hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
CREST Act

Bill: 110-s-1020
Sponsor: Sen. Hutchison, Kay Bailey [R-TX]
Introduced: 2007-03-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alternative energy sources
Biomass energy
Cellulose
Energy research
Federal advisory bodies
Geothermal resources
Government Operations and Politics
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Ocean energy resources
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Science, Technology, Communications
Solar energy
Wind power

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: 
Creating Renewable Energy through Science and Technology Act, or the CREST Act - Amends the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 to instruct the Director of the National Science Foundation to establish the Council on Renewable Energy (CORE) to: (1) advise Congress on renewable energy development, strategy, research, and marketability; and (2) facilitate collaboration among federal agencies regarding the execution of national renewable energy objectives.
 
Requires the CORE to: (1) promote renewable energy research and development in the areas of wind, wave, solar, geothermal, and biofuels production, particularly cellulosic; (2) consult with renewable energy experts regarding renewable energy policies and make policy recommendations to federal agencies; and (3) identify and recommend public and private research institutions to carry out renewable energy research.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: Introduced in Senate
Japan Currency Manipulation Act

Bill: 110-s-1021
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
Introduced: 2007-03-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Balance of payments
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional reporting requirements
East Asia
Europe
European Union
Foreign exchange
International Affairs
International competitiveness
International monetary system
Japan
Nontariff trade barriers
Trade negotiations

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: 
Japan Currency Manipulation Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to report to Congress on: (1) currency intervention by Japan with respect to the rate of exchange of the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar and other currencies since 2000; and (2) any effort by Japan to create an exchange-rate misalignment of the Japanese yen with respect to the U.S. dollar and other currencies since March 2004. 
 
Requires the Secretary to submit to Congress a proposal for a comprehensive joint U.S.-European Union plan to address the exchange-rate misalignment of the Japanese yen with respect to the U.S. dollar and other currencies.
 
Directs the Secretary to: (1) initiate consultations with Japan to decrease Japan's foreign currency reserve holdings to permit effective balance of payments adjustments and to eliminate its unfair competitive advantage in international trade; and (2) take appropriate action to dissuade, prevent, or object to currency intervention by Japan.
 
Directs the United States to call for the convening of a special meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reach a multilateral agreement regarding: (1) the exchange-rate misalignment of the Japanese yen with respect to the U.S. dollar and other currencies; (2) the destabilizing effects of the exchange-rate misalignment of the Japanese yen; and (3) Japan's excessive foreign currency reserve holdings. 
 
Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on: (1) progress made toward decreasing Japan's foreign currency reserve holdings; and (2) actions taken at meetings of the G-7 Leaders, G-7 Finance Ministers, and the IMF regarding the exchange-rate misalignment of the Japanese yen with respect to the U.S. dollar and other currencies, including any progress toward eliminating such misalignment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to eliminate the remainder of funding shortfalls for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for fiscal year 2007, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-1022
Sponsor: Sen. Chambliss, Saxby [R-GA]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Bank records
Families
Federal aid to child health services
Finance and Financial Sector
Health insurance
Medicaid
Medically uninsured
Poor children
Social Welfare
Supplemental security income program
Welfare eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide additional amounts to eliminate the remainder of SCHIP funding shortfalls for FY2007.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in order to verify SSA title XIX (Medicaid) financial eligibility, to collaborate with the Commissioner of Social Security for use of the system for obtaining financial institution information to verify eligibility for SSA title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) benefits.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to eliminate the remainder of funding shortfalls for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for fiscal year 2007, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-1023
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Ambulatory care
Drugs
Families
Federal aid to child health services
Health insurance
Hospital care
Managed care
Medicaid
Medically uninsured
Medicare
Poor children
Quality of care
Social Welfare
Surgery

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide additional amounts to eliminate the remainder of SCHIP funding shortfalls for FY2007. 
 
Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to require the use of tamper-resistant prescription pads under the Medicaid program.

Repeals the limited continuous enrollment provision for certain beneficiaries under the Medicare Advantage Program.
 
Denies payments for hospital or ambulatory surgical center services if in their provision there occurred a type of event which should never occur (events that directly harm patients).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Safer Drug Assessment Technology Advancement Act

Bill: 110-s-1024
Sponsor: Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Clinical trials
Commerce
Consumer education
Drug approvals
Drug interactions
Drug utilization
Federal advisory bodies
Government Operations and Politics
Health information systems
Health surveys
Internet
Medical ethics
Medical records
Medical statistics
Pharmaceutical research
Product safety
Risk
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Safer Drug Assessment Technology Advancement Act or the Safer DATA Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) minimum standards for collection and transmission of postmarketing data elements from electronic health data systems; and (2) a validated and integrated postmarket risk identification and analysis system to integrate and analyze safety data from multiple sources.

Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain an active surveillance infrastructure to collect and report data for pharmaceutical postmarket risk identification and analysis.

Requires the Secretary to establish and implement procedures under which the Secretary may routinely collaborate with a qualified entity to: (1) clean, classify, or aggregate data collected and data that is publicly available or that is provided by the Secretary; (2) perform advanced research on identified drug safety risks; (3) identify safety questions that require further clinical study; and (4) convene an expert advisory committee to oversee the establishment of standards for the ethical and scientific uses for, and communication of, postmarketing data collected.

Requires the Secretary to improve the transparency of pharmaceutical data and allow patients and health care providers better access to pharmaceutical data by developing and maintaining an Internet site that: (1) provides comprehensive drug safety information for prescription drugs; and (2) improves communication of drug safety information to patients and providers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Fair Tax Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1025
Sponsor: Sen. Chambliss, Saxby [R-GA]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Administrative fees
Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Affiliated corporations
Aliens
Commerce
Cost of living adjustments
Department of the Treasury
Economics and Public Finance
Estate tax
Executive reorganization
Exports
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial services
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foreign corporations
Gambling
Gift tax
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government trust funds
Health
Hobbies
Immigration
Income tax
Insurance
Interest
Intergovernmental tax relations
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Internal revenue law
Interstate compacts
Inventories
Labor and Employment
Law
Loan defaults
Medicare
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Payroll deductions
Poverty
Rebates
Sales tax
Science, Technology, Communications
Small business
Social Welfare
Social security finance
Social security taxes
Sports and Recreation
Tax administration
Tax auditing
Tax courts
Tax credits
Tax liens
Tax penalties
Tax refunds
Tax returns
Tax simplification
Taxation of foreign income
Taxpayer compliance
Taxpayers
Telephone
Wages
Withholding tax

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Fair Tax Act of 2007 - Repeals the income tax, employment tax, and estate and gift tax. Redesignates the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as the Internal Revenue Code of 2007. 

 
 
 
Imposes a national sales tax on the use or consumption in the United States of taxable property or services. Sets the sales tax rate at 23% in 2009, with adjustments to the rate in subsequent years. Allows exemptions from the tax for property or services purchased for business, export, or investment purposes and for state government functions. 
Sets forth rules relating to: (1) the collection and remittance of the sales tax; and (2) credits and refunds. Allows families a sales tax rebate.
Grants states the primary authority for the collection of sales tax revenues and the remittance of such revenues to the Treasury. Sets forth administrative provisions relating to: (1) the filing of monthly reports and payments of tax; (2) accounting methods; (3) registration of sellers of goods and services responsible for reporting sales; (4) penalties for noncompliance; and (5) collections, appeals, and taxpayer rights. 
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to allocate sales tax revenues among: (1) the general revenue; (2) the old-age and survivors insurance trust fund; (3) the disability insurance trust fund; (4) the hospital insurance trust fund; and (5) the federal supplementary medical insurance trust fund. 
 Prohibits the funding of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after FY 2011. Establishes in the Department of the Treasury: (1) an Excise Tax Bureau to administer excise taxes not administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and (2) a Sales Tax Bureau to administer the national sales tax.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, as the "Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center".

Bill: 110-s-1026
Sponsor: Sen. Chambliss, Saxby [R-GA]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Commemorations
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Congress
Congressional tributes
Ex-Members of Congress
Georgia
Health
Names
Veterans' hospitals

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center at 1 Freedom Way in Augusta, Georgia, as the &quot;Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.&quot;


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Strategic Refinery Reserve Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1028
Sponsor: Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Commerce
Competition
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Disasters
Economic impact statements
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Energy prices
Energy security
Energy supplies
Environmental Protection
Environmental assessment
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government procurement
Military and naval supplies
Petroleum industry
Petroleum refineries
Petroleum reserves
Strategic materials
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Strategic Refinery Reserve Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish and operate a Strategic Refinery Reserve. 
 
Authorizes the Secretary to contract for: (1) the construction or operation of new refineries; or (2) the acquisition or reopening of closed refineries.
 
Instructs the Secretary to operate the Reserve to provide petroleum products to: (1) the federal government (including the Department of Defense); (2) any state governments and their political subdivisions that opt to purchase refined petroleum products from the Reserve; and (3) the general public during certain emergency periods.
 
Directs the Secretary to ensure that refineries in the Reserve are designed to provide a rapid increase in production capacity during such emergency periods.
 
Requires a refinery owner or operator to notify the Secretary, with an explanation, not later than 180 days before permanently closing a refinery in the United States. Requires the Secretary to report the notification and explanation to Congress, together with an analysis of the effects of the proposed closing.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4300)
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to provide incentives to landowners to protect and improve streams and riparian habitat.

Bill: 110-s-1029
Sponsor: Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Agricultural conservation
Agriculture and Food
Animals
Dams
Economics and Public Finance
Ecosystem management
Environmental Protection
Federal aid to water pollution control
Federal aid to water resources development
Fishery management
Habitat conservation
Infrastructure
Irrigation
Landowners
Nonprofit organizations
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Riparian ecology
Shore protection
Social Welfare
Soil erosion
Stream conservation
Thermal pollution of rivers, lakes, etc.
Water quality
Water supply
Watersheds
Wildlife conservation

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) establish within the Natural Resources Conservation Service a stream habitat improvement program to provide cost-share payments to landowners for stream habitat improvement projects; and (2) provide a higher payment share to a landowner who carries out a project in partnership with a nonprofit organization.
 
 Gives priority for projects that: (1) remove a small dam or in-stream structure; (2) improve fish passage; (3) protect streamside areas; (4) improve water flow; or (5) improve in-stream flow quality or temperature regimes. Authorizes the Secretary to provide a higher payment share to a landowner who carries out a priority project. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4169)
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide for the disposition of the Federal property located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, a portion of which is currently used by the District of Columbia as the Oak Hill juvenile detention facility.

Bill: 110-s-1030
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Building construction
Construction costs
Correctional institutions
Crime and Law Enforcement
District of Columbia
Economics and Public Finance
Families
Federal-city relations
Government Operations and Politics
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Juvenile delinquency
Land transfers
Leases
Maryland
National parks
Parks
Recreation areas
Sports and Recreation
Urban affairs

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Provides for the disposition of the federal property located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, a portion of which is currently used by the District of Columbia as the Oak Hill juvenile detention facility. 
 
Requires the transfer of specified portions of the property to: (1) the National Park Service; (2) the Secretary of the Army (acting through the Chief of Engineers) for use by the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA); and (3) the Administrator of General Services, who shall in turn convey that portion to Anne Arundel County, Maryland, for parkland and recreational use.
 
Requires the NSA Director, as a condition of the transfer, to enter into an agreement with the Mayor of the District of Columbia under which: (1) Oak Hill juvenile detention facility shall be closed; and (2) NSA shall pay (with reimbursement by Anne Arundel County) for the construction of a replacement facility at a site to be determined, with priority given to a location within the District of Columbia.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in Senate
School Food Fresh Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1031
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Adult day care
Agricultural surpluses
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Day care
Department of Agriculture
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Food relief
Fruit
Government Operations and Politics
Nutrition
Research grants
School lunch program
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Vegetables

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
School Food Fresh Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish in the office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services a task force to coordinate commodity programs.
 
Directs the Secretary to provide five (for each of five specified food categories) competitive grants to nonprofit research institutions to evaluate commodity program products to determine: (1) consistency with program nutritional goals; (2) product acceptability by recipient agencies and consumers; and (3) commercial counterpart comparability.
 
Amends the the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary to: (1) enter into agreements with qualifying local and regional distributors to supply fruit and vegetable items to schools and service institutions; and (2) implement a vendor monitoring program. 
 
Directs that the Secretary: (1) to the maximum extent practicable, purchase for commodity programs foods that are in their least-processed state; and (2) upon the approval of national processing agreements, make available to all schools and other recipient agencies the opportunity to divert unprocessed or minimally-processed commodity foods to subsequent processors for end product conversion.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in Senate
Rural Broadband Initiative Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1032
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Advice and consent of the Senate
Broadband
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Agriculture
Economics and Public Finance
Executive reorganization
Federal advisory bodies
Federally-guaranteed loans
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government lending
Government publicity
Internet
Presidential appointments
Public-private partnerships
Revolving funds
Rural economic development
Science, Technology, Communications
Strategic planning
Technology assessment

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Rural Broadband Initiative Act of 2007 - Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to establish in the Department of Agriculture the Office of Rural Broadband Initiatives, to be headed by the Under Secretary for Rural Broadband Initiatives.
 
States that the Under Secretary shall: (1) administer all rural broadband-related grant and loan programs previously administered by the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service, including the rural broadband access loan and loan guarantee program and the community connect grant program; (2) conduct rural outreach; (3) foster development of a comprehensive rural broadband strategic vision; (4) assess relevant technologies; (5) serve as a single information source for all federal rural broadband programs and services; and (6) provide technical assistance to state, regional, and local governments to develop broadband deployment strategies.
 
Directs the Under Secretary to submit: (1) to the President and to Congress a comprehensive rural broadband strategy report; and (2) to Congress a plan for a Rural Broadband Advisory Panel.
 
Establishes in the Treasury the National Rural Broadband Innovation Fund.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in Senate