hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Weather Mitigation Research and Technology Transfer Authorization Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-3445
Sponsor: Rep. Udall, Mark [D-CO-2]
Introduced: 2007-08-03 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Computer software
Computers
Department of Commerce
Economics and Public Finance
Executive reorganization
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Government trust funds
Meteorological research
Meteorology
Remote sensing
Research and development
Research grants
Science, Technology, Communications
Weather
Weather control
Weather forecasting

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: 
Weather Mitigation Research and Technology Transfer Authorization Act of 2007 - Establishes in the Department of Commerce the Weather Mitigation Advisory and Research Board to promote and fund research and development (R&D), studies, and investigations with respect to: (1) improved forecast and decisionmaking technologies for weather mitigation operations, including tailored computer workstations and software and new observation systems with remote sensors; and (2) assessments and evaluations of the efficacy of weather mitigation, both purposeful (including cloud-seeding operations) and inadvertent (including downwind effects and anthropogenic effects). 
 
Establishes within the U.S. Treasury the Weather Mitigation Research and Development Fund. Directs the Board, unless the use of the money is restricted or subject to any limitations provided by law, to use amounts in the Fund to: (1) pay its expenses in the administration of this Act; and (2) provide for R&D with respect to weather mitigations by grants to, or contracts or cooperative arrangements with, public or private agencies.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on Science and Technology.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR 8/4/2007 E1760)
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
Surgeon General Independence Act

Bill: 110-hr-3447
Sponsor: Rep. Waxman, Henry A. [D-CA-30]
Introduced: 2007-08-03 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Communication in medicine
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Consultants
Department of Health and Human Services
Dismissal of employees
Economics and Public Finance
Employee selection
Executive reorganization
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Health education
Nominations for office
Physicians
Presidential appointments
Public health
Public health personnel
Removal of officials
Term limits

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: 
Surgeon General Independence Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to add as requirements for appointment as Surgeon General that an individual be: (1) a licensed physician; and (2) nominated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Requires the Regular Corps to submit to the Secretary and the President a list of six qualified nominees to fill any vacancy in the Surgeon General position. 

Prohibits an individual from serving more than three full terms as Surgeon General.

Allows the President to remove a Surgeon General during a term only for cause. Requires the Secretary to provide a written explanation of such a removal to the relevant congressional committees. 

Directs the Surgeon General, under the supervision and direction of the Secretary, to administer the Office of the Surgeon General, the Regular Corps, and the Reserve Corps. 

Requires the Surgeon General to submit to the President an annual budget estimate for the Office of the Surgeon General, after reasonable opportunity for comment (but without change) by the Secretary.

Gives the Surgeon General authority to hire and terminate employees of and consultants to the Office of the Surgeon General without obtaining approval or clearance. 

Directs the Surgeon General to: (1) issue reports, calls to action, and other communications on matters of importance to the health of the American people; and (2) submit to Congress and make publicly available an annual report on the state of the nation's health. Gives the Secretary the exclusive authority to disapprove the issuance of a report, call to action, or other communication proposed by the Surgeon General. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
Guard and Reserve Early Retirement Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-3449
Sponsor: Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2]
Introduced: 2007-08-03 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Age
Armed forces reserves
Health
Labor and Employment
Military medicine
Military pensions
Retiree health benefits
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: 
Guard and Reserve Early Retirement Act of 2007 - Revises provisions concerning eligibility for military retired pay for nonregular (reserve) service to: (1) remove the requirement that the person be at least 60 years of age; and (2) provide an additional qualifier in the case of a combination of minimum age and earned duty points (requiring 4500 points with a minimum age of 55, descending to 1000 points with a minimum age of 60).
 
Continues 60 as the minimum eligibility age for such retirees for health care furnished through the Department of Defense (DOD).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
College Student Success Act

Bill: 110-hr-3450
Sponsor: Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3]
Introduced: 2007-08-03 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
College costs
Community and school
Compensatory education
Curricula
Day care
Dropouts
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Educational counseling
Families
Federal aid to education
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Higher education
Labor and Employment
Mathematics
Performance measurement
Reading
Scholarships
Social Welfare
Student aid
Student employment
Student transportation
Transportation and Public Works
Vocational guidance

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: 
College Student Success Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to establish a pilot program awarding competitive, matching, Student Success grants to institutions of higher education in which, during the preceding three-year period, an average of at least 50% of entering first-year students were enrolled in developmental courses to bring their reading, writing, or mathematics skills up to college-level. 
 
Requires the grants to be used to help Pell grant eligible students persevere in postsecondary education, beginning from their first year of study. Requires such help to include the assignment of a Student Success Coach to every student participant to provide intensive career and academic advising, ongoing personal help in navigating college services, and assistance in connecting to community resources that can help students overcome family and personal challenges to success.
 
Gives grant priority to schools proposing to replicate policies and practices that have proven effective in increasing persistence and completion by low-income students or students in need of developmental education.
 
Provides that the size of each grant shall be based on the number of a grantee's student participants; but limits each school to no more than 200 participants each academic year.
 
Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance to grantees who, after three years, are not significantly improving their student participants' perseverance in their studies.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
For the relief of Teresa Figueroa.

Bill: 110-hr-3451
Sponsor: Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4]
Introduced: 2007-08-03 in the House
Policy area: Private Legislation
Subjects: Immigration

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Provides for the relief of Teresa Figueroa.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit with respect to clean renewable water supply bonds.

Bill: 110-hr-3452
Sponsor: Rep. Becerra, Xavier [D-CA-31]
Introduced: 2007-08-04 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Bonds
Capital investments
Environmental Protection
Finance and Financial Sector
Groundwater
Income tax
Infrastructure
Saline waters
Tax credits
Waste water treatment
Water conservation
Water pollution control
Water purification
Water supply
Water treatment plants

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow holders of clean renewable water supply bonds a tax credit of 25% of the annual credit amount as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury. Defines &quot;clean renewable water supply bond&quot; as any bond issued by a governmental body or an entity qualified to issue tax-exempt bonds that is used for capital expenditures for projects involving a qualified desalination facility, a recycled water facility, or a groundwater remediation facility.

Sets forth rules for maturity limitations, arbitrage, and expenditures, including a requirement that 95% of the proceeds of a bond issue be spent on one or more clean renewable water supply projects within five years from the date of a bond issuance. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
Community Clinical Laboratory Fairness in Competition Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-3453
Sponsor: Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-12]
Introduced: 2007-08-04 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Commerce
Competitive bidding
Department of Health and Human Services
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Law
Medical laboratories
Medicare
Small business
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: 
Community Clinical Laboratory Fairness in Competition Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the mandate for a Medicare Competitive Bidding Demonstration Project for Clinical Laboratory Services.
 
Amends federal civil service to subject the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services (solely with respect to its capacity to issue rules governing the Medicare part B fee schedule for clinical laboratory services) to the requirement to submit to a small business advocacy review panel for comment any proposed rule which will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, and Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, and Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, and Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, and Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, and Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
21st Century Veterans Equitable Treatment Act

Bill: 110-hr-3455
Sponsor: Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]
Introduced: 2007-08-04 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Access to health care
Administrative procedure
Collection of accounts
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Health and Human Services
Electronic funds transfers
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Hospital rates
Law
Medical fees
Performance measurement
Science, Technology, Communications
Smart cards
Transportation and Public Works
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: 21st Century Veterans Equitable Treatment Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish a maximum specialist referral period (the period between a veteran's referral to a specialty clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by a VA primary care physician and the actual appointment with a specialist); and (2) provide appropriate transportation to such appointments for qualified veterans. 
Requires the Secretary, in any case in which such period is exceeded or in which transportation was not so provided, to promptly provide for such care or transportation from a private source and to reimburse such source at an appropriate rate. Requires expedited reimbursement procedures. 
Directs the Secretary to include within standards of performance used for measuring VA medical care administration a standard of assessing improvements in appointment waiting times.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
Community Forestry Conservation Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-3456
Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-1]
Introduced: 2007-08-04 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Animals
Bonds
Capital gains tax
Conservation easements
Environmental Protection
Finance and Financial Sector
Forest conservation
Forest ecology
Forest health
Habitat conservation
Income tax
Land transfers
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Tax credits
Tax deductions
Tax exclusion
Tax exemption
Timber sales

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: 
Community Forestry Conservation Act of 2007 - Provides for the treatment of qualified forest conservation bonds as tax-exempt facility bonds under the Internal Revenue Code. Defines &quot;qualified forest conservation bonds&quot; as bonds issued for certain forestry organizations within 36 months after the enactment of this Act. Requires 95% or more of the net proceeds of such bonds to be used for specified forestry project costs, including the acquisition of forest lands subject to a conservation restriction. 

Exempts from income tax income, gains, and other tax incidents generated by certain harvesting activity on forest lands purchased with qualified forest conservation bonds.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into an agreement with the Free File Alliance to provide for electronic filing of individual Federal income tax returns free of charge.

Bill: 110-hr-3457
Sponsor: Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-16]
Introduced: 2007-08-04 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Computer software
Congress
Congressional oversight
Electronic data interchange
Electronic government information
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Income tax
Legislation
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
Tax administration
Tax returns

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: 
Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into an agreement with the Free File Alliance to provide a forms-based software service for all individual taxpayers to electronically prepare and file their federal income tax returns through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website, free of charge, for taxable years beginning after 2007.

Requires the Free File Alliance to meet certain standards promulgated by the federal government for business responsibility and commerciality of products or services.

Prohibits the Secretary from implementing a return-free tax system for taxable years beginning after 2007, unless authorized to do so by an Act of Congress. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on the provision of traumatic brain injury care in rural areas.

Bill: 110-hr-3458
Sponsor: Rep. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV-2]
Introduced: 2007-08-04 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Access to health care
Brain
Case management
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Veterans Affairs
Employee training
Federal employees
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government paperwork
Government service contracts
Head injuries
Health
Health facilities
Housing and Community Development
Iraq compilation
Labor and Employment
Medical records
Quality of care
Rural health
Veterans' hospitals
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a five-year pilot program, in five rural states, under which the Secretary trains and then assigns a specific Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) case manager to each veteran diagnosed with traumatic brain injury who is receiving care in a VA facility in that state.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
action_date: 2007-08-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
Transparent Reporting Under ESA Listing Act

Bill: 110-hr-3459
Sponsor: Rep. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA-7]
Introduced: 2007-08-04 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Animals
Department of the Interior
Ecological research
Endangered species
Environmental Protection
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Habitat conservation
Law
Science, Technology, Communications
Wildlife conservation

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: 
Transparent Reporting Under ESA Listing Act or the TRUE Listing Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the Secretary of the Interior to publish, concurrently with the publication of any finding or final regulation relating to a determination of whether a species is an endangered or threatened species or to a designation or revision of critical habitat, a summary statement of the scientific basis for such determination, designation, or revision.

Requires such statement to be dated and to include: (1) the scientific rationale for the determination, designation, or revision; and (2) identification of officers or employees who participated in such determination, designation, or revision.

Prohibits the Secretary from altering the text of the summary statement after its publication. Authorizes the Secretary to prepare a description of changes to the summary statement in an addendum.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1778-1779)
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Amendments Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-3460
Sponsor: Rep. Hill, Baron P. [D-IN-9]
Introduced: 2007-08-04 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Commemorations
Historic sites
History
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Sports and Recreation
Trails
West (U.S.)

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: 
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Amendments Act of 2007 - Amends the National Trails System Act to include within the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail the route traveled by Lewis and Clark from the Falls of the Ohio, located in Clarksville, Indiana, and Louisville, Kentucky, to Wood River, Illinois. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-04
text: Introduced in House