hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Nursing Education Opportunities Act

Bill: 110-s-2230
Sponsor: Sen. Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: College teachers
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to education
Higher education
Hospital personnel
Nurses
Nursing education
Scholarships
Student loan funds

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Nursing Education Opportunities Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include accelerated degree nursing students who pursue a second baccalaureate degree or a master's degree as an entry level nursing degree as eligible for financial assistance through nursing programs in the Act, including the Nursing Student Loan Program. Raises the yearly loan amounts available to all nursing students through that Program. Modifies the definition of &quot;collegiate school of nursing&quot; to include accelerated nursing degree programs.

Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in the case of a nurse faculty shortage, to obligate more than 10% of traineeships for individuals in doctoral degree programs.

Directs the Secretary to award grants to: (1) eligible entities to establish doctoral nursing degree programs, giving priority to such entities located in states in which there are no such programs; and (2) partnerships of eligible entities to establish doctoral nursing consortia to enhance and expand the availability of doctoral nurse faculty and education by enabling the partners to share doctoral faculty and programmatic resources.

Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary to award grants to partnerships composed of an accredited nursing school at an institution of higher education and a hospital or health facility to establish up to five pilot projects to enable such hospital or facility to retain its staff of experienced nurses while providing a mechanism to have these individuals become, through an accelerated nursing education program, faculty members of an accredited nursing school.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S13441-13443)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13440-13441)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Cooperative Conservation Enhancement Act

Bill: 110-s-2231
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Alternative dispute resolution
Animals
Coastal zone
Commerce
Department of the Interior
Economics and Public Finance
Ecosystem management
Environmental Protection
Executive reorganization
Federal aid to water resources development
Federal-Indian relations
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Habitat conservation
Indian lands
Land banking
Landscape protection
Law
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Minorities
National forests
Non-native species
Public-private partnerships
Restoration ecology
Water Resources Development
Water conservation
Water use

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Cooperative Conservation Enhancement Act - Sets forth this Act's findings and purposes.

Working Landscape Projects Act of 2007 - Sets forth provisions for the funding and reimbursement of landscape project partners for administrative, governance, and information dissemination activities necessary for the implementation of landscape projects. 

Conservation Bank Program Act - Sets forth provisions for the establishment, use, and operation of conservation banks.

Sets forth provisions regarding the promotion of partnerships between the Department of the Interior and other public and private entities. 

Sets forth provisions regarding cooperation between the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to: (1) the promotion of customer service and efficiency; and (2) involving the use of funds among specified agencies under their jurisdiction.
 
Authorizes: (1) the Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program; and (2) Cooperative Conservation Challenge Cost-Share Agreements.
 
Bureau of Reclamation Water Management Improvement Act - Authorizes grants and cooperative agreements for funding up to 50% of the costs of planning, designing, or constructing improvements for water conservation and use purposes. 
 
Establishes within the Department an Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolutions. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S13443-13446)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13443)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Foreign Aid Lessons for Domestic Economic Assistance Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2232
Sponsor: Sen. Stevens, Ted [R-AK]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Alaska
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Commerce
Economic growth
Economics and Public Finance
Entrepreneurs
Environmental Protection
Federal aid to Indians
Hawaiians
Housing and Community Development
Indian economic development
Indigenous peoples
Minorities
Poverty
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Foreign Aid Lessons for Domestic Economic Assistance Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish and implement the Native American Millennium Challenge Demonstration Project through which federal economic development assistance may be provided for certain Native American communities. 

Authorizes the Secretary to provide such assistance to consortia of Alaska Native nonprofit organizations, Native Hawaiian community organizations, and other Indian tribes that enter into Native American Challenge Compacts. Requires such Compacts to establish a multiyear plan for achieving certain development objectives, including promoting economic growth and the elimination of poverty, strengthening good governance, entrepreneurship, and investment in Native American communities, and building the capacity of Native people to deal with rapid change and uncertainty due to climate change.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-02-27
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 110-368.
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13449-13450)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide a permanent deduction for States and local general sales taxes.

Bill: 110-s-2233
Sponsor: Sen. Hutchison, Kay Bailey [R-TX]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Government Operations and Politics
Income tax
Local taxation
Sales tax
State taxation
Tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for state and local general sales taxes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-26
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 447.
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses.

Bill: 110-s-2234
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: College costs
Education
Higher education
Income tax
Tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2008 the tax deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13652-13653)
action_date: 2007-10-26
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 448.
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
National Ag Science Center Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2235
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural education
Agricultural research
California
Commemorations
Education
Educational facilities
Higher education
Names
Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
National Ag Science Center Act of 2007 - Designates the facility under development by the Stanislaus Ag Center Foundation in Stanislaus county, California, as the &quot;National Ag Science Center.&quot;


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Preexisting Condition Exclusion Patient Protection Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2236
Sponsor: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Discrimination in insurance
Discrimination in medical care
Employee health benefits
Finance and Financial Sector
Health insurance
Health insurance continuation
Labor and Employment

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Preexisting Condition Exclusion Patient Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to allow a group health plan to impose a preexisting condition exclusion only if: (1) such exclusion relates to a condition for which medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment was recommended or received within the 30-day period ending on the enrollment date; and (2) such exclusion extends not more than three months, or nine months for a late enrollee, after the enrollment date.

Applies such requirement to coverage offered in the individual market. Allows an issuer of individual health insurance coverage to impose a preexisting condition exclusion for a period of not more than three months under certain circumstances.

Revises provisions that prohibit health insurance issuers that offer health insurance coverage in the individual market from declining to offer coverage or imposing any preexisting condition exclusion on coverage to an eligible individual to remove eligibility requirements that require an individual to have: (1) elected COBRA continuation coverage, if it was offered; and (2) exhausted such continuation coverage, if elected.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S13451)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13450-13451)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2238
Sponsor: Sen. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Dams
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Energy
Federal aid to water resources development
Government Operations and Politics
Maintenance and repair
Standards

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2007 - Amends the National Dam Safety Program Act to require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a program to provide grant assistance to states for use in rehabilitating publicly-owned dams that fail to meet minimum safety standards and pose an unacceptable risk to the public (deficient dams).
 
Sets forth provisions regarding procedures for grant awards and fund allocation. Requires: (1) a state receiving a grant under this Act to comply with requirements applicable to contributions of federal funds under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and (2) FEMA to develop a risk-based priority system for identifying deficient dams for which such grants may be made. Limits the federal share of rehabilitation costs to 65%. 
 
Prohibits funds from being used to: (1) rehabilitate a federal dam; (2) perform routine operation or maintenance; (3) modify a dam to produce hydroelectric power; (4) increase water supply storage capacity; or (5) make any other modification that does not also improve safety.
 
Conditions the receipt of grants by states upon compliance with specified requirements regarding contracts for architectural and engineering services. Provides that such contracts shall not be considered to confer a proprietary interest upon the United States. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Equity for Our Nation's Self Employed Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2239
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Finance and Financial Sector
Health
Health insurance
Income tax
Insurance premiums
Labor and Employment
Medical economics
Self-employed
Tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Equity for Our Nation's Self Employed Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow self-employed individuals to deduct health insurance costs in computing the tax on self-employment income. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13452)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Job Protection Act

Bill: 110-s-2240
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Disasters
Disciplining of employees
Discrimination in employment
Dismissal of employees
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Employee rights
Fire fighters
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Health
Law
Leave of absence
Paramedical personnel
Personnel records
Salaries
Social Welfare
Volunteer workers
Wages

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Personnel Job Protection Act - Prohibits any employee from being terminated, demoted, or discriminated against in the terms or conditions of employment because the employee is absent or late as a result of serving as a volunteer firefighter or providing volunteer emergency medical services as part of a response to an emergency or major disaster. Excludes absences for which the employee: (1) is absent for more than 14 days per calendar year; (2) responds to an emergency or major disaster without being official deployed in accordance with a coordinator national deployment system; or (3) fails to provide written verification within a reasonable period of time. 
 
Allows employers to: (1) reduce the employee's regular pay for such time as the employee is absent; and (2) require the employee to provide written verification from the supervising Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state, or local official that such employee responded in an official capacity at a specified time and date. 
 
Requires such an employee to make a reasonable effort to notify his or her employer that he or she may be absent or late. 
 
Gives such an employee a private cause of action for discrimination which violates this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S13452-13453)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13452)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Public Land Fire Regulations Enforcement Act

Bill: 110-s-2241
Sponsor: Sen. Allard, Wayne [R-CO]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Animals
Crime and Law Enforcement
Emergency Management
Fines (Penalties)
Fire prevention
Forest fires
Land use
Law
National forests
National parks
Wildlife refuges

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Public Land Fire Regulations Enforcement Act - Amends the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the National Park Service Organic Act, the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, and other federal law to provide that: (1) any person who knowingly violates the provisions of such an Act concerning the management, use, and protection of covered lands shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and subject to fine and/or imprisonment; and (2) any person who otherwise violates the provisions of such an Act concerning the management, use, and protection of such covered lands shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor and subject to fine and/or imprisonment.
 
 
Amends the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the National Park Service Organic Act, and other federal law to set a minimum fine of $500 for certain fire usage violations on BLM, National Park System, and National Forest System land.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13453-13454)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-2243
Sponsor: Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal investigation
Extremist movements in politics
Government Operations and Politics
International cooperation
Islamic fundamentalism
Middle East and North Africa
President and foreign policy
Religion
Religious education
Saudi Arabia
State-sponsored terrorism
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2007 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the government of Saudi Arabia must: (1) close permanently all organizations in Saudi Arabia that fund, train, encourage, or aid terrorism anywhere in the world; (2) end funding for terror organizations outside Saudi Arabia; (3) block funding from private Saudi citizens and entities to Saudi-based or offshore terror organizations; and (4) cooperate fully with the United States in investigating terror groups and individuals. 
 
Directs the President to certify to the appropriate congressional committees when the government of Saudi Arabia: (1) is fully cooperating with the United States in investigating and preventing terrorist attacks; (2) has permanently closed all Saudi-based Wahhabbist organizations that fund Islamic extremism; (3) has exercised maximum efforts to block all funding from private Saudi citizens, corporations, and entities to foreign Islamic extremist and terrorist movements; and (4) has stopped financing and disseminating materials and other forms of support that encourage the spread of radical Wahhabi ideology. 
 
Directs the President to report annually to the committees until such certification is made.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S13455-13456)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13454-13455)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Food Safety Authority Modernization Act

Bill: 110-s-2245
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2007-10-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Animals
Commerce
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reorganization
Economics and Public Finance
Federal advisory bodies
Food safety
Legislation
Meat inspection
Poultry

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: 
Food Safety Authority Modernization Act - Establishes the Congressional Bipartisan Food Safety Commission to: (1) review the U.S. food safety system and relevant statutes, studies, and reports; (2) prepare a report that summarizes information about the current system, makes specified recommendations (including on ways to modernize the system, improve coordination of food safety activities, emphasize preventative strategies, and provide to federal agencies funding mechanisms to carry out food safety responsibilities); and (3) draft statutory language that would implement the recommendations.
 
 Directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide the Commission specified funding and support services. 

Terminates budget authority to implement food and food safety provisions of the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Egg Products Inspection Act, and chapters I through IV of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act two years after enactment of this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S13457-13459)
action_date: 2007-10-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Veterans Upward Bound Improvement Act

Bill: 110-s-2246
Sponsor: Sen. Coleman, Norm [R-MN]
Introduced: 2007-10-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Age
Armed Forces and National Security
Armed forces reserves
Compensatory education
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational counseling
Elementary and secondary education
Federal aid to education
Higher education
Mentoring
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Veterans' education

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-26
text: 
Veterans Upward Bound Improvement Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit members of the Armed Forces Reserves who served on active duty in support of a contingency operation on or after September 11, 2001, from being deemed ineligible for participation in federal TRIO programs due to age. (TRIO programs prepare disadvantaged students for, and support their pursuit of, postsecondary education.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-10-26
text: Introduced in Senate
Motorsports Tax Fairness Act

Bill: 110-s-2247
Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2007-10-26 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Commerce
Depreciation and amortization
Income tax
Motor vehicles
Sports and Recreation
Sports facilities
Tax deductions
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-26
text: 
Motorsports Tax Fairness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the classification, for depreciation purposes, of any motorsports entertainment complex as seven-year property.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13680-13681)
action_date: 2007-10-29
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 454.
action_date: 2007-10-26
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2007-10-26
text: Introduced in Senate