hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to ensure that protection of the marine and coastal environment is of primary importance in making areas of the outer Continental Shelf available for leasing, exploration, and development rather than expeditious development of oil and gas resources, to prohibit oil and gas leasing, exploration, and development in important ecological areas of the outer Continental Shelf, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-hr-5657
Sponsor: Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
Introduced: 2010-06-30 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Accidents
Ecology
Endangered and threatened species
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine pollution
Oil and gas
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2010-06-30
text: 
Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to revise the policy concerning resource development on the outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to: (1) include emphasis of the importance of protection, maintenance, and restoration of the marine and coastal environments; and (2) state that leasing, exploration, or development will be authorized in limited areas only when sound science shows that such activities can proceed with minimal risk to the health of such environments.
 
Authorizes the leasing, exploration, and development of oil and gas resources of the OCS only if the Secretary of the Interior: (1) has a thorough understanding of the marine coastal environments affected by the activity and an environmental baseline, the risks of exploration or development, and the potential consequences of emergencies; and (2) determines, on the basis of sound science, that risks are minimal, rigorous safety measures are in place and will be enforced, and there is a demonstrated ability to mount an effective response to accidents in real-world conditions.
 
Prohibits inclusion in an oil and gas leasing program under the Act any area of the OCS that, by itself or in a network, has distinguishing ecological characteristics, is important for maintaining habitat heterogeneity or the viability of a species, or contributes disproportionately to the health of an ecosystem.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2010-06-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2010-06-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-06-30
text: Introduced in House
Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2010

Bill: 111-hr-5658
Sponsor: Rep. Shadegg, John B. [R-AZ-3]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Criminal justice information and records
Department of Homeland Security
Family relationships
Foreign labor
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Health personnel
Higher education
Immigration status and procedures
Science and engineering education
Temporary and part-time employment
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2010 or the SKIL Act of 2010 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from the annual H-1B (specialty occupation) visa cap an alien who has: (1) earned a master's or higher degree from an accredited U.S. university; or (2) been awarded a medical specialty certification based on post-doctoral training and experience in the United States.
 
Increases the annual H-1B cap, with a 20% increase for the following year if the previous year's quota is reached. 
 
Exempts from worldwide immigration caps an alien who: (1) has earned a master's or higher degree from an accredited U.S. university; (2) has been awarded medical specialty certification based on postdoctoral training and experience in the United States; (3) will work in shortage occupations; (4) has earned a master's degree or higher in science, technology, engineering, or math and has been working in a related field in the United States during the three-year period preceding his or her immigrant visa application; (5) has extraordinary ability or received a national interest waiver; or (6) is the spouse or minor child of an employment-based immigrant.
 
Increases the annual immigrant visa cap.
 
Revises student visa provisions.
 
Authorizes an L-1 (intracompany transfer) visa extension beyond the fifth or seventh year if the individual has a immigrant application pending.
 
Permits an alien with an approved labor certification to apply for permanent resident status adjustment if there is no visa immediately available by paying a $500 supplemental fee.
 
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a pre-certification procedure for employers who file multiple employment petitions.
 
Revises certain labor certification provisions.
 
Prohibits immigration application approval until background and security checks have been completed and any fraud allegations have been resolved.
 
Authorizes temporary workers (E, H, I, L O, or P visas) who have not violated their status to renew their same category visa from within the United States.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the payment of recovery rebates on the basis of tax returns for 2007 notwithstanding the limitation on timing of payments where necessary to correct a manifest injustice.

Bill: 111-hr-5659
Sponsor: Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Income tax credits
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the Secretary of the Treasury to pay advance refunds or credits of 2008 recovery rebates after December 31, 2008, if necessary to correct a manifest injustice.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
Main Street Fairness Act

Bill: 111-hr-5660
Sponsor: Rep. Delahunt, Bill [D-MA-10]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Federal-Indian relations
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Judicial review and appeals
Sales and excise taxes
State and local taxation
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
Main Street Fairness Act - Grants the consent of Congress to the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (Agreement), the multistate agreement on sales and use tax collection and administration adopted on November 12, 2002.
 
Authorizes each state that is a party to the Agreement (member state), after 10 states (comprising at least 20% of the total population of all states imposing a sales tax) have petitioned for and have become member states, to require all remote sellers not qualifying for the small seller exception to collect and remit sales and use taxes on remote sales owed to each such member state under the terms of the Agreement. Terminates such authority if the requirements of this Act cease to be satisfied or an amendment adopted to the Agreement is outside the scope of administration of sales and use taxes by the member states or is inconsistent with the provisions of this Act.
 
Permits a federally recognized Indian tribe that imposes a generally applicable sales tax to petition to become a member state. 
 
Allows any person affected by the Agreement to petition the Governing Board established by the Agreement for a determination of any issue arising under the Agreement. Provides for judicial review of Governing Board determinations by the United States Court of Federal Claims and grants such Court exclusive jurisdiction over actions for judicial review.
 
Sets forth minimum requirements for simplifying the administration of multistate sales and use taxation under the Agreement. 
 
Provides for judicial review of any civil action challenging the constitutionality of this Act by a panel of three judges of a U.S. District Court. 
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that each member state under the Agreement should work with other member states to prevent double taxation where a foreign country has imposed a transaction tax on a digital good or service. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
Oil Pollution Taxpayer and Environment Protection Act

Bill: 111-hr-5661
Sponsor: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Accidents
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of the Interior
Energy revenues and royalties
Gulf of Mexico
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine pollution
Oil and gas

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
 Oil Pollution Taxpayer and Environment Protection Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to declare that any royalty under an oil and gas lease on submerged lands of the outer Continental Shelf shall apply to all oil that is removed under the lease and discharged into waters of the United States or ocean waters.
 
Increases the minimum royalty under such leases from 12.5% to 20%.
 
 Requires the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) ensure that royalty and other payments required for each lease provide a fair return to the United States; (2) publish in the Federal Register for each lease an explanation of how the payments were derived; (3) consider average rates for those payments that are required by other countries; and (4) require the use of an electronic flow monitoring system on each well drilled under a lease under the Act that provides an accurate accounting of oil and gas removed under the lease.
 
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal royalty relief (suspension of royalties) for: (1) natural gas production from deep wells in the Gulf of Mexico; and (2) deep water oil and gas production in the Western and Central Planning Area of the Gulf (including the portion of the Eastern Planning Area encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West longitude).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
High-Risk Pool Fairness Act

Bill: 111-hr-5664
Sponsor: Rep. Ellsworth, Brad [D-IN-8]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Comprehensive health care
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
High-Risk Pool Fairness Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to allow otherwise qualified individuals to enroll in a state's high risk health insurance pool if such an individual's maximum length of COBRA coverage (health insurance continuation benefits) has expired in the six months before applying for coverage in such pool or will expire within 30 days of applying for coverage in such pool. (Currently, only individuals without creditable coverage for six months are eligible for such pools.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
To prohibit the withdrawal of certain public lands and National Forest System lands in Arizona from location and entry under the Mining Law of 1872, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-hr-5665
Sponsor: Rep. Franks, Trent [R-AZ-2]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Arizona
Forests, forestry, trees
Mining

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
Prohibits the withdrawal of public lands or National Forest System lands from location and entry under the Mining Law of 1872 pursuant to a notice published in the Federal Register on July 21, 2009. 
 
Prohibits segregation of such lands from location and entry under such Law as specified in the notice and bars such notice from having any other force or effect. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2010-07-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
Emergency Relief Well Act

Bill: 111-hr-5666
Sponsor: Rep. Grayson, Alan [D-FL-8]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Accidents
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of the Interior
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine pollution
Oil and gas

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
Emergency Relief Well Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, with respect to geological and geophysical explorations as well as oil and gas development and production, to require an exploration plan submitted for approval to include a plan for drilling at least one emergency relief well concurrently with the drilling of the proposed well.
 
Requires any exploratory drilling in submerged lands of the outer Continental Shelf conducted under a lease (including drilling for oil and gas development and production) to be accompanied by the concurrent drilling of at least one emergency relief well, subject to any applicable requirements established by the Secretary of the Interior.
 
 Authorizes the Secretary to require, as an alternative to such emergency relief well requirement, measures that would be at least as effective at stopping a major release from a proposed well.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
Firearms Microstamping Evaluation and Study Act of 2010

Bill: 111-hr-5667
Sponsor: Rep. Boren, Dan [D-OK-2]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal justice information and records
Firearms and explosives
Government studies and investigations
Technology assessment

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
Firearms Microstamping Evaluation and Study Act of 2010 - Directs the Attorney General to enter into an arrangement with the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study of the cost, feasibility, and benefits of firearms microstamping technology. Requires the Council to consult with federal, state, and local officials, law enforcement officials, entities affected by the actual and proposed uses of microstamping technology, and ballistics experts in carrying out such study. 
 
Defines &quot;microstamping technology&quot; to mean the process or technology of etching, engraving or otherwise imprinting on the interior surface or internal working parts of a firearm a microscopic array of alpha numeric characters, bar, gear, or other code or symbol that identifies the make, model, and serial number of the firearm.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require the use of sums received as fines, penalties, and forfeitures of property for violations of that Act or other marine resource laws to be used to reduce the Federal deficit and debt.

Bill: 111-hr-5668
Sponsor: Rep. Jones, Walter B., Jr. [R-NC-3]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Budget deficits and national debt
Environmental regulatory procedures
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require the deposit of sums received as fines, penalties, and forfeitures of property for violations of the Act or of any other marine resource laws enforced by the Secretary of Commerce into the Treasury to be applied to reduce the annual federal budget deficit or, if there is no such deficit, to reduce outstanding federal debt.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make grants for the improvement of storm water retention basins in the watersheds of estuaries in the National Estuary Program.

Bill: 111-hr-5670
Sponsor: Rep. Adler, John H. [D-NJ-3]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine pollution
Water quality
Water storage
Watersheds

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) conduct an evaluation of each storm water retention basin located in the watershed of an estuary for which a comprehensive conservation and management plan is in effect under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to identify basins whose pollution control capabilities are in need of improvement; and (2) make grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities (a state or political subdivision that has jurisdiction over a basin identified) for the improvement of pollution control capabilities of such basins.
 
Directs the Administrator to give priority to grant proposals by eligible entities: (1) whose pollution control capabilities are the most deficient and the improvement of which will result in the greatest increase in water quality in the estuary involved; and (2) for basins for which an evaluation of pollution control capabilities has been conducted prior to the date of this Act's enactment as part of the implementation of a comprehensive conservation and management plan.
 
Requires an eligible entity receiving a grant to use grant funds to carry out storm water retention basin improvements and monitoring and reporting requirements.
 
Prohibits the Administrator from making a grant to an eligible entity unless it agrees to make available non-federal contributions equal to not less than 20% of the federal funds provided under the grant.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act

Bill: 111-hr-5671
Sponsor: Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-39]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to implement a demonstration project providing competitive, four-year grants to at least 10 secondary schools that have a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate of 60% or lower, for the provision of additional school counselors and counselor resources.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that grantees should provide one additional counselor for every 250 students at risk.
 
Requires the additional school counselors to serve primarily students identified as being at risk of not graduating in four years.
 
Makes grantees that demonstrate progress in improving their graduation rates eligible for subsequent grants.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-10-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
To protect the use of traditional hunting and fishing equipment on Federal lands and to prevent unnecessary and unwarranted restrictions on the implements and equipment used by hunting and fishing communities.

Bill: 111-hr-5672
Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10]
Introduced: 2010-07-01 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Appropriations
Firearms and explosives
Outdoor recreation
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: 
Prohibits the use of federal funds appropriated or made available to the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture to prohibit, limit, or control, based on material composition, the type of firearm ammunition or fishing tackle used on federal lands managed by such Departments, except: (1) if the best scientific evidence available demonstrates that the material composition of the ammunition or fishing tackle is having or is likely to have a substantially detrimental effect on the health of a local fish or wildlife population; or (2) to the extent that a specific regulation is in effect on the date of enactment of this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-11-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.
action_date: 2010-07-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.
action_date: 2010-07-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to House Agriculture
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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: 2010-07-01
text: Referred to House Natural Resources
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-01
text: Introduced in House