hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
A bill to require a report on the detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Bill: 108-s-1966
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Afghanistan
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Cuba
Detention of persons
International Affairs
International law
Latin America
Military bases
Prisoners of war
South Asia
Suspects' rights
Terrorism
Treaties

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the status of each detainee held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including whether or not: (1) the process utilized to determine the status of the detainee complies with international law and U.S. law; and (2) the U.S. Government intends to charge or release the detainee.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S16008-16010)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Interest on Business Checking Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1967
Sponsor: Sen. Hagel, Chuck [R-NE]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Bank accounts
Bank deposits
Checks
Commerce
Electronic funds transfers
Federal Reserve System
Interest
Interest rates
Law
NOW accounts
Trusts and trustees

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Interest on Business Checking Act of 2003 - Amends Federal law to authorize interest-bearing transaction accounts for all businesses, permitting up to 24 transfers per month to another account of the owner in the same institution (or any greater number the Federal Reserve Board may determine).
 
Amends the Federal Reserve Act, the Home Owners' Loan Act, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to repeal the proscription on the payment of interest on demand deposits. 
 
Requires a joint rulemaking by the Secretary of the Treasury and the Federal banking agencies authorizing the payment of interest and dividends on transaction accounts at depository institutions under their respective jurisdictions.
 
Amends the Federal Reserve Act to authorize the payment of interest at least quarterly by a Federal reserve bank on reserves maintained there on behalf of a depository institution.
 
Revises the ratio of reserves a depository institution must maintain against its transaction accounts, permitting a ratio of zero.
 
States that where escrow accounts are maintained at a depository institution for completion of a real estate settlement transaction specified expense-taking or fee-waiving activities shall not be treated as the payment or receipt of interest for purposes relating to the payment of interest on accounts or deposits maintained at depository institutions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S16010-16011)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Financial Literacy in Higher Education Act

Bill: 108-s-1968
Sponsor: Sen. Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Business education
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer credit
Consumer education
Counseling
Curricula
Debtor and creditor
Economic theory
Economics and Public Finance
Educational innovations
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial planning
Governmental investigations
Higher education
Minorities
Minority education
Performance measurement
Personal budgets
Saving and investment
Students

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Financial Literacy in Higher Education Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to direct the Secretary of Education, in carrying out HEA activities related to improving financial and economic literacy, education, and counseling, to emphasize, among other elements, basic personal income and household money management and financial planning skills, and basic economic decision making skills, including specified skills.
 
Directs the Secretary to coordinate such financial and economic literacy activities with related efforts of a Federal commission composed of members from specified Federal agencies.
 
Revises various HEA provisions relating to minority-serving institutions and to student assistance to include requirements for: (1) educational or counseling services to improve the financial and economic literacy of students and their parents; and (2) personal finance courses and skills. 
 
Directs the Secretary to establish a HEA pilot program to enable institutions of higher education (IHEs) to provide annual personal finance counseling for their students. Requires: (1) award of a total of five grants to five different IHEs located in geographically different parts of the United States; and (2) at least two of such grantees to be minority-serving IHEs.
 
Directs the Comptroller General to evaluate and report to specified congressional committees on the range and effectiveness of financial and economic education and financial aid counseling activities of IHEs, lenders, servicers, and guaranty agencies as emphasized by the Secretary.


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 S16011-16013)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S16011)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Agricultural Adjustment Act to add pears and cherries to the list of fruits and vegetables subject to regulation in a marketing order by grade, size, quality, or maturity, and for other purposes.

Bill: 108-s-1969
Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agriculture in foreign trade
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Fruit
Import restrictions
Marketing of farm produce
Marketing orders

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act, as reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement of 1937, to include pears and cherries within the category of fruits and vegetables for which imports must meet marketing order size, grade, quality, and maturity requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Bankruptcy Fairness Act

Bill: 108-s-1970
Sponsor: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bankruptcy
Civil actions and liability
Claims
Commerce
Corporation directors
Executive compensation
Health
Labor and Employment
Law
Retiree health benefits
Salaries
Severance pay
Wages

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Bankruptcy Fairness Act - Amends Federal bankruptcy law to increase from $4650 to $15,000 the aggregate amount of a claim to recover employee wages and benefits that has priority ranking among unsecured creditor claims. 
 
Authorizes the bankruptcy court to avoid any transfer of compensation made to debtor's personnel or a member of its board of directors 90 days before the date of the filing of the bankruptcy petition if the court finds the transfer to be either out of the ordinary course of business, or unjust enrichment.
 
Revises guidelines governing payment of insurance benefits accrued by retirees to provide that: (1) a retiree whose benefits have been modified during the bankruptcy process shall have a claim for the value of the benefits lost as a result of such modification; and (2) the debtor shall pay such retiree the cost of 18 months of insurance premiums on behalf of the retiree and dependents.
 
Expands the prerequisites for confirmation of a bankruptcy reorganization plan to require that the holder of such retiree insurance claim receive from the debtor, on the effective date of the plan, cash equal to the cost of 18 months of the retiree's insurance premiums.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S16014-16015)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business State Mandated Health Insurance Assistance Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1972
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Commerce
Corporation taxes
Employee health benefits
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Health
Income tax
Labor and Employment
Minimum tax
Small business
Tax administration
Tax credits

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Small Business State Mandated Health Insurance Assistance Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish, in the case of a qualified small employer, a limited employee health insurance expenses credit.


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 S16022)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Wireless 411 Privacy Act

Bill: 108-s-1973
Sponsor: Sen. DeWine, Mike [R-OH]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Affiliated corporations
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Consumer education
Consumer protection
Contracts
Data banks
Directories
Fees
Identification devices
Right of privacy
Telecommunication industry
Wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Wireless 411 Privacy Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit a provider of commercial mobile services, or any affiliate or agent of such provider (provider), from including the wireless telephone number of any current subscriber in any wireless directory assistance service (WDAS) database unless the provider: (1) provides a conspicuous, separate notice to the subscriber of the right not be listed in any WDAS; and (2) obtains express prior listing authorization from such subscriber, and that authorization has not been withdrawn.
 
Allows a provider to include the wireless telephone information of any new subscriber in a WDAS only if the provider provides: (1) a conspicuous, separate notice to the subscriber, at the time of entering into a service agreement and at least once a year thereafter, of the right not to be listed in any WDAS; and (2) the subscriber with convenient mechanisms to decline or refuse to participate in any WDAS.
 
Allows a provider to connect a calling party from a WDAS to a commercial mobile service subscriber only if: (1) the subscriber is provided prior notice of the calling party's identity and is permitted to accept or reject each call; (2) the subscriber's wireless telephone number information is not disclosed to the calling party; and (3) the subscriber is not an unlisted commercial mobile service subscriber.
 
Prohibits a provider from charging a subscriber for the exercise of any rights under this Act.


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 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to deny a deduction for securities-related fines, penalties, and other amounts, and to provide that revenues resulting from such denial be transferred to Fair Funds for the relief of victims.

Bill: 108-s-1975
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Compensation for victims of crime
Crime and Law Enforcement
Economics and Public Finance
Fines (Penalties)
Government trust funds
Income tax
Securities fraud
Tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue code to prohibit the deduction of any fine or similar penalty paid to a government for the violation of any law.
 
Sets forth a special rule prohibiting the deduction of securities-related fines and penalties. Appropriates to Securities and Exchange Commission amounts determined to be equivalent to the increases in Federal revenues by reason of such fines and penalties and requires the Commission to transfer such amounts to any disgorgement fund for the benefit of the victims of the violations which resulted in such securities-related fines and penalties.


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 S16023-16024)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Children's Health Equity Technical Amendments Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1976
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Economics and Public Finance
Families
Federal aid to child health services
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Health insurance
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Medicaid
Medically uninsured
Poor children
Social Welfare
Welfare eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Children's Health Equity Technical Amendments Act of 2003 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to permit qualifying States to use a portion of their SCHIP allotment for any fiscal year for certain Medicaid expenditures.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR 16025)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S16024-16025)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
SMART Act

Bill: 108-s-1977
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Counseling
Debtor and creditor
Department of Commerce
Entrepreneurs
Executive reorganization
Export finance
Exports
Federal advisory bodies
Federal officials
Federally-assisted loans
Federally-guaranteed loans
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Labor and Employment
Manufacturing industries
Planning
Science, Technology, Communications
Small Business Administration
Small business
Surety and fidelity
Technology transfer

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Small Manufacturers Assistance, Recovery, and Trade Act or SMART Act - Establishes in the Department of Commerce the position of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing to: (1) identify and address the concerns of U.S. manufacturers; (2) develop policies that promote the viability and expansion of U.S. manufacturing; (3) review policies that adversely impact manufacturers; and (4) identify and address issues unique to small manufacturers and those that are exacerbated by the size or limited capital of small manufacturers.
 
Establishes an Interagency Manufacturing Task Force to maximize, improve, and coordinate Federal agency resources in assisting the manufacturing industry.
 
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to establish the position of Assistant United States Trade Representative for Small Business.
 
Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a Small Business Manufacturing Task Force to evaluate and identify whether SBA programs and services are sufficient to serve the needs of small manufacturers.
 
Requires the SBA Office of Entrepreneurial Development to develop: (1) new outreach and training programs for small manufacturers and small businesses in the manufacturing supply chain; (2) manufacturing workshops; and (3) programs and services to strengthen small business vendors and suppliers in the manufacturing supply chain.
 
Amends the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to include small business manufacturing within the SBA loan and international trade programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. (text of measure as introduced: CR S16027-16029)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S16025-16027)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Fuel Fraud Prevention Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1979
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2003-11-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Automobile theft
Aviation fuels
Business records
Commerce
Commercial aircraft
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
Department of the Treasury
Diesel motor
Dyes and dyeing
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic data interchange
Electronic government information
Energy
Energy transportation
Environmental Protection
Excise tax
Federal aid to transportation
Fines (Penalties)
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Fraud
Free ports and zones
Freight
Gasoline
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government trust funds
Highway finance
Identification devices
Imports
Petroleum pipelines
Petroleum refineries
Petroleum storage
Pollution taxes
Science, Technology, Communications
Searches and seizures
Sentences (Criminal procedure)
Ships
Tankers
Tax administration
Tax evasion
Tax penalties
Tax rates
Tax refunds
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: 
Fuel Fraud Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code concerning collecting taxes on and providing for the accountability of fuel, including: (1) providing for the taxation of aviation fuel upon its removal from any refinery or terminal, entry into the United States, and upon its sale; (2) establishing penalties for tampering with a mechanical dye injection system used to indelibly dye fuel and operators of such systems failing to maintain security standards to be established; (3) making fuel tax records available to Federal Department of Transportation; (4) granting the Secretary of the Treasury authority to inspect any books and records and shipping papers pertaining to fuel at any production or storage site; (5) expanding registration and reporting requirements with respect to those handling fuel; (6) taxing unregistered importers at point of entry; and (7) dedicating certain penalties to the Highway Trust Fund.


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 S16030)
action_date: 2003-11-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-1980
Sponsor: Sen. Graham, Bob [D-FL]
Introduced: 2003-12-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Auditing
Authorization
Computer security measures
Computer software
Crime and Law Enforcement
Directories
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Election fraud
Equipment and supplies
Federal Election Commission
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid programs
Fraud
Government contractors
Government paperwork
Independent regulatory commissions
Law
Science, Technology, Communications
Security measures
Standards
Voter registration
Voting
Voting machines

Summary:
action_date: 2003-12-09
text: 
Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to provide for an extension of time for States to request payments for activities to improve administration of elections and for replacement of punch card or lever voting machines.
 
Repeals the exemption of the Election Assistance Commission from certain Government contracting requirements (thus requiring the Commission to advertise for proposals for purchases and contracts for supplies or services).
 
Revises audit capacity requirements to require the voting system to produce a voter-verified paper record suitable for a manual audit equivalent or superior to that of a paper ballot box system.
 
Requires the voting system to provide a mechanism for voter-verification of results with respect to individuals with disabilities which separates the function of vote generation from the function of vote casting, but does not require the use of paper. Requires instruction of election officials in the rights of the disabled to vote with the assistance of an aide of their selection under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Requires the Commission to study and develop best practices to enhance accessibility and voter-verification mechanisms for disabled voters.
 
Accelerates the deadline for compliance with voting systems standards from January 1, 2006, to the regularly scheduled November 2004 general Federal election.
 
Requires each State and jurisdiction unable to meet such deadline to receive a paper voting system at Commission expense that shall be deemed compliant with such standards for use in the November 2004 general election.
 
Requires Federal certification of technological security of voter registration lists.
 
Directs the Commission to: (1) conduct manual mandatory surprise recounts of the voter-verified records of each election for Federal office (and, at State or local option, of elections for State and local office) in .5 percent of the jurisdictions in each State and .5 percent of the overseas jurisdictions in which voter-verified records are preserved in accordance with this Act immediately following each general election for Federal office; and (2) promptly publish the results of those recounts. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-12-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
action_date: 2003-12-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S16122)
action_date: 2003-12-09
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Constitution Heritage Act of 1988 to provide for the operation of the National Constitution Center.

Bill: 108-s-1981
Sponsor: Sen. Santorum, Rick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2003-12-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Civics education
Government Operations and Politics
Pennsylvania
Research centers

Summary:
action_date: 2003-12-09
text: 
Amends the Constitution Heritage Act of 1988 to set forth requirements for cooperative agreements between the Secretary of the Interior and the National Constitution Center for the operation of the Center, including a requirement that revenues from the operation of the Center be made available to the Center (without further appropriation) to offset its operating expenses, and requirements that the Center: (1) maintain appropriate risk insurance; (2) maintain its tax-exempt status; and (3) report annually to the Secretary or Congress on its activities, goals and plans. Authorizes the Secretary to terminate a cooperative agreement in the public interest. 
 
Exempts agreements, leases, contracts or other arrangements entered into under this Act from certain requirements for leases of buildings by the Federal Government and for the award of concession contracts in units of the National Park System.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-12-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2003-12-09
text: Introduced in Senate