hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Rural Broadband Improvement Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1439
Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2007-05-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Broadband
Economics and Public Finance
Federally-guaranteed loans
Finance and Financial Sector
Government lending
Grants-in-aid
Housing and Community Development
Internet

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: 
Rural Broadband Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to extend the rural broadband access loan and loan guarantee program. 
 
Revises the definition of &quot;eligible rural area.&quot;
 
Establishes a non-duplification of terrestrial lines, facilities, or systems requirement.
 
Requires loan applications to be processed within 180 days.
 
Eliminates the eligibility prohibition for entities that serve more than 2% of the telephone lines installed in the United States.
 
Establishes a grant program for development of statewide initiatives to identify and track the availability and adoption of broadband services within eligible rural areas. 
 
Sets forth loan security and equity requirement provisions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6951-6952)
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Unfair Foreign Competition Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1440
Sponsor: Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA]
Introduced: 2007-05-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Canada
Civil actions and liability
Countervailing duties
Dumping
Governmental investigations
Import relief
Latin America
Law
Mexico

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: 
Unfair Foreign Competition Act of 2007 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to authorize a petitioning party, in an antidumping or countervailing duty investigation, to elect, within 30 days after the investigation has started, to bring a civil action in a U.S. district court for determination that a U.S. industry is materially injured or is threatened with material injury, or the establishment of an industry in the United States is materially retarded, by reason of imports, or sales (or the likelihood of sales) for importation, of the merchandise subject to the investigation, and that imports of the subject merchandise are not negligible. 
 
Authorizes such a petitioning party, within 30 days after a five-year review of an antidumping or countervailing duty order is initiated, to bring a civil action in a U.S. district court for determination of whether revocation of the antidumping or countervailing duty order, or termination of a suspended investigation, would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury.
 
Provides for preliminary relief and expedited action.
 
Applies this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6403-6404)
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Introduced in Senate
State Veterans Home Modernization Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1441
Sponsor: Sen. Craig, Larry E. [R-ID]
Introduced: 2007-05-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Construction costs
Economics and Public Finance
Grants-in-aid
Health
Soldiers' homes
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: 
State Veterans Home Modernization Act of 2007 - Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from approving any application for financial assistance for a construction project at a state veterans' home that is submitted 730 days after the enactment of this Act if the Secretary determines that the construction would result in an increase in the total number of beds in such state for which the Secretary makes per diem payments for the care of veterans residing in such homes.
 
Expands the state home grant program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to authorize grants for noninstitutional care programs. Requires, for fiscal years after 2007, that not less than 10% of sums appropriated for VA home construction grants be used for grants to states which have submitted applications for noninstitutional care projects.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6404-6405)
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Shadow Wolves Apprehension and Tracking Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1442
Sponsor: Sen. Thomas, Craig [R-WY]
Introduced: 2007-05-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Border patrols
Criminal investigation
Drug abuse
Drug law enforcement
Illegal aliens
Immigration
Indian lands
Indian law enforcement
International Affairs
Minorities
Native Americans
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Smuggling
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: 
Shadow Wolves Apprehension and Tracking Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to establish up to 5 additional units, with up to 15 Customs Patrol Officers in each unit, to operate on Indian reservations located on or near an international border with Canada or Mexico and other federal land by investigating and preventing the entry of terrorists, other unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics, and other contraband into the United States.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Clean, Affordable, and Domestic Fuels for Energy Security Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1443
Sponsor: Sen. Thomas, Craig [R-WY]
Introduced: 2007-05-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Air pollution control
Authorization
Aviation fuels
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Coal
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Economics and Public Finance
Energy industries
Energy research
Environmental Protection
Federally-guaranteed loans
Finance and Financial Sector
Fossil fuels
Governmental investigations
Heating
Law
Research and development
Research centers
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: 
Clean, Affordable, and Domestic Fuels for Energy Security Act of 2007 - Instructs the President to promulgate regulations to ensure that aviation fuel, motor vehicle fuel, home heating oil, and boiler fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the United States on an annual average basis contains prescribed volumes of coal-derived fuel. 

Requires such coal-derived fuel to meet specified greenhouse gas emissions levels.

Sets forth: (1) standards for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions levels; and (2) a calendar year schedule for the applicable volume of coal-derived fuels in billions of gallons.
 
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Energy to guarantee loans up to 100% of principal and interest for projects that produce coal-derived fuel; (2) increase the authorization of appropriations for fossil energy research and development; and (3) direct the Secretary to establish coal research centers to target transportation fuels in designated states, with an emphasis on specified technologies and procedures.
 
Instructs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the feasibility of developing a domestic coal-derived fuels industry.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-05-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Supply Our Soldiers Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1444
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2007-05-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Afghanistan
Armed forces abroad
Defense budgets
Department of Defense
Economics and Public Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Law
Middle East and North Africa
Military medicine
Military operations
Military pay
Postal service
Reprogramming of appropriated funds
South Asia
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: 
Supply Our Soldiers Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide for a program under which postal benefits are provided to a member of the Armed Forces who is on active duty and who is either: (1) serving in Iraq or Afghanistan; or (2) hospitalized at a military medical facility as a result of such service. Provides the postal benefits in the form of coupons or other evidence of credit (vouchers) to use for postal-free mailings.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-06-06
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security.
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act

Bill: 110-s-1445
Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2007-05-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Economics and Public Finance
Epidemiology
Federal aid to health facilities
Health education
Health planning
Health surveys
Hepatitis
Indian medical care
Medical research
Minorities
Preventive medicine
Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: 
Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a plan for the prevention, control, and management of hepatitis C virus (HCV).
 
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) implement programs to increase awareness of HCV; and (2) support activities to promote the early detection of HCV infection, identify risk factors for infection, and conduct surveillance of HCV infection trends.
 
Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC and the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to: (1) conduct epidemiologic research to identify best practices for HCV prevention; (2) establish a Hepatitis C Clinic Research Network to conduct research related to the treatment and medical management of HCV; and (3) conduct basic research to identify new approaches to prevent and treat HCV.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) promote state, local, and tribal programs to provide referrals for medical evaluation and management to HCV-positive individuals; and (2) develop benchmarks for evaluating the programs and activities conducted under this Act.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to states, political subdivisions of states, Indian tribes, or nonprofit entities to carry out activities under this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6472-6473)
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Agricultural Adjustment Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture to make decisions relating to proposed amendments to milk marketing orders not later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary holds a hearing.

Bill: 110-s-1447
Sponsor: Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI]
Introduced: 2007-05-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Commerce
Dairy industry
Department of Agriculture
Government Operations and Politics
Law
Marketing of farm produce
Milk

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: 
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act, reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to issue a decision relating to any proposed milk marketing order amendment for which a hearing is held not later than 90 days after the hearing.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Equity in Law Enforcement Act

Bill: 110-s-1448
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2007-05-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Colleges
Disability retirement
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Equipment and supplies
Federal aid to law enforcement
Higher education
Labor and Employment
Law enforcement officers
Railroad safety
School personnel
Survivors' benefits
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: 
Equity in Law Enforcement Act - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include within the definition of &quot;public safety officer&quot; certain law enforcement officers serving private institutions of higher education and rail carriers (thus qualifying such officers for line-of-duty death and disability benefits). Qualifies such officers for law enforcement armor vest grant programs and for state and local law enforcement assistance grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6476-6477)
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6476)
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Rocky Mountain Science Collections Center Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1449
Sponsor: Sen. Salazar, Ken [D-CO]
Introduced: 2007-05-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Arts, Culture, Religion
Subjects: Animals
Archaeology
Colorado
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to the arts and humanities
Geology
History
Museums
Paleontology
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Zoology

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: 
Rocky Mountain Science Collections Center Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide a grant to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in Denver, Colorado, to pay the federal share of the cost of: (1) constructing one or more on-site collection facilities that meet the standards of the Museum; and (2) obtaining goods and services required by the Museum, including the acquisition of designs, plans, furnishings, equipment, and other support for the Museum.
 
Requires the Museum, as a condition of receiving such assistance, to match any amounts provided to the Museum under this Act. States that, in order to meet such matching requirement, the Museum may provide to the Secretary cash, in-kind donations, and services.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-08
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 110-282.
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6477)
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Housing Assistance Council Authorization Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1450
Sponsor: Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI]
Introduced: 2007-05-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Affordable housing
Business education
Commerce
Community development
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to housing
Finance and Financial Sector
Housing finance
Housing subsidies
Infrastructure
Loans
Nonprofit organizations
Rural housing
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: 
Housing Assistance Council Authorization Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide financial assistance to the Housing Assistance Council to develop the capacity of community-based housing development organizations to undertake community development and affordable housing projects and programs in rural areas.
 
Authorizes the Council to use such assistance for rural community-based housing development organizations to acquire: (1) technical assistance, training, support, and advice to develop business and administrative capabilities; and (2) loans, grants, or other financial assistance to carry out community development and affordable housing activities for low- and moderate-income families.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6477-6478)
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Quality Reform Expansion and Savings Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1451
Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced: 2007-05-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Department of Health and Human Services
Economics and Public Finance
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to health facilities
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Health information systems
Health planning
Medical economics
Medical records
Preventive medicine
Quality of care

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: 
Quality Reform Expansion and Savings Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award quality reform grants to eligible entities to enhance, encourage, and expedite implementation of quality reform plans in order to: (1) encourage the coordinated development of local health care quality reforms; (2) fund the development of practices beneficial to the health care system; (3) expand information technology, electronic health records, and interoperable data systems in the health care system; (4) develop reimbursement practices that align financial incentives with health and prevention reforms to identify and encourage best practices; (5) lower the costs of health care delivery; (6) encourage experimentation in different U.S. regions; and (7) reward cooperation among local entities engaged in reforming the health care system.

Requires the Secretary to establish the Quality Reform Committee, which shall: (1) approve the application of an eligible entity and recommend to the Secretary that a grant be awarded; (2) evaluate and exchange best practices related to activities carried out under the grant; (3) share research and expertise; and (4) study, identify, and report on market failures and anomalies that create economic incentives adverse to achievement of the goals of quality reform, cost reduction, health information technology expansion, and illness prevention.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6478-6479)
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Public Mental Health Emergency Preparedness Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1452
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2007-05-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Biological warfare
Curricula
Department of Health and Human Services
Disaster relief
Education
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Executive reorganization
Government Operations and Politics
Health education
Health information systems
Health planning
Higher education
Interstate compacts
Labor and Employment
Medical education
Medical personnel
Medical research
Mental health services
Recruiting of employees
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Terrorism
Volunteer workers

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: 
Public Mental Health Emergency Preparedness Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the National Center for Public Mental Health Emergency Preparedness to address mental health concerns and coordinate and implement the development and delivery of mental health services in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency. 

Requires the Director of the Center to: (1) develop a mechanism to appoint a panel of experts for the Center; (2) convene a Training Curricula Working Group to review and approve mental health training curricula for emergency health professionals; (3) develop a mechanism through which individuals trained through approved curricula return to their communities to recruit and train others and provide expertise to state and local government agencies; (4) coordinate the use of existing emergency registries established to track medical and mental health volunteers for use by the Secretary, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Governor of each state to recruit and deploy trained emergency health professionals; (5) establish and maintain a central clearinghouse of educational materials, guidelines, information, strategies, resources, and research on public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery; (6) convene a Clearinghouse Working Group; (7) organize an annual national forum to address public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery; and (8) convene an Assessment Working Group to evaluate the effectiveness of the Center's efforts and those across the federal government in building the nation's public mental health emergency preparedness and service delivery capacity.

Requires the National Disaster Medical System and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to ensure that licensed mental health professionals with expertise in treating vulnerable populations are available for deployment with Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and are included in the leadership of the National Disaster Medical System.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6480-6483)
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6479-6480)
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Introduced in Senate
ITFA Extension Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1453
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2007-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Commerce
Electronic commerce
Electronic mail systems
Excise tax
Federal preemption
Government Operations and Politics
Intergovernmental tax relations
Internet
Local laws
Local taxation
Sales tax
Science, Technology, Communications
State laws
State taxation
Tax administration
Tax exemption

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-23
text: 
ITFA Extension Act of 2007 - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to extend until November 1, 2011: (1) the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce; and (2) provisions allowing states with Internet tax laws enacted prior to the ban to continue enforcing such laws.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2007-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate