hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
To provide for a green building certification program as part of the Energy Star program.

Bill: 111-hr-695
Sponsor: Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [D-NY-9]
Introduced: 2009-01-26 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Air quality
Building construction
Energy efficiency and conservation
Government studies and investigations
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Marketing and advertising
Public transit
Residential rehabilitation and home repair
Solid waste and recycling
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: 
Requires the Secretary of Energy to: (1) expand the Energy Star program to include the certification of buildings as green buildings; and (2) study and make recommendations concerning the streamlining of the certification process, development of an online certification program, and design of a program allowing certification by those without green building expertise.

Defines &quot;green building&quot; as a building constructed taking into account sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality, life-cycle concerns of building materials (including emissions and environmental impact), and transit and density-oriented development.

Requires a report to Congress setting forth the design of the expanded program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Introduced in House
Egyptian Counterterrorism and Political Reform Act

Bill: 111-hr-696
Sponsor: Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [D-NY-9]
Introduced: 2009-01-26 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Arms control and nonproliferation
Congressional oversight
Egypt
Foreign aid and international relief
Government studies and investigations
International law and treaties
Israel
Middle East
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: 
Egyptian Counterterrorism and Political Reform Act - Prohibits military assistance to Egypt beginning in FY2010 unless the President certifies to Congress for a given fiscal year that it is in U.S. national security interests to provide such assistance.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) funds that would have been provided for military assistance should be given in the form of additional economic support fund assistance and not used by the armed forces of Egypt; (2) the President should certify the establishment of procedures to ensure access by the Comptroller General to appropriate financial information in order to review the use of these funds; and (3) the agreement among the United States, Egypt, and Israel to decrease the overall amount of U.S. foreign assistance for both countries should continue. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Introduced in House
Family Building Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-697
Sponsor: Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [D-NY-9]
Introduced: 2009-01-26 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Employee benefits and pensions
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health technology, devices, supplies
Sex and reproductive health

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: 
Family Building Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to require a group health plan that provides coverage for obstetrical services to include coverage for non-experimental treatment of infertility that is deemed appropriate by a participant or beneficiary and the treating physician. Requires coverage for assisted reproductive technology only if certain conditions are met. Prohibits a group health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act.
 
Applies such requirements to health insurance coverage offered in the individual market and coverage offered through Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) plans.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Referred to House Education and Labor
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Introduced in House
For the relief of Shigeru Yamada.

Bill: 111-hr-698
Sponsor: Rep. Filner, Bob [D-CA-51]
Introduced: 2009-01-26 in the House
Policy area: Private Legislation

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Provides for the relief of Shigeru Yamada.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-26
text: Introduced in House
Healthy Communities Water Supply Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-700
Sponsor: Rep. McNerney, Jerry [D-CA-11]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Water quality
Water resources funding
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Healthy Communities Water Supply Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to authorize appropriations for the pilot program for alternative water source projects. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in making grants under the program, to consider whether a project is located in an area which is served by a public water system serving 10,000 individuals or fewer.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
To prohibit the use of funds to transfer enemy combatants detained by the United States at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to any facility in Oklahoma, or to construct any facility for such enemy combatants in Oklahoma.

Bill: 111-hr-701
Sponsor: Rep. Fallin, Mary [R-OK-5]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Appropriations
Building construction
Caribbean area
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Cuba
Detention of persons
Latin America
Military facilities and property
Oklahoma

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Prohibits federal funds from being used to: (1) transfer any enemy combatant detained by the United States at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to any facility in Oklahoma; or (2) construct housing facilities for such individuals in Oklahoma.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-702
Sponsor: Rep. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI-2]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Child care and development
Child health
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
Higher education
Indian social and development programs
Language arts
Minority education
Preschool education
Rural conditions and development
School administration
Special education
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2009 or the PRE-K Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to states to enhance or improve state-funded preschool programs.
 
Sets forth a grant formula favoring states that: (1) have curricula aligned with state early learning standards; (2) use nationally-established, or better, best practices for class size and teacher-to-student ratios; (3) require each teacher to have at least an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field; (4) require such programs to operate for at least a full academic year; and (5) have a plan for meeting the requirement, within five years of receiving such grant, that teachers have at least a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education or have such degree in a related field, but have also completed specialized training in early childhood education.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish a competitive process for awarding grants to other states that demonstrate that they will meet such requirements within two fiscal years.
 
Prohibits state grantees from reducing their preschool or child care expenditures. 
 
Requires states to give priority, in using grant funds, to preschool programs in communities with high concentrations of impoverished children.
 
 Includes among grant uses: (1) increasing the qualifications of, and benefits provided to, teachers, teacher aides, and program directors; (2) decreasing class size and improving teacher-to-student ratios; (3) providing certain comprehensive services that support healthy child development; (4) extending program duration; and (5) improving program monitoring and learning environments.
 
Reserves funds for competitive grants to Indians for their preschool programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
Supply Our Soldiers Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-704
Sponsor: Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-3]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Afghanistan
Asia
Iraq
Middle East
Military personnel and dependents
Postal service

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Supply Our Soldiers Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide for a program under which postal benefits are provided to a member of the Armed Forces who is on active duty and who is either: (1) serving in Iraq or Afghanistan; or (2) hospitalized at a military medical facility as a result of such service. Provides the postal benefits in the form of coupons or other evidence of credit (vouchers) to use for postal-free mailings.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-04-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
National STEM Education Tax Incentive for Teachers Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-705
Sponsor: Rep. Ehlers, Vernon J. [R-MI-3]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Education of the disadvantaged
Elementary and secondary education
Income tax credits
Science and engineering education
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
National STEM Education Tax Incentive for Teachers Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain full-time elementary and secondary school teachers of math, science, engineering, or technology courses a refundable tax credit for 10% of their undergraduate tuition up to $1,000 in any taxable year. Increases such credit amount to $1,500 for teachers in schools serving disadvantaged children.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-706
Sponsor: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Disaster relief and insurance
Emergency planning and evacuation
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Intergovernmental relations
State and local government operations
Urban and suburban affairs and development

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act of 2009 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) continue to administer the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System; (2) provide for a national network of standardized search and rescue resources; (3) designate task forces to participate in the System and determine criteria for participation; and (4) enter into an agreement with the required sponsoring agency of each task force regarding participation. 
 
Sets forth provisions regarding the composition of task forces and reimbursement. 
 
Authorizes the Administrator to appoint a System member for a period of federal service to participate in sponsored or sanctioned exercises, pre-incident staging, major disaster and emergency response activities, and training events. Entitles a member who suffers personal injury, illness, disability, or death while acting in the scope of such appointment to be treated as an employee who sustained the injury in the performance of duty.
 
 Sets forth provisions regarding election of benefits, liability, employment and re-employment rights, and licenses and permits. 
 
Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish and maintain an advisory committee; (2) enter into an annual preparedness cooperative agreement with each agency; and (3) enter into response cooperative agreements under which the Administrator agrees to reimburse agencies for emergency response costs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
Home Front to Heroes Postal Benefits Act

Bill: 111-hr-707
Sponsor: Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-11]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Military personnel and dependents
Postal service

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Home Front to Heroes Postal Benefits Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide for a program under which postal benefit vouchers are provided during FY2010 for members of the Armed Forces who are serving in overseas operations or who are hospitalized due to a disease or injury incurred as a result of such service. Permits the vouchers to be transferred to another person to allow that person to mail correspondence and small parcels to the member.
 
Limits vouchers to one per month. Allows a voucher earned during FY2010 to be used after the end of that fiscal year.
 
Directs the Secretary to transfer to the Postal Service an amount representing the amount of the vouchers used.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-02-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
To restrict assistance to foreign organizations that perform or actively promote abortions.

Bill: 111-hr-708
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Abortion
Foreign aid and international relief
International organizations and cooperation
Public participation and lobbying

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to prohibit the availability of appropriated funds for population activities to any private, nongovernmental, or multilateral organization until it certifies that it will not during the period for which funds are made available: (1) directly or through a subcontractor or subgrantee perform abortions in any foreign country except if the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term or in cases of forcible rape or incest; or (2) violate the laws of a foreign country regarding the circumstances under which abortion is permitted, regulated, or prohibited, or engage in lobbying activities in an effort to alter its laws with respect to abortion (except lobbying in opposition to coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization).

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-709
Sponsor: Rep. Abercrombie, Neil [D-HI-1]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Government lending and loan guarantees
Hawaii
Housing and community development funding
Housing finance and home ownership
Low- and moderate-income housing

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act of 2009 - Amends the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 and the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to extend through FY2013 the authorization of appropriations for housing assistance for Native Americans and loan guarantees for Native Hawaiian housing.
 
Amends the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 to make the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands of the state of Hawaii eligible for loan guarantees. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
Public Retiree's Investment Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-710
Sponsor: Rep. Ackerman, Gary L. [D-NY-5]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Financial services and investments
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Securities

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Public Retiree's Investment Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to guarantee eligible investments, or reguarantee a guarantee of eligible investments, by any public pension bank capital infusion fund mutually owned by state and local pension plans for the sole purpose of investing in preferred stocks of U.S. banking institutions.
 
Requires each public pension plan with a mutual ownership interest in a capital infusion fund to be authorized by state law to establish, or participate in the formation of, a wholly owned mutual fund or a limited liability corporation, in the case of joint ownership with other public pension plans.
 
 
Caps the maximum amount of investments by such such a capital infusion fund at $50 billion.
 
Restricts eligible investments to those in the preferred stock of a qualifying financial institution under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Capital Purchase Program established under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to House Financial Services
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
Hedge Fund Adviser Registration Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-711
Sponsor: Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [D-MA-8]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Banking and financial institutions regulation
Financial services and investments
Government information and archives

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Hedge Fund Adviser Registration Act of 2009 - Amends the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to repeal the exception to the registration requirement for any investment adviser who: (1) during the preceding twelve months has had fewer than 15 clients; and (2) neither holds himself or herself out generally to the public as an investment adviser, nor acts an an investment adviser to any registered investment company or any business development company. (Thus requires such private investment advisers to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC].)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
Pension Security Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-712
Sponsor: Rep. Castle, Michael N. [R-DE-At Large]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Employee benefits and pensions
Financial services and investments
Government information and archives

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Pension Security Act of 2009 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require the financial statement filed with the annual report for a defined benefit pension plan covered by ERISA to include a separate schedule identifying: (1) each hedge fund (i.e., unregistered investment pool) in which plan funds are invested; and (2) the amount invested.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
Hedge Fund Study Act

Bill: 111-hr-713
Sponsor: Rep. Castle, Michael N. [R-DE-At Large]
Introduced: 2009-01-27 in the House
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Banking and financial institutions regulation
Employee benefits and pensions
Financial services and investments
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: 
Hedge Fund Study Act - Instructs the President's Working Group on Financial Markets to study and report to certain congressional committees on the hedge fund industry. 
 
Requires the study to analyze: (1) the changing nature of hedge funds and what characteristics define a hedge fund; (2) the growth of hedge funds within financial markets; (3) the growth of pension funds investing in hedge funds; (4) whether hedge fund investors are able to protect themselves adequately from the risk associated with their investments; (5) whether hedge fund leverage is effectively constrained; and (6) the potential risks hedge funds pose to financial markets or to investors.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-01-27
text: Introduced in House