hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2359
Sponsor: Sen. Martinez, Mel [R-FL]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Commemorations
Subjects: Anniversaries
Florida
Historic sites
History
Urban affairs
Urban areas

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission Act of 2007 - Establishes the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission to plan and execute programs and activities to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, Florida.

action_date: 2008-09-16
text: 
St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission Act of 2008 - Establishes the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission to plan and carry out programs and activities to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, Florida. 
 
Sets forth provisions regarding the membership, duties, meetings, powers, and personnel matters of the Commission. 

Requires the Commission to: (1) prepare a strategic plan for the activities of the Commission carried out under this Act; and (2) submit a final report that contains a summary of the Commission's activities, a final accounting of funds received and spent by the Commission, and the findings and recommendations of the Commission. 
 
Authorizes appropriations to the Commission to carry out this Act for FY2009-FY2015 and makes such amounts available until December 31, 2015.
 
Terminates the Commission on December 31, 2015. Directs the Commission, before such termination date, to transfer all documents and materials of the Commission to the National Archives or another appropriate federal entity. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 982.
action_date: 2008-09-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-09-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-09-11
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2008-06-17
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 110-539.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Student Protection Act

Bill: 110-s-2360
Sponsor: Sen. Martinez, Mel [R-FL]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Child sexual abuse
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal investigation
Criminal justice information
Data banks
Disciplining of employees
Economics and Public Finance
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Families
Federal aid to education
Federal-state relations
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Informers
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Labor and Employment
Rape
School districts
School personnel
School security
Science, Technology, Communications
Secondary education
Sex crimes
Sex offenders
State laws
Students
Teachers
Telephone
Women

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Student Protection Act - Requires that by FY2010 states have in effect laws and policies that require disciplining of any school, state, or local educational agency employee or volunteer who, having reason to believe another employee or volunteer has committed an act of sexual misconduct against a student, fails to report such act in the same manner the state requires the reporting of child abuse and neglect or, in the absence of such a requirement, as quickly as practicable.
 
Requires each state to have a single, statewide commission for receiving and documenting such reports that: (1) establishes policies for investigating and reporting such allegations; and (2) has a toll-free number that can be used to report such allegations.
 
Directs states to report to the Secretary of Education whenever an employee or volunteer is terminated or punished on the basis of an act of sexual misconduct toward a student, including the reason such action was taken and the identification and last known address such individual.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to penalize noncompliant states by reducing their funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by up to 5%.
 
Directs the Secretary to maintain a national database that contains, at a minimum, the details this Act requires each state to report.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Cell Phone Number Protection Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2361
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Directories
Government Operations and Politics
Marketing
Right of privacy
State laws
Telephone
Wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Cell Phone Number Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit, without the express prior written authorization of each person involved: (1) selling or otherwise disseminating the wireless telephone information of any individual; or (2) publishing, marketing for sale, or otherwise disseminating any directory, index, or other list of the wireless telephone information of individuals. Allows more stringent state laws.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Property Tax Fairness Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2362
Sponsor: Sen. Bayh, Evan [D-IN]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Brokers
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Income tax
Local taxation
Property tax
Securities
State taxation
Tax deductions
Tax returns

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Property Tax Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an additional standard tax deduction in 2007 or 2008 (available to taxpayers who do not itemize) for state and local real property taxes; and (2) include within the reporting requirements of investment brokers the adjusted basis of any security owned by customers of such brokers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Pisgah National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2364
Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Land transfers
National forests
North Carolina

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Pisgah National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2007 - Modifies the boundaries of the Pisgah National Forest in McDowell County, North Carolina, to provide for the inclusion of certain private land and Forest Service land in the Forest. Requires an owner's consent to acquire the private land. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Parents' Rights Empowerment and Protection Act (PREP Act)

Bill: 110-s-2365
Sponsor: Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Damages
Economics and Public Finance
Educational accountability
Educational research
Educational surveys
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Families
Federal aid to education
Fines (Penalties)
Law
Legal fees
Liability (Law)
Parent and child
Parent-school relationships
Preschool education
Punitive damages
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Secondary education
Sex
Sex education
Students' rights

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Parents' Rights Empowerment and Protection Act (PREP Act) - Requires each preschool and elementary and secondary school that receives federal funds to obtain the affirmative, informed, written consent of a child's parent before requesting information from, or conveying information to, such child on topics relating to sex or sexuality.

Requires parents, upon their request, to be given an opportunity to review such information as well as a description of the context of, and need for, its request or conveyance.

Subjects individuals and schools to civil liability and fines for violating these consent and disclosure requirements. 

Makes noncompliant schools ineligible for federal funds for one year following a violation.

Amends the General Education Provisions Act to direct administrators of surveys, analyses, or evaluations that require students to reveal certain personal or familial information to obtain the prior consent of adult or emancipated students and prior written consent of minor students' parents.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Indian School Construction Act

Bill: 110-s-2367
Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Bonds
Construction costs
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Federal aid to Indians
Finance and Financial Sector
Income tax
Indian education
Maintenance and repair
Minorities
School buildings
Tax credits
Taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Indian School Construction Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a pilot program under which eligible Indian tribes have the authority to issue tribal school modernization bonds to provide funds for the construction, rehabilitation, and repair of tribal schools, including advance planning and design.

Permits a tribe to use amounts received through a bond issue to enter contracts: (1) for the design and engineering of the school; and (2) with financial advisors, underwriters, attorneys, trustees, and other professionals to provide assistance to the tribe in issuing bonds.
Makes any tribal school modernization bond issued by a tribe subject to a trust agreement. 
Authorizes the Secretary to deposit not more than $50 million into a tribal school modernization escrow account and to accept additional amounts from other federal agencies and non-federal public or private sources.
Declares that no bond shall be an obligation of, nor shall payment of the principal be guaranteed by, the United States, the tribes, or their schools. Exempts from federal income tax any earnings through the investment of funds under the control of a trustee. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit to individuals who hold such bonds.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to provide that certain tax planning inventions are not patentable, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-2369
Sponsor: Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Income tax
Intellectual property
Inventions
Patent infringement
Patents
Tax consultants
Tax planning
Taxation
Taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Provides that tax planning inventions are not patentable. Defines a &quot;tax planning invention&quot; as a plan, strategy, technique, scheme, process, or system to reduce, minimize, avoid, or defer tax liability or to facilitate compliance with tax laws, excluding tax preparation software and other tools or systems used solely to prepare tax or information returns.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S14492)
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14491-14492, S14492-14493)
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Albuquerque Biological Park Title Clarification Act

Bill: 110-s-2370
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Emergency Management
Environmental Protection
Environmental education
Flood control
Infrastructure
Land transfers
New Mexico
Parks
Rivers
Water Resources Development

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Albuquerque Biological Park Title Clarification Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue a quitclaim deed conveying any right, title, and interest the United States may have in and to Tingley Beach, San Gabriel Park, and the BioPark Parcels in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the City of Albuquerque. Provides that the City shall not be required to pay any additional costs for the value of such Beach, Park, and Parcels. 
Prohibits this Act from being construed or utilized to affect or otherwise interfere with any position set forth by any party in the lawsuit pending before the U.S. District Court entitled 
Rio Grande Silvery Minnow v. John W. Keys, III
 concerning the right to any property associated with the Middle Rio Grande Project.
action_date: 2008-06-16
text: 
Albuquerque Biological Park Title Clarification Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue a quitclaim deed conveying any right, title, and interest the United States may have in and to Tingley Beach, San Gabriel Park, and the BioPark Parcels in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the City of Albuquerque. Provides that the City shall not be required to pay any additional costs for the value of such Beach, Park, and Parcels. 
 
Prohibits this Act from being construed or utilized to affect or otherwise interfere with any position set forth by any party in the lawsuit pending before the U.S. District Court entitled 
Rio Grande Silvery Minnow v. John W. Keys, III
 concerning the right to any property associated with the Middle Rio Grande Project.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-06-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 798.
action_date: 2008-06-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment. With written report No. 110-366.
action_date: 2008-06-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment. With written report No. 110-366.
action_date: 2008-05-07
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2008-02-28
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 110-376.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S14493-14494)
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14493)
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Affordable Footwear Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2372
Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [R-OR]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Caribbean area
Commerce
Haiti
Latin America
Plastics
Poverty
Rubber
Shoe industry
Social Welfare
Tariff
Tariff preferences

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Affordable Footwear Act of 2007 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the elimination of duty on certain imported footwear would provide significant benefit to U.S. consumers, particularly lower-income families.
 
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide for the duty-free treatment of certain footwear (including children's shoes) made of rubber or plastics that are imported into the United States.
 
Amends the Caribbean Basic Economic Recovery Act to provide footwear imported directly from Haiti into the United States with the same preferential treatment that is provided to certain imported footwear under the Dominican Republic-Central American-United States Free Trade Agreement.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for residents of Puerto Rico who participate in cafeteria plans under the Puerto Rican tax laws an exclusion from employment taxes which is comparable to the exclusion that applies to cafeteria plans under such Code.

Bill: 110-s-2373
Sponsor: Sen. Salazar, Ken [D-CO]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Flexible benefit plans
Income tax
Labor and Employment
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Payroll deductions
Puerto Ricans
Puerto Rico
Social Welfare
Social security taxes
Tax exclusion
Tax exemption
Unemployment insurance
Wages
Withholding tax

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from employment and unemployment taxes payments made on behalf of Puerto Rican residents participating in tax-exempt employee benefit cafeteria plans established under Puerto Rican law.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2374
Sponsor: Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Alternative energy sources
Biomass energy
Capital gains tax
Charitable contributions
Commerce
Commodity tax straddles
Congress
Diesel motor
Dividends
Electric power production
Energy
Energy research
Estate tax
Excise tax
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foreign corporations
Foreign tax credit
Foundations
Gasoline
Gift tax
Government Operations and Politics
Hotels, motels, etc.
Hydrogen
Income tax
Individual retirement accounts
Interest
Investments
Labor and Employment
Legislation
Minimum tax
Nuclear power plants
Public records
Real estate investment
Rent
Research and development tax credit
Science, Technology, Communications
Service stations
Small business
Sulphur
Tax administration
Tax credits
Tax exclusion
Tax-exempt organizations
Transportation and Public Works
Unrelated business income tax
Valuation
Wind power

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2007 - Makes technical and clerical corrections to the Internal Revenue Code, including corrections to provisions enacted by: (1) the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006; (2) the Pension Protection Act of 2006; (3) the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005; (4) the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users; (5) the Energy Policy Act of 2005; (6) the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004; (7) the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003; (8) the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001; (9) the Tax Relief Extension Act of 1999; and (10) the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S14494-14499)
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14494)
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify and make permanent the election to treat certain costs of qualified film and television productions as expenses.

Bill: 110-s-2375
Sponsor: Sen. Lincoln, Blanche L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Arts, Culture, Religion
Commerce
Depreciation and amortization
Income tax
Motion pictures
Science, Technology, Communications
Tax deductions
Television industry
Television programs

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude participations and residuals from the dollar limitation on the taxpayer election to expense qualified film and television production costs; (2) allow amortization of costs ineligible for expensing; and (3) make such expensing election permanent.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Medical Homes Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2376
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2007-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Economics and Public Finance
Families
Federal aid to child health services
Health facilities
Health information systems
Health insurance
Medicaid
Medically uninsured
Poor children
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: 
Medical Homes Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a three-year demonstration project under titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act for the implementation of a patient-centered medical home program to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in providing Medicaid and SCHIP assistance to an estimated 500,000 to 1 million targeted beneficiaries. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S14622-14624)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14621-14622)
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate