hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Vote by Mail Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4018
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Ballots
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Economics and Public Finance
Election Assistance Commission
Election administration
Election fraud
Grants-in-aid
Law
Legislation
Postal service
Voter registration
Voting

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Vote by Mail Act of 2006 - Directs the Election Assistance Commission to establish a Vote by Mail program of grants to participating states solely for implementation of procedures for the conduct of all elections by mail at the state or local level.
 
Directs the Comptroller General to evaluate and report to Congress on the benefits of nationwide implementation of mail-in voting in elections.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text of measure as introduced:  CR S10695-10696)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10694-10695)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require persons seeking approval for a liquefied natural gas facility to identify employees and agents engaged in activities to persuade communities of the benefits of the approval.

Bill: 109-s-4019
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Business records
Commerce
Data banks
Energy facilities
Gas industry
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Law
Licenses
Liquefied natural gas
Lobbying
Public relations
Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Instructs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to: (1) require an applicant for approval under the Natural Gas Act or the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (DPA) of the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a liquefied natural gas facility (including an off-shore facility under DPA) to identify each employee or agent engaged in activities to persuade communities of the benefits of such approval; and (2) maintain a publicly available database listing all such employees and agents.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Renewable Fuels Promotion Act

Bill: 109-s-4020
Sponsor: Sen. Dayton, Mark [D-MN]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Advertising
Alternative energy sources
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Contracts
Energy efficiency
Franchises (Retail trade)
Fuel consumption
Gasoline
Government Operations and Politics
Government vehicles
Marketing
Petroleum industry
Restrictive trade practices
Service stations
Signs and symbols
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
 Renewable Fuels Promotion Act - Amends the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act to prohibit a franchisor from restricting a franchisee from: (1) installing a renewable fuel pump on the franchisee marketing premises; (2) converting an existing tank and pump on the marketing premises of the franchisee for renewable fuel use; (3) advertising the sale of renewable fuel; or (4) selling renewable fuel in any specified area on the franchisee marketing premises.
 
Declares any such restriction to be null and void and unenforceable under the Act.
 
Prohibits a franchise-related document that requires the franchisee to sell three grades of gasoline from preventing the franchisee from selling a renewable fuel in lieu of one grade of gasoline.
 
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to set a deadline for mandatory installation of at least one renewable fuel pump at every federal fleet fueling center in the United States.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
9/11 Comprehensive Health Benefits Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4021
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Child health
Citizen participation
Civil actions and liability
Coinsurance
Crime and Law Enforcement
Damages
Department of Health and Human Services
Discrimination in employment
Discrimination in insurance
Discrimination in medical care
Drugs
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Employee health benefits
Employee rights
Environmental Protection
Environmental health
Epidemiology
Families
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Fire fighters
Government Operations and Politics
Health insurance
Health maintenance organizations
Health surveys
Injunctions
Insurance premiums
International Affairs
Labor and Employment
Law
Law enforcement officers
Legal fees
Local employees
Managed care
Medical economics
Medical research
Medical screening
Medical tests
Medicare
Mental illness
Minorities
Minority health
New York City
Paramedical personnel
Physical examinations
Police
Prescription pricing
Refuse and refuse disposal
Rescue work
September 11, 2001
Social Welfare
State employees
Terrorism
Victims of terrorism
Volunteer workers
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
9/11 Comprehensive Health Benefits Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare-based eligibility and benefits for individuals with a 9/11 disaster-connected health condition. 
 
Makes Medicare the secondary payor for 9/11-related coverage.
 
Prohibits a workers' compensation law or plan from discriminating against an individual by virtue of the individual's entitlement to such benefits.
 
Prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual regarding hiring, advancement, compensation, or other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment by virtue of the individual's entitlement to such benefits.
 
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a consortium to conduct and coordinate screening, monitoring, treatment, and diagnostic research on the 9/11 disaster-connected health conditions. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
McGee Creek Project Pipeline and Associated Facilities Conveyance Act

Bill: 109-s-4023
Sponsor: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Easements
Infrastructure
Land transfers
Law
Oklahoma
Pipelines
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Water supply

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
McGee Creek Project Pipeline and Associated Facilities Conveyance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the McGee Creek Authority all U.S. rights to the pipeline and any associated facilities described in the Agreement Between the United States and McGee Creek Authority for the Purpose of Defining Responsibilities Related to and Implementing the Title Transfer of Certain Facilities at the McGee Creek Project, Oklahoma. Excludes the mineral estate from the conveyance. 
 
Provides that any rights and obligations under a specified contract between the Authority and the United States for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the McGee Creek Project shall remain in force. Requires the Secretary to complete any actions required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act before such conveyance.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10696)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4025
Sponsor: Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Antitrust law
Finance and Financial Sector
Insurance companies

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2006 - Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to permit federal enforcement of antitrust laws and regulations pertaining to the insurance industry except to the extent that the states actively supervise the conduct of such industry or such conduct involves third-party data collection or other informational activities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced:  CR S10712)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10711-10712)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4026
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Affiliated corporations
Alternative energy sources
Commerce
Commodity tax straddles
Corporation taxes
Dividends
Economics and Public Finance
Energy
Excise tax
Finance and Financial Sector
Government trust funds
Income tax
Internal revenue law
Minimum tax
Partnerships
Service stations
Tax administration
Tax credits
Tax returns
Underground storage

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2006 - Makes technical and clerical corrections to the Internal Revenue Code, including corrections to provisions enacted by: (1) the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005; (2) the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005; (3) the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users; (4) the Energy Policy Act of 2005; (5) the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004; (6) the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003; (7) the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001; (8) the Tax Relief Extension Act of 1999; and (9) the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced:  CR S10713-10716)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10713)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Tax Equity for School Teachers Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4027
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Education
Elementary and secondary education
Engineering
Engineers
Higher education
Income tax
Infrastructure
Law
Licenses
Mathematics
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific education
Tax deductions
Teacher education
Teachers
Teaching materials

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Tax Equity for School Teachers Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reinstate and revise the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers (allowed whether or not the taxpayer itemizes other deductions); (2) make such deduction permanent; and (3) expand such deduction to include expenses for professional development and expenses related to the initial certification of qualified science, technology, engineering, or math teachers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced:  CR S10717-10718)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10716-10717)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Nursing Education and Quality of Health Care Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4029
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Broadband
Career education
College teachers
Community health services
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Continuing education
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Educational counseling
Elementary and secondary education
Federal aid to education
Health surveys
Higher education
Housing and Community Development
Internet
Mathematics
Medical economics
Medical statistics
Nurses
Nursing
Nursing education
Quality of care
Rural health
Scholarships
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific education
Student loan funds
Teacher education

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Nursing Education and Quality of Health Care Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to, or enter into contracts with, schools of nursing, health care facilities, or partnerships of such schools and facilities to educate nurses to serve in rural areas, including by developing distance learning education.
 
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants to such schools, facilities, or partnerships for the establishment of demonstration projects that will expand the number of nurse faculty within schools of nursing, including by developing recruitment programs and offering scholarships.
 
Allows the Secretary, in the case of a nurse faculty shortage, to obligate more than 10% of traineeships for advanced nursing education programs to individuals in doctoral degree programs.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) award grants to, and enter into contracts with, eligible entities to increase the nursing opportunities for individuals who reside in rural communities, including by increasing and expanding pipeline programs and supporting a web-based health care workforce development system; (2) award grants to entities for demonstration projects that advance the education, delivery, or measurement of quality and patient safety in nursing practice; and (3) award grants to collect data and study the potential benefits of basic and advanced nursing education levels or certification status in the efforts to promote quality improvement strategies and enhance patient outcomes and cost saving measures.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10732)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
REIT Investment Diversification and Empowerment Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4030
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Commerce
Contractors
Dividends
Excise tax
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foreign corporations
Foreign exchange
Futures trading
Health
Health facilities
Income tax
Leases
Real estate investment
Rent
Securities
Stocks
Subsidiary corporations
Tax administration
Tax exclusion
Tax penalties

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
REIT Investment Diversification and Empowerment Act of 2006 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to real estate investment trusts (REITs) to: (1) treat passive foreign exchange gains attributable to overseas real estate investment as qualifying REIT income; (2) increase from 20 to 25% the the maximum value of a REIT's total assets thay may be represented by securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries; (3) revise safe harbor rules for the excise tax penalty on certain REIT sales activities; (4) treat rental payments made by a health care facility to a REIT as qualifying REIT income; and (5) treat income from, and interests in, foreign-qualified REITs as qualifying REIT income and assets. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced:  CR S10734-10735)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10732-10734)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Private Prison Information Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4031
Sponsor: Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Correctional institutions
Freedom of information
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Law
Prison administration
Prisoners' rights
Prisons

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Private Prison Information Act of 2006 - Provides that each nongovernmental entity contracting with the federal government to incarcerate or detain federal prisoners or detainees in a privately-owned prison or detention facility shall have the same duty to release information about its operation as a federally operated facility has under the Freedom of Information Act. Authorizes any party aggrieved by a violation of that duty to obtain relief in a civil action.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Iran Nuclear Nonproliferation Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4032
Sponsor: Sen. Coleman, Norm [R-MN]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Arms control agreements
Arms control verification
Ballistic missiles
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Conventional weapons
Energy
Export controls
Fissionable materials
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Guided missiles
International cooperation
Iran
Law
Licenses
Middle East and North Africa
Nuclear energy research
Nuclear exports
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear nonproliferation
President and foreign policy
Reactor fuel reprocessing
Research and development
Russia
Sanctions (International law)
Science, Technology, Communications
Technology transfer
United Nations
Uranium enrichment

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Iran Nuclear Nonproliferation Act of 2006 - States that it should be U.S. policy to neither negotiate nor seek to bring into force an agreement for cooperation with the government of any country that is assisting Iran's nuclear program or transferring advanced conventional weapons or missiles to Iran unless the President has made specified determinations under this Act.
 
States that no agreement for cooperation between the United States and the government of any country that is assisting Iran's nuclear program or transferring advanced conventional weapons or missiles to Iran may be submitted to the President or to Congress pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, no such agreement may enter into force with such country, no export license may be issued to such country for any nuclear material, facilities, components, or other goods, services, or technology that would be subject to such agreement, and no approval may be given for the transfer or retransfer to such country of any nuclear material, facilities, components, or other goods, services, or technology that would be subject to such agreement, until the President determines and reports to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House Committee on International Relations that: (1) Iran has suspended all enrichment-related and reprocessing-related activity, has committed to verifiably refrain permanently from such activity, and is abiding by that commitment; or (2) the government of the country that is assisting Iran's nuclear program or transferring advanced conventional weapons or missiles to Iran has suspended all nuclear assistance to Iran and all transfers of advanced conventional weapons and missiles to Iran, and is committed to maintaining that suspension until Iran has implemented measures that would permit the President to make such determination.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Kindergarten Plus Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-4033
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Art
Arts, Culture, Religion
Child abuse
Child development
Child health
Child nutrition
Class size
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Continuing education
Crime and Law Enforcement
Curricula
Day care
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Families
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Health
Higher education
Homeless
Immigrant education
Immigration
Indian children
Indian education
Juvenile delinquency
Labor and Employment
Language and languages
Learning
Literacy programs
Mathematics
Mental health services
Migrant education
Minorities
Music
Native Americans
Paraprofessional school personnel
Parent-school relationships
Preschool education
Public service advertising
Reading
Recruiting of employees
School districts
School health programs
Social Welfare
Special education
Student records
Student transportation
Teacher education
Teacher salaries
Teacher supply and demand
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Kindergarten Plus Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) to provide Kindergarten Plus (K+) programs of voluntary full days of kindergarten during the summer before and the summer after the traditional kindergarten school year determined by the state.
 
Directs the Secretary to ensure, to the extent possible, that each such grant is of sufficient size to enable the SEA to provide K+ to all eligible students served by the local educational agencies (LEAs) within the state with the highest concentrations of eligible students. Makes eligible students those children who are: (1) five-years old or who will be eligible to attend kindergarten at the beginning of the next school year; (2) from a family with an income at or below 185% of the poverty line; and (3) not already served by a high-quality program in the summer before or the summer after the child enters kindergarten.
 
Requires SEAs, in awarding subgrants, to give priority to LEAs that: (1) serve the greatest number or percentage of eligible students; and (2) propose to reduce class size and student-to-teacher ratios in K+ significantly below the average ratios in regular kindergarten classes served by the LEA. Provides for direct grants to LEAs in states that do not apply for grants. Sets forth K+ teacher and personnel quality standards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced:  CR S10736-10738)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10735-10736)
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in Senate