hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Improving the Teaching and Learning of American History and Civics Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-659
Sponsor: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN]
Introduced: 2009-03-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Cultural exchanges and relations
Department of Education
Economic theory
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Executive agency funding and structure
Higher education
Libraries and archives
Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula
U.S. history

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: 
Improving the Teaching and Learning of American History and Civics Act of 2009 - Creates a new part E (American History and Civics Education) under title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), under which are placed the existing Teaching of Traditional American History, Civic Education (containing the We the People and Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange programs), and Close Up Fellowship programs. 
 
Establishes, under part E of title II of the ESEA, programs requiring the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to IHEs, museums, libraries, research centers, or certain other educational institutions to establish Presidential Academies for Teaching of American History and Civics and Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics which offer seminars or institutes for teachers and outstanding students of such subjects, respectively.
 
Creates, under part E, a program authorizing the Secretary to provide grants or contracts to National History Day, Inc. for specified activities promoting and improving the study of history.
 
Repeals the American History and Civics Education Act of 2004, which contained a version of the Presidential Academies, Congressional Academies, and National History Day programs.
 
Reauthorizes part E programs through FY2015.
 
Amends the ESEA to require states to: (1) establish challenging academic content and student achievement standards in U.S. history, beginning in the 2011-2012 school year; and (2) measure the achievement of students against such standards at least one time during grades 3 through 5, grades 6 through 9, and grades 10 through 12, beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.
 
 
Improving the Teaching and Learning of American History and Civics Act of 2009 - Amends the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act to direct the Commissioner for Education Statistics to: (1) give priority to conducting national assessments of student achievement in history at least once every four years in grades 4, 8, and 12; and (2) conduct trial state academic assessments of student achievement in U.S. history and civics in grades 8 and 12.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3567-3571)
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Introduced in Senate
National Pain Care Policy Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-660
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2009-03-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Department of Health and Human Services
Education programs funding
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Health care coverage and access
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Medical education
Medical research
Neurological disorders
Research administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: 
National Pain Care Policy Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to seek an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to convene a Conference on Pain to: (1) increase the recognition of pain as a significant public health problem in the United States; (2) evaluate the adequacy of assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of acute and chronic pain; (3) identify barriers to appropriate pain care; and (4) establish an agenda to reduce such barriers and significantly improve the state of pain care research, education, and clinical care in the United States. Allows the Secretary to enter into an agreement with another appropriate entity if the Institute of Medicine declines.
 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue and expand, through the Pain Consortium, an aggressive program of basic and clinical research on the causes of and potential treatments for pain. Requires the Pain Consortium to develop and make recommendations on appropriate pain research initiatives.
 
Requires the Secretary to establish the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee to: (1) develop a summary of advances in federal pain care research relevant to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of pain and diseases and disorders associated with pain; and (2) identify critical gaps in basic and clinical research on the symptoms and causes of pain.
 
Allows the Secretary to provide for education and training to health care professionals in pain care. 
 
Requires the Secretary to establish and implement a national pain care education outreach and awareness campaign to educate consumers, patients, their families, and other caregivers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3571)
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Introduced in Senate
Midwifery Care Access and Reimbursement Equity Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-662
Sponsor: Sen. Conrad, Kent [D-ND]
Introduced: 2009-03-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Allied health services
Child health
Medicare
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: 
Midwifery Care Access and Reimbursement Equity Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for the coverage of and payment for certified midwife services. (Currently only certified nurse-midwife services are covered.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7638)
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3574)
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Introduced in Senate
Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-663
Sponsor: Sen. Nelson, Ben [D-NE]
Introduced: 2009-03-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Conflicts and wars
Government trust funds
Marine and inland water transportation
Transportation employees
Veterans' pensions and compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: 
Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Treasury the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund for payments by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of a monthly benefit of $1,000 to each individual who, between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, was a documented member of the U.S. merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crewmember of a vessel that was operated in U.S. waters by the War Shipping Administration or the Office of Defense Transportation and under contract to, or the property of, the United States. Requires such individuals to: (1) apply for such benefit before October 1, 2009; and (2) not have received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-04-29
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-81.
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2009-03-19
text: Introduced in Senate
Democracy for Dairy Producers Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-665
Sponsor: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI]
Introduced: 2009-03-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural marketing and promotion
Government information and archives

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: 
Democracy for Dairy Producers Act of 2009 - Requires, with respect to a specified referendum on federal milk marketing orders and related reforms, that: (1) if a cooperative association of milk producers elects bloc voting on behalf of its members it must provide each producer with written notice regarding individual ballot procedures, the milk marketing information clearinghouse, and the cooperative's voting intention; and (2) the Secretary of Agriculture adjust the association vote to reflect individual producer votes. 
 
Requires that each federal milk marketing order: (1) establish a referendum information clearinghouse that includes individual ballot information and referendum due dates and texts; and (2) provide producers with referendum alerts.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3613-3614)
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Quality Cheese Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-666
Sponsor: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI]
Introduced: 2009-03-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Food supply, safety, and labeling

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Quality Cheese Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration from using federal funds to amend specified regulations to include dry ultra-filtered milk, milk protein concentrate, or casein in the definition of "milk" or "nonfat milk" as specified in the domestic natural standards for cheese and cheese products.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Federal Milk Marketing Reform Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-667
Sponsor: Sen. Feingold, Russell D. [D-WI]
Introduced: 2009-03-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural marketing and promotion
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Transportation costs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Federal Milk Marketing Reform Act of 2009 - Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act to prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from using distance or transportation costs from a location not within a marketing area as the basis for pricing Class I (fluid) milk unless such location supplies the recipient marketing area with specified quantities of milk (single base point pricing).

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act

Bill: 111-s-669
Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]
Introduced: 2009-03-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Firearms and explosives
Licensing and registrations
Mental health
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: 
Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act - Prohibits, in any case arising out of the administration of laws and benefits by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, considering any person who is mentally incapacitated, deemed mentally incompetent, or experiencing an extended loss of consciousness from being considered adjudicated as a mental defective for purposes of the right to receive or transport firearms without the order or finding of a judge, magistrate, or other judicial authority of competent jurisdiction that such person is a danger to himself or herself or others.

action_date: 2009-06-16
text: 

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

 
Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act - Prohibits, in any case arising out of the administration of laws and benefits by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), considering any person who is mentally incapacitated, deemed mentally incompetent, or experiencing an extended loss of consciousness from being considered adjudicated as a mental defective for purposes of the right to receive or transport firearms without the order or finding of a judge, magistrate, or other judicial authority of competent jurisdiction that such person is a danger to himself or herself or others.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-06-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 78.
action_date: 2009-06-16
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Akaka without amendment. With written report No. 111-27.
action_date: 2009-06-16
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Akaka without amendment. With written report No. 111-27.
action_date: 2009-05-21
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2009-04-22
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-76.
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3617)
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3616-3617)
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Smoke Free Mothers and Babies Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-670
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2009-03-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Child health
Drug therapy
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Health care coverage and access
Health promotion and preventive care
Medicaid
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: 
Smoke Free Mothers and Babies Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require coverage, without cost-sharing, of counseling and pharmacotherapy for cessation of tobacco use by pregnant women. Provides for an increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for tobacco cessation counseling services and medications. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-671
Sponsor: Sen. Lincoln, Blanche L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2009-03-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicare
Mental health
Rural conditions and development

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: 
Seniors Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), particularly those provided in rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and in hospice programs.
 
Amends Medicare part C (Miscellaneous) to exclude such services from the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system.
 
Authorizes marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-03-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Natural Gas and Electricity Review and Enforcement Act

Bill: 111-s-672
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2009-03-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Competition and antitrust
Consumer affairs
Electric power generation and transmission
Energy prices
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Judicial review and appeals
Oil and gas

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: 
Natural Gas and Electricity Review and Enforcement Act - Amends the Natural Gas Act, the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, and the Federal Power Act to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue a temporary cease and desist order if it: (1) determines that any entity may be violating, may have violated, or may be about to violate any provision of such Acts or a FERC directive; and (2) finds that an alleged, threatened, or continued violation is likely to result in significant harm to either natural gas consumers or to the public interest.
 

 
Amends the Federal Power Act to grant FERC emergency authority to change or suspend temporarily the rates, terms, or conditions of service on file with it before providing public notice and an opportunity for comment.
 
Limits such temporary change or suspension to a period of not more than 30 days unless certain conditions are met.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to allow certain newspapers to be treated as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.

Bill: 111-s-673
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2009-03-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Income tax deductions
Income tax exclusion
News media and reporting
Sales and excise taxes
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Tax-exempt organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from income taxation a newspaper corporation or organization if: (1) it publishes on a regular basis a newspaper for general circulation; (2) its newspaper contains local, national, and international news stories of interest to the general public and the distribution of such newspaper is necessary or valuable in achieving an educational purpose; and (3) the preparation of the material contained in such newspaper follows a methodology generally accepted as educational. 
 
Exempts the advertising income of a tax-exempt newspaper corporation or organization from taxation as unrelated business income and allows a charitable tax deduction for contributions to such newspaper corporation or organization.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3659)
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3659)
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to prohibit the sale of dishwashing detergent in the United States if the detergent contains a high level of phosphorus, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-s-675
Sponsor: Sen. Levin, Carl [D-MI]
Introduced: 2009-03-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Great Lakes
Retail and wholesale trades
Water quality

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: 
Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prohibit the sale in the United States of residential dishwashing detergent that contains phosphorus in any form in excess of 0.5% (by weight expressed as elemental phosphorus) beginning July 1, 2010.
 
Requires the Administrator to: (1) review the available scientific information pertaining to nutrient excesses in the Great Lakes; and (2) recommend to Congress actions to be taken by EPA to address such nutrient excesses.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the tax rate for excise tax on investment income of private foundations.

Bill: 111-s-676
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2009-03-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Financial services and investments
Sales and excise taxes
Tax-exempt organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce from 2 to 1.32% the excise tax rate on the net investment income of tax-exempt private foundations; and (2) repeal the 1% reduction in such tax rate for private foundations that meet certain distribution requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Introduced in Senate
Reforming an Entitlement through Premium Adjustments based on Income Resources (REPAIR) Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-677
Sponsor: Sen. Ensign, John [R-NV]
Introduced: 2009-03-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Medicare
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: 
Reforming an Entitlement through Premium Adjustments based on Income Resources (REPAIR) Act of 2009 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require an income-related reduction in the part D premium subsidy.
 
Declares that, in the case of an individual whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds a certain applicable threshold amount for a month after December 2009, the monthly amount of the part D premium subsidy shall be reduced (and the monthly beneficiary premium shall be increased) by the monthly adjustment amount determined according to a specified formula.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to limit Federal emergency economic assistance payments to certain recipients.

Bill: 111-s-680
Sponsor: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]
Introduced: 2009-03-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Financial crises and stabilization
Government lending and loan guarantees

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: 
Limits to $150 billion in the aggregate all payments to any person (including affiliates) under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) under the Emergency Economic Assistance Act of 2008 (EESA) or any other federal emergency economic assistance program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3671-3672)
action_date: 2009-03-24
text: Introduced in Senate