hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
To amend title 49, United States Code, to permit certain revenues of private vanpool contractors received from providing public transportation to be used for the purpose of acquiring rolling stock that is not funded, in part, by Federal, State, or local government assistance, and to permit certain expenditures of private vanpool contractors to be credited toward the local matching share of the costs of public transportation projects.

Bill: 109-hr-5908
Sponsor: Rep. Rogers, Mike J. [R-MI-8]
Introduced: 2006-07-26 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Car pools
Commuting
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to transportation
Federal-local relations
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Mass rapid transit

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: 
Amends federal transportation law to allow the local matching share provided by a recipient of federal assistance for a capital project to include amounts expended by a private vanpool contractor of the recipient to acquire rolling stock used by the contractor to provide turnkey public transportation. Allows such contractor to use revenues received in providing public transportation that are in excess of the operating costs of the contractor to acquire such stock.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
Haley's Act

Bill: 109-hr-5909
Sponsor: Rep. Ryun, Jim [R-KS-2]
Introduced: 2006-07-26 in the House
Policy area: Animals
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Arts, Culture, Religion
Cats
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Agriculture
Exhibitions
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Human-animal relationships
Laboratory animals
Law
Licenses
Lions
Protection of animals
Safety measures
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
Tigers

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: 
Haley's Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to: (1) define the term &quot;big cat&quot; to mean any live species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species; (2) allow the Secretary of Agriculture to deny or revoke licenses to animal dealers and exhibitors based on recommendations from state or local officials with jurisdiction over captive wildlife; (3) require the Secretary to include in standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals by dealers, research facilities, and exhibitors a minimum requirement to provide for public safety; (4) increase civil and criminal penalties for violations of such Act; (5) prohibit a licensed exhibitor or dealer from allowing direct contact between a big cat and a member of the public, with an exception for zoos; and (6) prohibit the Secretary from granting a license to a dealer or exhibitor of a big cat until the Secretary has issued regulations to implement this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-08-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture .
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
Eradication of Slavery in Sudan Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-5911
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Introduced: 2006-07-26 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Africa (Sub-Saharan)
Arts, Culture, Religion
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Crime and Law Enforcement
Cultural relations
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Families
Family services
Federal advisory bodies
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Health
Human rights
Labor and Employment
Mental health services
Nongovernmental organizations
Prosecution
Sanctions (International law)
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific exchanges
Slavery
Social Welfare
Sudan
Victims of crimes

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: 
Eradication of Slavery in Sudan Act of 2006 - Establishes the United States Commission to Monitor Slavery and its Eradication in Sudan, which shall have as its primary responsibility: (1) reporting on progress made by the government of Sudan and nongovernmental organizations in identifying the location of slaves in Sudan and ensuring their freedom; (2) working with the government of Sudan to ensure safe passage of freed slaves and family reunification; (3) documenting existing cases of slavery and working to prevent new cases from occurring; (4) ensuring that former slaves have access to basic education and skill training, as well as medical, social, and psychological support needed for their rehabilitation and reintegration into society; and (5) ensuring that those individuals responsible for slavery are brought to justice. 
 
Requires an annual report to the Secretary of State.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
Truth in Video Game Rating Act

Bill: 109-hr-5912
Sponsor: Rep. Stearns, Cliff [R-FL-6]
Introduced: 2006-07-26 in the House
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Cable television
Child welfare
Computer software
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer protection
Families
Federal Trade Commission
Government Operations and Politics
Independent regulatory commissions
Interactive media
Internet
Labeling
Law
Marketing
Motion pictures
Pornography
Science, Technology, Communications
Television programs
Video games
Violence

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: 
Truth in Video Game Rating Act - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe rules to prohibit as an unfair and deceptive act or practice: (1) providing a content rating of any video or computer game labeled for sale or distribution in interstate commerce without having reviewed the game's content in its entirety; (2) withholding, hiding, or failing to disclose any content of such a game to the person assigning such rating; or (3) providing a rating that grossly mischaracterizes a game's content.
 
Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on game content ratings systems and related questions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-08-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
Voter Integrity Protection Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-5913
Sponsor: Rep. Tancredo, Thomas G. [R-CO-6]
Introduced: 2006-07-26 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Absentee voting
Ballots
Congress
Congressional elections
Driver licenses
Economics and Public Finance
Election administration
Federal aid to transportation
Federal-state relations
Highway finance
Identification devices
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Photography
Presidential elections
Transportation and Public Works
Voting

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: 
Voter Integrity Protection Act of 2006 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require an individual to present proof of U.S. citizenship and a government-issued photo identification as a condition of casting a ballot in a federal election.
 
Requires states also to require voters to present photo identification in a federal election.
 
Requires each state to establish a program to provide free photo identification to eligible voters in elections held in the state who do not otherwise possess a government-issued photo identification.
 
Directs the Election Assistance Commission to make payments to states to cover costs of making such photo identifications available.
 
Amends federal highway law to require the withholding of highway funds from any state not in compliance with the requirements of this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to reduce class size through the use of fully qualified teachers, and for other purposes.

Bill: 109-hr-5914
Sponsor: Rep. Wu, David [D-OR-1]
Introduced: 2006-07-26 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Class size
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Educational statistics
Educational tests
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Employment tests
Families
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Higher education
Labor and Employment
Law
Licenses
Mentoring
Paraprofessional school personnel
Parent-school relationships
Private schools
Rating of teachers
Reading
Recruiting of employees
School districts
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Special education
Teacher education
Teacher salaries
Teacher supply and demand
Teachers

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: 
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a grants program to reduce class size through the use of fully-qualified teachers.
 
Allots funds to states and local educational agencies to recruit, hire, and train additional teachers, in order to: (1) reduce class sizes nationally, in grades one through three, to an average of 18 students per classroom; and (2) improve teaching in those grades so that all students can learn to read independently and well by the end of the third grade.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform.
action_date: 2006-09-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-26
text: Introduced in House
Rewarding Student Achievement Act

Bill: 109-hr-5915
Sponsor: Rep. Kennedy, Mark R. [R-MN-6]
Introduced: 2006-07-27 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Economics and Public Finance
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Federal aid to education
Rating of teachers
Secondary education
Teacher salaries

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: 
Rewarding Student Achievement Act - Requires the Secretary of Education to ensure that grants awarded to support merit-based teacher compensation systems, under the Teacher Incentive Fund or the Fund for the Improvement of Education under part D of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, support compensation systems that are based primarily or exclusively on student learning gains, the maintenance of such gains, or both.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
Patients' Access to Physicians Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-5916
Sponsor: Rep. Dingell, John D. [D-MI-15]
Introduced: 2006-07-27 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cost of living adjustments
Economics and Public Finance
Finance and Financial Sector
Indexing (Economic policy)
Insurance premiums
Medical economics
Medical fees
Medicare
Physicians

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: 
Patient's Access to Physicians Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, to provide for an increase in the minimum updates for payments for physicians' services under the Medicare program for 2007 and 2008.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-08-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1562)
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that tips received for certain services shall not be subject to income or employment taxes.

Bill: 109-hr-5917
Sponsor: Rep. Sodrel, Michael E. [R-IN-9]
Introduced: 2006-07-27 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Gifts
Income tax
Labor and Employment
Minimum wages
Social Welfare
Social security taxes
Tax exclusion
Tipping
Withholding tax

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat the first $10,000 of tips received for cosmetology, hospitality (including lodging and food and beverage services), recreation, taxi, newspaper delivery, and shoe shine services as property transferred by gift, thus exempting such tips from income, employment, and unemployment taxation and from wage withholding.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to protect vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers.

Bill: 109-hr-5918
Sponsor: Rep. Pitts, Joseph R. [R-PA-16]
Introduced: 2006-07-27 in the House
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Admission of nonimmigrants
Aliens
Armed Forces and National Security
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Crime and Law Enforcement
Human rights
International Affairs
Refugees
Right of asylum
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: 
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to redefine &quot;terrorist organization&quot; for purposes of the alien terrorist exclusion as an organization of two or more individuals engaged in terrorist activities whose activities threaten the security of U.S. nationals or U.S. national security, as determined by the Secretary of State independently or upon the request of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security. 
 
States that the Secretary of State's failure to determine that a group threatens the security of U.S. nationals or national security shall not affect the application of any of the other security and terrorism-related bars on admission to any of the group's members. 
 
Redefines &quot;engage in terrorist activity&quot; for purposes of alien terrorist exclusion to provide an undue coercion or duress exception with respect to providing terrorists with material support.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H7679)
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
Family Choice Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-5919
Sponsor: Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3]
Introduced: 2006-07-27 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Cable television
Child welfare
Commerce
Consumer protection
Crime and Law Enforcement
Families
Federal Communications Commission
Government Operations and Politics
Independent regulatory commissions
Law
Pornography
Subscription television
Television programs
Violence

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: 
Family Choice Act of 2006 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission to adopt rules to protect children from indecent video programming carried by a multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD). Gives MVPDs the option to either: (1) not transmit indecent or profane material in the expanded basic tier between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.; (2) scramble or block any channel that a subscriber does not wish to receive; or (3) allow a subscriber to subscribe to a family tier of programming (defined as including all channels on the expanded basic tier, except those that carry programs rated TV-14 or TV-MA during those hours). Requires MVPDs that elect to scramble or block channels to issue credit to a subscriber for any channel the subscriber elects to block. Requires MVPDs that elect to provide a family tier to allow a subscriber to obtain the family tier of programming for one or more of the subscriber's reception devices while simultaneously obtaining other tiers for other of the subscriber's reception devices.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-08-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
Federal Employee Combat Zone Tax Parity Act

Bill: 109-hr-5920
Sponsor: Rep. Wolf, Frank R. [R-VA-10]
Introduced: 2006-07-27 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Americans in foreign countries
Armed Forces and National Security
Federal employees
Government Operations and Politics
Income tax
Iraq compilation
Salaries
Tax exclusion
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: 
Federal Employee Combat Zone Tax Parity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of civilian federal employees compensation for active service in a combat zone or for periods of hospitalization for wounds, diseases, or injuries incurred while serving in a combat zone.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1566)
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
SAFE Drug Act

Bill: 109-hr-5922
Sponsor: Rep. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA-7]
Introduced: 2006-07-27 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Communication in science
Congressional reporting requirements
Damages
Deceptive advertising
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Labor
Disciplining of employees
Discrimination in employment
Dismissal of employees
Drug approvals
Drug industry
Drugs
Federal employees
Federal officials
Fines (Penalties)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Government Operations and Politics
Informed consent (Medical law)
Labeling
Labor and Employment
Law
Legal fees
Marketing
Pharmaceutical research
Punitive damages
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientists in government
Wage restitution
Whistle blowing

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: 
Swift Approval, Full Evaluation Drug Act or the SAFE Drug Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, upon receipt of evidence regarding the safety or lack of effectiveness of an approved drug, to order studies of such drug (postmarket studies) and place restrictions on the distribution or use of such drug during such studies; (2) require postmarket studies as a condition of approval of a new drug; (3) impose civil penalties for distributing misbranded or adulterated drugs or for failing to compete a required postmarket study; (4) label a drug misbranded if a drug manufacturer fails to make required postmarket labeling changes; (5) grant officers and employees of the Food and Drug Administration the right to publish or present data unless such data is subject to federal export control or national security laws or is proprietary information; and (6) require the Secretary to submit biennial reports to Congress on approved drug applications supported by non-inferiority studies and on postmarket studies.
 
Extends protections to individuals (whistleblowers) who provide information of illegal activity to government officials.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-08-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1569-1570)
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Small Business Act to provide for loan guarantees for certain private disaster loans.

Bill: 109-hr-5924
Sponsor: Rep. Baker, Richard H. [R-LA-6]
Introduced: 2006-07-27 in the House
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Bank loans
Disaster loans
Disaster relief
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic data interchange
Electronic government information
Emergency Management
Federally-guaranteed loans
Fees
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Interest rates
Science, Technology, Communications
Small Business Administration
Small business
Standards

Summary:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: 
Amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to guarantee timely payment of principal and interest on any loan issued by a qualified private lender to an eligible small business concern located in a disaster area during the 24-month period in which it has been designated as a disaster area.
 
Permits such loans to be used for acquiring or developing real estate for selling or rental purposes, or to refinance any debt under this Act, or the Small Business Investment Act of 1958.
 
Authorizes the Administrator to establish an on-line application process for loans guaranteed under this Act. 
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-07-27
text: Introduced in House