hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
To establish a Best-in-Class Appliances Deployment Program.

Bill: 111-hr-1786
Sponsor: Rep. Harman, Jane [D-CA-36]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Consumer affairs
Energy efficiency and conservation
Manufacturing
Product safety and quality
Public-private cooperation
Retail and wholesale trades
Solid waste and recycling

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
 Establishes the Best-in-Class Appliances Deployment Program to reward retailers for increasing the sales of high-efficiency installed building equipment, consumer electronics, and household appliance models, with the goal of reducing life-cycle costs for consumers, encouraging innovation, and maximizing energy savings. 
 
Requires that the program include: (1) bounties to retailers for replacing and recycling old, inefficient, and environmentally harmful appliances; and (2) bonuses to manufacturers for developing new Superefficient Best-in-Class Products. 
 
Directs the Secretary of Energy to ensure that not more than one bonus payment is provided to distributors and retailers per unit of eligible models sold. Allows the Secretary to make distributors eligible to receive the incentive for sales that are not to end-users in addition to retailers if the Secretary determines that, for a particular product category, distributors are well situated to increase sales of Best-in-Class Products.
 
Makes any product that is eligible for an energy efficient appliance tax credit ineligible for a payment to a manufacturer under this Act.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to require that retailers and distributors disclose publicly and to consumers their participation in the program under this Act.
 
Directs the Secretary to make cost-effectiveness a top priority in designing and administering this Act, but allows the cost-effectiveness of the rewards to manufacturers, in aggregate, to be lower than that of the rewards to retailers and distributors. Defines &quot;cost-effectiveness&quot; as a measure of aggregate energy cost savings over the life of the product as a ratio to the cost of the rewards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
Low Carbon Fuel Standard Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1787
Sponsor: Rep. Inslee, Jay [D-WA-1]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Air quality
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Government studies and investigations
Motor fuels

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
Low Carbon Fuel Standard Act of 2009 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue regulations that: (1) determine the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of all transportation fuels; (2) determine the fuel emission baseline (i.e., average lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy of all transportation fuels sold in the United States in 2005); (3) apply to refineries, blenders, and importers of transportation fuel; (4) ensure that, for 2014-2022, annual average lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions do not exceed the fuel emission baseline; and (5) ensure that, for 2023 and thereafter, transportation fuel providers make specified reductions in the annual average lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for transportation fuel sold in the United States.
 
Grants the Administrator authority to waive emission reduction requirements of this Act to prevent economic or environmental harm. Requires the Administrator to study the environmental and resource conservation impacts of the regulations required by this Act and their effect on energy security. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
Comprehensive Rail Infrastructure Investment Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1789
Sponsor: Rep. Brown, Corrine [D-FL-3]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Infrastructure development
Railroads

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
Comprehensive Rail Infrastructure Investment Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a tax credit through 2012 for 25% of the cost of new qualified freight rail infrastructure property and qualified locomotive property; (2) allow a taxpayer election through 2012 to expense the acquisition, construction, or erection costs of qualified freight rail infrastructure property; and (3) extend through 2012 the tax credit for qualified railroad track maintenance expenditures and modify requirements applicable to such expenditures.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
Forest Carbon Emission Reduction Act

Bill: 111-hr-1790
Sponsor: Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-17]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Air quality
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Foreign aid and international relief
Forests, forestry, trees
Government information and archives
International organizations and cooperation

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
Forest Carbon Emission Reduction Act - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) allocate annually a portion of emission allowances to help developing countries achieve emissions reductions or increase sequestration of carbon dioxide from international forest carbon activities; (2) set-aside a portion of such allowances for ensuring market readiness in developing countries; (3) establish eligibility criteria for incentive allowances to implement national strategies to reduce emissions from deforestation, implement low-cost emission reduction in the forest sector, and guard against deforestation; and (4) promulgate regulations (including regulations relating to quality and eligibility requirements) for the use of offset allowances for international forest carbon activities.
 
Authorizes the Administrator to provide emission allowances for carbon storage projects in other qualifying natural land. 
 
Authorizes qualifying subnational level activities.
 
Directs the Administrator to prepare a list of countries that have: (1) demonstrated the capacity to participate in international forest carbon activities at a national level; (2) capped greenhouse gas emissions or otherwise established a credible national baseline; (3) achieved national-level reductions of deforestation; and (4) implemented an emission reduction program for the forest sector.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to House Foreign Affairs
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
STAPLE Act

Bill: 111-hr-1791
Sponsor: Rep. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ-6]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Foreign labor
Higher education
Immigration status and procedures
Science and engineering education
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
Stopping Trained in America Ph.D.s From Leaving the Economy Act of 2009 or the STAPLE Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from: (1) direct numerical limitations aliens who have earned a Ph.D. degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics from a U.S. institution of higher education and who have an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to such degree; and (2) H-1B visa (specialty occupation) numerical limitations aliens who have earned a Ph.D. degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics from a U.S. institution of higher education and with respect to whom the petitioning employer requires such education as an employment condition. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-04-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1792
Sponsor: Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-3]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Labor
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employee benefits and pensions
Fires
Health personnel
Income tax deferral
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
Volunteer Emergency Services Recruitment and Retention Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow sponsors of certain deferred compensation plans to elect to include length of service award plans for bona fide volunteers providing firefighting and fire prevention services, emergency medical services, ambulance services, and emergency rescue services.
 
Directs the Secretary of Labor to issue regulations exempting a length of service award program from treatment as an employee pension benefit plan under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to House Education and Labor
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
Money Laundering Correction Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1793
Sponsor: Rep. Lungren, Daniel E. [R-CA-3]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Currency
Evidence and witnesses
Organized crime

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
Money Laundering Correction Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code relating to money laundering to: (1) allow a conviction for money laundering based on merely concealing or disguising monetary instruments; and (2) expand the concept of monetary proceeds to include gross receipts. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-04-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
New Options Petroleum Energy Conservation Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1794
Sponsor: Rep. Lungren, Daniel E. [R-CA-3]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Air quality
Alternative and renewable resources
Business investment and capital
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Electric power generation and transmission
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Manufacturing
Motor vehicles
Public-private cooperation
Residential rehabilitation and home repair

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
New Options Petroleum Energy Conservation Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for investment in a climate neutral combustion facility. Defines &quot;climate neutral combustion facility&quot; as any facility which: (1) burns matter to produce electricity; (2) captures and uses carbon dioxide released during combustion to recover hydrocarbon fuel; and (3) produces no emissions of mercury or greenhouse gasses and no emissions that form fine particulate, smog, or acid rain. 
 
Makes permanent the tax credits for investment in solar energy property and for residential energy efficient property expenditures.
 
Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to award $1 billion to the first U.S. automobile manufacturer who manufactures and sells in the United States 60,000 midsized sedans which operate on gasoline and can travel at 100 miles per gallon. 
 
Authorizes appropriations for the development of advanced lithium ion battery technology. 
 
Allows a taxpayer election to expense biofuel refining property.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-04-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to House Science and Technology
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Science and Technology, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
To provide for the establishment of an Offsets Integrity Advisory Board, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-hr-1795
Sponsor: Rep. Matheson, Jim [D-UT-2]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Air quality
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish an independent Offsets Integrity Advisory Board to make recommendations for promulgating regulations on offsets of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for ensuring the overall environmental integrity of the offset program (a program that recognizes the act of reducing or avoiding GHG emissions in one place in order to offset emissions occurring somewhere else).
 
Requires the Board to provide recommendations to the Administrator periodically regarding offset project types that should be considered eligible under the program.
 
Requires the Board, by January 1, 2017, and at five-year intervals thereafter, to submit to the Administer and make available to the public an analysis of relevant scientific and technical information related to the offsets program.
 
Requires the Board to: (1) review offset methodologies, scientific studies, offset project monitoring, offset project verification reports, and audits and evaluate the net emissions effects of implemented offset projects; and (2) recommend changes to offset methodologies, protocols, or project types or to the overall offset program to ensure that offset credits do not compromise the integrity of the emissions cap and to avoid or minimize any adverse effects to human health or the environment.
 
Requires the Administrator, at least every five years, to review and revise: (1) the methodologies established; (2) the reversal policies and mechanisms established; (3) measures to improve the accountability of the offsets program; and (4) any other requirements established to ensure the environmental integrity and effective operation of the offsets program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
Compete Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1797
Sponsor: Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-6]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Business records
Corporate finance and management
Financial services and investments
Securities
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
Compete Act of 2009 - Amends the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to revise requirements for the internal control assessment component of a securities issuer's annual report.
 
Requires the attestation and report by a registered public accounting firm on an issuer's management assessment of its internal control structure and procedures to focus upon the process and system used by management to identify and manage risks, identify and implement key controls, and come to a conclusion on the effectiveness of the internal controls over financial reporting. 
 
Prohibits an auditor's attestation and report from including a separate (pass/fail) opinion on the effectiveness of such internal controls.
 
Requires such attestation and report to be performed at three-year intervals.
 
Prescribes standards for such attestations and reports, including a risk-based evaluation.
 
Permits attestations and reports to rely on examinations and inspections by federal and state regulatory agencies.
 
Instructs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to develop a standard of materiality for such assessments and reports based upon whether the internal control has a material effect on the company's financial statements and is significant to the issuer's overall financial status.
 
Exempts a smaller public company from the requirements for management assessment of internal controls, unless it voluntarily elects to comply with them.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
Working American Competitiveness Act

Bill: 111-hr-1798
Sponsor: Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-6]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Income tax exclusion
Taxation of foreign income
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
Working American Competitiveness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayers to elect to exclude from gross income, without limitation, earned income (i.e., income for services performed) from sources within a foreign country.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1799
Sponsor: Rep. Michaud, Michael H. [D-ME-2]
Introduced: 2009-03-30 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Government trust funds
Infrastructure development
Motor carriers
Motor vehicles
Roads and highways
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: 
Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2009 - Allows a state to authorize the operation of a vehicle with a maximum gross weight (including enforcement tolerances) in excess of certain federal weight limitations on Interstate Highway System (IHS) routes in the state if: (1) the vehicle is equipped with at least six axles; (2) the weight of any single axle does not exceed 20,000 pounds; (3) the weight of any tandem axle does not exceed 34,000 pounds; (4) the weight of any group of three or more axles does not exceed 51,000 pounds; and (5) the gross weight of the vehicle does not exceed 97,000 pounds.
 
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a safe and efficient vehicle bridge infrastructure improvement program. Requires the Secretary to apportion amounts from the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund to states for eligible bridge replacement or rehabilitation projects.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose an overweight vehicle tax on any vehicles that exceed federal weight limitations operating on the IHS; and (2) establish the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on 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: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Introduced in House