hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Good Government Contractor Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2394
Sponsor: Sen. Coleman, Norm [R-MN]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal justice information
Data banks
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government procurement
Government publicity
Internet
Law
Science, Technology, Communications
Tax evasion
Tax liens
Tax returns

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Good Government Contractor Act of 2007 - Repeals provisions of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 requiring government agencies to withhold 3% of payments due contractors providing goods and services to such agencies. 

Requires the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council to (1) amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to require prospective contractors to be free of any tax debt, to require contracting officers to access the national federal tax lien registry and the federal tax conviction database established by this Act in making a determination of responsibility with respect to any prospective contractor, and to establish as cause for contractor debarment and suspension the making of false statements regarding federal tax information; and (2) make final the proposed rule FAR Case 2006-011 (Representations and Certifications - Tax Delinquency).

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) direct the Secretary of the Treasury to establish and maintain a federal tax lien registry, in lieu of filing tax liens in local jurisdictions, which would be accessible to and searchable by the public through the Internet at no cost; (2) establish the priority of a federal tax lien based upon the date and time of the filing of a notice of lien in the federal tax lien registry; and (3) reduce the period for releasing satisfied or unenforceable tax liens from 30 to 10 days.

Requires the Attorney General to establish and maintain a database of individuals and entities with convictions for federal tax offenses. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S14640-14641)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14640)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Adoption Improvement Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2395
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Adoption
Child welfare
Economics and Public Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Grants-in-aid
Parents

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Adoption Improvement Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a pilot program of grants to child welfare agencies to effect long-range improvements in the adoption process by increasing prospective adoptive parent access to adoption information and strengthening agency responsiveness to prospective adoptive parents.

Requires the Secretary also to: (1) research, through grant or contract, the successes and challenges of the programs established under the pilot program grants; and (2) include in the national annual review of child welfare agencies an examination of each state's progress regarding adoption information accessibility and agency responsiveness to prospective adoptive parents.


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: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14641-14642)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Quality Improvement Organization Modernization Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2396
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Auditing
Finance and Financial Sector
Medicaid
Medicare
Peer review organizations (Medicine)
Quality of care
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Medicare Quality Improvement Organization Modernization Act of 2007 - Amends title XI of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require utilization and quality control peer review organizations to offer quality improvement assistance to providers, practitioners who provide health care items and services to individuals dually eligible for benefits under SSA titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid), and programs that provide items and services to such individuals.
 
Requires the organization to establish a Medicare quality accountability program.
 
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, to contract with an entity to conduct a medical review audit to evaluate whether quality improvement organizations are making appropriate noncompliance determinations and sanction recommendations to the Secretary regarding health care practitioners and providers with respect to a corrective action plan.
 
Revises requirements for the quality improvement program (QIO), including program administration, data disclosure, use of evaluation and competition, quality improvement organization program funding, and qualifications for QIOs under part B (Peer Review) of SSA title XI.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14642-14643)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Preserving and Expanding Minority Depository Institutions Act

Bill: 110-s-2397
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bank mergers
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Minorities
Minority business enterprises

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Preserving and Expanding Minority Depository Institutions Act - Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to include the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve Board) and the Comptroller of the Currency among the persons with whom the Secretary of the Treasury must consult regarding methods for best preserving: (1) the present number of minority depository institutions; and (2) their minority character in cases involving mergers or acquisition of a minority depository institution.
 
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the Chairperson of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation each to submit an annual report to Congress describing actions taken with respect to the preservation and expansion of minority depository institutions.


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
Stop Outsourcing Security Act

Bill: 110-s-2398
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Accounting
Afghanistan
Americans in foreign countries
Armed forces abroad
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congress and military policy
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Cost accounting
Crime and Law Enforcement
Defense contracts
Department of Defense
Department of State
Department of the Interior
Diplomats
Disciplining of employees
Economic assistance
Economics and Public Finance
Embassies
Employee rights
Employee selection
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government service contracts
Health
Human rights
Identification of criminals
International Affairs
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Jurisdiction
Labor and Employment
Middle East and North Africa
Military occupation
Military operations
Occupational health and safety
President and foreign policy
Security measures
South Asia
Subcontractors
U.S. Agency for International Development
War casualties
Whistle blowing

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Stop Outsourcing Security Act - Directs the Secretary of State to ensure that only government personnel provide security services at U.S. diplomatic or consular missions in Iraq.
 
Requires the President to report to Congress on the status of planning for the use of Government and military personnel instead of private contractors for mission critical or emergency essential functions by January 1, 2009, in all conflict zones where Congress has authorized the use of force.
 
Authorizes Congress access to contracts and task orders in excess of $5 million entered into by the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of State, the Department of the Interior, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during the period beginning October 1, 2001, and ending on the last day of the month during which this Act is enacted for work to be performed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Requires certain reports to Congress regarding such contracts.


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: Introduced in Senate
Financial Education and Counseling Assistance Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2399
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Commerce
Consumer credit
Consumer education
Counseling
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to housing
Finance and Financial Sector
Home ownership
Housing finance
Mortgages
Personal budgets
Saving and investment
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Financial Education and Counseling Assistance Act of 2007 - Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a grant program to assist eligible organizations to provide financial education and counseling services to homeowners and prospective homebuyers.
 
Requires the Secretary to give preference to established community-based financial education and counseling organizations capable of providing in-person services.
 

 

 
Prohibits an organization from receiving such financial assistance unless its financial counselors are HUD-certified.


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
Wounded Warrior Bonus Equity Act

Bill: 110-s-2400
Sponsor: Sen. Sessions, Jeff [R-AL]
Introduced: 2007-12-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Collection of accounts
Disability retirement
Disabled
Iraq compilation
Military pay
Officer personnel
Retired military personnel
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: 
 Wounded Warrior Bonus Equity Act - Provides that, in the case of a member of the Armed Forces who is retired or separated for disability due to a combat-related injury, the Secretary of Defense shall require the continued payment of any covered bonuses or special pay to which the member: (1) was entitled to immediately before the retirement or separation; and (2) would continue to be entitled to if not retired or separated.
 
Requires such payment in a lump sum within 90 days after such retirement or separation.

action_date: 2007-12-14
text: 

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

 
 Wounded Warrior Bonus Equity Act - Provides that, in the case of a member of the Armed Forces who is retired or separated for disability due to a combat-related injury, the Secretary of Defense shall require the continued payment of any covered bonuses or special pay to which the member: (1) was entitled to immediately before the retirement or separation; and (2) would continue to be entitled to if not retired or separated.
 
Requires such payment in a lump sum within 90 days after such retirement or separation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2007-12-17
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2007-12-17
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2007-12-14
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2007-12-14
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S15705-15706)
action_date: 2007-12-14
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S15705-15706)
action_date: 2007-12-14
text: Senate Committee on Armed Services discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S15705-15706)
action_date: 2007-12-14
text: Senate Committee on Armed Services discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S15705-15706)
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: Star Print ordered on the bill.
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14703)
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a refund of motor fuel excise taxes for the actual off-highway use of certain mobile machinery vehicles.

Bill: 110-s-2401
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2007-12-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Energy
Excise tax
Gasoline
Machinery
Motor vehicles
Tax refunds
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a gasoline excise tax refund for certain mobile machinery vehicles which use more than 50% of their fuel in non-propulsive operations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Substitution Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2402
Sponsor: Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA]
Introduced: 2007-12-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Crime and Law Enforcement
Discovery (Law)
Electronic surveillance
Government liability
International Affairs
Liability (Law)
Parties to actions
Science, Technology, Communications
Telecommunication industry
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: 
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Substitution Act of 2007 - Requires a federal or state court to substitute the United States for an electronic communication service provider with respect to any claim in a covered civil action if the Attorney General certifies to the court that either: (1) the service provider did not provide the alleged assistance; or (2) the assistance alleged to have been provided was in connection with an intelligence activity involving communications authorized by the President between September 11, 2001, and January 17, 2007, and designed to detect or prevent a terrorist attack, or activities in preparation for a terrorist attack, against the United States. Requires the alleged provider assistance to be described in a written request or directive from the Attorney General or the head of an element of the intelligence community to the electronic communication service provider indicating that the activity was authorized by the President and determined to be lawful.

Requires a federal or state court, upon receiving such a certification, to: (1) substitute the United States for the electronic communication service provider as the defendant as to all claims designated by the Attorney General in the certification; (2) dismiss all such designated claims against the provider; and (3) enter a final judgment relating to those claims.

Provides that the electronic communication service provider shall remain as a defendant if the Attorney General's certification states that not all of the alleged assistance was provided under a written request or directive.

Provides that, in a covered civil action in which the United States is substituted as a party-defendant, any plaintiff may serve third-party discovery requests to any electronic communications service provider as to which all claims are dismissed.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14703-14704)
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Advanced Laboratory Diagnostics Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2404
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2007-12-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Congressional reporting requirements
DNA
Department of Health and Human Services
Federal advisory bodies
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Medical fees
Medical laboratories
Medical tests
Medicare
Molecular biology
Proteins
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: 
Medicare Advanced Laboratory Diagnostics Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish a demonstration project to evaluate new approaches to coding and payment under the Medicare program (title XVIII of the Social Security Act (SSA)) for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests; and (2) appoint a standing panel to determine tests to be included in the project and make recommendations derived from project results to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
 
Amends SSA title XVIII with respect to: (1) correction of erroneous determinations and other changes in fee schedule and national limitation amounts for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests; (2) issuance of regulations on gap-filling methodology in determining the Medicare fee schedule for such tests; (3) increased transparency of the process for determining fee schedule amounts for new tests; and (4) mandatory advance notice of clinical diagnostic laboratory test amounts being considered for adjustment under inherent reasonableness authority.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-12-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Keeping Americans Warm Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2405
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2007-12-04 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Appropriations
Department of Health and Human Services
Economics and Public Finance
Energy assistance for the poor
Government Operations and Politics
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-12-04
text: 
Keeping Americans Warm Act of 2007 - Appropriates funds for FY2008 to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for emergency payments to states under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, notwithstanding such Act's requirement that funds be made available only after the President's submission to Congress of a formal budget request that includes a designation of the requested amount as an emergency requirement.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-12-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
action_date: 2007-12-04
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14742-14743)
action_date: 2007-12-04
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Care Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2406
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2007-12-04 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Medicaid
Mental care facilities
Mental health services
Psychiatric hospitals
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-12-04
text: 
Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Care Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act with respect to reimbursement for specified emergency care and services of private institutions for mental diseases subject (under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Medicaid (EMTALA) Program) to certain requirements for examination and treatment for emergency medical conditions.

Requires the Medicaid program to reimburse such institutions for care and services required to stabilize an emergency medical condition of an individual between ages 21 and 65, if the treatment is within the range of services that such institution typically provides.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-12-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-12-04
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14743)
action_date: 2007-12-04
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Electronic Medication and Safety Protection (E-MEDS) Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2408
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2007-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Drugs
Electronic data interchange
Health information systems
Medical fees
Medicare
Pharmacies
Physicians
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: 
Medicare Electronic Medication and Safety Protection (E-MEDS) Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) make incentive payments for physician use of an electronic prescription drug program (E-prescribing); and (2) reduce by 10% the fee schedule amount for failure to use E-prescribing.
 
Directs the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to report to Congress on progress on implementing E-prescribing under the Medicare electronic prescription drug program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S14789)
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14788-14789)
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Loyalty to Our Legacy Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2409
Sponsor: Sen. DeMint, Jim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2007-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Arts, Culture, Religion
Capitol (Washington, D.C.)
Christianity
Church and state
Commemorations
Emblems
Exhibitions
Flags
Government Operations and Politics
Judaism
Religion
Signs and symbols
Tourism

Summary:
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: 
Loyalty to Our Legacy Act of 2007 - Requires the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) to ensure that the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and the national motto &quot;In God We Trust&quot; are each displayed prominently in the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) on a permanent basis.
 
Prohibits the AOC, in preparing and producing any exhibit or other material relating to the CVC, from removing or refusing to include any language, symbol, writing, document, or record on the grounds that they include a religious reference or Judeo-Christian content.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Efficiency in Decision Making Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2410
Sponsor: Sen. Kyl, Jon [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2007-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Federal Communications Commission
Government Operations and Politics
Independent regulatory commissions
Law

Summary:
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: 
Efficiency in Decision Making Act of 2007 - Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make a decision that either grants or denies a Petition for Reconsideration and issue a Memorandum Opinion and Order not later than one year after the submission of the petition. Deems a petition granted if the FCC fails to act within that time limit.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2007-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate