hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Afghan Freedom Support and Security Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3531
Sponsor: Sen. Lugar, Richard G. [R-IN]
Introduced: 2008-09-22 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Afghanistan
Agriculture and Food
American investments
Armed Forces and National Security
Authorization
Central Asia
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Defense contracts
Diplomacy
Diplomats
Drug abuse
Drug law enforcement
Economic assistance
Economic development
Economic growth
Economic stabilization
Economics and Public Finance
Finance and Financial Sector
Food supply
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Insurgency
International broadcasting
Investment guaranty insurance
Law
Military operations
Public corruption
Radio broadcasting
Regionalism (International organization)
Rule of law
Science, Technology, Communications
South Asia
Terrorism
United Nations economic assistance
War relief

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: 
Afghan Freedom Support and Security Act of 2008 - Authorizes funds for assistance to Afghanistan under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
 
Directs the President to: (1) implement a system to monitor assistance provided under this Act on a program-by-program basis; and (2) provide assistance to enhance the government of Afghanistan's capacity to monitor programs carried out by the national, provincial, and local governments in Afghanistan. Authorizes appropriations.
 
Directs: (1) the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of State and the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Afghanistan to oversee the programs authorized under this Act; and (2) the Office of Technical Assistance of the Department of the Treasury to conduct an annual assessment of Afghanistan's public finance system. Authorizes appropriations.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress: (1) supporting the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan; and (2) that the President should expand assistance programs to innocent Afghan individuals, families, and communities that suffered losses from U.S. and allied military operations.
 
Directs the President to appoint a coordinator who shall: (1) design an overall non-military strategy to advance U.S. interests in Afghanistan; (2) ensure policy coordination among federal agencies, including the Department of Defense; (3) coordinate with other countries and international organizations, including those supporting counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics efforts; and (4) review major security and development contracts. 
 
Directs the President to appoint a special envoy who shall coordinate U.S. policy on issues relating to strengthening relations between the nations of South and Central Asia.
 
Authorizes appropriations for daily Radio Free Afghanistan broadcasting in the Dari and Pashto languages. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Giving Incentives to Volunteers Everywhere Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3532
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2008-09-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Automobiles
Charitable contributions
Government Operations and Politics
Income tax
Social Welfare
Tax deductions
Tax exclusion
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs
Volunteer workers

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: 
Giving Incentives to Volunteers Everywhere Act of 2008 or the GIVE Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the standard mileage rate for use of a passenger automobile for charitable purposes to a rate not less than the rate used for the tax deduction for medical transportation expenses; and (2) exclude from the gross income of charitable volunteers reimbursements paid to them for the use of a passenger automobile for the benefit of a charitable organization. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S9210)
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9209-9210)
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3533
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2008-09-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Congressional employees
Education
Government Operations and Politics
Government attorneys
Higher education
Law
Legal education
Salaries

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: 
Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act of 2008 - Establishes the Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Program for the appointment of individuals who are graduates of accredited law schools to serve as Congressional Clerks in the Senate or House of Representatives.

Requires the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the House Committee on House Administration to each select at least six individuals for a one-year term to serve as employees in their respective chambers.

Specifies eligibility criteria for a Congressional Clerk, including that the selected candidate be a graduate of such a law school as of the starting date of his or her clerkship.

Requires the committees to ensure that Congressional Clerks selected under this Act are apportioned equally between majority and minority party offices.

Entitles each clerk selected to the same compensation as, and comparable benefits to, an individual who holds the position of a judicial clerkship for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia within three months of graduating from law school.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Vision Preservation Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3534
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2008-09-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Blind
Block grants
Continuing education
Curricula
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Educational accountability
Eye care
Eye diseases
Federal aid to education
Geriatrics
Government Operations and Politics
Health education
Higher education
Medical education
Medical research
Medical screening
Medical tests
Minorities
Minority health
Nonprofit organizations
Occupational therapy
Rehabilitation of the disabled
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: 
Vision Preservation Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand and intensify programs to increase awareness of vision problems. 

Directs the Secretary to expand and intensify: (1) activities to establish a solid scientific base of knowledge on the prevention, control, and rehabilitation of vision problems and related disabilities; (2) research within CDC on the prevention and management of vision loss; and (3) programs targeted to prevent vision loss, treat eye and vision conditions, and rehabilitate people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted in underserved and minority communities.

Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to authorize appropriations to enable the Secretary to introduce core performance measures on eye health by incorporating vision screening and examination standards into state programs.

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations for vision rehabilitation professional development. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S9211-9212)
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9210-9211)
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to index certain assets for purposes of determining gain or loss.

Bill: 110-s-3535
Sponsor: Sen. DeMint, Jim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2008-09-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Capital gains tax
Commerce
Economics and Public Finance
Finance and Financial Sector
Income tax
Indexing (Economic policy)
Inflation
Losses
Mutual funds
Partnerships
Real estate investment
Small business
Stocks
Valuation

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an inflation adjustment based upon the gross domestic product deflator to the adjusted basis of certain assets (including C corporation common stock and tangible property used in a trade or business) held by a taxpayer for more than three years for purposes of determining gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of such assets.

Sets forth rules for applying such inflation adjustment to short sales, regulated investment companies and real estate investment trusts, partnerships and other pass-thru entities, and dispositions of assets between related persons. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-11-18
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1119 under authority of the order of the Senate of 11/17/2008.
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to establish the World War I Centennial Commission to ensure a suitable observance of the centennial of World War I, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-3537
Sponsor: Sen. Bond, Christopher S. [R-MO]
Introduced: 2008-09-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Commemorations
Subjects: Anniversaries
Armed Forces and National Security
Arts, Culture, Religion
Federal advisory bodies
Government Operations and Politics
History
Military history
Missouri
Museums
World War I

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: 
Establishes the World War I Centennial Commission to: (1) plan, develop, and execute programs, projects, and activities to commemorate the centennial of World War I; (2) encourage private organizations and state and local governments to organize and participate in such activities; (3) facilitate and coordinate such activities throughout the United States; and (4) serve as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information about centennial events and plans; and (5) develop commemoration recommendations for Congress and the President.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2008-09-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to suspend a prohibition on payments to certain farms with limited base acres for the 2008 and 2009 crop years, to extend the signup for direct payments and counter-cyclical payments for the 2008 crop year, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-3538
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2008-09-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural subsidies
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Peanuts

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: 
Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 with respect to producers, including peanut producers, with 10 or fewer base acres to: (1) suspend a prohibition on direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, or average crop revenue election payments; and (2) extend the 2008 signup deadline for direct payments and counter-cyclical payments until December 31, 2008.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to ensure that no penalty is assessed against producers for failure to submit reports or comply with other program requirements as a result of compliance with the extended signup deadline. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Girl Scouts USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Act

Bill: 110-s-3539
Sponsor: Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2008-09-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Commemorations
Subjects: Anniversaries
Coins and coinage
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Girl Scouts
New York State
Silver

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: 
Girl Scouts USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 350,000 $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

Requires the coin design to be emblematic of such centennial.

Requires such coins to be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities, from only one U.S. Mint facility.

Declares the sense of Congress that such facility should be the U.S. Mint at West Point, New York, to the greatest extent possible.

Authorizes the Secretary to issue such coins only during calendar 2011.

Applies a $10 per coin surcharge to all coin sales. Requires all surcharges received to be paid to the Girl Scouts of the United States of America for efforts involved in marking it centennial, which may include efforts to preserve the birthplace of founder Juliette Gordon Low.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Drug Free Families Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3540
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2008-09-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Aid to dependent children
Cash welfare block grants
Drug abuse
Drug testing
Economics and Public Finance
Families
Government Operations and Politics
Welfare eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: 
Drug Free Families Act of 2008 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require state TANF programs to implement a program to test TANF applicants and recipients for illegal drug use.
 
Requires state TANF programs to deny assistance to individuals who test positive for illegal drugs and individuals convicted of drug-related crimes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Iraqi Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement, and Security Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3541
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2008-09-23 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: ASEAN countries
Arab countries
Christianity
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Displaced persons
East Asia
Economic assistance
Egypt
Ethnic groups
Europe
European Union
Executive Office of the President
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal employees
Foreign service
Government Operations and Politics
Gulf States
Health
Human rights
Immigration
International cooperation
International relief
Iran
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Jews
Jordan
Lebanon
Middle East and North Africa
Minorities
Nongovernmental organizations
Orphans
President and foreign policy
Refugees
Regionalism (International organization)
Religion
Religious liberty
Repatriation
Syria
Technical assistance
Torture
Turkey
United Nations
United Nations economic assistance
Victims of crimes
Violence
Visas
Women

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: 
Iraqi Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement, and Security Act of 2008 - Expresses the sense of Congress concerning Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons.

Directs the Secretary of State, with respect to vulnerable populations in Iraq and with respect to countries containing a significant population of Iraqi refugees (including Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iran), to provide such countries or appropriate international organizations and nongovernmental organizations with specified humanitarian assistance.

Directs the Secretary to make every effort to ensure that the humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations in Iraq and Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries are met. 

Authorizes appropriations to Jordan for humanitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees and to provide the necessary infrastructure to support both the needs of Iraqi refugees and the Jordanian people. Requires that related fund monitoring mechanisms be established.

Increases refugee admission limitations for the purpose of admitting Iraqi citizens or nationals who became refugees on or after March 19, 2003.

Directs the Secretary, by a specified date and subject to the availability of appropriations, to have increased by 100% the number of federal personnel in Iraq and in other appropriate countries who are conducting security reviews of Iraqi refugee applicants. 

Directs the Secretary of State to work with the international community to provide: (1) financial assistance to vulnerable populations in Iraq and to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries; and (2) technical and financial assistance to international organizations in order to process refugees.

Defines &quot;vulnerable populations in Iraq&quot; to include internally displaced persons.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require full and complete public disclosure of the terms of home mortgages held by Members of Congress.

Bill: 110-s-3542
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2008-09-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Congressional ethics
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial disclosure
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Housing and Community Development
Members of Congress
Mortgages

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: 
Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require Members of Congress to include in mandatory annual financial disclosure reports information on the balance of any mortgage secured by a personal residence.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Integrity in Offshore Energy Resources Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3543
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2008-09-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Auditing
Commerce
Conflict of interests
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Continental shelf
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of the Interior
Employee training
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial disclosure
Gas in submerged lands
Gas industry
Gifts
Government Operations and Politics
Government ethics
Governmental investigations
Labor and Employment
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Mines and mineral resources
Mining leases
Mining royalties
Oil and gas royalties
Oil well drilling
Ombudsman
Petroleum in submerged lands
Petroleum industry
Stocks

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: 
Integrity in Offshore Energy Resources Act of 2008 - Prohibits any employee of the Minerals Management Service of the Department of the Interior from: (1) knowingly accepting a gift from an entity engaged in the business of mineral mining or from being employed by such an entity while employed in the Service; and (2) accepting employment from an entity engaged in the business of mineral mining during the one-year period after termination of employment with the Service. Makes violations of such prohibitions a felony. Requires financial disclosure by employees of the Service in positions equivalent to GS-13 or higher. 

Suspends the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to carry out royalty-in-kind programs (payment of royalties from oil and gas leases in the form of production rather than cash) until the Secretary certifies that a comprehensive review of such programs has been conducted, implements an ethics training program for employees of the Minerals Management Service, and creates an ombudsman position to monitor the progress of the Service in carrying out reforms. Requires the Secretary to perform at least 550 audits in each fiscal year of oil and gas leases for which payment is made under a royalty-in-kind program. 

Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal the authority of the Secretary to pay salaries and other administrative costs related to a royalty-in kind program from royalty-in-kind sales revenues.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9282-9283)
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Superfund Polluter Pays Act

Bill: 110-s-3544
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2008-09-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Commerce
Corporation taxes
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental Protection
Excise tax
Government trust funds
Hazardous wastes
Income tax
Law
Liability for environmental damages
Petroleum
Pollution taxes
Tax rates

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Superfund Polluter Pays Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code by reinstating until January 1, 2017, the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate and the corporate environmental income tax.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Investment in After-School Programs Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3545
Sponsor: Sen. Lincoln, Blanche L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2008-09-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Community and school
Compensatory education
Continuing education
Economics and Public Finance
Educational accountability
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Families
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Higher education
Housing and Community Development
Labor and Employment
Recruiting of employees
Rural education
School-age child care
Secondary education
Student activities
Student transportation
Teacher education
Teacher supply and demand
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: 
Investment in After-School Programs Act of 2008 - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to award grants to local educational agencies, community-based organizations, or other entities to improve, expand, or establish rural after-school programs that provide students with a broad array of activities when school is not in session that improve their academic performance and promote their positive development.
 
Requires eligible programs to be implemented in active collaboration with the schools the students attend and take place in safe and easily accessible facilities.
 
Gives grant priority to partnerships between two or more entities eligible for such grants.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Introduced in Senate