hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Southwest Border Violence Reduction Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2867
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2008-04-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Boundaries
Criminal investigation
Department of Justice
Federal law enforcement officers
Firearms
Government Operations and Politics
International Affairs
Latin America
Mexico
Police training
Prosecution
Smuggling
Technical assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-15
text: 
Southwest Border Violence Reduction Act of 2008 - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) to expand resources for the Project Gunrunner initiative of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to identify, investigate, and prosecute firearms trafficking across the U.S.- Mexico border; and (2) provide ATF agents, equipment, and training to assist Mexican law enforcement officers in combating firearms trafficking and other criminal enterprises.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2008-04-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3031-3032)
action_date: 2008-04-15
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act to replace the diversity visa lottery program with a program that issues visas to aliens with an advanced degree.

Bill: 110-s-2868
Sponsor: Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH]
Introduced: 2008-04-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Alien labor
Education
Engineers
Higher education
Immigrants
Labor and Employment
Life sciences
Mathematics
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientists
Visas

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: 
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to replace the diversity visa lottery program with a program that issues immigrant visas to aliens with advanced degrees in the life sciences, the physical sciences, mathematics, technology, or engineering.
 
States that such visas shall be issued or adjusted in a random order unless the Secretary of State determines that certain of such degrees are most needed to meet U.S. workforce and economic security needs. (Sets forth visa allocation provisions if the Secretary has made such an economic determination.)
 
Provides for advanced degree visa carryover as of FY2009.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Enhancing the Effective Prosecution of Child Pornography Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2869
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2008-04-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Child pornography
Computer crimes
Internet
Money laundering
Pornography
Prosecution
Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: 
Enhancing the Effective Prosecution of Child Pornography Act of 2008 - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) include child pornography activities and the production of such pornography for importation into the United States as predicate crimes for money laundering prosecutions; and (2) define &quot;possess&quot; with respect to crimes of child sexual exploitation and child pornography to include accessing by computer visual depictions of child pornography with the intent to view. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Veterans Disability Fairness Act

Bill: 110-s-2870
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2008-04-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Auditing
Disability evaluation
Disabled
Law
Veterans' disability compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: 
Veterans Disability Fairness Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in order to carry out the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) quality assurance program with respect to the administration of veterans' disability compensation, to ensure the accuracy and consistency across VA offices of the treatment of claims for disability compensation, including disability rating determinations and whether a disability is service-connected.
 
Requires the Secretary to conduct reviews and audits, at least annually, to identify and correct any inaccuracies or inconsistencies in disability ratings and the adjudication of disability compensation claims by VA regional offices and employees responsible for such ratings or adjudications.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP) Enhancement Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2871
Sponsor: Sen. Lincoln, Blanche L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2008-04-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Armed forces reserves
Education
Higher education
Iraq compilation
Military operations
Veterans' education

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: 
Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP) Enhancement Act of 2008 - Recodifies and revises under federal veterans' benefits law a current chapter under federal armed forces law concerning educational assistance for reserve personnel supporting contingency operations and certain other operations.
 
Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to carry out such assistance program. Directs the Secretary of each military department, and the Secretary of Homeland Security when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, to provide notice to individuals who meet program eligibility requirements.
 
Revises educational assistance allowance rates based on periods of active duty service.
 
Provides a ten-year limit after separation for the use of such assistance for a member of the Selected Reserve who completes a required period of service under other than dishonorable conditions.
 
Requires the Secretary of Defense to transfer to the Secretary, by the beginning of FY2010, amounts provided or remaining in the Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund that are attributable to the reserve educational assistance program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2872
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2008-04-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Disability evaluation
Disabled
Labor and Employment
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Social security eligibility
Supplemental security income program
Veterans' benefits
Veterans' employment
Welfare eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: 
Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements Act of 2008 - Amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act to treat as a disability for OASDI and SSI disability payment purposes any service-connected disability rated and certified by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as total by reason of unemployability, and expected to last at least one year.
 
Applies the same treatment to related child's insurance and widow's and widower's insurance benefits.
 
Makes medical findings by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of total service-connected disability by reason of unemployability conclusive evidence of disability for OASDI and SSI purposes.
 
Requires treatment of any determination of a veteran's disability by the Commissioner of Social Security for OASDI and SSI purposes as a disability or a combination of disabilities rated as 100% disabling by reason of individual unemployability for veterans' benefits purposes. Cautions, however, that such requirement shall not be construed to establish a service-connection or presumption of service-connection with respect to any disability of a veteran.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Introduced in Senate
WESTERN Act

Bill: 110-s-2873
Sponsor: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]
Introduced: 2008-04-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Environmental assessment
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Law
Licenses
Water Resources Development
Water pollution control
Water storage

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: 
Water Essential Storage To Enhance Regions in Need Act or the WESTERN Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to require the Secretary of the Army, not later than 90 days after the receipt of an application for a permit for a water storage project, to provide to the applicant a statement that describes: (1) whether the Secretary concurs with the assessment of, and alternatives for, the purposes and needs of such project as proposed by the applicant; and (2) if the Secretary doesn't concur, the Secretary's assessment.

Requires the Secretary, before issuing a permit, to provide to applicants records of decisions describing applicable conditions that will apply to such permits.

Requires the Secretary to establish the Corps of Engineers Board of Appeals to make determinations on all appeals relating to permits issued pursuant to such Act for water storage projects, including appeals regarding a purpose and need statement, a record of decision, and the Secretary's final decisions on permit approval. Sets forth factors for the Board to consider in making a determination on an appeal.

Provides that a determination by the Board supersedes other Corps of Engineers' appellate determinations regarding permits.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Introduced in Senate
Hubbard Act

Bill: 110-s-2874
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2008-04-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Armed forces reserves
Disabled
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Health
Housing and Community Development
Iraq compilation
Labor and Employment
Military dependents
Military discharges
Military medicine
Military pay
Missing in action
Mortgages
Post exchanges
Severance pay
Unemployment insurance
Veterans' benefits
Veterans' employment
Veterans' loans
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: 
Hubbard Act - Amends federal employment, armed forces, military pay, and veterans' benefits law to authorize the provision of the following benefits to a member of the Armed Forces who is discharged at the member's request pursuant to a Department of Defense (DOD) policy permitting the early discharge of a member who is the only surviving child in a family in which the father or mother, or one or more siblings, served in the Armed Forces and, incident to such service, was killed, died as a result of wounds, accident, or disease, is in a captured or missing in action status, or is permanently disabled: (1) continued payment, through the original agreed-upon service period, of any bonus, incentive, or similar benefit to which the member was entitled during service; (2) separation pay, even though the member has completed less than six years of active service before discharge; (3) transitional health care, on the same basis as an active-duty member, for 180 days after discharge; (4) transitional commissary and exchange benefits, on the same basis as an active-duty member, for two years after discharge; (5) veterans' housing loan, employment and training, and basic educational assistance; (6) federal unemployment compensation; and (7) veteran's preference for federal employment purposes.
 
Makes this Act effective with respect to any such discharge granted after September 11, 2001.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2008-04-16
text: Introduced in Senate
HALE Scouts Act

Bill: 110-s-2876
Sponsor: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]
Introduced: 2008-04-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Boy Scouts
Families
Indian children
Land transfers
Minorities
National forests
Native Americans
Oklahoma

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: 
Help to Access Land for the Education of Scouts or HALE Scouts Act - Requires the conveyance of specified National Forest System land in the Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma to the Indian Nations Council, Inc., of the Boy Scouts of America. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Research and Quality of Life Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2877
Sponsor: Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [D-NY]
Introduced: 2008-04-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cancer
Case management
Child health
Clinics
Comprehensive health care
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Families
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal aid to research
Health information systems
Health surveys
Higher education
Medical education
Medical research
Medical statistics
Mental health services
Minority health
Preventive medicine
Quality of care
Quality of life
Research grants
Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: 
Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Research and Quality of Life Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to expand and intensify CDC's cancer control programs. Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide guidance to states, in collaboration with the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), on interventions that may be incorporated into state cancer control programs to improve the long-term health status of childhood cancer survivors; (2) encourage states to incorporate strategies for improving their care into their comprehensive cancer plans; (3) collaborate with the NCI Director to improve or develop systems for tracking cancer survivors; and (4) enhance control programs to include a focus on childhood cancer survivorship.
 
Directs the NCI Director to: (1) coordinate National Institutes of Health (NIH) activities regarding cancer survivorship; (2) make grants for research regarding pediatric cancer survivors and health disparities in cancer survivorship within minority populations; (3) conduct or support research to evaluate follow-up care for childhood cancer survivors; and (4) make grants to establish pilot programs to develop, study, or evaluate model systems for monitoring and caring for cancer survivors.
 
Directs the Secretary to make grants to: (1) establish or improve training programs for health care professionals to improve follow-up care for young cancer survivors and to ensure that such care is linguistically and culturally competent; (2) pay costs incurred during the first four years of operating a clinic for comprehensive long-term followup services for childhood cancer survivors; and (3) improve physical and psychosocial care for such survivors. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3146-3147)
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Enforcement Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2878
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2008-04-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial statements
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Industrial relations
Injunctions
Labor unions
Law
Trusts and trustees

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: 
Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Enforcement Act of 2008 - Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act) to make a labor organization liable to any of its members for a civil money penalty of up to $250 for each day that it fails to provide such member information regarding the organization's constitution, bylaws, organization report, and annual financial report, including any books, records, and accounts necessary to verify such reports.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to bring an action in U.S. district court for injunctive relief and enforcement of administrative penalties against any person who has violated or is about to violate any reporting requirements of such Act, including those applying to a labor organization which has or assumes trusteeship over any subordinate labor organization. Requires a district court, upon a complaint by the Secretary that demonstrates failure to file timely and complete reports, to enjoin continued violation of the related reporting requirements.
 
Authorizes the Secretary, upon finding a violation of specified reporting and disclosure requirements, to impose an administrative money penalty of up to $250 a day, or $10,000 in aggregate, adjusted for inflation, against the person, labor organization, or employer responsible for such violation.
 

 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Roan Plateau Oil and Gas Leasing Improvement Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2879
Sponsor: Sen. Salazar, Ken [D-CO]
Introduced: 2008-04-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Arts, Culture, Religion
Colorado
Commemorations
Cultural property
Drainage
Energy
Environmental Protection
Historic sites
History
Landscape protection
Mining leases
Natural areas
Oil and gas leases
Oil shales
Oil well drilling
Prospecting
Water Resources Development
Watersheds

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: 
Roan Plateau Oil and Gas Leasing Improvement Act of 2008 - Designates as Special Protection Areas of the Roan Plateau (Colorado): (1) all public land identified as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern on a specified map; (2) all public land located within the watersheds or drainage of Northeaster Creek and the East Fork of Parachute Creek above the confluence with First Anvil Creek; and (3) all public land identified as subject to a No Ground Disturbance (NGD/NSO) stipulation on a specified map.
 
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to manage the Special Protection Areas to prevent irreparable damage to fish and wildlife resources as well as historical, cultural, scenic, and environmental resources.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) permit oil and gas exploration and development activities within designated development corridors, subject to specified conditions; and (2) issue mineral leases affecting public land within the Roan Plateau Planning Area.
 
Prohibits the Secretary from permitting oil shale exploration or development within the Planning Area.
 
Permits the Secretary to select an area for initial issuance of mineral leases, but within no more than one phased development area.
 
Restricts selection of an initial lease area to: (1) the Anvil Ridge Oil and Gas Development Area; or (2) the Corral Ridge Oil and Gas Development Area.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to include in oil or gas exploration leases minimum bonus bid amounts and lease sizes above certain limits of the Mineral Leasing Act.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to select the second and each subsequent phased development area for issuance of mineral leases, subject to notice and opportunity for public comment, and other specified conditions.
 
Requires the Secretary to ensure that each lease under this Act requires the lessee to join a federal unitization agreement covering all leases offered in the relevant phased development area.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3147)
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Iraq Responsibility Act

Bill: 110-s-2880
Sponsor: Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH]
Introduced: 2008-04-17 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Appropriations
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Economic assistance
Economics and Public Finance
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Middle East and North Africa
War relief

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: 
Iraq Responsibility Act - Requires that: (1) funds appropriated or otherwise made available for assistance to Iraq for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for FY2009, FY2010, or FY2011, shall be made available only to the extent that the government of Iraq matches such assistance on a dollar-for-dollar basis; and (2) the Secretary of State certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that such requirement has been met before the initial obligation of any such funds. 
 
Exempts from such requirement funds for: (1) grants and cooperative agreements for democracy and human rights programs; (2) humanitarian demining; or (3) assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the presentation of a flag of the United States to the children of members of the Armed Forces who die in service.

Bill: 110-s-2882
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2008-04-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Cemeteries and funerals
Commemorations
Families
Flags
Military dependents
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: 
Authorizes payment of the expense of presenting a U.S. flag to the children of members of the Armed Forces who die in service.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3154)
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Mother's Day Centennial Commemorative Coin Act

Bill: 110-s-2883
Sponsor: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV]
Introduced: 2008-04-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Commemorations
Subjects: Anniversaries
Breast cancer
Coins and coinage
Families
Foundations
Health
Medical research
Mothers
Osteoporosis
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Special days
Women
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: 
Mother's Day Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 400,000 $1 coins emblematic of the 100th anniversary of President Wilson's proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to issue such coins beginning January 1, 2014, except that the Secretary may initiate sales of such coins, without issuance, before such date.
 
Terminates such minting authority after December 31, 2014.
 
Requires coin sales to include a $10 surcharge per coin, with distribution of such surcharges to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Osteoporosis Foundation for the purpose of furthering research.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3154-3155)
action_date: 2008-04-17
text: Introduced in Senate