habitat conservation
International environmental cooperation
Law
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine resources conservation
Restoration ecology
Science, Technology, Communications
Sustainable development

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Deep Sea Coral Protection Act - Prohibits the use of mobile bottom-tending fishing gear in Coral Management Areas (CMAs).
 
Designates CMAs according to specified coordinates. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to designate as additional CMAs areas within the exclusive economic zone that have not been fished with mobile bottom-tending gear in recent years. Authorizes the Secretary to terminate such CMA designations in specified circumstances.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) monitor fishing within the exclusive economic zone and quantify deep sea coral and sponge bycatch; (2) direct the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere to research and map deep sea corals and sponges; and (3) designate as CMAs areas identified through such monitoring and research as having deep sea coral ecosystems.
 
Requires the Chair of the National Research Council to review annually all available data on deep sea corals and sponges and recommend areas for CMA designation. Directs the Secretary to designate such areas after publication of a proposed rule unless a rational basis for designation is lacking.
 
Applies the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act's civil penalty and forfeiture requirements to persons who violate this Act's prohibition against the use of mobile bottom-tending gear. Prohibits interference with enforcement of this Act and applies the Magnuson-Stevens Act's criminal penalty scheme to violators.
 
Authorizes the President to permit the Secretary to identify, with foreign entities, areas in international waters that would benefit from additional protection.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 by expanding the legal assistance for victims of violence grant program to include legal assistance for victims of dating violence.

Bill: 108-s-1954
Sponsor: Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Crimes against women
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to law enforcement
Legal aid
Sex crimes
Victims of crimes
Women

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to extend the Victims of Violence Grant Program to include legal assistance for victims of dating violence.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
HOPE Youth Pregnancy Prevention Act

Bill: 108-s-1956
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Economics and Public Finance
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Families
Federal aid to child health services
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Health education
Minorities
Minority health
Premarital sex
Sex education
Teenage pregnancy

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
HOPE Youth Pregnancy Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to State or local governments, or private nonprofit entities for: (1) teenage pregnancy prevention activities targeted at areas with large ethnic minorities and other at-risk youth; and (2) related outreach and public awareness programs, with priority given to programs aimed at such youth.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S15981-15982)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to exempt airports in economically depressed communities from matching grant obligations under the Airport Improvement Program.

Bill: 108-s-1960
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Airports
Armed Forces and National Security
Commerce
Defense contracts
Defense industries
Depressed areas
Disasters
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Federal aid to transportation
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Imports
Income
Infrastructure
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Internal migration
Labor and Employment
Layoffs
Military base closures
Plant shutdowns
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Unemployment

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Entitles economically depressed communities to 100 percent of costs for an airport project if the community has: (1) an unemployment rate 1 percent higher than the national average for the preceding 24 months; (2) a per capita income of 80 percent or less of the national average; or (3) a special need such as substantial population loss, underemployment, military base closures, major disasters or emergencies, extraordinary depletion of natural resources, closure or restructuring of industrial firms essential to the area economies, and destructive impacts of foreign trade.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S15986)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Excise Tax Reform and Simplification Act

Bill: 108-s-1962
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Agricultural machinery
Agriculture and Food
Aircraft
Alcohol tax
Alcoholic beverages
Alternative energy sources
Aviation fuels
Barges
Beer
Building materials
Business records
Commerce
Crime and Law Enforcement
Diesel motor
Energy
Environmental Protection
Equipment and supplies
Excise tax
Farmers
Fertilizers
Fines (Penalties)
Firearms
Fishing
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Forestry
Forfeiture
Gambling
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government trust funds
Helicopters
Housing and Community Development
Inland water transportation
Law
Liability for environmental damages
Manufacturing industries
Minorities
Native Americans
Natural gas vehicles
Oil pollution
Pest control
Pesticides
Petroleum storage
Pollution taxes
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Puerto Rico
Recycling of waste products
Refuse and refuse disposal
Retail trade
Ships
Sports and Recreation
Tax credits
Tax exemption
Tax rates
Tax refunds
Transportation and Public Works
Trucks
Virgin Islands
Wholesale trade
Wine

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Excise Tax Reform and Simplification Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (the Code) with respect to the following excise taxes: (1) highway excise taxes, including appropriating to the Highway Trust Fund the gas guzzler tax, and repealing the 4.3-cents-per-gallon General Fund excise tax on diesel fuel used in trains and fuels used in barges operating on the designated inland waterways system; (2) aquatic excise taxes, including establishing the Sport Fish Restoration Trust Fund to be funded by amounts from the Boat Safety Account, repealing the harbor maintenance tax on any exported commercial cargo, and limiting the tax on any fishing rod or pole to ten dollars; (3) aerial excise taxes, including exempting fixed-wing aircraft used for forestry purposes from the tax on air transportation, and exempting certain sightseeing flights from the tax on air transportation; (4) alcoholic beverage excise taxes, including repealing the special occupational taxes on producers and marketers of alcoholic beverages, and repealing the limitation on the cover over of tax to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on distilled spirits; and (5) sport excise taxes, including exempting from the firearms excise tax producers and importers of less than 50 firearms annually, and treating Indian tribal governments as States for purposes of Chapter 35 (Taxes on Wagering) of the Code.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Manufacturing Opportunities to Revitalize our Economy's JOBS Act

Bill: 108-s-1964
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Accounting
Affiliated corporations
Agricultural cooperatives
Agriculture and Food
Arts, Culture, Religion
Commerce
Computer software
Copyright
Cost accounting
Costs
Exports
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foreign corporations
Income tax
Intellectual property
Manufacturing industries
Minimum tax
Motion pictures
Partnerships
Payroll deductions
Science, Technology, Communications
Sound recording and reproducing
Tax deductions
Tax exclusion
Tax exemption
Tax rates
Taxation of foreign income
Trademarks
Trusts and trustees

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Manufacturing Opportunities to Revitalize our Economy's JOBS Act - MORE JOBS Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the exclusion from gross income of extraterritorial income (gross income attributable to foreign trading gross receipts).
 
Allows a deduction equal to nine percent of the qualified domestic production activities income, up to 50 percent of the W-2 wages paid by the employer for the taxable year.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S16006-16007)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Community Workforce Development and Modernization Partnership Act

Bill: 108-s-1965
Sponsor: Sen. Bayh, Evan [D-IN]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Apprenticeship
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Corporate reorganizations
Curricula
Dislocated workers
Economics and Public Finance
Employment agencies
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government and business
Government publicity
Grants-in-aid
Job hunting
Labor unions
Location of industries
Manufacturing industries
Nonprofit organizations
Performance measurement
Plant shutdowns
Science, Technology, Communications
Small business
Social Welfare
Technology transfer
Unemployment

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Community Workforce Development and Modernization Partnership Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make competitive matching grants to eligible consortia (partnerships) to: (1) help workers improve those job skills necessary for employment by businesses in the industry with respect to which the entity was established; (2) help dislocated workers find employment; and (3) upgrade the operating and competitive capacities of businesses that are members of the partnership.
Requires such partnerships to include: (1) two or more businesses (or nonprofit organizations representing businesses) that are facing similar workforce development or business modernization challenges; (2) labor organizations, if such businesses employ workers covered by collective bargaining agreements; and (3) one or more businesses (or nonprofit organizations representing businesses) with resources or expertise that bear on such workforce development and business modernization challenges. Allows inclusion of: (1) State and local governments; (2) educational institutions; (3) labor organizations; or (4) nonprofit organizations.
Requires priority consideration for partnerships that: (1) serve dislocated workers or workers threatened with becoming totally or partially separated from employment; (2) include businesses with fewer than 250 employees; or (3) are from a geographic region that has been adversely impacted by the movement of manufacturing operations or businesses to other regions or countries, due to corporate restructuring, technological advances, Federal law, international trade, or other factors. 
Sets forth partnership program requirements and authorized activities for workforce development and business modernization. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide technical assistance and seed grants to help establish such partnerships; and (2) undertake outreach and promotional activities for purposes of this Act.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S16007-16008)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate