hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
To amend the Small Business Act to provide for an increase in the amount of awards under the first and second phases of the Small Business Innovation Research program.

Bill: 110-hr-4213
Sponsor: Rep. Cramer, Robert E. (Bud), Jr. [D-AL-5]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Commercialization
Government Operations and Politics
Industrial research
Research and development
Science, Technology, Communications
Small business
Technological innovations

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Amends the Small Business Act relating to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (a program under which a portion of a federal agency's research or research and development funds are reserved for award to small businesses) to require certain program directives issued for the general conduct of SBIR programs within the federal government to provide, among other things, that an agency may increase to specified levels amounts awarded in the first and second phases of the SBIR Program. 
 
Requires such amounts be adjusted once every five years to reflect economic adjustments and programmatic considerations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-01-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
Community and Healthcare-Associated Infections Reduction Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-4214
Sponsor: Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [D-MD-7]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Communicable diseases
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Data banks
Department of Health and Human Services
Government Operations and Politics
Health information systems
Health surveys
Hospital care
Hospitals
Law
Medical research
Medical statistics
Medicare
Preventive medicine
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Community and Healthcare-Associated Infections Reduction Act of 2007 - Directs the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop best-practices guidelines for internal infection control plans to prevent, detect, control, and treat community and healthcare-associated infections at hospitals.

Requires AHRQ to: (1) establish best practices with supporting justification, including the establishment of an infection control oversight committee; (2) collaborate with other agencies and organizations whose area of expertise is the identification, treatment, and prevention of infectious disease; (3) publish proposed guidelines; (4) provide for a comment period of not less than 90 days; and (5) establish final guidelines.
 
Directs the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to: (1) consult best practices guidelines in evaluating hospitals' infection control plans as a condition of participation in the Medicare program; and (2) report to Congress on the feasibility of reducing healthcare-associated infection rates through a Quality Improvement Payment Program. 
 
Requires: (1) hospitals to report information about community and healthcare-associated infections to the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network, which shall be used by the CDC to develop a national database of infection rates in hospitals; (2) the Director of the CDC to award grants to states to carry out public awareness campaigns; (3) the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and intensify NIH programs regarding research and related activities concerning such infections; (4) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an interagency working group on community and healthcare-associated infections; and (5) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress on this Act's impact.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to update the optional methods for computing net earnings from self-employment.

Bill: 110-hr-4215
Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Artur [D-AL-7]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Earnings
Income tax
Labor and Employment
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Self-employed
Social Welfare
Social security taxes

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code and title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Benefits) of the Social Security Act to revise the optional method of computing the net earnings of self-employed individuals for purposes of determining social security benefit eligibility. Replaces the numerical formula for determining benefit eligibility with an indexed calculation based on a lower limit (the amount required under the Social Security Act for a quarter of coverage) and an upper limit (150 percent of the lower limit).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
Predominantly Black Institution Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-4216
Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Black colleges
Blacks
Building construction
Community and school
Construction costs
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational facilities
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Federal aid to education
Higher education
Minorities
Minority education
Scholarships
School buildings
School libraries
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Student aid
Teacher education

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Predominantly Black Institution Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide grants to Predominantly Black Institutions to: (1) enhance their capacity to serve more low- and middle-income Black American students; (2) expand higher education opportunities for students eligible for student assistance under title IV of the Act by encouraging such students to prepare for college and persist in secondary and postsecondary education; and (3) strengthen their financial ability to serve the academic needs of such students. 
 
Defines such institutions as accredited institutions serving at least 1,000 undergraduate students at least: (1) 50% of whom are pursuing a bachelor's or associate's degree; (2) 40% of whom are Black Americans; and (3) 50% of whom are low-income or first-generation college students. Requires the spending per full-time undergraduate student of such institutions to be low in comparison to that of institutions offering similar instruction.
 
Allows grant recipients to use up to 20% of a grant on an endowment fund, provided they raise nonfederal matching funds at least equal to the amount of the grant used for such endowment. Allots funding among institutions on the basis of their share of Pell Grant recipients, graduates, and graduates pursuing a higher degree.
 
Establishes a minimum allotment for each institution of $250,000, which is to be ratably reduced if appropriations are insufficient to pay such amount.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-02-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
Minority Male Academic Achievement Study

Bill: 110-hr-4217
Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Blacks
Congressional reporting requirements
Dropouts
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Educational research
Elementary and secondary education
Governmental investigations
Higher education
Hispanic Americans
Labor and Employment
Minorities
Minority education
Minority employment
Science, Technology, Communications
Secondary education
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Minority Male Academic Achievement Study - Directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) commission a national study of underrepresented minority males, particularly African American and Hispanic American males, who successfully progress from high school through higher education; and (2) make specific recommendations to Congress and states on new approaches for increasing the number of minority males who make such progress and advance into careers in which they are underrepresented.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-02-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
Medicare Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-4218
Sponsor: Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Accreditation (Medical care)
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Diabetes
Health education
Medical personnel
Medicare
Physicians
Self-care
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Medicare Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2007- Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for the recognition of state- licensed or registered health care professionals who are certified diabetes educators as Medicare providers of diabetes outpatient self-management training services.
 
Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the barriers that exist for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes in accessing diabetes self-management training services under the Medicare program. 
 
Directs the Director of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality to develop a series of recommendations on effective outreach methods to educate primary care physicians and the public about the benefits of diabetes self-management training.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
Immediate Benefits for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-4219
Sponsor: Rep. Donnelly, Joe [D-IN-2]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Afghanistan
Brain
Crime and Law Enforcement
Data banks
Directories
Disability evaluation
Disabled
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Head injuries
Health
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Medical records
Middle East and North Africa
Military discharges
Military occupation
Military operations
Military pay
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Science, Technology, Communications
South Asia
Terrorism
Veterans' disability compensation
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Immediate Benefits for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, for purposes of the laws administered by the Secretary and at the request of an eligible member of the Armed Forces who has served on active duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, to assign to that member a 30% temporary disability rating upon such member's separation from the Armed Forces, or in the case of an eligible member who has received a medical diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, upon receipt of such diagnosis. 
 
States that upon assignment of a permanent disability rating to a member who has received such temporary rating: (1) if the permanent rating exceeds 30% payments shall be made for such &quot;temporary rating months&quot; to equal the payments under the higher permanent rating; and (2) if the permanent rating is less than 30% the member shall not be required to repay such amounts.
 
States that disability compensation payments received by a member who receives such temporary disability rating are not subject to offset even though the member also receives separation or disability severance pay.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
Satellite Consumers' Access to Public Television Digital Programming Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-4221
Sponsor: Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-14]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Broadband
Commerce
Direct broadcast satellites
Education
Educational television
Elementary and secondary education
Higher education
Subscription television
Telecommunication industry
Television relay systems
Television stations

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Satellite Consumers' Access to Public Television Digital Programming Act of 2007 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require a satellite carrier that offers multichannel video programming distribution service to over five million subscribers to retransmit the digital signals of each noncommercial educational television station that is located in any local U.S. market.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
To amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and title XXII of the Public Health Service Act to extend COBRA benefits for certain TAA-eligible individuals and PBGC recipients.

Bill: 110-hr-4222
Sponsor: Rep. Fortenberry, Jeff [R-NE-1]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Employee health benefits
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Health insurance continuation
Labor and Employment
Pension trust guaranty insurance
Trade adjustment assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code, and the Public Health Service Act to extend the continuation of group health care benefits as provided by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) to certain recipients of benefits paid by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) and to individuals eligible for trade adjustment assistance (TAA) benefits.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-02-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
To establish the Congressional-Executive Commission on the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Bill: 110-hr-4223
Sponsor: Rep. Fortenberry, Jeff [R-NE-1]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Appellate procedure
Arrest
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Congress
Congressional hearings
Congressional reporting requirements
Congressional-executive relations
Crime and Law Enforcement
Democracy
Deportation
Directories
East Asia
Employee rights
Equality before the law
Ethnic relations
Exchange of persons programs
Family planning and birth control
Federal advisory bodies
Freedom of speech
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Health
House rules and procedure
Human rights
Immigration
Labor and Employment
Law
Legal aid
Minorities
Nongovernmental organizations
Political prisoners
Prisoners' rights
Punishment
Religion
Religious liberty
Right of assembly
Right to counsel
Right to travel
Rule of law
Speedy trial
Torture
Treaties
Vietnam

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Establishes a Congressional-Executive Commission on the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which shall: (1) monitor the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's human rights compliance, with particular emphasis on the Montagnard peoples and the Central and Northwest Highlands; (2) maintain lists of persons believed to be imprisoned, detained, tortured, or otherwise persecuted by the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam due to their pursuit of the rights described in this Act; (3) monitor the development of the rule of law in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with particular emphasis on the Montagnard peoples and the Central and Northwest Highlands; and (4) monitor and encourage the development of programs and activities of the U.S. government and private organizations with a view toward increasing the U.S.-Vietnam interchange. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
To prohibit the Secretary of State from making a contribution to the United Nations until such time as the United Nations is in compliance with fire, building, and safety codes.

Bill: 110-hr-4224
Sponsor: Rep. Fossella, Vito [R-NY-13]
Introduced: 2007-11-15 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Building laws
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Emergency Management
Fire prevention
Government Operations and Politics
Local laws
New York City
United Nations
United Nations finances
United Nations headquarters

Summary:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: 
Prohibits the Secretary of State from making a contribution to any regularly assessed biennial budget of the United Nations unless the Secretary has: (1) confirmed with the Mayor of the City of New York that U.N. facilities located in the City are in full compliance with all fire, building, and safety codes; and (2) submitted to Congress a certification of confirmation. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-11-15
text: Introduced in House