hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
SAFE Internet Act

Bill: 111-s-1047
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Child safety and welfare
Computer security and identity theft
Education programs funding
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
Government studies and investigations
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Law enforcement administration and funding
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
School And Family Education about the Internet Act of 2009 or the SAFE Internet Act - Authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to make grants to eligible entities to carry out an age-appropriate, research-based Internet safety education program and other activities relating to Internet safety. Defines &quot;eligible entity&quot; as: (1) a local educational agency, a nonprofit organization, or a partnership between a state educational agency and one or more local educational agencies; or (2) a consortium of elementary schools or secondary schools collaborating with such an entity.
 
Requires the Director, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) enter into contracts with one or more private companies, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations to complete a study on Internet safety; and (2) provide technical assistance to recipients of such grants.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Howard M. Metzenbaum Menu Education and Labeling Act

Bill: 111-s-1048
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Consumer affairs
Food industry and services
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Nutrition and diet

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Howard M. Metzenbaum Menu Education and Labeling Act or the Howard M. Metzenbaum MEAL Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require chain restaurants with 20 or more locations doing business under the same trade name to disclose: (1) in a statement adjacent to a standard menu item, the number of calories, grams of saturated plus trans fat, grams of carbohydrate, and milligrams of sodium in each such item; (2) other information designed to enable the public to understand the significance of the nutrition information provided in the context of a total daily diet; (3) that such nutrition information is available in writing at the point of ordering; and (4) the number of calories in food on a drive-through menu board, adjacent to each menu item. Exempts condiments, items placed on a table or counter for general use, daily specials, and temporary menu items.
 
Requires restaurants that sell self-serve food and beverages, such as through a salad bar, buffet line, or cafeteria lines, to place a sign that lists the number of calories per serving adjacent to each food item or beverage offered. 
 
Requires vending machine operators who operate 20 or more vending machines to provide a conspicuous sign disclosing the number of calories contained in each article of food dispensed from such machines.
 
Permits restaurants and vending machine operators to voluntarily provide, and states to require, additional nutritional information. 
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5522-5523)
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive certain provisions of the pre-September 11, 2001, fire grant program, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-s-1049
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Fires
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive or modify certain restrictions on the term and use of grants to fire departments for hiring, rehiring, or retaining firefighters under the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 for recipients of grants awarded during FY2009 or FY2010.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Informed Consumer Choices in Health Care Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1050
Sponsor: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Consumer affairs
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Labor
Department of the Treasury
Executive agency funding and structure
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Insurance industry and regulation
Marketing and advertising
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Informed Consumer Choices in Health Care Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) develop standards for health insurance issuers in providing information to group health plans, for forms used in connection with group health insurance coverage, for quality assurance, for marketing of group health insurance coverage, and for the accuracy and clarity of coverage for out-of-network providers; (2) undertake activities to promote accountability of health insurance issuers in meeting federal health insurance requirements; (3) provide grants to Departments of Insurance in states to assist in enforcement of federal health insurance requirements governing health insurance issuers operating in such states; (4) undertake activities to promote transparency in costs, market practices, and other factors for health insurance coverage; and (5) establish within HHS an Office of Health Insurance Oversight to promote accountability and transparency in health insurance and provide for assistance to consumers in selecting health care coverage.
 
Directs the Secretaries of Labor and the Treasury to establish standards and accountability and transparency initiatives for group health plans comparable to the standards established by the HHS Secretary under this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5524-5527)
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5523-5524, S5528)
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Centennial District Authorization Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1051
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Historic sites and heritage areas
Pennsylvania
Urban and suburban affairs and development

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Centennial District Authorization Act of 2009 - Establishes in the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Centennial Historic District (District). 
 
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, state or local government agencies, nonprofit entities, and any leaseholders to administer the District. Directs the Secretary to: (1) prepare a plan for the development of historic, architectural, natural, cultural, recreational, and interpretive resources within the District; and (2) provide financial assistance for capital improvement projects in the District. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Rural Education Achievement Program Reauthorization Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1052
Sponsor: Sen. Conrad, Kent [D-ND]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Intergovernmental relations
Rural conditions and development
State and local finance

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Rural Education Achievement Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Amends part B (Rural Education Initiative) of title VI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to revise the Small, Rural School Achievement program, which gives rural local educational agencies (LEAs) federal formula grants and greater flexibility in the use of state educational funds.
 
Limits eligibility to LEAs whose schools are all designated with a school locale code of Fringe Rural, Distant Rural, or Remote Rural, unless located in an area the state defines as rural.
 
Raises federal grant limits when funds available to implement the program equal or exceed $100 million.
 
Alters LEA eligibility for federal funds under the Rural and Low-Income School program by requiring that: (1) at least 40% of the children ages 5 through 17 that LEAs serve be eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; and (2) all of their schools be designated with a school locale code of Distant Town, Remote Town, Fringe Rural, Distant Rural, or Remote Rural.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in Senate
SAFE Commission Act

Bill: 111-s-1056
Sponsor: Sen. Voinovich, George V. [R-OH]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Advisory bodies
Budget deficits and national debt
Budget process
Economic performance and conditions
Financial services and investments
Government information and archives
Legislative rules and procedure
Medicare
Poverty and welfare assistance
Public participation and lobbying
Securities
Social security and elderly assistance
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
U.S. and foreign investments

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Securing America's Future Economy Commission Act or SAFE Commission Act - Establishes the Securing America's Future Economy (SAFE) Commission to develop legislation designed to address: (1) the unsustainable imbalance between long-term federal spending commitments and projected revenues; (2) increases in net national savings to provide for domestic investment and economic growth; (3) the implications of foreign ownership of federally issued debt instruments; and (4) revision of the budget process to place greater emphasis on long-term fiscal issues.
 
Requires the Commission to: (1) hold at least one town-hall style public hearing within each federal reserve district; and (2) develop one or two methods for estimating the cost of legislation as a supplement to the estimates and assumptions provided by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
 
Requires the Commission to submit a legislative proposal to Congress and the President that relies on such estimates and assumptions.
 
Sets forth procedures for consideration of such legislation.
 
Requires CBO to prepare a long-term cost estimate and have it published in the Congressional Record as expeditiously as possible whenever requested to do so by the Commission, the President, or the chairman or ranking minority member of the Committee on the Budget of either chamber.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Physical Therapist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1057
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Education programs funding
Health personnel
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medical education
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Physical Therapist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include physical therapy within the definition of &quot;primary health services&quot; for purposes of provisions concerning the National Health Service Corps. Makes physical therapists eligible for repayment of their educational loans in order to ensure an adequate supply of physical therapists.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1058
Sponsor: Sen. Udall, Mark [D-CO]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Food industry and services
Sales and excise taxes
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce from $18 to $9 (the pre-1991 level) the per-barrel tax on beer; and (2) allow a further reduction in such tax for brewers who produce not more than 2 million barrels annually.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in Senate
Idaho Efficient Vehicle Demonstration Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1059
Sponsor: Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Idaho
Motor carriers
Motor vehicles
Roads and highways
Transportation programs funding

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
Idaho Efficient Vehicle Demonstration Act of 2009 - Prohibits any reduction of the apportionment of federal-aid highway funds to Idaho if: (1) it permits a commercial combination vehicle weighing up to 129,000 pounds to operate on specified routes of the Interstate System within the state; (2) such vehicle does not exceed state weight limits for operation on state highways; and (3) the vehicle is limited to travel only on certain portions of Interstate Routes 15, 84, and 86.
 
(Under current law, the federal-aid highway funds of a state shall be reduced if it permits a commercial combination vehicle with a weight in excess of federal weight limits to operate on Interstate System highways within the state.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in Senate
Obesity Prevention, Treatment, and Research Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1060
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Child health
Congressional oversight
Consumer affairs
Elementary and secondary education
Food assistance and relief
Food industry and services
Fruit and vegetables
Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Medicare
Mental health
Minority health
Nutrition and diet
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
Obesity Prevention, Treatment, and Research Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a United States Council on Overweight-Obesity Prevention with duties to include developing strategies to comprehensively prevent, treat, and reduce overweight and obesity.
 
 Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to establish a grant demonstration and pilot program to address overweight and obesity issues, including through promoting increased physical activity and healthier lifestyles.
 
Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to award grants to promote health behaviors for women and children in target populations.
 
Provides for the collection and analysis of data on fitness levels, health, and nutrition. 
 
Includes community education programs designed to address and prevent overweight, obesity, and eating disorders as activities states may carry out under preventive health services and health services block grants.
 
Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture to update and reform federal oversight of food and beverage labeling.
 
Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to provide additional funding to make free fresh fruits and vegetables available in elementary schools.
 
Amends the Medicare, Medicaid, State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP), and Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant titles of the Social Security Act to cover certain services related to overweight and obesity, including diet and exercise counseling, medical nutrition therapy services, and weight and body mass index (BMI) measurement and monitoring.
 
Directs the HHS Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to issue guidelines concerning the development of pediatric obesity prevention programs for at-risk populations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5557-5561)
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5556-5557)
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in Senate
Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund Reauthorization Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1061
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Energy
Government trust funds
Kentucky
Nuclear power
Ohio
Public contracts and procurement
Radioactive wastes and releases

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to reauthorize, and increase the maximum mandatory amounts in, the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommisioning Fund.
 
Requires the Secretary of Energy to develop, complete, and publish in the Federal Register a plan to re-enrich and sell certain cylinders of uranium tailings.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in Senate
Beef Checkoff Modernization Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1062
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural marketing and promotion
Agricultural trade
Livestock
Meat

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
Beef Checkoff Modernization Act of 2009 - Amends the Beef Research and Information Act to require a beef promotion and research order to provide that: (1) at least 30% of U.S. producer assessments be made available to promote and market products derived from cattle born and raised in the United States; and (2) an amount collected from importers shall be reserved to promote products derived from cattle not born and raised in the United States.
 
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture, beginning in 2010 and at least every seven years thereafter, upon receipt of a petition of a group comprising 10% or more of cattle producers, to conduct a referendum to: (1) determine whether cattle producers favor the termination or suspension of the order; and (2) vote on any other amendments to the order.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in Senate
USEC Privatization Amendments Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1063
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Employee benefits and pensions
Income tax exclusion
Judicial review and appeals
Kentucky
Nuclear power
Ohio

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
USEC Privatization Amendments Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program for paying certain affected participants a one-time lump sum payment.
 
Defines affected participants as persons who retired from active employment at one of the gaseous diffusion plants of the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC), or are employed by USEC's operating contractor, on or before its privatization date as vested participants in a pension plan maintained either by USEC's operating contractor or by a contractor employed prior to July 1, 1993, by the Department of Energy to operate a gaseous diffusion plant.
 
Prescribes a formula for the determination of such payments, based on the total recoverable amount of accrued pension benefits.
 
Authorizes any affected participant who receives such a payment to make one or more rollover contributions up to the payment amount to a regular (non-Roth) individual retirement account (IRA), which shall be excluded from gross income for tax purposes under the Internal Revenue Code. Includes in gross income any such rollover into a Roth IRA.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in Senate
Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1065
Sponsor: Sen. Brownback, Sam [R-KS]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Arms control and nonproliferation
Civil actions and liability
Educational facilities and institutions
Employee benefits and pensions
Financial services and investments
Higher education
Iran
Middle East
Nuclear power
Nuclear weapons
Oil and gas
State and local finance
U.S. and foreign investments

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009 - States that it is the policy of the United States to support the decision of state and local governments and educational institutions to divest from, and to prohibit the investment of assets they control in, persons that have investments of $20 million or more in Iran's energy sector.
 
Authorizes a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, or prohibit the investment of assets they control in, such persons, including financial institutions which extend them credit to so invest.
 
Amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to shield any registered investment company from civil, criminal, or administrative action based upon its divesting from, or avoiding investing in, securities issued by such persons.
 
Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to shield from treatment as breaching a fiduciary duty any person divesting employee benefit plan assets from, or avoiding investing plan assets in, such persons.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in Senate