hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial Enhancement Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3253
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2008-07-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
California
Emergency Management
Environmental Protection
Explosions
Government Operations and Politics
Hazardous wastes
History
Land transfers
Maintenance and repair
Military bases
Military history
Monuments and memorials
Ordnance
Parking facilities
Storms
Tourism
Transportation and Public Works
World War II

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-10
text: 
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial Enhancement Act of 2008 - Amends the Port Chicago National Memorial Act of 1992 to require the Secretary of the Interior to administer the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (Memorial) as a unit of the National Park System. 

Directs the Secretary of Defense to transfer certain land within the Memorial to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior if: (1) the land is excess to military needs; and (2) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes certain determinations relating to the protection of human health and the environment.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the City of Concord, California, and the East Bay Regional Park District, to establish and operate a facility for visitor orientation and parking, administrative offices, and curatorial storage for the Memorial. 

Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to environmental remediation and repair of the Memorial. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2008-07-10
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow banks to be taxed as limited liability companies, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-3254
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2008-07-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Commerce
Deposit insurance
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Income tax
Partnerships
State laws

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a state-chartered banking entity to elect to be treated as a partnership or separate entity for tax purposes if it is organized as a limited liability company under state law and has Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance. Exempts such an entity from treatment as a bank under the Internal Revenue Code for purposes of its bad debts, losses, gains from the sale of its securities, and the taxation of its common trust funds.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6606-6607)
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6605-6606)
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Over-the-Counter Speculation Act

Bill: 110-s-3255
Sponsor: Sen. Levin, Carl [D-MI]
Introduced: 2008-07-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Agriculture and Food
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Commodity exchanges
Futures trading
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Independent regulatory commissions
Law

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: 
Over-the-Counter Speculation Act - Amends the Commodity Exchange Act to authorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), in the case of a major market disturbance, to require any trader required to report under this Act to take action to maintain or restore orderly trading in any contract listed for trading on a registered entity, including: (1) liquidation of any over-the-counter transaction; and (2) fixing of any limit that may apply to a market position involving any over-the-counter transaction acquired in good faith before the date of the CFTC's determination of a major market disturbance.

Defines &quot;major market disturbance&quot; and &quot;over-the-counter transaction.&quot;

Sets forth reporting and recordkeeping requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6607-6608)
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: Introduced in Senate
FLAME Act

Bill: 110-s-3256
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2008-07-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Building laws
Building materials
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Economics and Public Finance
Electric power transmission
Emergency Management
Employee training
Energy
Fire fighters
Fire prevention
Forest fires
Government Operations and Politics
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Grants-in-aid
Housing and Community Development
Labor and Employment
Maps
Potable water
Water Resources Development
Watersheds

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: 
Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act or FLAME Act - Establishes in the Treasury the Federal Land Assistance, Management, and Enhancement Fund (Flame Fund). Requires amounts in the Flame Fund to be made available to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretaries) to pay the costs of catastrophic emergency wildland fire suppression activities that are separate from amounts annually appropriated for the predicted annual workload for such activities. 

Provides for amounts in the Flame Fund to be made available to the Secretaries only after such Secretaries issue a declaration that a wildland fire suppression activity is eligible for funding through the Fund. 

Directs such Secretaries to establish an accounting and reporting system for the Flame Fund.

Requires such Secretaries to: (1) report annually to Congress on the use of the funds from the Flame Fund, together with recommendations to improve administrative control and oversight of the Fund; and (2) submit a report to Congress that contains a cohesive wildland fire management strategy, consistent with the recommendations of Comptroller General reports. 

Requires the Secretaries to conduct a review of wildfires for which expenses exceeding $10 million were incurred.

 Authorizes the Secretaries to make grants to fire-ready communities, as defined by this Act, to carry out activities to reduce risks from wildfires.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Legal Immigration Extension Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3257
Sponsor: Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA]
Introduced: 2008-07-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Alien labor
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Illegal aliens
Immigrants
Labor and Employment
Law
Religion
Visas

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: 
Legal Immigration Extension Act of 2008 - Extends: (1) the EB-5 regional center pilot program; (2) the Conrad state 30 program; (3) the special immigrant nonminister religious worker program; and (4) the E-Verify program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-14
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 875.
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2008-07-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Consumer Credit Fairness Act

Bill: 110-s-3259
Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced: 2008-07-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bankruptcy
Claims
Commerce
Consumer credit
Debtor and creditor
Interest rates
Law
Liens

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-14
text: 
Consumer Credit Fairness Act - Amends federal bankruptcy law governing equitable subordination of claims in a bankruptcy case to: (1) subordinate a claim arising from a high cost consumer credit transaction to all other claims; and (2) require transfer to the estate in bankruptcy of any lien securing a subordinated claim.
 
Defines &quot;high cost consumer credit transaction&quot; as an extension of credit by a creditor resulting in a consumer debt with an applicable annual percentage rate (APR), including related costs and fees, that exceeds the lesser of: (1) the sum of 15% and the yield on U.S. Treasury securities having a 30-year period of maturity; or (2) 36%.
 
Excludes a debtor's petition for relief resulting from a high cost consumer credit transaction from mandatory consideration for dismissal, or conversion to a case under chapter 11 or 13, based upon a finding of substantial abuse.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6652)
action_date: 2008-07-14
text: Introduced in Senate
SBA Women's Business Programs Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3262
Sponsor: Sen. Hutchison, Kay Bailey [R-TX]
Introduced: 2008-07-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Advertising
Business education
Cash management
Congressional reporting requirements
Counseling
Entrepreneurs
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial services
Financial statements
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Loans
Marketing
Nonprofit organizations
Signs and symbols
Small business
Social Welfare
Subsidies
Women
Women in business

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-14
text: 
SBA Women's Business Programs Act of 2008 - Amends the Women's Business Ownership Act of 1988 to direct the National Women's Business Council to: (1) conduct at least one annual study that evaluates problems hindering the success of women entrepreneurs; and (2) report biannually on its initiatives, policies, programs, and plans.
 
Amends the Small Business Act relating to the women's business center program (program) to replace the five-year projects for the benefit of small businesses owned and controlled by women with a three-tiered program of five-year (first tier), three-year (second tier), and three-year (third tier) projects, with each tier commencing after the previous tier is being completed. Revises matching funds requirements for such projects.
 
States that organizations that have conducted projects under the program: (1) are not eligible to conduct another such project; and (2) may continue to use the women's business center logo only with the Administrator's consent.
 
Requires notice to the public of women's business center awards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2008-07-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Economic Development Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3264
Sponsor: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]
Introduced: 2008-07-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Authorization
Awards, medals, prizes
Commemorations
Commerce
Diversification in industry
Economic development
Energy
Energy development
Entrepreneurs
Environmental Protection
Grants-in-aid
Historic sites
History
Housing and Community Development
Internal migration
Revolving funds
Rural economic development
Urban affairs
Urban economic development

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: 
Economic Development Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to establish and carry out an Excellence in Economic Development Award Program to recognize innovative economic development strategies of national significance. Directs the Secretary to publicly solicit nominations of nonprofit organizations or institutions.

Authorizes a recipient of an economic adjustment grant who determines that a revolving loan fund established using such assistance is no longer needed or that the recipient could make better use of the assistance to carry out another project that meets the requirements of the Act to request the Secretary to approve conversion of the assistance by: (1) selling fund assets to a third party; or (2) retaining repayments of principal and interest on loans provided through the fund. Requires such a recipient to use the net proceeds from a sale of assets to pay any portion of the costs of one or more projects that meet Act requirements. 
 
Directs the Secretary, before providing investment assistance for a construction project under such Act, to establish the expected period during which the assistance recipient shall make best efforts to achieve economic development objectives. Requires acquired or improved property to be held in trust by the recipient for the benefit of the project, and requires the Secretary to retain a reversionary interest in the property, during that period.
 
Extends the authorization of appropriations for economic development assistance programs. Increases the minimum level of funding for planning and grants for administrative expenses.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6724-6725)
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6724)
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Ensuring Home Health Care for Seniors Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3265
Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD]
Introduced: 2008-07-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Home care services
Medical fees
Medicare
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: 
Ensuring Home Health Care for Seniors Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the prospective payment system (PPS) for home health services.
 
Establishes a new formula for payment of such services (other than a covered osteoporosis drug) as the lesser of: (1) the reasonable cost of such services; or (2) the customary charges for them.
 
Requires such services to be free of charge or at only a nominal charge if they are furnished by a public service provider or by another provider a significant portion of whose patients are low-income.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Immediate Steps to Conserve Gasoline Act

Bill: 110-s-3266
Sponsor: Sen. Warner, John [R-VA]
Introduced: 2008-07-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Energy conservation
Fuel consumption
Gasoline
Government Operations and Politics
Government vehicles
Governmental investigations
Interstate highway system
Speed limits
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: 
Immediate Steps to Conserve Gasoline Act - Requires federal departments, agencies, and Congress, for FY2009, to develop and carry out initiatives to reduce their annual consumption of gasoline by at least 3%.
 
Requires the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration to study and report to Congress on the potential transportation fuel savings of imposing a national speed limit on highways on the Interstate System of 60 miles per hour.
 
Requires the Comptroller General of the United States to study and report to specified congressional committees on whether additional gasoline reduction measures by federal departments, agencies, and Congress are technically feasible.
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Safe And Fair Enforcement and Recall for Meat, Poultry, and Food Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3267
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2008-07-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Animals
Business records
Cattle
Civil actions and liability
Collection of accounts
Commerce
Consumer education
Defective products
Department of Agriculture
Fines (Penalties)
Food industry
Food safety
Goats
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Horses
Judicial review
Labeling
Law
Livestock
Meat
Meat inspection
Meat packing industry
Poultry
Produce trade
Sheep
Swine

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: 
Safe and Fair Enforcement and Recall for Meat, Poultry and Food Act of 2008 or SAFER Meat, Poultry and Food Act of 2008- Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Egg Products Inspection Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to: (1) require a person, other than a household consumer, who has reason to believe meat, poultry, eggs, or food products to be adulterated or misbranded to so notify the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as appropriate; (2) provide the Secretary of Agriculture with authority for voluntary (by transporters, shippers, distributors, and handlers) and mandatory (upon the failure of voluntary action) nondistribution and recall, withdrawal of inspectors from violating facilities, consumer and health official notification, and imposition of civil penalties; and (3) provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services with authority for voluntary (by transporters, shippers, distributors, and handlers) and mandatory (upon the failure of voluntary action) nondistribution and recall, consumer and health official notification, and imposition of civil penalties.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2008-07-15
text: Introduced in Senate
Nanotechnology Innovation and Prize Competition Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3269
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2008-07-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Alternative energy sources
Awards, medals, prizes
Chemistry
Commemorations
Commerce
Consumer goods
Energy security
Environmental Protection
Environmental technology
Health
Nanotechnology
Product development
Technological innovations

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: 
Nanotechnology Innovation and Prize Competition Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program to award prizes to eligible persons for achievement in one or more applications of nanotechnology for: (1) improvement of the environment, consistent with Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); (2) development of alternative energy that has the potential to lessen the dependence of the United States on fossil fuels; (3) improvement of human health, consistent with regulations promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and (4) development of consumer products. 

Describes an eligible person as an individual who is: (1) a citizen or legal resident of the United States; (2) a member of a group that includes U.S. citizens or legal residents; or (3) an entity that is incorporated and maintains its primary place of business in the United States. 

Requires establishment of a board to administer and make awards under such program by: (1) holding a financial award competition and making an award to the first competitor to meet such criteria as the board shall establish; and (2) recognizing (without financial remuneration) an eligible person for superlative achievement in one or more of the nanotechnology applications described above. 

Authorizes the board to contract with a private organization to administer such a financial award competition. Prohibits the federal government from acquiring an intellectual property right in any product or idea by virtue of the submission of such product or idea in any such competition. 

Requires the board to submit annual reports to Congress on the nanotechnology award program established by this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6871)
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6870-6871)
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the definition of commercial motor vehicle in section 31101 of title 49, United States Code, to exclude certain farm vehicles, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-3271
Sponsor: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]
Introduced: 2008-07-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Agricultural machinery
Agriculture and Food
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to transportation
Motor vehicle safety
Trucks

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: 
Revises the definition of &quot;commercial motor vehicle&quot; with respect to federal commercial motor vehicle safety laws to include vehicles primarily engaged in the transportation of agricultural commodities or farm supplies having a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight of at least the minimum weight of a commercial motor vehicle as defined by the state. (Current law applies to vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of at least 10,001 pounds, whichever is greater.)

Prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from withholding commercial motor vehicle safety improvement grants from a state solely because it authorizes drivers of farm vehicles having a gross vehicle weight of between 10,000 and 26,001 pounds to operate without complying with federal commercial motor vehicle safety laws.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6872)
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6871-6872)
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Introduced in Senate
NIH Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3272
Sponsor: Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA]
Introduced: 2008-07-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cancer
Department of Health and Human Services
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Medical research
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Research centers
Science, Technology, Communications
Supplemental appropriations

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: 
NIH Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 - Makes emergency supplemental appropriations to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute for FY2008 to support additional scientific research.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6873)
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6872)
action_date: 2008-07-16
text: Introduced in Senate