hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
A bill to amend the Federal Power Act to modify a provision relating to the siting of interstate electric transmission.

Bill: 110-s-1972
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Electric power transmission
Law
Licenses
Right-of-way
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
Amends the Federal Power Act to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue a construction permit for siting an interstate electric transmission facility if it finds that an authorized state entity has: (1) approved the siting of the proposed facility; or (2) unreasonably withheld a determination, or delayed making a determination, for a period of at least two years after the date on which the permit application was filed.
 
Repeals provisions governing: (1) rights-of-way; and (2) compensation for acquisition of rights-of-way.

Prohibits FERC from issuing a permit if a state entity has denied a permit application for the same project during the two-year period beginning on the date the permit application is submitted to the entity.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to double the period of limitations for returns involving offshore secrecy jurisdictions, to modify certain other provisions relating to the statute of limitations, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-1973
Sponsor: Sen. Salazar, Ken [D-CO]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Income tax
Law
Limitation of actions
Tax administration
Tax evasion
Tax returns
Taxation of foreign income

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a six year limitation period on assessment and collection of tax for tax returns involving offshore secrecy jurisdictions (defined as foreign jurisdictions which unreasonably restrict information required to enforce U.S. tax laws and which have ineffective information exchange practices); (2) suspend the limitation period for assessment and collection of tax while a summons for tax records involving a foreign jurisdiction is pending; (3) extend the limitation period during any failure by a taxpayer to give notice of certain foreign transactions; and (4) extend the period for collection of tax after assessment in the case of a willful attempt to evade or defeat payment of tax to 10 years after such attempt.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Support for Injured Servicemembers Act

Bill: 110-s-1975
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Armed forces reserves
Caregivers
Disability retirement
Disabled
Families
Family leave
Federal employees
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Iraq compilation
Leave of absence
Military medicine
National Guard
Rehabilitation of the disabled
Sick leave
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
Support for Injured Servicemembers Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to entitle an eligible employee who is the spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin of a covered servicemember to a total of 26 workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for the servicemember.
 
Defines covered servicemember as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or a Reserve, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in medical hold or medical holdover status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness incurred in the line of duty on active duty that may render the member medically unfit to perform his or her duties.
 
Provides for the substitution of accrued paid vacation, personal, family leave, or medical or sick leave for any part of the 26-week period.
 
Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the availability of such leave during any other 12-month period.
 
Amends federal civil service law to entitle civilian federal employees to the same leave allowance. Provides for the substitution of accrued paid annual or sick leave for any part of the 26-week period.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10810-10811)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to include a provision on organic conversion in the environmental quality incentives program.

Bill: 110-s-1976
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural conservation
Agricultural subsidies
Environmental Protection
Organic farming

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to establish a program under the environmental quality incentives program to provide eligible producers with cost-share and incentive payments to promote conservation practices for production systems converting to organic production. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10811)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Nuclear Weapons Threat Reduction Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1977
Sponsor: Sen. Obama, Barack [D-IL]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Arms control agreements
Arms control verification
Conferences
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Energy
Federal advisory bodies
Fissionable materials
Government Operations and Politics
International control of nuclear power
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear nonproliferation
Nuclear security measures
Nuclear weapons
President and foreign policy
Presidential appointments
Uranium
Uranium enrichment

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
Nuclear Weapons Threat Reduction Act of 2007 - Authorizes the President, upon a specified congressional certification by the Secretary of State, to make voluntary contributions for creation of a low enriched uranium reserve administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that would help guarantee the availability of fuel for commercial nuclear reactors and dissuade countries from building their own uranium enrichment capability. 
 
Authorizes appropriations for voluntary contributions to the IAEA. 
 
Directs the National Academy of Sciences to report to Congress on a verification regime for a fissile material cutoff treaty. 
 
Directs the President to report to Congress respecting: (1) a plan to ensure the security of all nuclear weapons and weapons usable material at vulnerable sites worldwide and for working with other countries to ensure such materials' security; and (2) U.S. strategy and policies regarding the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.
 
Authorizes appropriations to establish a national technical forensics program to develop technologies and procedures for determining the origin of nuclear materials, whether seized intact or collected after the detonation of a nuclear bomb. 
 
Establishes the Commission on United States Objectives and Strategy for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Peaceful Use of Nuclear Technology. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10811-10812)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Co-Teaching Educator Professional Development Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1978
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Colleges
Community and school
Compensatory education
Continuing education
Curricula
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Educational accountability
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Families
Federal aid to education
Higher education
Individualized instruction
Parent-school relationships
School administration
School districts
Secondary education
Special education
Teacher education
Teaching

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
Co-Teaching Educator Professional Development Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs), or LEAs in collaboration with an institution of higher education, a teacher organization, or a state, to provide professional development and high-quality support for general education teachers and special education teachers, principals, and administrators that implement a co-teaching model that allows disabled students, with appropriate support and services, to be educated with their peers in the least restrictive environment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S10813)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10812-10813)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide for school improvement, comprehensive, high-quality multi-year induction and mentoring for new teachers, and professional development for experienced teachers, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-1979
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Community and school
Continuing education
Curricula
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Educational technology
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
English language
Families
Federal aid to education
Gifted children
Government Operations and Politics
Higher education
Illiteracy
Language arts
Learning
Literacy programs
Mentoring
Parent-school relationships
Performance measurement
Rating of teachers
School administration
School districts
Science, Technology, Communications
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Special education
Standards
Teacher education
Teaching

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
Amends title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to states for subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to assist low-achieving, high-need schools that serve a high proportion of low-income students in implementing: (1) comprehensive, coherent, high-quality induction and mentoring programs for teachers during at least their first two years of full-time teaching; and (2) ongoing, high-impact professional development programs for teachers, principals, and administrators.
 
Requires the induction and professional development programs to be: (1) integrated and aligned; (2) aligned with the state's school improvement efforts under title I of the ESEA; and (3) subject to a formal evaluation conducted by the state, institutions of higher education, or external agencies experienced in qualitative research.
 
Permits LEAs to use school improvement funds under title I of the ESEA to supplement this Act's induction and professional development program grants.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S10814-10816)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10813-10814)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Long-term Care Quality and Modernization Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1980
Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [R-OR]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Ambulances
Cancer
Chronically ill
Data banks
Depreciation and amortization
Drugs
Employee training
Health facilities
Hospital rates
Income tax
Investment tax credit
Labor and Employment
Long-term care
Medicaid
Medical savings accounts
Medical tests
Medicare
Nurses
Nursing homes
Paramedical personnel
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Tax credits
Tax deductions
Tax exclusion
Tax exemption
Taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
Long-term Care Quality and Modernization Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Service to conduct a demonstration program under which the Secretary shall require a state to establish a process for joint training and education of surveyors and providers for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities at least annually.

Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to set forth provisions related to resumption of nursing aid training programs for skilled nursing facilities after correction of deficiencies.

Authorizes the Secretary to exclude from the Medicare prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities: (1) high cost and low probability cancer treatment drugs; and (2) all ambulance services.

Authorizes a physician, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist to certify under Medicare that a prescribed series of blood glucose tests are medically required.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to establish a national nursing database to predict future nursing shortages. 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide for a 15-year recovery period for qualified long-term care improvement property; (2) establish an investment tax credit for long-term care facility information technology; (3) establish tax-exempt long-term care trust accounts; (4) allow cash contributions to such accounts up to $5,000 annually; (5) allow an exclusion from gross income for certain distributions, including for long-term care services for chronically-ill individuals; (6) impose penalties for excess contributions to such accounts and for failure to provide required reports on such accounts; and (7) allow a refundable tax credit for 10% of the annual contributions to such accounts.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10816-10817)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
No Child Left Inside Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1981
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Agriculture and Food
Child health
Child nutrition
Colleges
Community and school
Congressional reporting requirements
Continuing education
Curricula
Department of Education
Economics and Public Finance
Educational accountability
Educational innovations
Educational planning
Educational research
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Environmental Protection
Environmental education
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
Fund raising
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Health
Higher education
Language arts
Lifestyle
Mathematics
Nonprofit organizations
Nutrition
Obesity
Outdoor education
Outdoor recreation
Reading
School districts
Secondary education
Service learning
Social Welfare
Sports and Recreation
Standards
Teacher education
Teaching

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, as a prerequisite to receiving implementation grants, to develop environmental literacy plans, approved by the Secretary of Education, for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) that include environmental education standards and teacher training.
 
Directs the Secretary to award Environmental Education Professional Development Grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, institutions of higher education (IHE), other educational entities, or state or local natural resource or environmental agencies, for activities involving, among other things, teacher training and the operation of model environmental education programs.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to nonprofit organizations, states, LEAs, or IHEs for activities to improve and support environmental education that include: (1) advancing content and achievement standards; (2) developing or disseminating innovations or model programs; (3) research; and (4) creating new funding sources.
 
Authorizes the use of grants to states out of the Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund for activities incorporating field-based learning, service learning, and outdoor experiential learning into the curricula and instruction. 
 
Authorizes the use of funds under the Fund for the Improvement of Education program to advance environmental education.
 
Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to create an Office of Environmental Education to advance K-12 environmental education and administer environmental education grant programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S10817-10820)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10817, S10820-110821)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
United States Employee Ownership Bank Act

Bill: 110-s-1982
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Cooperative societies
Department of the Treasury
Economics and Public Finance
Employee ownership
Executive reorganization
Federally-guaranteed loans
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government lending
Industrial relations
Labor and Employment

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
United States Employee Ownership Bank Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish the United States Employee Ownership Bank to foster increased employee ownership and greater employee participation in company decisionmaking throughout the United States.
 
Requires the Bank to make: (1) loans (subordinated to the interests of all other creditors) and loan guarantees to employees to purchase a business through an employee stock ownership plan or eligible worker-owned cooperative; and (2) grants to states and nonprofit and cooperative organizations with experience in developing employee-owned businesses and worker-owned cooperatives to provide education, outreach, and technical assistance to such employee business efforts.
 
Requires the Bank to insure such loans or loan guarantees against nonrepayment of the outstanding loan balance.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10821)
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Immigration Enforcement and Border Security Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1984
Sponsor: Sen. Kyl, Jon [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2007-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Alien labor
Border patrols
Canada
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal aliens
Deportation
Detention of persons
Federal law enforcement officers
Fingerprints
Fraud
Gangs
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Identification devices
Illegal aliens
Immigrants
Labor and Employment
Passports
Searches and seizures
Smuggling
Social Welfare
Social security numbers
Tax returns
Taxation
Terrorism
Visas

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: 
Immigration Enforcement and Border Security Act of 2007 - Sets forth border control provisions, including provisions respecting: (1) assets, personnel, and infrastructure; (2) ports of entry; (3) border security initiatives; (4) seizure of conveyances; (5) United States-Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology system (US-VISIT); (6) human smuggling: and (7) detention space.
 
Northern Border Prosecution Initiative Reimbursement Act - Establishes the Northern Border Prosecution Initiative to reimburse eligible northern border entities for costs incurred in handling criminal case dispositions that are federally initiated but federally declined-referred.
 
Sets forth interior enforcement provisions, including provisions respecting: (1) personnel; (2) detention and removal; (3) gang members; (4) alien smuggling; (5) illegal entry; (6) unlawful presence and illegal reentry; (7) passport, visa, and immigration fraud; (8) voluntary departure; (9) background checks; (10) state criminal alien assistance program; (11) state and local law immigration enforcement and federal transfer authority; (12) terrorists; (13) alien criminals; and (14) alien reporting requirements.
 
Sets forth worksite enforcement provisions, including provisions respecting: (1) unlawful employment of aliens; (2) disclosure of taxpayer information; (3) social security cards and identity documents; and (4) establishment of a voluntary advanced verification program to allow employers to verify an employee's fingerprints in order to determine identity and work status.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Capital Access for Senior Homeowners Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1985
Sponsor: Sen. Allard, Wayne [R-CO]
Introduced: 2007-08-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Cooperative housing
Finance and Financial Sector
Home equity conversion
Housing for the aged
Mortgage guaranty insurance
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: 
Capital Access for Senior Homeowners Act of 2007 - Amends the National Housing Act with respect to insurance of home equity conversion mortgages for elderly homeowners.
 
Repeals the 275,000 cap on the aggregate number of such mortgages insured under the Act.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to insure a home equity conversion mortgage when the primary purpose of such mortgage is to enable an elderly mortgagor to purchase a one- to four-family dwelling in which the mortgagor will occupy or occupies one of the units.
 
Extends the meaning of mortgage which may be insured to: (1) a first or subordinate mortgage or lien on all stock allocated to a dwelling unit in a residential cooperative housing corporation; or (2) a first mortgage or first lien on a leasehold under certain related leases.
 
Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the costs and availability of credit under the home equity conversion mortgages for elderly homeowners program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in Senate