hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
To amend title 23, United States Code, to make the funding available for carrying out section 140 of title 23 mandatory instead of discretionary.

Bill: 111-hr-2444
Sponsor: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Employment discrimination and employee rights
Roads and highways
Transportation programs funding

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Changes from discretionary to mandatory the funding of nondiscrimination requirements for federal-aid highway projects under the surface transportation and bridge programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1173-1174)
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income discharges of personal indebtedness outside of bankruptcy.

Bill: 111-hr-2445
Sponsor: Rep. Paul, Ron [R-TX-14]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Consumer credit
Income tax exclusion

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income qualified personal indebtedness. Defines &quot;qualified personal indebtedness&quot; as any indebtedness of an individual other than trade or business debts, student loans, mortgages, or debts discharged in bankruptcy.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1161)
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in House
Rural Education Achievement Program Reauthorization Act

Bill: 111-hr-2446
Sponsor: Rep. Pomeroy, Earl [D-ND-At Large]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the House
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 - 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 LEAs' 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: 2009-06-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in House
Small Business Efficiency Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-2447
Sponsor: Rep. Pomeroy, Earl [D-ND-At Large]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Contracts and agency
Employment taxes
Licensing and registrations
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
User charges and fees
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Small Business Efficiency Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat professional employer organizations (PEOs), certified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as employers for employment tax purposes (thus allowing such PEOs to pay wages and collect and remit payroll taxes on behalf of an employer). 
 
Sets forth IRS certification requirements for PEOs, including financial review and reporting requirements. Requires a PEO to post a bond, up to $1 million, to guarantee payment of employment taxes. Limits the required bond amount to $50,000 for a newly created PEO during its three-year startup period.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in House
Wireless Prepaid Access Device Enforcement Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-2449
Sponsor: Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [D-NY-9]
Introduced: 2009-05-14 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: 
Wireless Prepaid Access Device Enforcement Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly: (1) purchases and/or handles one or more wireless prepaid access devices to modify, remove, avoid, or overwrite installed software that causes such devices to operate as a wireless prepaid access device on a wireless network; or (2) engages in the unauthorized resale or redistribution outside of the United States of any wireless prepaid access devices that are sold to be used on a wireless network within the United States.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-06-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Introduced in House
Private Prison Information Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-2450
Sponsor: Rep. Jackson-Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18]
Introduced: 2009-05-15 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Detention of persons
Freedom of information
Intergovernmental relations
Public contracts and procurement
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: 
Private Prison Information Act of 2009 - Requires each nongovernmental entity or state or local governmental entity that has an agreement with any federal agency to incarcerate or detain federal prisoners in a non-federal prison or correctional facility to comply with all Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements, including the duty to release information about the operation of a non-federal prison or correctional facility and the applicability of exceptions and exemptions under such Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-06-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Introduced in House
Student Bill of Rights

Bill: 111-hr-2451
Sponsor: Rep. Fattah, Chaka [D-PA-2]
Introduced: 2009-05-15 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Preschool education
School administration
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: 
Student Bill of Rights - Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each state's public school system provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship; (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards; and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy.
 
Requires each system to do so by: (1) satisfying certain opportunity to learn indicators for all its schools, including highly effective teachers and equitable instructional resources; (2) providing educational services in local educational agencies (LEAs) that receive funds for disadvantaged students that are, taken as a whole, at least comparable to educational services provided in LEAs not receiving such funds; and (3) complying with any final federal or state court order in any matter concerning the adequacy or equitableness of the system. 
Requires withholding of specified portions of its federal funding for administrative expenses if a system: (1) fails to meet a yearly interim goal; (2) does not remedy, after two school years, a failure to provide comparable educational services to schools that receive funds for disadvantaged children; or (3) does not comply with a court order. 
Allows students or parents aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in federal district courts. 
Directs the Commissioner of Education Statistics to study the effects of educational disparities on economic growth and on national defense.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-06-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Introduced in House
Net Operating Loss (NOL) Carryback Act

Bill: 111-hr-2452
Sponsor: Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-2]
Introduced: 2009-05-15 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Income tax deductions
Insurance industry and regulation
Life, casualty, property insurance

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: 
Net Operating Loss (NOL) Carryback Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a five-year carryback of net operating losses, including the operating losses of life insurance companies, incurred in 2008 and 2009.
 
Denies such extended loss carryover period to: (1) taxpayers in whom the federal government acquires an equity interest under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008; (2) the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac); and (3) members of certain affiliated groups.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1180)
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Introduced in House
To provide for a national biological data center, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-hr-2453
Sponsor: Rep. Duncan, John J., Jr. [R-TN-2]
Introduced: 2009-05-15 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Animal and plant health
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Government information and archives
Public contracts and procurement
Public-private cooperation
Small business
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: 
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Geological Survey, to: (1) establish a National Biological Data Center to collect nonhuman biological data and make such data available to federal, state, and local governments and members of the public; and (2) contract with a small business to manage the Center. Sets forth duties of the Center, including the collection of nonhuman biological data from federal, public, private, and nonprofit entities and the development of partnerships with public and private entities, academic and scientific institutions to allow the Center to develop a digital network for the storage and retrieval of nonhuman biological data. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-15
text: Introduced in House
VETS Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-2456
Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Susan A. [D-CA-53]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education programs funding
Government lending and loan guarantees
Higher education
Military personnel and dependents
Student aid and college costs
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
Veterans Education Tuition Support Act of 2009 or the VETS Act of 2009 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to refund to students the tuition and fees paid for education they will not receive due to their withdrawal from school to serve in the Armed Forces.
 
Waives the application of any requirement that students return title IV funds upon withdrawing from school to students whose withdrawal is necessitated by service in the Armed Forces.
 
Provides loan forgiveness under the Federal Family Education Loan, Direct Loan, and Perkins Loan programs to students whose withdrawal from school is necessitated by service in the Armed Forces.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-10-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1184)
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in House
Right to a Second Medical Opinion Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-2457
Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Susan A. [D-CA-53]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Employee benefits and pensions
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health information and medical records
Medical tests and diagnostic methods

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
Right to a Second Medical Opinion Act of 2009 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require a group health plan to provide coverage for a second opinion requested by a participant or beneficiary or a health care practitioner if certain conditions are met, including that the medical condition threatens loss of life, quality of life, loss of limb, loss of bodily function, loss of cognitive function, or substantial impairment of the mind or body.
 
Directs that the financial responsibility of the participant or beneficiary for a second opinion shall be the same as that for comparable services furnished by a participating physician in connection with an initial opinion. 
 
Sets forth provisions governing a health plan: (1) limiting coverage of a second opinion to a participating physician; (2) requiring preapproval for a second opinion; and (3) denying coverage or denying preapproval for a second opinion.
 
Allows a plan to condition payment for a second opinion on the physician providing a consultation report to the health care practitioner making the initial opinion.
 
Requires plans to provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) a timeline for providing reimbursement of claims for second opinions and for responding to requests for preapproval of second opinions.
 
Applies the provisions of this Act to individual health insurance coverage.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-10-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-05-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to House Education and Labor
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and 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: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1182)
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in House
Schoolchildren's Health Protection Act

Bill: 111-hr-2458
Sponsor: Rep. Lamborn, Doug [R-CO-5]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Child health
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Family planning and birth control

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
Schoolchildren's Health Protection Act - Amends the General Education Provisions Act to prohibit the provision of federal education funding to state or local educational agencies that provide postcoital emergency contraception or prescriptions for such contraception on the premises of elementary or secondary schools.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-10-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in House
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Improvement Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-2459
Sponsor: Rep. Burton, Dan [R-IN-5]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Government information and archives
Government liability
Government trust funds
Immunology and vaccination
Judicial procedure and administration
Legal fees and court costs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise provisions of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
 
Specifies how loss of earning is to be calculated for vaccine-related injuries to individuals under the age of 18.

Increases the award for vaccine-related deaths.

Allows compensation under the Program for expenses for family counseling and for establishing and maintaining a guardianship, conservatorship, or trust for an individual with a vaccine-related injury.

Allows a special master to make an interim award of attorneys' fees and costs under certain circumstances. Allows such award to be payable directly to the petitioner's attorney.
 
Extends the statute of limitation for vaccine-related injury or death to six years after the date of injury or onset of symptoms.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the amount of expenses for administering the Program that are allowed to be paid from the Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund. Allows the payment from the Trust Fund of administrative and personnel expenses that the Bureau of Public Debt incurs for financial services for the Trust Fund.
 
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to include a public service announcement in efforts to inform the public about the Program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in House
Healthy Families Act

Bill: 111-hr-2460
Sponsor: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]
Introduced: 2009-05-18 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Domestic violence and child abuse
Employee leave
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Government liability
Government studies and investigations
Sex offenses
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: 
Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.
 
Declares that an employer shall not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer chooses to set a higher limit.
 
Allows employees to use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members; or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
 
Prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee's exercise of such rights.
 
Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority for employees covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Grants the same authority, for employees under their jurisdiction, to the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, the Board of Directors of the congressional Office of Compliance, and the Merit Systems Protection Board.
 
Authorizes civil actions by employees, individuals, or their representatives for damages or equitable relief against employers who violate this Act.
 
Waives a state's sovereign immunity with respect to a suit brought by an employee of a federally-assisted state program or activity for relief authorized under this Act.
 
Requires the Commissioner of Labor Statistics annually to compile information annually on paid sick time, and the Comptroller General to study related matters.
 
Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-06-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to House Administration
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Administration, 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: 2009-05-18
text: Referred to House Education and Labor
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-18
text: Introduced in House