hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Corrosion Prevention Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3316
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2008-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Commerce
Corrosion
Department of the Treasury
Environmental Protection
Government Operations and Politics
Income tax
Law
Licenses
Tax credits

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: 
Corrosion Prevention Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business-related tax credit for 50% of net expenditures for engineering design, materials, and application and installation of corrosion prevention and mitigation technology for depreciable property comprised primarily of metals susceptible to corrosion. Terminates such credit after 2017.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 West Main Street in Waterville, New York, as the "Corporal John P. Sigsbee Post Office".

Bill: 110-s-3317
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2008-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Commemorations
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Army
Congressional tributes
Government Operations and Politics
Military personnel
Names
New York State
Postal facilities

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: 
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 West Main Street in Waterville, New York, as the &quot;Corporal John P. Sigsbee Post Office.&quot;


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-24
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1063.
action_date: 2008-09-24
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-09-24
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2008-09-10
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security.
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Physician Payment Equity Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3318
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2008-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Medical fees
Medicare
Physicians
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: 
Medicare Physician Payment Equity Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to recognize equality of physician work in all geographic areas under the Medicare physician fee schedule. Makes the geographic index 1.0 in all fee schedule areas for physician services furnished on or after January 2010.
 
Requires the Secretary, after calculating the practice expense geographic index, for purposes of payment for services furnished in 2009, to increase the practice expense geographic index to 1.0 for any locality for which such practice expense geographic index is less than 1.0. 
 
Requires the practice expense geographic index, for services furnished on or after January 1, 2010, to reflect half the difference between the relative costs of employee wages and office rents in each of the different fee schedule areas and the national average of such wages and rents.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7157-7158)
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7156-7157)
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Bridge Life Extension Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3319
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2008-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Bridges
Corrosion
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to transportation
Highway finance
Highway maintenance
Infrastructure
Road construction

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: 
Bridge Life Extension Act of 2008 - Allows the Secretary of Transportation to approve federal-aid highway funding for states for bridge reconstruction, replacement, or rehabilitation projects only if the state submits, and the Secretary approves, a corrosion mitigation and prevention plan.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Tribal Law and Order Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3320
Sponsor: Sen. Dorgan, Byron L. [D-ND]
Introduced: 2008-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Alcoholism
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal investigation
Criminal justice information
Criminal statistics
Data banks
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Justice
Drug abuse
Evidence (Law)
Executive reorganization
Families
Family violence
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to Indians
Federal aid to law enforcement
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Health
Indian law enforcement
Indian medical care
Jurisdiction
Law
Minorities
Prosecution
Public prosecutors
Rape
Science, Technology, Communications
Sex crimes
Victims of crimes

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: 
Tribal Law and Order Act of 2008 - Amends the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to submit to Congress a long-term plan to address incarceration in Indian country. Authorizes each U.S. Attorney serving a district that includes Indian country to appoint Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys to prosecute crimes in Indian country when the crime rate, or the rate at which criminal offenses are declined to be prosecuted, exceeds the national average. Establishes in the Department of Justice's (DOJ) criminal division an Office of Indian Country Crime.

Requires the United States to maintain concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute serious crimes in Indian country under specified circumstances. Authorizes the Attorney General to provide assistance to state, tribal, and local governments that enter into cooperative agreements to improve law enforcement effectiveness and reduce crime in and around Indian country.

Directs the Attorney General to ensure that tribal law enforcement officials that meet applicable requirements have access to national crime information databases. 

Establishes: (1) the Indian Law and Order Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of law enforcement and criminal justice in tribal communities and recommend improvements to justice systems at the tribal, federal, and state levels; and (2) within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an Office of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse.

Provides for: (1) the tracking of crimes committed in Indian country and grants to improve tribal data collection systems; (2) training in interviewing victims of domestic and sexual violence and collecting, preserving, and presenting evidence to prosecutors; (3) the development of victim services and victim advocate training programs; and (4) the development of standardized sexual assault policies and protocol.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-18
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7158-7167)
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7158)
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide coordinated leadership in Federal efforts to prevent and reduce overweight and obesity and to promote sound health and nutrition among Americans, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-3321
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2008-07-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Child health
Department of Health and Human Services
Executive reorganization
Families
Government Operations and Politics
Obesity
Preventive medicine

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene a Task Force on Obesity to: (1) establish a government-wide strategy for preventing and reducing overweight and obesity that includes defining clear roles, responsibilities, and accountability for all federal agencies; (2) coordinate effective interagency coordination and priorities for action among federal agencies, including short-term and long-term goals for childhood and adult obesity rates; and (3) implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of, such strategy.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2008-07-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Weatherization, Assistance, and Relief for Middle-Income Households Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3323
Sponsor: Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH]
Introduced: 2008-07-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Appropriations
Commerce
Corporation taxes
Economics and Public Finance
Energy assistance for the poor
Energy conservation
Energy transportation
Finance and Financial Sector
Gas industry
Heating
Housing and Community Development
Income tax
Natural gas
Oil well drilling
Petroleum
Petroleum industry
Petroleum refineries
Social Welfare
Tax credits
Tax deductions
Taxation
Transportation and Public Works
Valuation

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: 
Weatherization, Assistance, and Relief for Middle-Income Households Act of 2008 or the WARM Act of 2008 - Makes additional appropriations in FY2008 for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a income-based tax credit for 50% of home heating oil expenditures made on or after June 1, 2008, and before January 1, 2009, up to $1,000 ($2,000 for joint returns); (2) deny major integrated oil companies a tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production, refining, processing, transportation, or distribution of oil, gas, or primary products thereof; and (3) establish a fair market value standard for determining foreign oil and gas extraction income.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education for the 21st Century Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3324
Sponsor: Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [ID-CT]
Introduced: 2008-07-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Data banks
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Educational accountability
Educational planning
Elementary and secondary education
Engineering
Engineers
Executive Office of the President
Executive reorganization
Federal aid to education
Federal incorporation
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Higher education
Infrastructure
Mathematics
Minorities
Minority education
Scholarships
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific education
Teacher education
Technical education
Women
Women's education

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: 
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education for the 21st Century Act of 2008 - Establishes the National Council for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (STEM Council) as a federally chartered corporation composed of stakeholders in effective STEM education.
 
Directs the STEM Council to: (1) identify critical deficiencies in STEM education systems and propose collaborative strategies that will allow Council members to address such deficiencies; (2) serve as an informational resource for the Department of Education (Department) and, through it, state and local educational agencies on effective STEM education practices; (3) promote STEM fields and the value of a STEM education to the public; and (4) maintain a public database on federal STEM scholarship and fellowship opportunities and other STEM and relevant non-STEM programs.
 
Establishes, within the Council, a standing committee on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education (STEM Committee) composed of representatives from all federal departments and agencies involved in STEM education. Requires the STEM Committee to coordinate all federally funded or administered STEM education efforts and harmonize them with state and local efforts through the STEM Council.
 
Directs the Secretary of Education to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Department's STEM education programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7287-7289)
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7287)
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Pathways to College Act

Bill: 110-s-3326
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2008-07-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: College costs
Conferences
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Continuing education
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Educational counseling
Educational planning
Educational statistics
Elementary and secondary education
Employee training
Families
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Higher education
Labor and Employment
Parent-school relationships
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Student aid
Student enrollment
Teacher education

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: 
Pathways to College Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive five-year grants to local educational agencies that serve mostly high-need secondary schools for programs to increase the number of students from low-income families who attend college. Defines &quot;high-need secondary schools&quot; as those where at least one-half of the students are from low-income families.

Requires grantees to use such funds to: (1) train teachers and counselors to provide students with advice concerning postsecondary education; (2) ensure that each student receives postsecondary information and planning assistance before the end of their first semester of secondary school; (3) inform students and parents regarding the benefits, expenses, and financing of higher education; and (4) ensure that their schools develop comprehensive, school-wide plans of action to strengthen their college-going culture.

Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance to grantees in calculating and analyzing their college-going rates and adopting best practices for elevating such rates.

Requires grantees to measure externally verified school-wide college enrollment, track data that leads to increased college-going, and evaluate the success of their grant activities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7290-7291)
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7289-7290)
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Domestic Film Production Equity Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3330
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2008-07-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Arts, Culture, Religion
Copyright
Entertainers
Finance and Financial Sector
Income tax
Intellectual property
Labor and Employment
Motion pictures
Partnerships
Small business
Stockholders
Tax deductions
Trademarks
Wages

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: 
Domestic Film Production Equity Act of 2008 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to the tax deduction for domestic film and television production activities to: (1) include within the income base for such deduction compensation for services performed in the United States by actors, production personnel, directors, and producers and any copyrights, trademarks, or other intangibles with respect to a film production; and (2) allow a deduction for partners or S corporation shareholders who own at least a 20% interest in a film project.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7300)
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7299)
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Firearms Fairness and Affordability Act

Bill: 110-s-3331
Sponsor: Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT]
Introduced: 2008-07-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Equipment and supplies
Excise tax
Firearms
Fishing
Outdoor recreation
Sports and Recreation
Tax administration
Tax returns

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: 
Firearms Fairness and Affordability Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require excise taxes on recreational equipment to be due and payable on the date for filing the return for such taxes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7300)
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Spina Bifida Health Care Program Expansion Act

Bill: 110-s-3332
Sponsor: Sen. Bayh, Evan [D-IN]
Introduced: 2008-07-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Birth defects
Child health
Comprehensive health care
Disabled
Families
Health
Nervous system
Veterans' benefits
Veterans' medical care
Vietnam veterans

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: 
Spina Bifida Health Care Program Expansion Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide comprehensive health care coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for a child of a Vietnam veteran who is suffering from spina bifida. (Current law requires the Secretary to provide such child such health care as the Secretary determines is needed by the child for the spina bifida or any disability that is associated with such condition.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Whaling Convention Amendments Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3333
Sponsor: Sen. Stevens, Ted [R-AK]
Introduced: 2008-07-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Animals
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Alaska
Department of Commerce
Eskimos
Government Operations and Politics
Hunting
Indigenous peoples
Law
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Whales
Whaling

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: 
Whaling Convention Amendments Act of 2008 - Amends the Whaling Convention Act of 1949 to require the Secretary of Commerce to authorize aboriginal subsistence whaling if it: (1) is for subsistence purposes (including the sale of authentic native articles of handicrafts and clothing); (2) does not include the striking, taking, or killing of calves or any whale accompanied by a calf; and (3) is not accomplished in a wasteful manner.

Requires the Secretary of Commerce to establish catch limits for the Alaska Native aboriginal subsistence hunt of bowhead whales for any year or set of years if: (1) the International Whaling Commission has failed to adopt applicable catch limits; and (2) the biological status of the affected bowhead stock or stocks is such that, based on the most recent review of their status by the Scientific Committee of the Commission, the aboriginal subsistence needs request submitted to the Commission by the United States for that year or set of years is sustainable.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7300-7301)
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Introduced in Senate
New Clean Energy Tax Extenders Act

Bill: 110-s-3336
Sponsor: Sen. Dole, Elizabeth [R-NC]
Introduced: 2008-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Alternative energy sources
Biomass energy
Bonds
Commerce
Corporation taxes
Electric power production
Energy
Energy conservation
Energy efficiency
Foreign tax credit
Fuel cells
Gas industry
Geothermal resources
Heating
Home repair and improvement
Housing and Community Development
Hydroelectric power
Income tax
Natural gas
Oil well drilling
Petroleum industry
Solar energy
Tax credits
Tax deductions
Taxation of foreign income
Wind power

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-25
text: 
New Clean Energy Tax Extenders Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend various energy production and conservation provisions.

Extends through 2012: (1) the tax credits for producing electricity from certain renewable resources (e.g., for wind, biomass, geothermal, and hydropower facilities), for residential energy efficient property, and for investment in clean renewable energy bonds; and (2) the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings. 

Expands the tax credit for production of electricity from renewable resources to include marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy as a renewable resource. 

Extends through 2016 the energy tax credits for solar, fuel cell, and microturbine property and the tax credit for residential energy efficient property. Repeals the dollar per kilowatt limitation on the energy tax credit for fuel cell property.

Extends through 2011 the tax credit for energy efficiency improvements to existing homes. Makes biomass fuel burning stoves eligible for such credit. 

Extends the tax credit for energy efficient household appliances produced after 2007.

Denies major integrated oil companies a tax deduction for income attributable to the domestic production of oil, gas, or any primary product thereof. 

Revises the treatment of foreign oil and gas extraction income and foreign oil related income for purposes of the foreign tax credit. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out conservation reserve program notice CRP-598, entitled the "Voluntary Modification of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Contract for Critical Feed Use".

Bill: 110-s-3337
Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2008-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural conservation
Environmental Protection
Government Operations and Politics
Grazing

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-25
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out conservation reserve program notice CRP-598 (&quot;Voluntary Modification of Conservation Reserve Program [CRP] Contract for Critical Feed Use&quot;) pursuant to the terms and conditions of the notice to: (1) modify producer and operator conservation reserve program contracts; and (2) allow harvesting or grazing on agricultural lands enrolled in the conservation reserve program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2008-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate