hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
A bill to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-s-70
Sponsor: Sen. Inouye, Daniel K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Commemorative events and holidays
Conflicts and wars

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Restores the observance of Memorial Day from the last Monday in May to May 30th of each year. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S72)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S71-72)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Telephone Excise Tax Repeal Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-71
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Sales and excise taxes
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Telephone Excise Tax Repeal Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the excise tax on communication services (i.e., local telephone service, toll telephone service, and teletypewriter exchange service). 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-72
Sponsor: Sen. Inouye, Daniel K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
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: 2009-01-06
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: (1) make the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands of the state of Hawaii eligible for loan guarantees; and (2) extend through FY2013 the authorization of appropriations for the credit subsidy to cover the costs of federal guarantees for financing for tribal housing activities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S72)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S72)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Systematic Foreclosure Prevention and Mortgage Modification Act

Bill: 111-s-73
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Housing and community development funding
Housing finance and home ownership

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Systematic Foreclosure Prevention and Mortgage Modification Act - Directs the Chairperson of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to establish a systematic foreclosure prevention and mortgage modification program by: (1) paying mortgage servicers $1,000 to cover expenses for each loan modified according to specified standards; and (2) sharing up to 50% of any losses incurred if a modified loan should subsequently re-default.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S73-74)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S72-73)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Permanent Marriage Penalty Relief Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-74
Sponsor: Sen. Hutchison, Kay Bailey [R-TX]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Income tax deductions
Income tax rates
Marriage and family status

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Permanent Marriage Penalty Relief Act of 2009 - Makes permanent provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 that eliminate the marriage penalty in the standard deduction, the 15-percent tax bracket, and the earned income tax credit.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S74)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S74)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Generics First Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-75
Sponsor: Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Medicare
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Generics First Act of 2009 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to exclude from coverage under the Medicare part D prescription drug program all nongeneric (brand name) drugs unless no generic drug has been approved, and the brand name drug is determined to be medically necessary.
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S74)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S74)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Reauthorization Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-76
Sponsor: Sen. Inouye, Daniel K. [D-HI]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Alternative treatments
Congressional oversight
Education programs funding
Hawaii
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health programs administration and funding
Medical education
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Reauthorizes for for FY2009-FY2014 and revises the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act. Requires any Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grant to or contract with Papa Ola Lokahi (an organization of public agencies and private organizations focused on improving the health status of Native Hawaiians) to support community-based initiatives that reflect holistic approaches to health. 
 
Requires Papa Ola Lokahi to report to Congress on the impact of federal and state health care financing mechanisms and policies on the health and well-being of Native Hawaiians. 
Makes Papa Ola Lokahi eligible to receive research endowments under the Public Health Service Act. 
Adds to authorized services the support of culturally appropriate activities enhancing health and wellness, including land-, water-, ocean-, and spiritually-based projects and programs. 
Allows a priority for Native Hawaiian health scholarships to be provided to employees of the Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems and the Native Hawaiian Health Centers. Allows the provision of financial assistance to a scholarship recipient during the period of obligated service in any of such health care systems or health centers. 
Authorizes Papa Ola Lokahi to provide fellowships to Native Hawaiian health professionals. 
Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allocate funds to carry out Native Hawaiian demonstration projects of national significance, including the establishment of specified Native Hawaiian Centers of Excellence. Deems the Papa Ola Lokahi as a qualified Center of Excellence.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S75-83)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S74-75)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Children's Mental Health Parity Act

Bill: 111-s-77
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Child health
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Mental health
Poverty and welfare assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Children's Mental Health Parity Act - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to require a state child health plan to ensure that the financial requirements and treatment limitations applicable to mental health or substance abuse benefits are no more restrictive than (have parity with) those applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S83)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Invest in Small Business Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-78
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Capital gains tax
Income tax exclusion
Securities
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Invest in Small Business Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the exclusion from gross income of gain from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock from 50 to 100 % of such gain and to reduce the required holding period for such stock from five to four years; (2) deny a tax exclusion for small business stock held by a 25% controlled corporate group; (3) repeal as an item of tax preference under the alternative minimum tax the exclusion of gain from the sale of small business stock; (4) repeal the 28% income tax rate on the gain from the sale of small business stock which is not excluded from gross income; (5) revise the definition of &quot;qualified small business&quot; for certain tax purposes to mean a C corporation with aggregate gross assets not exceeding $100 million (currently, $50 million); and (6) provide for an annual inflation adjustment to the small business aggregate gross asset amount after 2009.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S83-84)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Healthy Businesses, Healthy Workers Reinsurance Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-79
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Department of Health and Human Services
Executive agency funding and structure
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Healthy Businesses, Healthy Workers Reinsurance Act of 2009 - Amends the Social Security Act to add a new title XXII (Federal Reinsurance Program for Catastrophic Health Care Costs).
 
Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services an Office of Federal Reinsurance, which shall in turn establish a Federal Reinsurance Program for Catastrophic Health Care Costs to make reinsurance payments to eligible health plans experiencing catastrophic health care costs during a year with respect to a covered individual.
 
Establishes in the Treasury the Federal Reinsurance for Catastrophic Health Care Costs Trust Fund.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S84)
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-80
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Consumer affairs
Department of Health and Human Services
Licensing and registrations
Prescription drugs
Trade restrictions
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations permitting pharmacists, pharmacies, and wholesalers to import qualifying drugs from certain countries into the United States.
 
Sets forth registration requirements for exporters.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) educate consumers with regard to the availability of qualifying drugs for import for personal use; (2) inspect the facilities and records of importers and registered exporters to ensure compliance with this Act; and (3) establish a registration fee program to collect an annual fee from registered exporters.
 
Deems a prescription drug to be misbranded unless the packaging of such drug complies with the requirements for counterfeit-resistant technologies.
 
Prohibits: (1) failing to register in accordance with this Act; and (2) importing or offering to import a prescription drug in violation of a suspension order.
 
Declares that selling or importing a patented drug in the United States that was first sold abroad by or under authority of the owner or licensee of the patent is not patent infringement.
 
Prohibits drug manufacturers from discriminating against a person that engages in the importation of a prescription drug, including by charging higher prices or denying supplies of the drug.
 
Allows the Secretary to suspend or terminate the registration of an exporter for failing to maintain substantial compliance with all registration conditions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Notch Fairness Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-81
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Social security and elderly assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Notch Fairness Act of 2009 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to revise the formula for the computation of minimum Old Age Insurance benefits for individuals who reached age 65 in or after 1979, and to whom applies the 15-year transition period for the changes in benefit computation rules enacted in the Social Security Amendments of 1977. 
 
Sets forth a schedule of additional benefit increases for such beneficiaries (and related beneficiaries), with percentages declining from 55% to 5% and keyed to the year an individual became eligible for such benefits between 1979 and 1988. 
 
Allows such beneficiaries, in the alternative, to receive lump sum payments over four years totaling $5,000.
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Enhancing Health Care Coverage for Children Act

Bill: 111-s-82
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Border security and unlawful immigration
Child health
Citizenship and naturalization
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health programs administration and funding
Immigrant health and welfare
Medicaid
Poverty and welfare assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Enhancing Health Care Coverage for Children Act - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, to revise, reauthorize, and extend the SCHIP program through FY2014.
 
Requires the state SCHIP plan to specify how it will achieve coverage for 85% of eligible targeted low-income children in the state.
 
Prohibits payment for child health assistance for a targeted low-income child in a family whose income exceeds 250% of the poverty line. Sets forth special rules for children with family income between 200% and 250% of the applicable poverty line.
 
Applies Medicaid citizenship documentation requirements to SCHIP.
 
Terminates SCHIP coverage for nonpregnant adults.
 
Requires that individuals who are eligible for SCHIP and employer-sponsored coverage use the employer-sponsored coverage instead of SCHIP.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the Coverdell education savings accounts to allow home school education expenses, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-s-83
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Elementary and secondary education
Income tax exclusion
Inflation and prices

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) payment of home school expenses from Coverdell education savings accounts; and (2) an annual inflation adjustment after 2009 to the contribution limit amount for such accounts.

Makes permanent provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 relating to Coverdell education savings accounts, including an increase in the contribution limit amount for such accounts.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to close the loophole that allowed the 9/11 hijackers to obtain credit cards from United States banks that financed their terrorist activities, to ensure that illegal immigrants cannot obtain credit cards to evade United States immigration laws, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-s-84
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Citizenship and naturalization
Consumer credit
Social security and elderly assistance
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Authorizes a financial institution, when verifying the identity of a non-U.S. citizen or national who is seeking to open a bank account, to accept only: (1) a Social Security number; (2) a passport number and the country of issuance; (3) an alien identification card number; or (4) any combination of such items.

Prohibits a financial institution, for such verification purposes, from accepting identification documents issued by a foreign government, other than an unexpired passport.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Title X Family Planning Act

Bill: 111-s-85
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Abortion
Congressional oversight
Family planning and birth control
Health facilities and institutions
Health programs administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Title X Family Planning Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit federal family planning funds from being awarded to any grantees who perform abortions or whose subgrantees perform abortions, except where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. (Current law prohibits such funds from being used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.) Excludes hospitals from such provisions as long as the hospital does not subgrant to a non-hospital entity that performs abortions.
 
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit to Congress a list of grantees who perform abortions, regardless of how such abortions are funded. Makes such a grantee ineligible for family planning funds for subsequent fiscal years unless the grantee certifies that neither the grantee nor any subgrantee performs abortions that are not explicitly permitted under this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Social Security Lock-Box Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-86
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Budget process
Government trust funds
Legislative rules and procedure
Social security and elderly assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Social Security Lock-Box Act of 2009 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to provide a point of order against consideration of any: (1) budget resolution that sets forth totals for any fiscal year with respect to the Social Security Trust Funds that are less than the totals of the Social Security Trust Funds for that fiscal year as calculated in accordance with a current services baseline; or (2) spending or tax legislation that would cause any totals to be less than the Funds totals for the covered fiscal year.
 
Makes the point of order described in (2) above inapplicable to Social Security reform legislation. 
 
Requires any federal budget submitted by the President that recommends totals for any fiscal year with respect to the Funds that are less than the totals of the Funds for that fiscal year to include a detailed proposal for Social Security reform legislation. Makes this Act inapplicable upon the enactment of such legislation. Defines &quot;Social Security reform legislation&quot; as a bill or joint resolution to save Social Security that specifies that it constitutes reform legislation. 
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the procedures regarding military recruiter access to secondary school student recruiting information.

Bill: 111-s-87
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2009-01-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Elementary and secondary education
Government information and archives
Higher education
Military personnel and dependents
Right of privacy
School administration

Summary:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: 
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise the process for blocking the access of military recruiters or institutions of higher education (IHEs) to secondary school student information. 
 
Requires ESEA-assisted local educational agencies (LEAs) to notify each secondary school student's parent of the option to submit a written request to the LEA that the student's name, address, and telephone listing not be released to military recruiters or IHEs without the parent's prior written consent. Prohibits LEAs from providing military recruiters or IHEs access to such information once they have received such consent request, unless the student's parent provides written consent to such access. Gives students the rights accorded to their parents when they reach age 18.
 
Requires the Secretary of Defense to notify the Governor of the LEA's state and the Secretary of Education when an LEA denies access to military recruiters. Requires the Secretary of Education, upon receiving such notice, to determine whether: (1) the LEA has failed to comply substantially with the requirement to provide military recruiters with access to students and student information unless the parents have filed a prior consent request under this Act; and (2) the imposition of a penalty or remedy against the LEA is warranted.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-01-06
text: Introduced in Senate