hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1459
Sponsor: Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal procedure and sentencing
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Smuggling and trafficking

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2009- Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to eliminate: (1) increased and mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenses involving mixtures or substances which contain cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine); and (2) restrictions on judicial authority to grant probation or suspended sentences for certain cocaine offenses.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-21
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2009-04-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2009-03-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to House Judiciary
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
Nurses' Higher Education and Loan Repayment Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1460
Sponsor: Rep. Latham, Tom [R-IA-4]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Education programs funding
Medical education
Nursing
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Nurses' Higher Education and Loan Repayment Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to repay education loans in exchange for an individual working as a full-time member of the faculty of an accredited school of nursing.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
Teaching and Research Assistant Collective Bargaining Rights Act

Bill: 111-hr-1461
Sponsor: Rep. Miller, George [D-CA-7]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Employment discrimination and employee rights
Higher education
Labor-management relations
School administration
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Teaching and Research Assistant Collective Bargaining Rights Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide collective bargaining rights for students enrolled at a private institution of higher education who perform work for remuneration at the institution's direction, regardless of whether the work relates to their courses of study (teaching and research assistants).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
Study of Ways to Improve the Accuracy of the Collection of Federal Oil, Condensate, and Natural Gas Royalties Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1462
Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-14]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Energy revenues and royalties
Government studies and investigations
Oil and gas
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Study of Ways to Improve the Accuracy of the Collection of Federal Oil, Condensate, and Natural Gas Royalties Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to arrange with the National Academy of Engineering to study and report to the Secretary regarding whether the accuracy of collection of royalties on production of oil, condensate, and natural gas under leases of federal lands (including submerged, deep water, and Indian lands) would be improved by implementing certain prescribed measures.
 
Requires the Secretary to award a contract under which the contractor shall: (1) compare royalty payments made under federal oil and gas lease provisions for covered lands against data supplied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); (2) make such comparison retroactive to June 1, 1974; (3) determine whether the correct production standard volume and heating content analysis was used to calculate such payments; and (4) determine whether such payments were adequate under the terms of the oil and gas leases.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E657-658)
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
To restrict United States military assistance to the Government of Pakistan.

Bill: 111-hr-1463
Sponsor: Rep. Harman, Jane [D-CA-36]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Arms control and nonproliferation
Asia
Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Nuclear weapons
Pakistan
Sanctions

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Prohibits, with a national interest waiver, U.S. military assistance to be provided to Pakistan unless the President certifies to Congress that the government of Pakistan is: (1) making Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan available for U.S. questioning; and (2) providing adequate assurances that it will monitor Khan's activities in order to prevent his participation in any efforts to disseminate nuclear technology.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E658-659)
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
Learning Opportunities With Creation of Open Source Textbooks (LOW COST) Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1464
Sponsor: Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-14]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Education programs funding
Educational technology and distance education
Government information and archives
Higher education
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Science and engineering education
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Learning Opportunities With Creation of Open Source Textbooks (LOW COST) Act of 2009 - Requires each federal agency that expends more than $10 million in a fiscal year on scientific education and outreach to use at least 2% of such funds for collaboration on the development and implementation of open source materials as an educational outreach effort.
 
Directs such agencies, under the joint guidance of the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Secretary of Energy (DOE), to collaborate with each other or with any federally supported laboratory or university-based research program to develop, implement, and establish procedures for checking the veracity, accuracy, and educational effectiveness of open source materials that: (1) contain a comprehensive set of textbooks or other educational materials covering topics in college-level physics, chemistry, or math; (2) such agencies post on a Federal Open Source Material Website, which shall be available to the public without charge; (3) are updated prior to each academic year with the latest research and information ; and (4) are free of copyright violations.
 
Requires the Director and the Secretary to award joint grants to eligible entities to: (1) develop and implement such open source materials; and (2) evaluate and report to the Director and Secretary on the materials produced.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.
action_date: 2009-03-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to House Education and Labor
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Science and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, 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: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to House Science and Technology
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to provide regulatory relief to small and family-owned businesses.

Bill: 111-hr-1465
Sponsor: Rep. Ellsworth, Brad [D-IN-8]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Child health
Child safety and welfare
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Consumer affairs
Department of Justice
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Product safety and quality
Retail and wholesale trades
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to allow a secondhand seller to sell, offer for sale, or distribute a product or substance that is not in conformity with a consumer product safety rule relating to lead in children's products or to currently-required labeling for children's products. Defines &quot;secondhand seller&quot; to include: (1) a consignment or thrift shop; (2) an individual who uses the Internet, a yard sale, or other casual means; or (3) a person who sells such a product at an auction to benefit a nonprofit organization.

Delays by six months each required step down in the allowed lead level in children's products. Applies this change as though it had taken effect on August 15, 2008.
 
Relieves a manufacturer from the requirement to test or certify a product regarding lead content if the manufacturer has tested and certifies each component of the product.
 
Prohibits either the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) or any state attorney general from initiating an enforcement proceeding under the Consumer Product Safety Act or the Federal Hazardous Substances Act regarding product certification and labeling and children's products containing lead until 30 days after the issuance of final rules, regulations, or guidance.
 
Requires the CPSC to waive any civil penalty for a good faith first violation of a prohibition under the Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
Major Drug Trafficking Prosecution Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1466
Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-35]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Drug trafficking and controlled substances

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Major Drug Trafficking Prosecution Act of 2009- Requires the Attorney General's prior written approval for a federal prosecution of an offense under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) or the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (CSIEA), or for any conspiracy to commit such an offense, where the offense involves the illegal distribution or possession of a controlled substance in an amount less than that specified as a minimum for an offense under CSA or, in the case of any substance containing cocaine or cocaine base, in an amount less than 500 grams. 
Modifies CSA and CSIEA to delete specified mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-07-14
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2009-05-21
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2009-04-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2009-03-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to House Judiciary
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E656-657)
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
Safe and Secure America Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1467
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
Judicial procedure and administration
Specialized courts
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Safe and Secure America Act of 2009 - Amends the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 to extend through 2019 provisions which: (1) authorize the use of multipoint or roving wiretaps for national security and intelligence investigations; and (2) allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to apply to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to grant government access to tangible items (books, records, etc.) in foreign intelligence, international terrorism, and clandestine intelligence cases.
 
Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to extend through 2019 the inclusion of &quot;lone wolf&quot; terrorists as agents of a foreign power, for purposes of the authority to obtain intelligence on non-U.S. persons engaged in international terrorism.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-04-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to House Intelligence (Permanent)
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to House Judiciary
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E663)
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
Medical Justice Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1468
Sponsor: Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Evidence and witnesses
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Judicial procedure and administration
Legal fees and court costs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Medical Justice Act of 2009 - Sets forth provisions regulating civil actions for an injury or death as the result of health care.
 
Sets forth limits on: (1) the non-economic damages that an individual may recover from health care practitioners and health care institutions; and (2) the total damages that a person may recover from any single liable health care practitioner.
 
Declares that an insurer of a health care practitioner or health care institution that rejects a reasonable settlement offer within policy limits is not, by reason of such rejection, liable for damages in excess of the liability of the insured.
 
Sets forth requirements for qualified expert reports.
 
Allows periodic or accrual payment for future damages.
 
Prohibits a jury from awarding punitive or exemplary damages against a health care practitioner or health care institution unless the jury is unanimous.
 
Makes each person liable only for a proportionate share of the total damages that directly corresponds to that person's responsibility.
 
Makes a person liable for litigation costs incurred after rejection of a settlement offer if such person receives a judgment at trial that is significantly less favorable than the terms of the settlement offer.
 
Sets forth a time frame within which claims related to any health care act or omission must be brought. 
 
Makes a health care practitioner or health care institution that provides emergency health care on a Good Samaritan basis immune from liability for damages caused by that care, except for willful or wanton negligence or more culpable misconduct.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
Equity for Our Nation's Self-Employed Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1470
Sponsor: Rep. Kind, Ron [D-WI-3]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Employment taxes
Health care costs and insurance
Income tax deductions
Income tax rates
Self-employed

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Equity for Our Nation's Self-Employed Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow self-employed individuals to deduct health insurance costs in computing the tax on self-employment income. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
TARP and ARRA Reporting and Waste Prevention Act

Bill: 111-hr-1472
Sponsor: Rep. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN-7]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Business records
Department of Labor
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Financial crises and stabilization
Government information and archives
Public contracts and procurement
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
TARP and ARRA Reporting and Waste Prevention Act - Requires each public or private entity to provide a detailed report to the Secretary of the Treasury upon either: (1) receipt or redistribution of any funds under title I (Troubled Asset Relief Program [TARP]) of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) or the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA); or (2) entering into a contract for projects or services funded by TARP or ARRA.
 
 Requires a public or private entity that redistributes any TARP or ARRA funds to another public or private entity to give the redistributee notice that: (1) such funds are a redistribution of either TARP funds or ARRA funds; and (2) the redistributee may be required to report to the Secretary.
 
Instructs the Secretary to: (1) establish a database to hold all such reported information; (2) make the database information available to the public on the website recovery.gov; and (3) establish a national toll-free telephone hotline number for the public to report waste, fraud, or abuse related to either TARP or ARRA funds.
 
Sets forth whistleblower protections.
 
Amends ARRA to require the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, if it requests that an inspector general conduct or refrain from conducting an audit investigation, to make such request available to the public on the website recovery.gov.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on 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: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to House Financial Services
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H3341)
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
Army Corps of Engineers Recreation Improvement Act

Bill: 111-hr-1473
Sponsor: Rep. Boozman, John [R-AR-3]
Introduced: 2009-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Government trust funds
Outdoor recreation
Parks, recreation areas, trails
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: 
Army Corps of Engineers Recreation Improvement Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to charge recreation fees at lands and waters administered by the Corps of Engineers in the same manner the Secretary of the Interior may charge such fees with respect to federal recreation lands and waters managed by the Bureau of Reclamation.

Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a special account in the Treasury for the Corps, which shall be used for the same purpose and subject to the same conditions as the special accounts established for each federal land management agency.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-12
text: Introduced in House