hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Robert James Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2570
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2008-01-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Disabled
Health
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Social security beneficiaries
Social security eligibility
Terminally ill

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-29
text: 
Robert James Act of 2008 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to authorize waivers by the Commissioner of Social Security of the five-month waiting period for entitlement to benefits based on disability in cases in which such waiting period would cause undue hardship to terminally ill beneficiaries. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-01-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S448-449)
action_date: 2008-01-29
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for bonus depreciation or an additional minimum tax credit in lieu of such bonus depreciation.

Bill: 110-s-2572
Sponsor: Sen. Voinovich, George V. [R-OH]
Introduced: 2008-01-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Commerce
Depreciation and amortization
Income tax
Minimum tax
Tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase from 30 to 50% the rate of the special depreciation allowance (bonus depreciation) for certain business equipment and assets placed in service in 2008; and (2) allow a corporation to elect to increase its alternative minimum tax credit by its bonus depreciation amount in lieu of applying such allowance.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Veterans Mental Health Treatment First Act

Bill: 110-s-2573
Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]
Introduced: 2008-01-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Anxiety
Drug abuse
Drug abuse treatment
Health
Mental depression
Mental health services
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Veterans' benefits
Veterans' medical care
Veterans' rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: 
Veterans Mental Health Treatment First Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program of mental health care and rehabilitation for veterans who: (1) are diagnosed by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) physician with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression, anxiety, or substance abuse that is either related to the PTSD or service-related; and (2) agree to participation conditions, including compliance with a treatment regimen and rehabilitation plan prescribed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Requires each participant to be paid a stipend during successful program participation, limiting to $11,000 the total stipend paid to each individual.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S493-496)
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Mortgage Refinancing Initiative Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2574
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2008-01-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Bonds
Finance and Financial Sector
Housing and Community Development
Income tax
Mortgages
Tax exemption

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: 
Mortgage Refinancing Initiative Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow, until December 31, 2009, proceeds of qualified mortgage bonds to be used to refinance an existing mortgage; and (2) increase in 2008 and 2009 the national limitation amount for such bonds.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Montgomery GI Bill Educational Assistance Transferability Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2575
Sponsor: Sen. Hutchison, Kay Bailey [R-TX]
Introduced: 2008-01-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Armed forces reserves
Education
Families
Higher education
Military dependents
Veterans' education

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: 
Montgomery GI Bill Educational Assistance Transferability Act of 2008 - Amends the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program to authorize the Secretary of the military department concerned to permit any member of the Armed Forces (currently, only members with critical military skills) entitled to basic educational assistance to elect to transfer a portion of such assistance to one or more dependents. Removes the 18-month limitation on the number of months of entitlement authorized to be transferred.
 
Provides similar eligibility for the transfer of educational assistance for members of the Selected Reserve who have completed at least six years of service and enter into an agreement to remain a member of such Reserve for at least four more years.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Clean Stove Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2576
Sponsor: Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]
Introduced: 2008-01-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Air pollution control
Energy
Environmental Protection
Heating
Income tax
Standards
Tax credits
Wood

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: 
 Clean Stove Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers a tax credit, up to $500, for the cost of replacing a residential wood stove with: (1) a wood-burning stove that complies with current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards; and (2) a pellet or corn-burning stove. Terminates such credit after 2010.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Gun Show Background Check Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2577
Sponsor: Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2008-01-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Business records
Commerce
Criminal justice information
Exhibitions
Firearms
Firearms control
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Identification of criminals
Imports
Inventories
Law
Licenses
Searches and seizures
Warrants (Law)

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Gun Show Background Check Act of 2008 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require registration of gun show promoters and to set forth the responsibilities of promoters, licensees, and other transferors.
Provides that if any part of a firearm transaction takes place at a gun show, each licensed importer, manufacturer, and dealer who transfers one or more firearms to a person who is not licensed shall, within ten days after the transfer, submit a report of the transfer to the Attorney General. Sets forth penalties for violations.
Grants the Attorney General authority to enter the place of business of any gun show promoter and any place where a gun show is held, during business hours and without a showing of reasonable cause or a warrant, for purposes of examining records and the inventory of licensees conducting business to determine compliance with this Act.
Increases penalties for: (1) serious record-keeping violations by licensees; and (2) violations of criminal background check requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S496-497)
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to temporarily delay application of proposed changes to Medicaid payment rules for case management and targeted case management services.

Bill: 110-s-2578
Sponsor: Sen. Coleman, Norm [R-MN]
Introduced: 2008-01-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Case management
Department of Health and Human Services
Government Operations and Politics
Law
Medicaid
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: 
Delays until April 1, 2009, implementation of proposed changes to payment rules under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act for case management and targeted case management services.

Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, before such date, from taking any action to restrict coverage or payment under Medicaid if such action is more restrictive than the administrative action, policy, or practice that applies to coverage of, or payment for, such services under Medicaid on December 3, 2007.

Makes null and void any such action taken by the Secretary between December 4, 2007, and March 31, 2009, that is based in whole or in part on such interim final rule.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Introduced in Senate
CURE Act

Bill: 110-s-2580
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2008-01-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Career education
College costs
Colleges
Community and school
Community colleges
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Dropouts
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Elementary and secondary education
Employee selection
Families
Federal aid to education
Higher education
Housing and Community Development
Industry-university relations
Labor and Employment
Nonprofit organizations
Rural economic development
Rural education
School districts
Secondary education
Single-parent families
Social Welfare
Student aid
Student employment
Student enrollment
Student transportation
Transportation and Public Works
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: 
College and University Rural Education (CURE) Act of 2008 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to partnerships between rural institutions of higher education (IHEs) and rural local educational agencies, rural education service agencies, regional employers, or rural education nonprofit organizations for activities to: (1) improve the rural IHE enrollment rates of rural secondary school graduates and former attendees; and (2) encourage nontraditional students' participation in rural IHE degree programs.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to partnerships between rural IHEs and regional employers to: (1) provide additional training to rural IHE attendees in careers relevant to the regional economy; and (2) encourage regional businesses to employ rural IHE graduates.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to rural IHEs to create or strengthen academic programs that prepare graduates to enter high-need occupations in the regional and local economies.
 
Requires the Comptroller General to investigate, and make recommendations to Congress regarding the improvement of, rural access to four-year IHEs and degree programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Wild Monongahela Act: A National Legacy for West Virginia's Special Places

Bill: 110-s-2581
Sponsor: Sen. Byrd, Robert C. [D-WV]
Introduced: 2008-01-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: National forests
West Virginia
Wilderness areas

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: 
Wild Monongahela Act: A National Legacy for West Virginia's Special Places - Designates specified federal lands in the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia, as wilderness and as either a new component, or as an addition to an existing component, of the National Wilderness Preservation System. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-15
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 110-485.
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S499)
action_date: 2008-01-30
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill for the relief of Sali Bregaj, Mjaftime Bregaj, and Nertila Bregaj-Swyer.

Bill: 110-s-2582
Sponsor: Sen. Craig, Larry E. [R-ID]
Introduced: 2008-01-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Private Legislation
Subjects: Immigration

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Provides for the relief of Sali Bregaj, Mjaftime Bregaj, and Nertila Bregaj-Swyer.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Introduced in Senate
PEPFAR Accountability and Transparency Act

Bill: 110-s-2584
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2008-01-31 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: AIDS (Disease)
Africa (Sub-Saharan)
Child health
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional reporting requirements
Cost effectiveness
Crime and Law Enforcement
Drug abuse
Drug abuse prevention
Evaluation research (Social action programs)
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Health
Health counseling
Health education
Health planning
Health surveys
Human immunodeficiency viruses
Labor and Employment
Maternal health services
Medical personnel
Medical research
Occupational health and safety
Performance measurement
Preventive medicine
Quality of care
Rape
Science, Technology, Communications
Sex education
Social Welfare
Strategic planning
Women
Women's health
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: 
PEPFAR Accountability and Transparency Act - Amends the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 to direct the Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally to: (1) establish a mechanism to evaluate global HIV/AIDS programs financed by the U.S. government in order to improve accountability, increase transparency, and ensure the delivery of evidence-based services; and (2) develop a five-year strategic plan for program monitoring, operations research, and impact evaluation research.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S547)
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2585
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2008-01-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Armed forces reserves
Brain
Congress
Congress and military policy
Congressional reporting requirements
Drug abuse
Drug abuse prevention
Drug abuse treatment
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Families
Head injuries
Health
Health planning
Iraq compilation
Mental health
Mental health services
Military dependents
Military medicine
Military training
National Guard
Preventive medicine
Stress (Psychology)
Suicide
Trauma care
Veterans' medical care
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: 
Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to undertake specified actions to enhance the suicide prevention programs of the Department of Defense (DOD), including: (1) suicide prevention training for all members of the Armed Forces and DOD civilian health care community and family support professionals; and (2) a suicide prevention outreach program throughout the Armed Forces and military family communities.
 
Directs the Secretary to provide readjustment assistance to spouses and parents of members returning from deployments, including information on: (1) ways to identify signs and symptoms of risk factors for suicide; and (2) the national suicide prevention hotline and other suicide prevention resources.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award grants and enter into cooperative agreements to identify and implement within DOD strategies for: (1) the recruitment and retention of qualified military behavioral health professionals to provide mental health services, and substance abuse disorder prevention and treatment services, to members; and (2) reducing the stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Introduced in Senate
State Fiscal Relief Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2586
Sponsor: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV]
Introduced: 2008-01-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Authorization
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid programs
Federal mandates
Government Operations and Politics
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Medicaid
Social Welfare
Territories (U.S.)
Welfare eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: 
State Fiscal Relief Act of 2008 - Provides that, if the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) determined without regard to this Act under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act for a state for FY2008 is less than the FMAP as so determined for FY2007, the FY2007 FMAP shall be substituted for the state's otherwise applicable FMAP for the second, third, and fourth calendar quarters of FY2008.
 
Provides also that, if the FMAP determined without regard to this Act for a state for FY2009 is less than the FMAP as so determined for FY2008, the FY2008 FMAP shall be substituted for the state's otherwise applicable FMAP for the first and second calendar quarters of FY2009.
 
Provides that, for each eligible state for the second, third, and, fourth calendar quarters of FY2008, and for the first and second calendar quarters of FY2009, the FMAP shall be increased by 1.225% points.
 
Provides for an increase in cap on Medicaid payments to territories.
 

 
Makes a state eligible for such an FMAP increase, and a territory for an increase in a cap amount, only if eligibility under its Medicaid plan is no more restrictive than the eligibility under such plan (or waiver) as in effect on December 31, 2007.
 

 

 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2009 for payments to states (temporary state fiscal relief) for use in: (1) providing government services; (2) covering the costs of complying with any federal intergovernmental mandate to the extent that the federal government has not provided funds to cover such costs; or (3) compensating for a decline in federal funding to the state.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S548-549)
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S547-548)
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Introduced in Senate
SCAAP Reimbursement Protection Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2587
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2008-01-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal aliens
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to law enforcement
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Illegal aliens
Immigration
Imprisonment

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: SCAAP Reimbursement Protection Act of 2008 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to compensate states for incarcerating undocumented aliens charged with a felony or two or more misdemeanors.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S550)
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S549-550)
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Ensure Timely SCAAP Reimbursement Act

Bill: 110-s-2588
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2008-01-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal aliens
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to law enforcement

Summary:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: 
Ensure Timely SCAAP Reimbursement Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require distribution of state criminal alien assistance program funds no later than 120 days after the last day of the annual program application period. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S550)
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S549-550)
action_date: 2008-01-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Ed Walker Memorial Act for Improvements to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program

Bill: 110-s-2589
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2008-02-04 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Armed Forces and National Security
Business records
Commerce
Compensation (Law)
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
Energy
Environmental Protection
Federal employees
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government liability
Health
Ionizing radiation
Iron and steel industry
Law
Medical records
New York State
Nuclear weapons
Occupational health and safety
Radiation
Radiation victims

Summary:
action_date: 2008-02-04
text: 
Ed Walker Memorial Act for Improvements to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program - Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to include certain former nuclear weapons program workers in the Special Exposure Cohort under the energy employees occupational illness compensation program. 

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) modify regulations and procedures to conform to amendments under this Act; and (2) initiate a petition to include workers employed at the Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna, New York, as a class to be included in the Special Exposure Cohort. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-02-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2008-02-04
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to designate the Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Birthplace and Childhood Home in Cresco, Iowa, as a National Historic Site and as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-2590
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2008-02-04 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Agricultural research
Agriculture and Food
Agronomy
Commemorations
Historic sites
History
Iowa
Land transfers
National parks
Plant breeding
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientists

Summary:
action_date: 2008-02-04
text: 
Requires, if the Secretary of the Interior acquires by donation from the Borlaug Heritage Foundation fee simple and unencumbered title to the Norman E. Borlaug Birthplace site and the Norman E. Borlaug Childhood Home site (both in Cresco, Iowa) and any related personal property, designation of all such property as a National Historic Site and as a unit of the National Park System, to be known as the &quot;Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Birthplace Home National Historic Site.&quot;


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-02-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2008-02-04
text: Introduced in Senate