hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act

Bill: 109-s-2441
Sponsor: Sen. Obama, Barack [D-IL]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Charter schools
Collective bargaining
Community and school
Continuing education
Data banks
Disabled
Dropouts
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Educational innovations
Educational tests
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Higher education
Identification devices
Labor and Employment
Labor unions
Mathematics
Mentoring
Minorities
Minority education
Nonprofit organizations
Rating of teachers
Reading
Recruiting of employees
Scholarships
School administration
School districts
School personnel
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific education
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Special education
Student records
Teacher education
Teacher salaries
Teacher supply and demand
Teachers

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 
Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to 10 urban and 10 non-urban local educational agencies (LEAs) for the creation of innovation districts. 
 
Requires the LEAs to: (1) establish tests and longitudinal data systems to track the academic progress of each elementary and secondary school student and use such performance measures in evaluating and awarding school personnel and programs; (2) work with teacher representatives and other community partners to attain the administrative flexibility to staff more equitably all agency schools with effective personnel; (3) evaluate and award effective teachers on the basis of student progress and observations of teacher performance; (4) provide grants to recent college graduates and mid-career professionals to attend LEA-established Teacher Academies which provide classroom mentoring and concurrent teacher education from partner institutions in exchange for three years of service in hard-to-staff schools; (5) establish career ladders allowing teachers to progress from novice to master with a concomitant increase in compensation and responsibility for the development of fellow teachers; and (6) plan for the recruitment, training, and evaluation of school principals who are to serve as instructional leaders in the schools and hold significant responsiblity for teacher hiring and placement.
 
Allows the LEAs to support new schools or networks of public schools, serving predominantly disadvantaged students, which are sponsored by universities, education management organizations, or nonprofit organizations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2334-2335)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Safe Foreign Investments Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2442
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Corporate mergers
Dubai Ports World aftermath legislation
Foreign corporations
Foreign investments
Government Operations and Politics
Government ownership
Governmental investigations
Infrastructure
Infrastructure (Economics)
International Affairs
President and foreign policy

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 
Safe Foreign Investments Act of 2006 - Amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to direct the President or his designee, no later than seven days before the completion of an investigation of a proposed or pending merger, acquisition, or takeover (transaction) that could affect persons engaged in commerce in the United States or the national security, and before any such determination becomes effective, to submit to the congressional homeland security committees a draft report of its findings.
 
Requires mandatory investigations of a transaction involving an entity controlled by or acting on behalf of a foreign person other than a foreign government only in the case in which the transaction involves critical infrastructure and could affect U.S. national security.
 
States that the President's designee, for purposes of such investigations, shall be the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2335)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Separate Enrollment and Line Item Veto Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2443
Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Appropriations
Authorization
Budget deficits
Congressional budget
Congressional conference committees
Congressional voting
Economics and Public Finance
Government Operations and Politics
House rules and procedure
Income tax
Injunctions
Item veto
Judicial review
Law
Legislation
Senate rules and procedure
Tax expenditures
Taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 
Separate Enrollment and Line Item Veto Act of 2006 - Prohibits the congressional appropriations committees from reporting any appropriations measure that fails to contain the same level of detail on the allocation of a proposed item of appropriations set forth in the accompanying committee report.
 
Prohibits any congressional committee from reporting an authorization measure that contains new direct spending or a new targeted tax benefit unless it presents each as a separate item, and the accompanying committee report contains a level of detail clearly indentifying its allocation.
 
Prohibits a conference committee from filing a conference report that fails to contain the level of detail and the separate itemization of each direct spending or targeted tax benefit required by this Act.
 
Makes it out of order in the House to consider any measure reported or presented in violation of this Act.
 
Provides for separate enrollment of each item of every appropriation and authorization measure containing new direct spending or new targeted tax benefits passed by Congress in the same form.
 
Requires amounts of budget authority, new direct spending, and revenues represented by a new targeted tax benefit contained in an Act that is vetoed (and not overridden by Congress) to be dedicated only to deficit reduction, and not to be used as an offset for other spending increases.
 
Requires adjustments to congressional committee allocations resulting from such a veto.
 
Provides for expedited judicial review of this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2335-2336)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2444
Sponsor: Sen. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Dams
Department of Homeland Security
Economics and Public Finance
Energy
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal aid to water resources development
Government Operations and Politics
Infrastructure
Law
Maintenance and repair
Safety measures

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 
Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2006 - Amends the National Dam Safety Program Act to require the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a program to provide grants to states for use in rehabilitating publicly-owned dams that fail to meet minimum safety standards and pose an unacceptable risk to the public (deficient dams).
 
Sets forth provisions regarding procedures for grant awards and fund allocation. Requires the Director to develop a risk-based priority system for identifying deficient dams for which such grants may be provided. Limits the federal share of rehabilitation costs to 65%.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced:  CR S2336-2337)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2336)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to permit certain school districts in Illinois to be reconstituted for purposes of determining assistance under the Impact Aid program.

Bill: 109-s-2445
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Illinois
Impact aid
School districts
Secondary education
Special education

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 
Considers five specified Illinois school districts to be local educational agencies (LEAs) for purposes of the Impact Aid program, which compensates LEAs for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their school districts.
 
Considers federally connected students in such districts to be attending schools in one such district, North Chicago Community Unit School District 187, for the purpose of making that district eligible for Impact Aid. Conditions such treatment on the agreement of the five school districts to apportion such assistance equitably among all five of them, and to use it only for direct educational services.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced:  CR S2337)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to redesignate the White Rocks National Recreation Area in the State of Vermont as the "Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area".

Bill: 109-s-2447
Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Commemorations
Congress
Congressional tributes
Ex-Members of Congress
Names
National recreation areas
Senate
Vermont

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 
Redesignates the White Rocks National Recreation Area in Vermont as the &quot;Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area&quot;.

action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 

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

 
Redesignates the White Rocks National Recreation Area in Vermont as the &quot;Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area&quot;.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-31
text: Executive Comment Requested from USDA.
action_date: 2006-03-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks.
action_date: 2006-03-28
text: Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
action_date: 2006-03-28
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2006-03-17
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2387-2388; text as passed Senate: CR S2388)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S2387-2388; text as passed Senate: CR S2388)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Mine Safety Enforcement, Reporting, and Training Act

Bill: 109-s-2448
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Authorization
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Economics and Public Finance
Employers' liability
Federal-state relations
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Grants-in-aid
Law
Mine safety
State laws
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 
Mine Safety Enforcement, Reporting, and Training Act - Amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to require a minimum $500 penalty for a violation of the Act.
 

 
Requires an operator of a mine to promptly pay a civil penalty owed under this Act before contesting the penalty before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission or appealing the decision to the appropriate court.
 
Directs the Secretary of Labor to submit an annual report to Congress detailing fines assessed and collected. Authorizes increased appropriations for assistance to states under such Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced:  CR S2338)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2337-2338)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to reduce the age for receipt of military retired pay for nonregular service from 60 years of age to 55 years of age.

Bill: 109-s-2449
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Labor and Employment
Military pensions

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Reduces from 60 to 55 the minimum age for the receipt of military retired pay for non-regular service.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. (text of measure as introduced:  CR S2338)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2338)
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Hurricane Rita Relief Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2451
Sponsor: Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Alabama
Charitable contributions
College costs
Commemorations
Commerce
Debt
Depreciation and amortization
Disaster relief
Displaced persons
Education
Emergency Management
Emergency housing
Environmental Protection
Finance and Financial Sector
Hazardous wastes
Higher education
Historic sites
History
Household moving
Housing and Community Development
Housing finance
Housing subsidies
Hurricane aftermath legislation
Hurricanes
Income tax
Loans
Losses
Louisiana
Minimum tax
Mississippi
Refuse and refuse disposal
Residential rehabilitation
Social Welfare
Tax credits
Tax deductions
Tax exclusion
Tax exemption
Texas
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs
Volunteer workers

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 
Hurricane Rita Relief Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) include Hurricane Rita employees (employees residing and working in the Rita GO Zone on September 23, 2005) as members of a targeted group for purposes of the work opportunity tax credit; (2) allow an additional tax exemption of $500 for providing housing to an individual displaced by Hurricane Rita; (3) exclude from the gross income of volunteer workers automobile mileage reimbursements related to Hurricane Rita relief work; (4) exclude from the gross income of individuals residing in a Hurricane Rita GO Zone certain cancellations of personal indebtedness; and (5) qualify residents in areas affected by Hurricane Rita for housing and education tax credits and other tax benefits currently available to hurricane victims in the Gulf Opportunity Zone. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Dignity for Military Funerals Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2452
Sponsor: Sen. Bayh, Evan [D-IN]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Cemeteries and funerals
Crime and Law Enforcement
Law
Licenses
Picketing
Public demonstrations

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 
Dignity for Military Funerals Act of 2006 - Prohibits states or local governments from issuing permits for picketing during the funeral of a member or former member of the Armed Forces.

Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit persons from picketing at the funeral of a member or former member of the Armed Forces. Imposes a fine and/or imprisonment of up to five years.
 
Defines &quot;picketing&quot; as protest activities within 300 feet of a cemetery, mortuary, or church from one hour before to one hour after a funeral of a member of the Armed Forces. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to suspend temporarily the duty on Crotonaldehyde.

Bill: 109-s-2456
Sponsor: Sen. Pryor, Mark L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2006-03-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Chemicals
Tariff

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: 
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend, through December 31, 2009, the duty on Crotonaldehyde.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Health Insurance Relief Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2457
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2006-03-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Commerce
Cost of living adjustments
Day care
Department of the Treasury
Economics and Public Finance
Employee health benefits
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Flexible benefit plans
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Grants-in-aid
Health
Health insurance
Income tax
Indexing (Economic policy)
Insurance companies
Insurance premiums
Labor and Employment
Law
Licenses
Long-term care insurance
Medical savings accounts
Self-employed
Small Business Administration
Small business
Tax credits
Tax deductions
Tax exclusion

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: 
Small Business Health Insurance Relief Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) certain small employers a tax credit for contributions for employee health insurance coverage and to employee health savings accounts; (2) small businesses to establish simple cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements to provide employees with nontaxable health care benefits; (3) certain insurance companies a tax deduction for up to 50% of claims incurred for health insurance related to small group coverage and small business health plans; and (4) health insurers a tax credit for state licensing costs. 

Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish a pilot program to provide small businesses with information on health insurance options.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2418-2422)
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2417-2418)
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Kick Start to College Act

Bill: 109-s-2458
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
Introduced: 2006-03-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: College costs
Education
Education savings accounts
Higher education
Income tax
Tax credits

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: 
Kick Start to College Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow parents a tax credit for contributions to a qualified higher education subaccount established under a Coverdell education savings account to pay their childrens' higher education expenses.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to permit access to certain information in the Firearms Trace System database.

Bill: 109-s-2460
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2006-03-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Criminal justice information
Data banks
Firearms
Freedom of information
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: 
Amends the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 2006 to repeal restrictions on disclosure of the content of the Firearms Trace System database.
 
 Directs the Attorney General to provide public access to the Crime Gun Trace Report from the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative, which is generated using information in such System.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2423)
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2422-2423)
action_date: 2006-03-27
text: Introduced in Senate
South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2461
Sponsor: Sen. Santorum, Rick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2006-03-28 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: American investments
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Central Asia
Developing countries
Economic assistance
Europe
Export finance
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Georgia (Republic)
Infrastructure
Investment guaranty insurance
Middle East and North Africa
Railroad engineering
Railroads
Sanctions (International law)
Transportation and Public Works
Turkey

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-28
text: 
South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2006 - Prohibits U.S. assistance to develop or promote rail connections or railway-related connections that do not traverse or connect with Armenia, and do traverse or connect Baku, Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, Georgia; and Kars, Turkey. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2006-03-28
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Tax Flexibility Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2462
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2006-03-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Commerce
Income tax
Losses
Partnerships
Profit
Small business
Tax administration
Tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-28
text: 
Small Business Tax Flexibility Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit certain small start-up businesses to elect a taxable year, other than the required taxable year, which ends on the last day of any of the months of April through November (or at the end of an equivalent annual period).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2470)
action_date: 2006-03-28
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2469-2470)
action_date: 2006-03-28
text: Introduced in Senate