hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act

Bill: 110-s-2377
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Department of Veterans Affairs
Education
Employee selection
Federal employees
Government Operations and Politics
Government employees' health insurance
Health
Higher education
Law
Licenses
Medical education
Medical malpractice
Negligence
Physicians
Quality of care
Recruiting of employees
Scholarships
Student loan funds
Veterans' hospitals
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prescribe standards for appointment and practice as a physician within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requires: (1) applicants to provide certain information, including each lawsuit, civil action, or other claim against the individual for medical malpractice or negligence, and their results; (2) each appointee to disclose any judgments against the individual for medical malpractice or negligence and any payments made; and (3) physicians already employed within the VHA to disclose such information. Prohibits a new appointment without: (1) approval of the regional director of the Veterans Integrated Services Network (Network) in which the individual will serve; (2) board certification in the specialties in which the individual will practice; and (3) a license to practice medicine in that state.
 
Requires: (1) the VHA's Under Secretary of Health to designate a National Quality Assurance Officer for the VHA quality assurance program; (2) each Network regional director to appoint a quality assurance officer; and (3) the director of each VHA medical facility to appoint a quality assurance officer.
 
Directs the Secretary to review VA policies for maintaining health care quality and patient safety at VA medical facilities.
 
Requires the Secretary, in order to recruit and retain VHA physicians in hard-to-fill positions, to: (1) repay certain educational loans for individuals who agree to serve for at least three years as a VHA physician; (2) reimburse tuition for medical students who agree to serve as a VHA physician after such education; and (3) enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program an individual who agrees to serve as a VHA physician for at least five days per month. Encourages the Secretary to undertake additional incentives to encourage individuals to serve or practice as VHA physicians.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S14625-14627)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14624-14625)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to authorize the voluntary purchase of certain properties in Treece, Kansas, endangered by the Cherokee County National Priorities List Site, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-2378
Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Economics and Public Finance
Environmental health
Grants-in-aid
Hazardous wastes
Health
Infrastructure
Kansas
Land subsidence
Land transfers
Oklahoma
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Relocation
Water Resources Development
Water supply

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make specified funds available to Kansas in FY2009 to purchase (with the owners' consent), and to provide relocation assistance to the residents of: (1) properties in Treece, Kansas, that are in danger of being destroyed by subsidence relating to, and that may endanger the health of occupants as a result of risks posed by, the Cherokee County National Priorities List Site; and (2) residential properties of water customers of Picher, Oklahoma, residing in or near Treece, Kansas.



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14627)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modernize the application of the subpart F rules to computer software, to expand the subpart F de minimis rule, and to extend certain expiring provisions.

Bill: 110-s-2380
Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [R-OR]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Commerce
Computer software
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foreign banks and banking
Foreign corporations
Holding companies
Income tax
Insurance
Leases
Rent
Science, Technology, Communications
Stockholders
Tax exemption
Taxation of foreign income

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to taxation of U.S. shareholders of controlled foreign corporations to: (1) exclude from foreign personal holding company income rents and royalties attributable to computer software that is leased or licensed for use outside the United States and that was developed or marketed by a controlled foreign corporation or related person; (2) increase to $5 million (currently, $1 million) the de minimis dollar amount for determinations of foreign base company income; (3) permanently extend the look-thru rule for for the tax treatment of income received or accrued from a controlled foreign corporation; and (4) permanently extend the exemption from foreign personal holding company income for active financing income (income from insurance, banking, financing, or similar businesses) earned on business operations overseas. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Sole Community Hospital Preservation Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2381
Sponsor: Sen. Salazar, Ken [D-CO]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Ambulatory care
Hospital care
Hospital rates
Hospitals
Medicare
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Medicare Sole Community Hospital Preservation Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the prospective payment system (PPS) for hospital outpatient department (OPD) services, particularly the transitional adjustment for sole community hospitals to limit any decline in payment. Holds sole community hospitals permanently harmless from any decline in payment. Increases the payment for covered OPD services in a sole community hospital by the amount of any difference between the pre-Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (pre-BBA) amount and a lesser PPS amount.

Specifies the rebasing of the payment-to-cost ratio for sole community hospitals for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2007.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require a pilot program on the mobile provision of care and services for veterans in rural areas by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-2383
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Access to health care
Afghanistan
Ambulatory care
Chronically ill
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Counseling
Drug abuse
Drug abuse treatment
Drugs
Education
Families
Family services
Health
Higher education
Housing and Community Development
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Labor and Employment
Medical screening
Mental health services
Middle East and North Africa
Military dependents
Military operations
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Rural health
Social Welfare
South Asia
Veterans' benefits
Veterans' education
Veterans' employment
Veterans' medical care
Veterans' pensions
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing care and a variety of services (including counseling) to veterans residing in rural areas through a mobile system that transports Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical and benefits personnel, as well as equipment and other materials, to the areas designated for the program.

Requires a mobile system to visit each designated area at least once each 45 days and remain present during each visit for at least 48 hours.

Sets forth coordination requirements concerning identification of veterans who are not enrolled in, or otherwise being cared for by, the VA health care system, county and local veterans service offices, and use of community-based VA outpatient clinics.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Fountain Creek Watershed Feasibility Study Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2384
Sponsor: Sen. Salazar, Ken [D-CO]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Animals
Colorado
Dams
Ecosystem management
Emergency Management
Environmental Protection
Fishery management
Flood control
Habitat conservation
Infrastructure
Multipurpose projects
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Reservoirs
Sediment control
Water pollution control
Water quality
Water supply
Watersheds

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Fountain Creek Watershed Feasibility Study Act of 2007 - Directs the Chief of Engineers to complete a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a multipurpose project that shall: (1) be located in the Fountain Creek watershed, Colorado; (2) consist of one or more dams or other structures, other facilities, or management activities or one or more other reservoirs that are to be located on- or off-channel of the watershed; and (3) with respect to the area located in the watershed and the Arkansas River Valley and any residential or commercial activity therein, be designed to provide more reliable flood control and better sediment control, to increase the water supply, to improve water quality, and to conserve fish and wildlife and preserve the ecosystem located close to the project.

Requires the Chief to: (1) take into consideration the Supplemental Report on Fountain Reservoir and Reevaluation of Report on Review Survey for Flood Control and Allied Purposes, Arkansas River and Tributaries Above John Martin Dam, Colorado, dated May 15, 1970, and the Fountain Creek Watershed Study prepared by the Corps of Engineers; and (2) conduct the study independently from the Fountain Creek watershed, the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, or the proposed Southern Delivery System Project.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14627-14628)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide Federal Perkins Loan cancellation to fire fighters.

Bill: 110-s-2385
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Federal aid to education
Fire fighters
Government lending
Higher education
Scholarships
Student loan funds

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to cancel the Perkins loans of full-time federal, state, and local fire fighters.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Mortgage and Rental Disaster Relief Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2386
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Disaster relief
Eviction
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreclosure
Housing and Community Development
Labor and Employment
Leases
Liens
Mortgages
Rent
Rental housing
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs
Unemployment

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Mortgage and Rental Disaster Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide temporary assistance in the form of mortgage or rental payments to or on behalf of individuals and households who, as a result of financial hardship caused by a major disaster, have received written notice of dispossession or eviction from a residence because of a foreclosure of mortgage or lien, cancellation of sales contract, or lease termination, entered into before such disaster. 

Defines such a &quot;financial hardship&quot; to include: (1) the loss of employment or significant income because a job, a business, or a business interest was located in a disaster area; or (2) suffering financially because of travel restrictions or station or road closures affecting residents of such area.

Restricts eligibility for such assistance to individuals or households who have an adjusted gross income of not more than $75,000 ($100,000 for individuals or households who resided in an area with a high cost of living). Directs the President to adjust the limits annually to reflect inflation. Allows assistance to be provided for the duration of the period of financial hardship caused by the disaster, not to exceed 18 months. Requires recipients determined to be ineligible to return the full amount of assistance to the government.

Makes this Act applicable to any major disaster declared on or after October 21, 2007.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14628-14630)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Managing Arson Through Criminal History (MATCH) Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2387
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Arson
Criminal justice information
Data banks
Directories
Driver licenses
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic government information
Ex-offenders
Federal aid to law enforcement
Fingerprints
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Identification devices
Identification of criminals
Internet
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Social security numbers
Transportation and Public Works
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Managing Arson Through Criminal History (MATCH) Act of 2007 - Requires jurisdictions (i.e., states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and possessions, and federally recognized Indian tribes) to establish and maintain jurisdiction-wide arsonist registries and make such registries available on the Internet.

Requires a criminal arsonist to register in each jurisdiction in which such arsonist resides, is an employee, or is a student. Sets forth other registration requirements and the information required to be provided in a registry by the criminal arsonist and jurisdictions. Allows jurisdictions to exempt from disclosure certain information about an arsonist, including the arsonist's employer and enrollment at an educational institution.

Requires the Attorney General to maintain a national database at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) (to be known as the National Arsonist Registry) and a national arsonist Internet site containing information on each criminal arsonist registered in a jurisdiction's registry or listed on a jurisdiction's Internet site, respectively. 

Directs the Attorney General to establish a Criminal Arsonist Management Assistance program for awarding grants to jurisdictions to offset the costs of implementing this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14628-14630)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Disaster Rebuilding Assistance Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2388
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Commerce
Cost of living
Disaster relief
Economics and Public Finance

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Disaster Rebuilding Assistance Act of 2007 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to increase the maximum amount of assistance available to individuals and households to $50,000 (the current limit is $25,000) with respect to a single major disaster. Authorizes the President to increase the amount for an individual or household residing in a state with a high cost of living. Makes this Act applicable to any major disaster declared on or after October 21, 2007.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14628-14630)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the alternative minimum tax credit amount for individuals with long-term unused credits for prior year minimum tax liability, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-2389
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Employee stock options
Finance and Financial Sector
Income tax
Labor and Employment
Minimum tax
Tax credits
Tax refunds

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the alternative minimum tax (AMT) refundable credit amount for individuals who have long-term unused minimum tax credits from prior taxable years; and (2) abate any underpayment of tax attributable to the application of special AMT rules for the treatment of incentive stock options.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Fire-Safe Communities Act

Bill: 110-s-2390
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Bridges
Building construction
Building laws
Building materials
Department of Homeland Security
Economics and Public Finance
Fire prevention
Forest fires
Government Operations and Politics
Grants-in-aid
Housing and Community Development
Infrastructure
Law
Local laws
Maps
National forests
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Road construction
Standards
State laws
Transportation and Public Works
Urban affairs
Zoning and zoning law

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Fire-Safe Communities Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to publish a federal model ordinance for municipalities at risk (subdivisions located in a fire hazard area) that includes specified elements regarding fire prevention and management, such as: (1) specifications for construction materials and techniques for use in such communities; and (2) standards for roads, culverts, and bridges.

Authorizes the Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to modify, for a municipality at risk, the requirements of the Fire Management Assistance Grant Program related to the provision of a non-federal share of funds, so that if such a municipality has adopted an applicable model ordinance and is making significant progress toward implementing it, the Under Secretary may reduce the required non-federal share to 10% of the grant amount.

Directs the Under Secretary to provide grants to: (1) municipalities at risk to encourage responsible development in state-identified fire-prone regions and to mitigate the catastrophic effects of fires; and (2) states to create or update fire-hazard assessment maps.

Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to: (1) include as a purpose of the Community and Private Land Fire Assistance Program to enhance the capacity of local governments to integrate fire-resistant community and home design into local planning, zoning, building code, and brush clearing ordinances; and (2) authorize a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing assistance to fire-safe communities located near federal land.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14628-14630)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
National STEM Scholarship Database Act

Bill: 110-s-2392
Sponsor: Sen. Obama, Barack [D-IL]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Data banks
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic government information
Electronic mail systems
Engineering
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government publicity
Higher education
Mathematics
Minorities
Minority education
Scholarships
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific education
Student aid
Technical education
Web sites
Women
Women's education

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
National STEM Scholarship Database Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to establish and maintain, on the public website of the Department of Education, a database of information on public and private programs of financial assistance for the study of postsecondary and graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

 Requires that such database: (1) provide separate information for each field of study; (2) be searchable by category and combinations of categories; (3) indicate programs targeted toward specific demographic groups; (4) provide searchers with program sponsor contact information and hyperlinks; and (5) include a recommendation that students and families carefully review application requirements and a disclaimer that scholarships presented in the database are not provided or endorsed by the Department or the federal government.

Requires the Secretary and the entity contracted to furnish and regularly update information to consult with public and private sources of scholarships and make easily available a process for the sources to provide regular and updated information.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to close the loophole that allowed the 9/11 hijackers to obtain credit cards from United States banks that financed their terrorists activities, to ensure that illegal immigrants cannot obtain credit cards to evade United States immigration laws, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-2393
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Aliens
Bank accounts
Identification devices
Immigration
Passports
Social Welfare
Social security numbers

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Authorizes a financial institution, when verifying the identity of a non-U.S. citizen or national who is seeking to open a bank account, to accept only: (1) a Social Security number; (2) a passport number and the country of issuance; (3) an alien identification card number; or (4) any combination of such items.
 
Prohibits a financial institution, for such verification purposes, from accepting identification documents issued by a foreign government, other than an unexpired passport.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate