hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act

Bill: 111-s-2807
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2009-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Crime victims
Department of Defense
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Military facilities and property
Military personnel and dependents
Terrorism
Texas
Violent crime

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: 
Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) any member of the Armed Forces who was killed or wounded in the attack at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, and the family members of those victims, should receive the same treatment and benefits as the victims and families of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States; (2) such members and families have made tremendous sacrifices, and the United States should provide them with the maximum level of benefits available, identical to that available to those killed or wounded in an overseas combat zone such as Iraq or Afghanistan; and (3) the Department of Defense (DOD) should honor the Americans killed or injured in such attack with awards that recognize their sacrifices, including the Purple Heart for members and the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom for civilian DOD employees.
 
Treats members and DOD civilian employees killed or wounded in the shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, as members killed or wounded in a combat zone or civilian employees killed or wounded in a terrorist attack or while serving in a contingency operation, respectively, for purposes of specified laws, regulations, and policies concerning compensation, awards, and other benefits for which such members and employees are eligible.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Express Loan Improvements Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2808
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2009-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Government lending and loan guarantees
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: 
Express Loan Improvements Act of 2009 - Amends provisions of the Small Business Act relating to the Express Loan Program to: (1) increase (for a two-year period) from 50% to 75% the maximum percentage of such loan that may be guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA); and (2) increase from $350,000 to $1 million the maximum loan amount.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act

Bill: 111-s-2809
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2009-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Aging
Health care coverage and access
Health programs administration and funding
Neurological disorders

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: 
Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to expand treatment services for patients with Alzheimer's disease and training and support services for families and caregivers of such patients. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to provide emergency disaster assistance to certain agricultural producers that suffered losses during the 2009 calendar year.

Bill: 111-s-2810
Sponsor: Sen. Cochran, Thad [R-MS]
Introduced: 2009-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Department of Agriculture
Disaster relief and insurance
Financial crises and stabilization
Livestock

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) make a supplemental direct commodity payment to eligible producers that previously received such a payment; (2) make grants to states to assist eligible specialty crop producers for losses associated with drought or excessive rainfall during 2009; (3) provide supplemental assistance to eligible producers and first-handlers of the 2009 crop of cottonseed in disaster counties; (4) continue to carry out the 2002 livestock compensation program and provide assistance to any applicant that conducts a livestock operation located in a disaster county or produces fish classified within the family Ictaluridae (catfish); and (5) make payments to eligible producers for livestock losses occurring in a disaster county.
 
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Migratory Bird Treaty Act Penalty and Enforcement Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2811
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2009-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Animals
Subjects: Birds
Crimes against animals and natural resources
Criminal justice information and records
Evidence and witnesses
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: 
 Migratory Bird Treaty Act Penalty and Enforcement Act of 2009 - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to: (1) make a person who intentionally and maliciously takes any migratory bird by any manner not allowed by such Act guilty of a felony and subject to a fine of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to two years; and (2) make a person who intentionally and maliciously commits any other act or omission in violation of such Act guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to two years.
 
Requires the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of the Treasury to pay rewards to persons who furnish information that leads to an arrest or a criminal conviction for any violation of such Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S11884)
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2814
Sponsor: Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2009-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Home and outpatient care
Medicare
Nursing

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: 
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services.
 
Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner; (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law; (3) a certified nurse-midwife; or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11885)
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to extend certain housing-related deadlines in the Heartland Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008.

Bill: 111-s-2815
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2009-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Arkansas
Credit and credit markets
Disaster relief and insurance
Employee benefits and pensions
Floods and storm protection
Illinois
Income tax exclusion
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Natural disasters
Nebraska
Wisconsin

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: 
Amends the Heartland Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008 to extend through 2010 provisions of such Act allowing residents of the Midwestern disaster area to: (1) use amounts from tax-exempt retirement accounts without a tax penalty to purchase a new principal residence or repair an existing one; (2) recontribute amounts withdrawn for such purposes to such accounts; and (3) exclude from gross income income resulting from a cancellation of mortgage indebtedness incurred in such disaster area.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S11886)
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11885-11886)
action_date: 2009-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act

Bill: 111-s-2816
Sponsor: Sen. Bunning, Jim [R-KY]
Introduced: 2009-11-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Income tax credits
Income tax exclusion

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-21
text: 
Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act - Exempts provisions expanding the adoption tax credit and adoption assistance programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 from the general terminating (sunset) provisions of that Act.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the tax credit for adoption expenses in the taxable year in which such expenses are paid or incurred. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S11972-11973)
action_date: 2009-11-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11972)
action_date: 2009-11-21
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend part D of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide grants to schools for the development of asthma management plans and the purchase of asthma inhalers and spacers for emergency use, as necessary.

Bill: 111-s-2817
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2009-11-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Child health
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Emergency communications systems
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Health care coverage and access
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health technology, devices, supplies

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-30
text: 
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to schools that are receiving school improvement funds under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and are located in areas that have a high prevalence of asthma so they can: (1) develop and implement an asthma management plan; and (2) purchase the asthma inhalers, spacers, and other supplies necessary for the relief and treatment of affected students. 
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to local health or education departments to carry out such activities if they are the entities that would routinely carry out such activities in an area.
 
 Requires grantees to: (1) find innovative ways to encourage rapid bidirectional communication between schools and students' physicians and students' adherence to asthma treatment; and (2) ensure that they have on staff a nurse or individual who is trained to administer emergency asthma care.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-11-30
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Energy Conservation and Production Act to improve weatherization for low-income persons, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-s-2818
Sponsor: Sen. LeMieux, George S. [R-FL]
Introduced: 2009-11-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Emergency planning and evacuation
Energy assistance for the poor and aged
Energy efficiency and conservation
Residential rehabilitation and home repair

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-30
text: 
Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to revise the meaning of &quot;weatherization materials&quot; for purposes of the program for the weatherization of low-income dwelling units to include pre-disaster hazard mitigation home improvements designed to decrease the loss of life or property resulting from a natural disaster if the improvements result in increased energy efficiency or weatherization, including wind resistant and energy efficient windows, window coverings, doors, and roofing (including secondary roof water barriers).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2009-11-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Processed Food Safety Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2819
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2009-11-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Food industry and services
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Meat

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-30
text: 
Processed Food Safety Act of 2009 - Amends the Poultry Products Inspection Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act to prohibit the sale or transport in commerce of any processed poultry, poultry product, meat, or meat food product capable of human consumption that has not undergone a pathogen reduction treatment for each ingredient or been certified to contain no verifiable traces of pathogens.
 
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require each registered facility to: (1) apply pathogen reduction treatments to each food that it manufactures, processes, packages, or holds for consumption in the United States; and (2) certify that each such food contains no verifiable traces of pathogens, or that each such food leaving the facility has received required pathogen reduction treatments.
 
Requires coloring, synthetic flavorings, and spices used in such products to be named.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (text of measure as introduced: CR S12011)
action_date: 2009-11-30
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12009-12011)
action_date: 2009-11-30
text: Introduced in Senate
Preserving Records of Terrorist & Criminal Transactions Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2820
Sponsor: Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2009-12-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal justice information and records
Firearms and explosives
Licensing and registrations
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2009-12-01
text: 
Preserving Records of Terrorist & Criminal Transactions Act of 2009 or the PROTECT Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to require: (1) the retention for a minimum of 10 years of criminal background check records for known or suspected members of terrorist organizations who attempt to purchase firearms or apply for a state permit to possess, acquire, or carry firearms; and (2) the retention for at least 180 days of other criminal background check records relating to firearms purchases. 
 
Repeals certain provisions that require the destruction within 24 hours of identifying information for individuals who legally purchase or possess firearms.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-12-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-12-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2821
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2009-12-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Agricultural trade
Congressional operations and organization
Congressional oversight
Due process and equal protection
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Environmental health
Financial services and investments
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Human rights
Human trafficking
Intellectual property
International law and treaties
International monetary system and foreign exchange
Labor standards
Legislative rules and procedure
Meat
Political movements and philosophies
Product safety and quality
Public contracts and procurement
Religion
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
Tariffs
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Trade agreements and negotiations
Trade restrictions
U.S. and foreign investments
Unemployment
Wages and earnings
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2009-12-01
text: 
Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2009 or the TRADE Act of 2009 - Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) review certain free trade agreements (including Uruguay Round Agreements) between the United States and a trade agreement country to evaluate their economic, employment, environmental, national security, health, safety, and other effects; and (2) report on them to the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Ways and Means, including analyses of specified aspects of each trade agreement and certain information about agreement parties, such as whether the country has a democratic form of government, adopted and enforces certain core labor rights, respects fundamental human rights, enforces rights under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), complies with environmental laws, and poses a potential national security concern.
 
Requires implementing bills of new trade agreements between the United States and another country to include certain standards with respect to: (1) labor; (2) environment and public safety; (3) food and product health and safety; (4) services; (5) investment; (6) procurement; (7) intellectual property; (8) agriculture; (9) trade remedies and safeguards; (10) dispute resolution and enforcement; and (11) technical assistance.
 
Sets forth a point of order to consideration of bills implementing new trade agreements.
 
Requires the President to submit to Congress a plan for the renegotiation of existing trade agreements to bring them into compliance with such standards.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that certain processes for U.S. trade negotiations should be followed when Congress considers legislation providing special procedures for bills implementing trade agreements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-12-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-12-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Small Business Expensing Permanency Act

Bill: 111-s-2822
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2009-12-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Computers and information technology
Income tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2009-12-01
text: 
Small Business Expensing Permanency Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase (to $250,000) and make permanent the limitation on expensing of depreciable business assets, including computer software.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-12-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S12072)
action_date: 2009-12-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12071-12072)
action_date: 2009-12-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Clear Airfares Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2823
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2009-12-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Consumer affairs
Energy prices
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Sales and excise taxes
Transportation costs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-12-02
text: 
Clear Airfares Act of 2009 - Makes it an unfair or deceptive practice for: (1) a domestic or foreign air carrier or ticket agent to sell an airline ticket without simultaneously displaying all applicable ticket taxes, fees, charges, and surcharges in reasonable proximity to the price of the ticket (including on the Internet to an online purchaser); and (2) a domestic or foreign air carrier to impose a fuel surcharge that is not correlated to the price of fuel paid or the amount of fuel used by the air carrier on the specific flight.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-12-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2009-12-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to establish a small dollar loan-loss guarantee fund, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-s-2824
Sponsor: Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI]
Introduced: 2009-12-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Consumer credit
Government lending and loan guarantees

Summary:
action_date: 2009-12-02
text: 
Amends the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 to establish the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Small Dollar Loan-Loss Guarantee Fund to defray the cost of losses on specified qualifying consumer loans (not exceeding $2500) made by certain CDFIs and institutions whose primary mission is to serve low- to moderate-income individuals.
 
Authorizes appropriations to implement the program and to provide technical assistance grants to applicants to develop and support a small dollar loan program.
 
Authorizes the Administrator of the CFDI Fund to borrow from the Treasury as necessary to maintain Fund solvency.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-12-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2009-12-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12162)
action_date: 2009-12-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Cell Phone Early Termination Fee, Transparency, and Fairness Act

Bill: 111-s-2825
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2009-12-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Telecommunication rates and fees
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2009-12-03
text: 
Cell Phone Early Termination Fee, Transparency, and Fairness Act or the Cell Phone ETF Act - Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate regulations requiring, at a minimum, that providers of commercial mobile service: (1) prorate any early termination fee over the term of a subscriber's contract; and (2) link the fee to the cost to the provider of the handset provided to the subscriber, reduced by the price paid by the subscriber for the handset at the start of a subscriber's contract.
 
Prohibits construing this Act to preempt related state or local laws.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-12-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2009-12-03
text: Introduced in Senate
CREATE Jobs Act

Bill: 111-s-2826
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2009-12-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources
Business investment and capital
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Labor standards
Securities

Summary:
action_date: 2009-12-03
text: 
Clean Renewable Energy Advancement Tax Extension Jobs Act of 2009 or the CREATE Jobs Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend through 2016 the tax credit for producing electricity from wind and open-loop biomass facilities; (2) increase the limitation on the issuance of new clean renewable energy bonds; and (3) extend through 2011 the additional depreciation allowance for certain business assets acquired after 2007.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-12-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S12323-12324)
action_date: 2009-12-03
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12323)
action_date: 2009-12-03
text: Introduced in Senate