hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
MEAL Act

Bill: 110-s-2784
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2008-03-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Commerce
Consumer education
Department of Health and Human Services
Diet
Government Operations and Politics
Labeling
Law
Nutrition
Restaurants
Signs and signboards
Vending machines

Summary:
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: 
Howard M. Metzenbaum Menu Education and Labeling Act or the MEAL Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to require restaurants that are a part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same trade name to disclose: (1) in a statement adjacent to each menu item, the number of calories, grams of saturated fat plus trans fat, and milligrams of sodium in a standard food serving; (2) other information designed to enable the public to understand the significance of the nutrition information provided in the context of a total daily diet; (3) that such information shall be provided in writing upon request; and (4) in a statement adjacent to the name of the food on a menu board, the number of calories in a serving of the food. Exempts condiments, items placed on a table or counter for general use, daily specials, temporary menu items, and irregular menu items from these requirements.
 
Requires restaurants that sell self-serve food, such as through salad bars or buffet lines, to place a sign that lists the number of calories per standard serving adjacent to each food offered. 
 
Permits retail food establishments to voluntarily provide, and states to require, additional nutritional information. 
 
Requires vending machine operators to provide a conspicuous sign disclosing the number of calories in each item of food offered.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR 3/14/2008 S2159)
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Save Medicare Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2785
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
Introduced: 2008-03-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Armed Forces and National Security
Armed forces reserves
Budget deficits
Congress
Economics and Public Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Legislation
Medical fees
Medicare
Physicians
Quality of care
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: 
Save Medicare Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, to: (1) increase the Medicare physician payment update for 2009; and (2) extend the physician quality reporting system, the incentive payment program for physician scarcity areas, the floor on the work geographic adjustment to the physician fee schedule, and the accommodation for physicians ordered to active duty in the armed services.
 
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the provisions of, and amendments made by, this Act should be deficit neutral over the five year period beginning on October 1, 2008; and (2) Congress should address the challenges facing the Medicare program in a fiscally responsible manner.

Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Medicare program should provide payments to physicians and other health professionals that serve as positive incentives for participation in voluntary initiatives to improve health care quality; and (2) financing for such initiatives should be non-punitive and exempt from the Medicare physician fee schedule budget neutrality requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Rural Health Access Improvement Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2786
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2008-03-13 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Ambulances
Ambulatory care
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Federal aid to health facilities
Health planning
Hospital rates
Hospitals
Housing and Community Development
Kidney diseases
Medical fees
Medical laboratories
Medical tests
Medically uninsured
Medicare
Physicians
Physicians' assistants
Quality of care
Rural health
Science, Technology, Communications
Small towns
Social Welfare
Telemedicine
Terminal care

Summary:
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: 
Medicare Rural Health Access Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) extend Medicare flex grants; (2) revise requirements for the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program; (3) permit rebasing for sole community hospitals; (4) revise the Medicare inpatient hospital payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals; (5) eliminate temporarily the disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustment cap; and (6) extend and revise the Medicare hold harmless provision under the prospective payment system (PPS) for hospital outpatient department (HOPD) services for certain hospitals.

Revises requirements for: (1) the treatment of rural sole community hospitals and Medicare dependent, small rural hospitals under the PPS for HOPD services; (2) the treatment of Medicare reasonable costs payments for certain clinical diagnostic laboratory tests furnished to hospital patients in certain rural areas; and (3) payment for clinical laboratory tests furnished by critical access hospitals.

Extends the Medicare incentive payment program for physician scarcity areas.

Revises the work geographic adjustment and the practice expense geographic adjustment under the Medicare physician fee schedule.

Extends the treatment of certain physician pathology services, and increased Medicare payments for rural ground ambulance services.

Makes hospital-based renal dialysis centers (including satellites) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) originating sites for payment of telehealth services.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to set $92 as the maximum rate of payment per visit in 2009 for independent rural health clinics.

Requires the Secretary to exempt from competitive acquisition requirements rural areas and small metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with a population of 600,000 or less.

Permits physician assistants to order post-hospital extended care services. Recognizes attending physician assistants as attending physicians for the purpose of serving hospice patients.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR 3/14/2008 S2159-2163)
action_date: 2008-03-13
text: Introduced in Senate
Pregnant Women Health and Safety Act

Bill: 110-s-2788
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2008-03-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Abortion
Conspiracy
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal liability
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to health facilities
Hospital personnel
Law
Licenses
Medicare
Physicians
Prosecution
Social Welfare
Surgery

Summary:
action_date: 2008-03-31
text: 
Pregnant Women Health and Safety Act - Subjects any physician who knowingly performs an abortion in violation of this Act to fines and/or imprisonment. Requires a physician who performs an abortion to: (1) have admitting privileges at a local hospital; and (2) notify the patient of the location of the hospital where the patient can receive follow-up care by the physician if complications arise. Provides for an exception for an abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.
 
Prohibits a woman upon whom an abortion is performed from being prosecuted for conspiracy to violate this Act.
 
Requires each abortion clinic that receives federal funds or assistance to: (1) be licensed by the state; and (2) be in compliance with the requirements for ambulatory surgery centers under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, except for the requirement of a certificate of public need. Allows a state board of health to waive the application of certain structural requirements for licensing purposes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-03-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2008-03-31
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 to authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide additional assistance to State and local governments for utility costs resulting from the provision of temporary housing units to evacuees from Hurricane Katrina and other hurricanes.

Bill: 110-s-2789
Sponsor: Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA]
Introduced: 2008-03-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Alabama
Commerce
Disaster relief
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency housing
Energy
Grants-in-aid
Housing and Community Development
Hurricanes
Leases
Louisiana
Mississippi
Public utilities
Public utility rates
Texas

Summary:
action_date: 2008-03-31
text: 
Amends the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 to extend the authority of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide funds to state and local governments for utility costs resulting from the provision of temporary housing units to evacuees from Hurricane Katrina and other hurricanes of the 2005 season where the state or local government has previously arranged to pay for such utilities on behalf of the evacuees, to cover the term of any leases for up to 36 months (currently, 24 months) contracted by or prior to February 7, 2006.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-05-15
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery.
action_date: 2008-03-31
text: Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2008-03-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2790
Sponsor: Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA]
Introduced: 2008-03-31 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Cancer
Case management
Communication in medicine
Comprehensive health care
Congressional reporting requirements
Continuing education
Department of Health and Human Services
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Educational accountability
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Graduate education
Health planning
Higher education
Home care services
Law
Medical education
Medical fees
Medical research
Medicare
Nurses
Nursing education
Physicians
Psychologists
Research grants
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Standards
Terminal care

Summary:
action_date: 2008-03-31
text: 
Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of comprehensive cancer care planning services to provide individuals diagnosed with cancer a plan that details all aspects of the care to be provided. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards for such services.

Directs the Secretary to conduct a two-year demonstration project under which Medicare payments will be made for comprehensive cancer care symptom management services furnished by an eligible entity in accordance with a described plan.

Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to: (1) establish new, or expand existing, palliative care and symptom management programs for cancer patients; (2) improve the quality of graduate and postgraduate training of physicians, nurses, and other health care providers in palliative care and symptom management for such patients; and (3) improve the quality of continuing professional education provided to qualified individuals regarding palliative care and symptom management for cancer patients.

Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a program of grants for research on palliative care, symptom management, communication skills, and other end-of-life topics for such patients.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-03-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2234-2236)
action_date: 2008-03-31
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2234)
action_date: 2008-03-31
text: Introduced in Senate
Protecting America's Homeowners Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2791
Sponsor: Sen. Voinovich, George V. [R-OH]
Introduced: 2008-04-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Administrative fees
Counseling
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to housing
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreclosure
Government Operations and Politics
Income tax
Independent regulatory commissions
Law
Loan defaults
Mortgage interest rates
Mortgages
Rescission of appropriated funds
Residential rehabilitation
Securities and Exchange Commission
Securities regulation
Social Welfare
Tax exclusion
Taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: 
Protecting America's Homeowners Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through January 1, 2011, the temporary exclusion from gross income of the discharge of an indebtedness for a qualified principal residence.

Declares invalid, throughout a specified moratorium period, the terms of any home mortgage loan that requires a consumer to pay a prepayment penalty for paying all or part of the outstanding principal before its contractual due date.

Directs the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NRC) to continue to award to counseling intermediaries and State Housing Finance Agencies certain funds previously designated for mortgage foreclosure mitigation activities in states and areas with high rates of mortgage foreclosures or defaults.

Appropriates additional funds for FY2008 for: (1) NRC foreclosure mitigation activities; and (2) state and local governmental redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes.

Sets forth across-the-board 0.25 percent rescissions in non-defense, non-homeland-security discretionary spending for FY2009.

Amends the Truth In Lending Act to require additional creditor disclosures concerning mortgage loans.

Requires the annual percentage rate (APR) applicable to credit secured by an interest in real property to include settlement costs. 

Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association Charter Act to provide that securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association (Freddie Mac) are not exempt from registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933 (thus requiring registration of such securities).

Sets a limit upon aggregate annual registration fees paid by specified entities that do not include a registered investment company.

Establishes in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a Financial Counseling and Foreclosure Prevention Fund to provide assistance to the NRC to make grants to certain federally approved counseling intermediaries for mortgage foreclosure mitigation assistance to states and areas with high rates of defaults and foreclosures.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore the deduction for the travel expenses of a taxpayer's spouse who accompanies the taxpayer on business travel.

Bill: 110-s-2792
Sponsor: Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
Introduced: 2008-04-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business travel
Commerce
Families
Income tax
Married people
Parent and child
Tax deductions
Transportation and Public Works
Travel costs

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the restrictions on the tax deduction for the travel expenses of a taxpayer's spouse, dependent, or other individual accompanying the taxpayer on business travel.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Services Act

Bill: 110-s-2793
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2008-04-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Abortion
Administrative procedure
Deceptive advertising
Federal Trade Commission
Government Operations and Politics
Independent regulatory commissions
Law

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: 
Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Services Act - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to: (1) promulgate rules prohibiting, as unfair and deceptive acts or practices, persons from advertising with the intent to deceptively create the impression that such persons provide abortion services; and (2) enforce violations of such rules as unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Senior Investor Protection Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2794
Sponsor: Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI]
Introduced: 2008-04-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Annuities
Commerce
Consumer education
Crimes against the elderly
Criminal investigation
Deceptive advertising
Economics and Public Finance
Federal aid to law enforcement
Fees
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial services
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Grants-in-aid
Insurance
Insurance agents
Investment advisers
Investments
Investors
Labor and Employment
Marketing
Prosecution
Restrictive trade practices
Securities
Securities regulation
Social Welfare
Standards
State laws

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: 
Senior Investor Protection Act of 2008 - Directs the Attorney General to establish a program of grants to states to: (1) investigate and prosecute misleading and fraudulent marketing practices; or (2) develop educational materials and training aimed at reducing misleading and fraudulent marketing of financial products toward seniors. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2297)
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Health Options Program Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2795
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2008-04-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Commerce
Employee health benefits
Federal advisory bodies
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Health insurance
Income tax
Insurance premiums
Labor and Employment
Self-employed
Small business
Tax credits

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: 
Small Business Health Options Program Act of 2008 or the SHOP Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate an office within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to administer a health insurance program for small businesses and self-employed individuals to purchase health insurance coverage meeting certain requirements. 

Establishes a Small Business Health Board to monitor the implementation of the program and make recommendations for improvements.

Requires the Administrator of the program to: (1) enter into contracts with health insurance issuers to provide health insurance coverage under this Act; and (2) enter into agreements with entities to serve as navigators to provide information about the program and assist in enrollment.

Requires a participating employer to ensure that each eligible employee has an opportunity to enroll in a plan. 

Sets forth requirements for health plans offered under this Act. Requires the Administrator to contract with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to study the rating requirements that apply to health insurance purchased in the small group markets in the states and to develop recommendations concerning rating requirements.

Sets forth premium-setting rules for plans under this Act.

Allows a state to prohibit participation in this program if the state offers alternative health benefit plans.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for small employers for qualified employee health insurance expenses under this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-03
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2425-2526)
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2348-2355)
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require a pilot program on the use of community-based organizations to ensure that veterans receive the care and benefits they need, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-2796
Sponsor: Sen. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2008-04-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Community health services
Community organization
Economics and Public Finance
Families
Family services
Grants-in-aid
Health
Mental health services
Military dependents
Social Welfare
Veterans' medical care
Veterans' rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using community-based organizations to ensure that veterans receive needed care and benefits by: (1) increasing the coordination of providers of health care and benefits for veterans to assist veterans transitioning from military service to civilian life; (2) increasing the availability of high-quality medical and mental health services to transitioning veterans; and (3) providing assistance to families to help them adjust to such veterans in their transition.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2356-2357)
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to authorize major medical facility projects and major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2009, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-2797
Sponsor: Sen. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2008-04-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Ambulatory care
Arizona
California
Colorado
Construction costs
Earth movements and building
Emergency Management
Florida
Georgia
Health
Hurricanes
Leases
Louisiana
Ohio
Oregon
Puerto Rico
South Carolina
Texas
Veterans' hospitals
Veterans' rehabilitation
Wisconsin

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: 
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out major medical facility projects (projects) in FY2009 in: (1) Palo Alto, California; (2) Lee County, Florida; (3) San Juan, Puerto Rico; and (4) San Antonio, Texas.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to carry out projects in FY2009, as originally authorized under the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006, for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers in Denver, Colorado, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to carry out specified major medical facility leases (leases) in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.
 
Authorizes appropriations for projects and leases authorized under this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2357)
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2357)
action_date: 2008-04-02
text: Introduced in Senate