hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-365
Sponsor: Sen. Coleman, Norm [R-MN]
Introduced: 2005-02-10 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Authorization
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Continuing education
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Health and Human Services
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Employee training
Executive Office of the President
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Higher education
Human rights
Labor and Employment
Law
Legal services
Medical education
Medical research
Mental health services
Rehabilitation of the disabled
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Torture
United Nations
United Nations finances
Victims of crimes

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: 
Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Amends the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations for: (1) domestic treatment centers for torture victims; (2) foreign treatment centers for torture victims; and (3) the U.S. contribution to the United Nations (UN) voluntary fund for torture victims.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1305)
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1305)
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-366
Sponsor: Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH]
Introduced: 2005-02-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Accident insurance
Civil actions and liability
Civil procedure
Commerce
Crime and Law Enforcement
Damages
Disability insurance
Disabled
Drug approvals
Drug industry
Evidence (Law)
Expert witnesses
Families
Federal preemption
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Gynecology
Health insurance
Labeling
Law
Legal fees
Liability (Law)
Limitation of actions
Medical malpractice
Medical personnel
Medical supplies
Minors
Obstetrics
Packaging
Physicians
Products liability
Profit
Punitive damages
Smallpox
Social Welfare
State laws
Vaccination
Vaccines
Valuation
Women
Women's health
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: 
Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act of 2005 - Sets forth provisions regulating lawsuits for health care liability claims related to the provision of obstetrical or gynecological goods or services.
 
Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions.
 
Provides that nothing in this Act limits recovery of the full amount of available economic damages. Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility.
 
Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Limits the fees to a decreasing percentage based on the increasing value of the amount awarded.
 
Prescribes qualifications for expert witnesses.
 
Requires the court to reduce damages received by the amount of collateral source benefits to which a claimant is entitled, unless the payor of such benefits has the right to reimbursement or subrogation under Federal or State law.
 
Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000.
 
 Prohibits a health care provider from being named as a party in a product liability or class action lawsuit for prescribing or dispensing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription drug or device. 
 
Provides for periodic payments of future damage awards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Pregnancy and Trauma Care Access Protection Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-367
Sponsor: Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH]
Introduced: 2005-02-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Accident insurance
Accreditation (Medical care)
Civil actions and liability
Civil procedure
Class actions (Civil procedure)
Collection of accounts
Commerce
Compensation (Law)
Conflict of interests
Crime and Law Enforcement
Damages
Drug approvals
Education
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Evidence (Law)
Expert witnesses
Federal preemption
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Gynecology
Health insurance
Higher education
Insurance premiums
Juries
Labeling
Labor and Employment
Law
Legal ethics
Legal fees
Liability (Law)
Licenses
Limitation of actions
Medical economics
Medical education
Medical malpractice
Medical personnel
Medical supplies
Obstetrics
Packaging
Physicians
Products liability
Punitive damages
Smallpox
State laws
Trauma care
Vaccination
Vaccines
Valuation
Women
Women's health
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: 
Pregnancy and Trauma Care Access Protection Act of 2005 - Sets forth provisions regulating lawsuits for health care liability claims related to the provision of obstetrical, gynecological, emergency, or trauma care goods or services.
 
Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions.
 
Provides that nothing in this Act limits recovery of the full amount of available economic damages. Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility.
 
Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Limits the fees to a decreasing percentage based on the increasing value of the amount awarded.
 
Prescribes qualifications for expert witnesses.
 
Requires the court to reduce damages received by the amount of collateral source benefits to which a claimant is entitled, unless the payor of such benefits has the right to reimbursement or subrogation under Federal or State law.
 
Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000.
 
 Prohibits a health care provider from being named as a party in a product liability or class action lawsuit for prescribing or dispensing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription drug or device. 
 
Provides for periodic payments of future damage awards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Responsible Education About Life Act

Bill: 109-s-368
Sponsor: Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2005-02-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: AIDS (Disease)
Alcohol and youth
Career education
Child development
Child health
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Contraceptives
Drug abuse
Drugs and youth
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Evaluation research (Social action programs)
Families
Federal aid to health facilities
Finance and Financial Sector
Health education
Human immunodeficiency viruses
Job hunting
Labor and Employment
Marriage
Minorities
Multicultural education
Parent and child
Personal budgets
Premarital sex
Preventive medicine
Sex education
Sexual abstinence
Sexual orientation
Sexually transmitted diseases
Social Welfare
Teenage pregnancy

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: 
Responsible Education About Life Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that States are encouraged but not required to provide matching funds. 
Requires the Secretary to provide for a national evaluation of a representative sample of such programs for effectiveness in changing adolescent sexual behavior, including delaying sexual and high-risk activity, preventing pregnancy and disease (including HIV/AIDS), and increasing contraceptive knowledge. Requires States receiving such grants to provide for an individual evaluation of the State's program by an external, independent entity.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1306-1307)
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1305-1306)
action_date: 2005-02-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Free Speech Protection Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-369
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2005-02-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Broadcast journalism
Confidential communications
Crime and Law Enforcement
Evidence (Law)
Freedom of the press
Government Operations and Politics
Law
Periodicals
Photography
Press organizations
Reporters and reporting
Science, Technology, Communications
Subpoena
Video tape recording

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: 
Free Speech Protection Act of 2005 - Prohibits judicial, legislative, or executive branch entities of the Federal Government with the power to issue subpoenas or provide other compulsory process from compelling any person who engages in news or information gathering for dissemination to the public (covered person) through the news media to disclose: (1) the source of news or information, or any information that would tend to identify the source, whether or not the source has been promised confidentiality; or (2) any news or information procurred while providing services to the news media that is not itself communicated to the news media. Extends this protection to supervisors, employers, or other persons assisting a covered person.
 
Renders inadmissible in any Federal action, proceeding, or hearing news or information obtained in violation of this Act.
 
Creates an exception from the prohibition on compelled disclosure for news or information not communicated to the news media if a court finds that the requesting party has established by clear and convincing evidence that: (1) disclosure is critical and necessary to the resolution of a significant legal issue; (2) the news or information could not be obtained by alternative means; and (3) there is an overriding public interest in disclosure.
 
States that publication by the news media, or dissemination by a person while providing services for the news media, of a source of news or information shall not constitute a waiver of the protections provided by this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: Introduced in Senate
National Right-to-Work Act

Bill: 109-s-370
Sponsor: Sen. Lott, Trent [R-MS]
Introduced: 2005-02-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Commerce
Construction industries
Construction workers
Employee rights
Labor unions
Payroll deductions
Railroad employees
Railroads
Transportation and Public Works
Unfair labor practices
Union dues
Union security

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: 
National Right-to-Work Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to repeal those provisions that permit employers, pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that is a union security agreement, to require employees to join a union as a condition of employment (including provisions permitting railroad carriers to require, pursuant to such an agreement, payroll deduction of union dues or fees as a condition of employment). 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Artist-Museum Partnership Act

Bill: 109-s-372
Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Introduced: 2005-02-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Art
Artists
Arts, Culture, Religion
Authors and authorship
Charitable contributions
Copyright
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Income tax
Intellectual property
Literature
Music
Tax deductions
Tax returns
Valuation

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: 
 
Artist-Museum Partnership Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers who create literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly compositions or similar property a fair market value (determined at the time of contribution) tax deduction for contributions of such properties, the copyrights thereon, or both, to certain tax-exempt organizations, if such properties are properly appraised and are donated no sooner than 18 months after their creation. Limits the amount of such deduction based upon the donor's artistic adjusted gross income, as defined by this Act.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1347)
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1346-1347)
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Renewable Hydrogen Passenger Vehicle Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-373
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2005-02-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alcohol as fuel
Alternative energy sources
Energy research
Environmental Protection
Fuel cells
Fuel consumption
Hydrogen
Motor vehicle pollution control
Motor vehicles
Research and development
Science, Technology, Communications
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: 
Renewable Hydrogen Passenger Vehicle Act of 2005 - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, to conduct a three-year program to develop and demonstrate the cost-effective operation of a fleet of at least ten direct hydrogen passenger vehicles based on existing commercial technology under which the hydrogen is derived from ethanol or other domestic low-cost transportable renewable feedstocks. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1348-1349)
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1347-1348)
action_date: 2005-02-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Flu Protection Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-375
Sponsor: Sen. Bayh, Evan [D-IN]
Introduced: 2005-02-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Child health
Commerce
Communication in medicine
Drug industry
Drugs
Education
Electronic government information
Epidemics
Epidemiology
Families
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Health education
Health planning
Health surveys
Higher education
Income tax
Influenza
International Affairs
International cooperation
Internet
Investment tax credit
Medical education
Medical personnel
Medical research
Medical statistics
Medicare
Nurses
Pharmaceutical research
Pharmacists
Physicians
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Taxation
Vaccination
Vaccines
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: 
Flu Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct, annually, a public influenza awareness campaign and education and outreach efforts preceding the flu season. 
 
Requires the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to urge early and full preordering of the influenza vaccine by Medicare providers.
 
Requires the Director to: (1) work with the Administrator to publish influenza immunization rates among Medicare recipients; (2) support the development of State adult immunization programs that emphasize improving influenza vaccine delivery to high-risk populations and the general population; and (3) work with appropriate agencies to assess the efficacy of the influenza vaccine.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a vaccine manufacturing facilities investment tax credit (20 percent of qualifying property per year) for property placed in service by December 31, 2009.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) enter into contracts with manufacturers to produce additional necessary doses of the influenza vaccine; and (2) encourage States to develop a contingency plan for maximizing influenza immunization for high-risk populations in the event of a delay or shortage of the vaccine.
 
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Vaccine Program, to establish a protocol to prevent, prepare for, and respond to an influenza pandemic or epidemic.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1415)
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Fair Currency Enforcement Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-377
Sponsor: Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2005-02-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Balance of payments
Budget deficits
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Dispute settlement
East Asia
Economics and Public Finance
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign exchange
Foreign trade promotion
Free trade
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Interest rates
International Affairs
International agencies
International competitiveness
International cooperation
International monetary system
Manufacturing industries
Negotiations
Nontariff trade barriers
President and foreign policy
Public debt
Restrictive trade practices
Trade agreements
Trade negotiations

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: 
Fair Currency Enforcement Act of 2005 - Directs the President to: (1) begin bilateral and multilateral negotiations for a 90-day period with those governments of nations determined to be engaged most egregiously in currency manipulation; (2) seek a prompt and orderly end to such currency manipulation; and (3) ensure that the currencies of these countries are freely traded on international currency markets, or are established at a level that reflects a more appropriate and accurate market value.
 
Requires the International Trade Commission (ITC), during the 90-day negotiation period, to study and report to the President, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the Secretary of the Treasury, and the appropriate congressional committees on currency manipulation by trading countries to increase their exports to the United States and limit their imports of U.S. products.
 
Directs the President, at the end of the negotiation period, if agreements are not reached to end currency manipulation promptly, to: (1) institute proceedings under the relevant U.S. and international trade law with respect to those countries that, based on the ITC findings, continue to engage in the most egregious currency manipulation; and (2) seek appropriate damages and remedies for the Nation's manufacturers and other affected parties.
 
Requires reports to the appropriate congressional committees on: (1) the effects on U.S. national security of countries engaging in significant currency manipulations, as well as the effect of such manipulation on critical manufacturing sectors; (2) other trade practices and trade barriers by major East Asian trading nations (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, among others) potentially in violation of international trade agreements; and (3) steps that could be taken to significantly improve trade enforcement efforts against unfair trade practices by competitor trading nations, and trade promotion for U.S. goods and services.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1417-1418)
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1417)
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to build capacity at community colleges in order to meet increased demand for community college education while maintaining the affordable tuition rates and the open-door policy that are the hallmarks of the community college system.

Bill: 109-s-379
Sponsor: Sen. Mikulski, Barbara A. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2005-02-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Arts, Culture, Religion
Books
Building construction
Commerce
Community and school
Community colleges
Computers
Construction costs
Continuing education
Curricula
Economics and Public Finance
Educational technology
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Higher education
Labor and Employment
Labor supply
Laboratories
Maintenance and repair
Periodicals
Recruiting of employees
School buildings
School libraries
Science, Technology, Communications
Teacher education
Teacher supply and demand
Teaching materials

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: 
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a community college capacity-building grant program.
 
Directs the Secretary of Education to award such grants, on a competitive basis, to individual community colleges or consortia of community colleges to meet capacity challenges.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1420)
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1419-1420)
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Introduced in Senate