hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Families First Immigration Enforcement Act

Bill: 110-s-2074
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2007-09-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Alien labor
Bail
Crime and Law Enforcement
Detention of persons
Families
Family services
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Illegal aliens
Labor and Employment
Language and languages
Law
Legal services
Medical screening
Parole
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Telephone

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: 
Families First Immigration Enforcement Act - Requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in a workplace enforcement operation that is calculated to apprehend or does apprehend at least 50 aliens, to do the following: (1) give state agencies sufficient notice to arrange for representatives who speak the detainees' language and to provide for any special needs; (2) afford access to state social service agencies to screen and interview detainees to determine if medical risks or risks to relatives exist; (3) consider, upon recommendation, the release of detainees on age, medical, or family related humanitarian grounds; and (4) provide a toll-free number for families of detainees to report their relationship to DHS or state social services. 
 
Requires that such aliens have access to legal orientation presentations through the Executive Office for Immigration Review's legal orientation program. 
 
States that detainees should be held within the jurisdiction of the local United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office to the extent that space allows.
 
 Requires a detainee's release within 72 hours of apprehension if such alien is not subject to mandatory detention, does not pose a flight risk, or is subject to humanitarian release. States that such alien shall be released: (1) on his or her own recognizance; (2) by posting a minimum bond; (3) on parole under the Immigration and Nationality Act; or (4) through the intensive supervision appearance or similar program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Ultrasound Informed Consent Act

Bill: 110-s-2075
Sponsor: Sen. Brownback, Sam [R-KS]
Introduced: 2007-09-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Abortion
Fetus
Fines (Penalties)
Imaging systems in medicine
Informed consent (Medical law)
Law
Obstetrics
Women

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: 
Ultrasound Informed Consent Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require abortion providers, before a woman gives informed consent to any part of an abortion, to perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman, explain the results, display the ultrasound images so the woman may view them, and provide a medical description of the ultrasound images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus and the presence of external members and internal organs, if present and viewable. Provides for: (1) civil penalties for willful failure to comply; and (2) a medical emergency exception.
 
 Prohibits construing this Act to require a woman to view the images or penalizing the physician or the women if she refuses to look at the images.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Fresh Produce Safety Act

Bill: 110-s-2077
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2007-09-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Agricultural pollution
Agricultural research
Agriculture in foreign trade
Commerce
Consumer education
Department of Health and Human Services
Environmental Protection
Food safety
Foodborne diseases
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Health surveys
Law
Produce trade
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: 
Fresh Produce Safety Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to establish standards for good manufacturing practices for the minimal processing of produce, including standards related to sanitation and water.

Requires the Secretary to provide for unannounced inspections of processing facilities to determine if produce processed in the facilities is in compliance with the requirements of this Act.

Directs the Secretary to establish general standards for good agricultural practices for the production of raw agricultural commodities, including requirements related to manure, animals, water, and environmental conditions. 

Gives officers and employees duly designated by the Secretary the authority to inspect appropriate facilities to determine compliance with the standards for good agricultural practices.

Directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to establish and maintain an active surveillance system to assess the frequency and sources of human illness in the United States associated with the consumption of fresh produce. 

Directs the Commissioner and the Secretary of Agriculture to design and implement a national public education program on food safety relating to produce.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct research to assist in the implementation of this Act and the requirements of the FFDCA that relate to produce.

Requires the Secretary to establish procedures for equivalency with foreign countries that intend to export raw agricultural commodities and minimally processed produce to the United States.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11859)
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require updating of State building energy efficiency codes and standards.

Bill: 110-s-2078
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2007-09-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Building laws
Department of Energy
Energy conservation
Energy efficiency
Government Operations and Politics
Housing and Community Development
Law
Standards

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: 
Requires the Secretary of Energy to facilitate the updating of national model building energy codes and standards at least every three years to achieve overall energy savings, compared to the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for residential buildings and ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 for commercial buildings, of at least 30% by 2015 and 50% by 2022. Requires the Secretary, if the 2022 target cannot be achieved using existing technology or would not be lifecycle effective, to establish a revised target that ensures the maximum level of energy efficiency in buildings that is technologically feasible and lifecycle cost effective.

Requires the Secretary: (1) to determine if a revision to the IECC or ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 will improve energy efficiency in buildings and meet such energy savings targets; and (2) if a code or standard does not meet the targets or if a code or standard is not updated for more than three years, to amend the IECC or ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 to establish a modified code or standard that meets the targets.

Requires the Secretary to provide notice and an opportunity to comment on the targets, determinations, and modified codes and standards.

Sets forth requirements for state certifications regarding the energy efficiency of, and compliance with, state residential and commercial building codes.

Requires the Secretary to provide: (1) technical assistance to enable the national model building energy codes and standards to meet the targets; (2) assistance to states to comply with this Act; and (3) incentive funding to states to improve and implement building energy efficiency codes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish an energy efficiency resource standard for retail electricity and natural gas distributors.

Bill: 110-s-2079
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2007-09-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Commerce
Department of Energy
Electric power distribution
Electric utilities
Energy conservation
Energy efficiency
Fines (Penalties)
Gas companies
Government Operations and Politics
Law
Natural gas

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: 
Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to require the Secretary of Energy to promulgate regulations regarding: (1) the issuance of credits for electricity and natural gas savings; (2) a national credit trading system; and (3) a system for independent monitoring of the market for such credits. 

Requires retail electricity or natural gas distributors to submit annually to the Secretary: (1) for each of calendar years 2010-2020 a number of credits equal to specified percentages of the base quantity of electricity or natural gas they delivered to retail customers in the most recent year; and (2) for 2021 and thereafter a number of credits equal to a percentage of such base quantity as the Secretary may determine, but in no case less than the percentage for 2020.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) promulgate regulations regarding measurement and verification of electricity and natural gas savings under this Act; and (2) issue credits for verified savings by such distributors and by other entities. Establishes credit values of: (1) 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity; and (2) 10 therms of natural gas.

Authorizes any entity that receives a credit to: (1) sell or transfer the credit to any other entity; or (2) use the credit to achieve compliance with submission requirements under this Act. Authorizes a distributor to pay the Secretary a buyout fee of $20 for each electricity savings credit or $2 for each natural gas savings credit in lieu of submitting credits.

Provides for: (1) state energy efficiency programs in lieu of the program under this Act; and (2) civil penalties for failure to comply with credit submission or buyout requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Food and Product Responsibility Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2081
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2007-09-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Agriculture in foreign trade
Consumer education
Customs administration
Damages
Defective products
Food safety
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Imports
Law
Manufacturing industries
Meat
Poultry
Products liability

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: 
Food and Product Responsibility Act of 2007 - Applies this Act to replacement equipment, food, drugs, devices, cosmetics, biological products, consumer products, meat or meat food product, poultry or poultry products, and eggs or egg products (covered products).

 Prohibits a manufacturer from distributing a covered product unless the manufacturer holds a certification from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection that the manufacturer possesses sufficient means (through insurance or otherwise) to cover the entire cost of a recall of the product, including administrative costs, compensatory damages, and costs of any product liability or other lawsuit relating to that product.

Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act (regarding meat and meat food products), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (regarding poultry and poultry products), the Egg Products Inspection Act (regarding eggs and egg products), and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) (regarding food) to provide for voluntary and mandatory recalls of adulterated or misbranded articles, notice to consumers and health officials, and related procedures.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2082
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2007-09-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Data banks
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental Protection
Environmental health
Epidemiology
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Health information systems
Health surveys
Higher education
Local employees
Medical education
Medical records
Medical research
Public health personnel
Recruiting of employees
Right of privacy
Scholarships
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
State employees

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: 
Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and with the involvement of other federal agencies, state and local health departments, and an advisory committee, to establish and operate a Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) identify, expand, and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure; (2) provide for public access to an electronic national database that accepts data from the State Environmental Public Health Network (established by this Act), subject to privacy requirements; (3) prepare and periodically publish a Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network Status Report and a Coordinated Network Health and Environment Report; (4) operate and maintain National Environmental Health Rapid Response Services; (5) provide technical assistance; and (6) develop minimum standards and procedures for data collection and reporting.

Authorizes: (1) states to apply for grants to implement pilot projects to develop State Environmental Public Health Network enhancements and programs; and (2) the Secretary to award grants to at least five accredited schools or programs of public health for Centers of Excellence.

Directs the Secretary: (1) to award John H. Chafee Public Health Scholarships to eligible students enrolled in accredited schools of public health or medicine; and (2) through the CDC Director, to enter into cooperative agreements to train and place applied epidemiology fellows in state and local health departments and to expand CDC biomonitoring data collection.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11860-11861)
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2083
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2007-09-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Civil procedure
District courts
Evidence (Law)
Government Operations and Politics
Interstate relations
Licenses
Signs and symbols
State courts
State laws
Witnesses

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-21
text: 
Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2007 - Requires each federal and state court to recognize any lawful notarization occurring in or affecting interstate commerce which is made by a notary public licensed or commissioned under the laws of a state other than the state where the court is located.

Requires such a notarization to: (1) use a seal of office as symbol of the notary public's authority; or (2) have the seal information, in the case of an electronic record, securely attached to, or logically associated with, the electronic record so as to render the record tamper-resistant.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2007-09-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Patient and Pharmacy Protection Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2085
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2007-09-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Ambulatory care
Crime and Law Enforcement
Drug abuse
Drug traffic
Drugs
Forgery
Health care fraud
Medicaid
Security measures
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-21
text: 
Patient and Pharmacy Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 to delay for six months, from September 30, 2007, through March 31, 2008, the effective date of the requirement to use tamper-resistant prescription pads under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to prescribe covered outpatient drugs.

action_date: 2007-09-25
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Patient and Pharmacy Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 to delay for six months, from September 30, 2007, through March 31, 2008, the effective date of the requirement to use tamper-resistant prescription pads under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to prescribe covered outpatient drugs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-09-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2007-09-27
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2007-09-27
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text as passed Senate: CR S12076)
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text as passed Senate: CR S12076)
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S12076)
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S12076)
action_date: 2007-09-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-09-21
text: Introduced in Senate
SCHIP Extension Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2086
Sponsor: Sen. Lott, Trent [R-MS]
Introduced: 2007-09-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Economics and Public Finance
Families
Federal aid to child health services
Health insurance
Medicaid
Medically uninsured
Poor children
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-24
text: 
SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) extend SCHIP through FY2008 and the first six months of FY2009; (2) provide additional allotments to states to address SCHIP funding shortfalls for the same period of time; and (3) authorize qualifying states to elect to receive the enhanced portion of the SCHIP matching rate for coverage of certain children under SSA title XIX (Medicaid). 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-09-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Prescription Drug Gap Reduction Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2089
Sponsor: Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL]
Introduced: 2007-09-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Commerce
Drug industry
Drugs
Government Operations and Politics
Medicare
Prescription pricing
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: 
Medicare Prescription Drug Gap Reduction Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to reduce the coverage gap in prescription drug coverage under SSA part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program), based on savings to the Medicare program resulting from the negotiation of prescription drug prices.

Grants the Secretary of Health and Human Services authority similar to that of other federal entities that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs.

States that the Secretary shall be required to: (1) negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs for each fallback prescription drug plan; and (2) participate in negotiation of contracts of any covered part D drug upon request of an approved prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan.

Prohibits the Secretary from requiring a particular formulary or instituting a price structure for the reimbursement of covered part D drugs in order to carry out, and promote competition, under part D.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to protect privacy and security concerns in court records.

Bill: 110-s-2090
Sponsor: Sen. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2007-09-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Appellate courts
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Court records
Courts of special jurisdiction
Law
Right of privacy
Veterans' benefits

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: 
Directs the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to prescribe rules to protect privacy and security concerns relating to all filing of documents and the public availability of documents retained by, or filed electronically with, the Court.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to increase the number of the court's active judges.

Bill: 110-s-2091
Sponsor: Sen. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2007-09-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Appellate courts
Courts of special jurisdiction
Judges
Law
Veterans' benefits

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: 
Amends federal veterans' benefit law to increase from seven to nine the maximum number of judges on the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Introduced in Senate