hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
AgJOBS Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-237
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative fees
Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Admission of nonimmigrants
Agricultural labor
Agriculture and Food
Alien labor
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Collective bargaining
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
Department of State
Deportation
Dismissal of employees
Economics and Public Finance
Families
Fines (Penalties)
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Identification devices
Judicial review
Labor and Employment
Law
Married people
Mediation
Prosecution
Recruiting of employees
Right to travel
Seasonal labor
Social Welfare
Social security numbers
Temporary employment
User charges
Visas

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2007 or the AgJOBS Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to confer "blue card status" upon an alien who: (1) has performed agricultural employment in the United States for at least 863 hours or 150 work days during the 24-month period ending on December 31, 2006; (2) applied for such status during the 18-month application period beginning on the first day of the seventh month that begins after the date of enactment of this Act; (3) is otherwise admissible to the United States; and (4) has not been convicted of any felony or a misdemeanor, an element of which involves bodily injury, threat of serious bodily injury, or harm to property in excess of $500. 
 
Directs the Secretary to adjust a blue card alien (and spouse and minor children) to permanent resident status if the alien has fulfilled specified periods of agricultural employment.
 
Amends the Social Security Act to exempt blue card aliens from prosecution for social security-related identity or payment false statements if such conduct occurred prior to the granting of blue card status. 
 
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise H-2A visa (agricultural labor or temporary or seasonal services) provisions. Replaces the existing labor certification requirement with a labor attestation requirement containing: (1) a description of the nature and location of the job; (2) the job's expected beginning and ending dates; (3) the number of jobs; and (4) specified labor assurances respecting job opportunities covered by collective bargaining agreements and non-covered job opportunities. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S363-373)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S361-363)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Medical Care Access Protection Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-243
Sponsor: Sen. Ensign, John [R-NV]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Alternative dispute resolution
Civil procedure
Commerce
Conflict of interests
Damages
Disability insurance
Disabled
Expert witnesses
Federal preemption
Finance and Financial Sector
Frivolous lawsuits
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Health insurance
Indemnity
Labor and Employment
Legal ethics
Legal fees
Liability (Law)
Limitation of actions
Medical malpractice
Medical supplies
Negligence
Product safety
Punitive damages
State courts
State laws
Workers' compensation
Wrongful death

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Medical Care Access Protection Act of 2007 or the MCAP Act - Sets forth provisions regulating lawsuits for health care liability claims related to the provision of health care services.
 
Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions.
 
Requires a court to impose sanctions for the filing of frivolous lawsuits.
 
Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000 from the provider or health care institution, but no more than $500,000 from multiple health care institutions. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility.
 
Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Limits the fees to a decreasing percentage based on the increasing value of the amount awarded.
 
Prescribes qualifications for expert witnesses.
 
Requires the court to reduce damages received by the amount of collateral source benefits to which a claimant is entitled, unless the payor of such benefits has the right to reimbursement or subrogation under federal or state law.
 
Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000.
 
 Prohibits a health care provider from being named as a party in a product liability or class action lawsuit for prescribing or dispensing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription drug, biological product, or medical device for an approved indication. 
 
Provides for periodic payments of future damage awards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act

Bill: 110-s-244
Sponsor: Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Alternative dispute resolution
Civil procedure
Commerce
Conflict of interests
Damages
Disability insurance
Disabled
Expert witnesses
Federal preemption
Finance and Financial Sector
Frivolous lawsuits
Government Operations and Politics
Gynecology
Health
Health insurance
Indemnity
Labor and Employment
Legal ethics
Legal fees
Liability (Law)
Limitation of actions
Medical malpractice
Medical supplies
Negligence
Obstetrics
Product safety
Punitive damages
State courts
State laws
Women
Women's health
Workers' compensation
Wrongful death

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act - Sets forth provisions regulating lawsuits for health care liability claims related to the provision of obstetrical or gynecological services.
 
Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions.
 
Requires a court to impose sanctions for the filing of frivolous lawsuits.
 
Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000 from the provider or health care institution, but no more than $500,000 from multiple health care institutions. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility.
 
Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Limits the fees to a decreasing percentage based on the increasing value of the amount awarded.
 
Prescribes qualifications for expert witnesses.
 
Requires the court to reduce damages received by the amount of collateral source benefits to which a claimant is entitled, unless the payor of such benefits has the right to reimbursement or subrogation under federal or state law.
 
Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000.
 
 Prohibits a health care provider from being named as a party in a product liability or class action lawsuit for prescribing or dispensing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription drug, biological product, or medical device for an approved indication. 
 
Provides for periodic payments of future damage awards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to designate the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home in Hope, Arkansas, as a National Historic Site and unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-245
Sponsor: Sen. Pryor, Mark L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Arkansas
Clinton Administration
Commemorations
Ex-presidents
Gifts
Government Operations and Politics
Historic sites
History
Land transfers
National parks

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, if the Clinton Birthplace Foundation, Inc. donates the William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home, to designate the William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home site as a National Historic Site and unit of the National Park System, to be known as the &quot;President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site.&quot; 

action_date: 2007-02-15
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, if the Clinton Birthplace Foundation, Inc. donates the William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home, to designate the William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home site as a National Historic Site and unit of the National Park System, to be known as the &quot;President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site.&quot; 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-02-15
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 36.
action_date: 2007-02-15
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman without amendment. With written report No. 110-11.
action_date: 2007-02-15
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman without amendment. With written report No. 110-11.
action_date: 2007-01-31
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Compliance Assistance Enhancement Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-246
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Electronic government information
Government Operations and Politics
Government publications
Government publicity
Government regulation
Internet
Law
Regulatory impact statements
Science, Technology, Communications
Small business
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Small Business Compliance Assistance Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 to require an agency to prepare a compliance guide to assist small entities in complying with a Federal rule or group of related rules for which an agency is required to prepare a final regulatory flexibility analysis whenever an agency determines that a Federal rule or group of rules will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-04-26
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5175-5176)
action_date: 2007-01-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S879-990)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. (text of measure as introduced: CR S386)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S385-386)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to designate the United States courthouse located at 555 Independence Street, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as the "Rush Hudson Limbaugh, Sr. United States Courthouse".

Bill: 110-s-247
Sponsor: Sen. Bond, Christopher S. [R-MO]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Commemorations
Subjects: Congressional tributes
Courthouses
Diplomats
International Affairs
Law
Lawyers
Missouri
Names

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Designates the U.S. courthouse located at 555 Independence Street, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as the &quot;Rush Hudson Limbaugh, Sr. United States Courthouse.&quot;


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S387)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S386-387)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Encouraging Work Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-248
Sponsor: Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Disabled
Enterprise zones
Income tax
Labor and Employment
Social Welfare
Tax credits
Urban affairs
Veterans' employment
Vocational rehabilitation
Welfare work participation

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Encouraging Work Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to the combined work opportunity and welfare-to-work tax credit to: (1) make such credit permanent; (2) make individuals age 18 through 39 residing in an empowerment zone, enterprise community, or renewal community (designated community residents) eligible for such credit; (3) allow vocational rehabilitation referrals under such credit after completion of certain individual work plans; and (4) allow an increased credit for the hiring of certain veterans with service-connected disabilities incurred after September 10, 2001.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S387-388)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Football Fairness Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-249
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Antitrust law
Football
Location of industries
Sports and Recreation

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Football Fairness Act of 2007 - Provides that it shall not be unlawful under the antitrust laws for the National Football League to enforce rules authorizing its membership to decide that a member club shall not be relocated.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S389)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S388-389)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Enhancements for Needed Drugs Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-250
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Armed Forces and National Security
Budget deficits
Commerce
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Drug industry
Drugs
Economics and Public Finance
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Health insurance
Insurance premiums
Medicare
Military medicine
Prescription pricing
Social Welfare
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Medicare Enhancements for Needed Drugs Act of 2007 - Directs the Comptroller General to review and report to Congress on the retail cost of prescription drugs in the United States during 2000 through 2006, with an emphasis on the prescription drugs most utilized for individuals age 65 or older.

Requires the Comptroller General to conduct an ongoing study that compares the average retail cost in the United States for each of the 20 most utilized prescription drugs for individuals age 65 or older with: (1) the average prices at which private health plans, the Department of Defense under the Defense Health Program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs acquire each such drug; and (2) the average negotiated price for each such drug that eligible beneficiaries have access to under a Medicare prescription drug plan providing only basic prescription drug coverage.

Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to include in the comparative plan information for beneficiaries under new Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) a comparison of average aggregate prescription drug plan beneficiary costs and savings with such costs for a beneficiary with no prescription drug plan.
 
Repeals the prohibition against interference by the Secretary of Health and Human Services with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors. Authorizes the Secretary instead, like other federal entities that purchase prescription drugs in bulk, to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs. Requires the savings to the Medicare Prescription Drug Account through the use of authority provided under this Act to be used to strengthen the part D program and to reduce the federal deficit. 
 
Requires the Secretary to ensure that each part D eligible individual has: (1) a choice of enrollment in a comprehensive prescription drug plan in the area in which the individual resides; or (2) in any case in which such a plan is not available, the opportunity to enroll in a comprehensive fallback prescription drug plan.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S390-392)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S389-390)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to repeal the provision of law that provides automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress.

Bill: 110-s-252
Sponsor: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Congressional salaries
Cost of living adjustments

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Amends the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 to eliminate automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S392-393)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S392)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Disaster Loan Fairness Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-253
Sponsor: Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA]
Introduced: 2007-01-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Collection of accounts
Disaster loans
Economics and Public Finance
Federal-local relations
Government Operations and Politics
Government lending
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Local finance
Municipal services

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: 
Disaster Loan Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the Community Disaster Loan Act of 2005 and the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 to repeal provisions that prohibited the cancellation of certain loans under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to assist local governments in providing essential services and to assist local governments affected by Hurricane Katrina and other hurricanes of the 2005 season, respectively. (Makes this Act effective on the enactment date of the Community Disaster Loan Act of 2005.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-30
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery.
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S393)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S393)
action_date: 2007-01-10
text: Introduced in Senate
Perform Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-256
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2007-01-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Arts, Culture, Religion
Congress
Congressional agencies
Congressional reporting requirements
Copyright
Fees
Finance and Financial Sector
Intellectual property
Interactive media
Law
Library of Congress
Licenses
Music
Science, Technology, Communications
Sound recording and reproducing
Valuation

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-11
text: 
Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act of 2007 or the Perform Act of 2007 - Requires Copyright Royalty Judges (CRJs) to establish rates for a statutory license for the transmission of sound recordings by organizations that most clearly represent the fair market value of the rights licensed.
 
Replaces the different processes for setting rates and terms of royalty payments for subscription transmissions by preexisting subscription services, satellite digital radio services, and eligible nonsubscription transmission services with one process for all such transmissions. Directs CRJs, when setting such rates and terms, to consider: (1) the fair market value of the rights licensed; and (2) the degree to which reasonable recording affects the potential market for sound recordings and the additional fees that are required to be paid by services for compensation.
 
Conditions statutory licensing of transmissions on the transmitting entity using technology that is reasonably available, technologically feasible, and economically reasonable to prevent the making of copies or phonorecords embodying the transmission in whole or in part, except for reasonable recording. (Current law provides for limits on phonorecords of the transmission directly in a digital format.)
 
Allows a performing rights society or a mechanical rights organization to monitor public performances or other uses of copyrighted works contained in transmissions.
 
Requires the Register of Copyrights to convene a meeting among affected parties to discuss whether to recommend creating a new category of limited interactive services within certain statutory licenses for subscription transmissions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-29
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
action_date: 2007-01-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S447-448)
action_date: 2007-01-11
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S446-447)
action_date: 2007-01-11
text: Introduced in Senate
Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area Study Act

Bill: 110-s-257
Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [R-OR]
Introduced: 2007-01-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Arts, Culture, Religion
Columbia River development
Commemorations
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Cultural property
Environmental Protection
Governmental investigations
Historic sites
History
Minorities
Native Americans
Nature conservation
Oregon
Social life and customs
Washington State
Water Resources Development

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-11
text: 
Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of designating the study area of the coastal areas of Clatsop County, Oregon, and Pacific County, Washington (known as the North Beach Peninsula) and areas relating to Native American history, local history, Euro-American settlement culture, and related economic activities of the Columbia River within a corridor along such River eastward in Clatsop County, Oregon, and Pacific, Columbia, and Wahkiakum Counties, Washington, as the &quot;Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area.&quot; 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-20
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 110-73.
action_date: 2007-01-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-01-11
text: Introduced in Senate