hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Roosevelt Scholars Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2789
Sponsor: Sen. Voinovich, George V. [R-OH]
Introduced: 2009-11-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education programs funding
Executive agency funding and structure
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Government trust funds
Higher education
Income tax exclusion
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-17
text: 
Roosevelt Scholars Act of 2009 - Establishes the Theodore Roosevelt Scholarship Foundation as an independent establishment in the executive branch.
 
Directs the Foundation to award scholarships in an annual nationwide competition to individuals (to be known as &quot;Roosevelt Scholars&quot;) who are: (1) enrolled in or seeking admission to accredited full-time undergraduate or graduate studies that prepare them for occupations critical to the missions of federal agencies; and (2) nominated by persons that have direct knowledge of their academic or work experience.
 
Sets the maximum scholarship amount at $60,000 for each of up to five academic years, covering tuition, room and board, books, materials, and fees.
 
Requires Roosevelt Scholars to: (1) agree to serve in the federal government for a period of years equal to the number of academic years during which they received their scholarship; (2) complete a federal internship related to their studies while earning their degree; (3) participate in certain extracurricular activities designed to assist their pursuit of federal careers and development of leadership qualities; and (4) serve as sources of information regarding federal scholarship and employment opportunities.
 
Establishes the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Scholarship Trust Fund consisting of appropriations and gifts for such scholarships.
 
Sets forth additional duties of the Foundation, including the creation of an online directory of all federal scholarship opportunities available to individuals pursuing federal employment and an online directory of current occupations critical to the missions of federal agencies.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude Roosevelt Scholarships from gross income. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-11-17
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11437-11438)
action_date: 2009-11-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Pandemic Protection for Workers, Families, and Businesses Act

Bill: 111-s-2790
Sponsor: Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]
Introduced: 2009-11-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Child health
Civil actions and liability
Congressional officers and employees
Employee leave
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Health promotion and preventive care
Infectious and parasitic diseases

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-17
text: 
Pandemic Protection for Workers, Families, and Businesses Act - Requires certain covered employers to provide annually to each of their covered: (1) full-time employees at least seven days of paid sick time, and specified employment benefits; and (2) part-time employees the same employment benefits and a number of days or hours of paid sick time, determined under a specified pro rata formula.
 
Allows the covered employee to use such sick time for an absence: (1) resulting from a medical condition involving symptoms of a contagious illness (including influenza-like illnesses such as the 2009 H1N1 virus), the need to obtain medical diagnosis or care, or to obtain preventive care for such illness; (2) due to determination by a health authority or a health care provider that the employee's presence on the job, after exposure to a contagious illness, would jeopardize the health of others; (3) to care for a child experiencing such symptoms; or (4) to care for a child due to determination by a health authority or a health care provider that the child's presence in the community, after exposure to a contagious illness, would jeopardize the health of others.
 
Permits use of sick leave if the covered employee's place of business is closed due to a contagious illness or his or her need to care for a child whose school or child care or early childhood program has been closed for such reason.
 
Specifies prohibited acts by an employer, and penalties for violations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-11-17
text: Introduced in Senate
Forest Harvest Opportunity Act

Bill: 111-s-2791
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2009-11-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Economic performance and conditions
Forests, forestry, trees
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: 
 Forest Harvest Opportunity Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, within 30 days of a timber purchaser requesting an economy-related contract extension of a qualifying contract for the sale of timber from land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) between the Secretary and the purchaser, to modify the contract to add three years to such contract's expiration date. 
 
Defines qualifying contract as a contract, executed on or before December 31, 2008, for the sale of timber from BLM lands: (1) for which there is unharvested volume remaining; (2) for which, within 90 days of enactment of this Act, a timber purchaser makes a written request to the Secretary for an economic related contract extension; and (3) that has not been terminated prior to the request for an extension. 
 
Requires the timber purchaser to waive any and all claims its has against the United States involving the qualifying contract that exist on the date such contract is modified. 
 
Prohibits anything in this Act from affecting any claim by the United States against any timber purchaser, including those claims that arose under a qualifying contract before the date on which its expiration date was extended.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-03-10
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 111-565.
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S11494-11495)
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11494)
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Introduced in Senate
E. Coli Eradication Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2792
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2009-11-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural trade
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Meat

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: 
E. Coli Eradication Act of 2009 - Amends the the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require that slaughterhouses, processing establishments, and grinding facilities perform specified tests for the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef.
 
Subjects imported trim, bench trim, and ground beef to the same testing requirements as domestic trim, bench trim, and ground beef.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Introduced in Senate
SURE Act

Bill: 111-s-2793
Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Introduced: 2009-11-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Emergency planning and evacuation
State and local finance
Terrorism
Urban and suburban affairs and development

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: 
Strengthening and Updating Resources and Equipment Act or the SURE Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act to permit grants awarded under the State Homeland Security Grant Program or the Urban Area Security Initiative to be used for maintenance agreements, user fees, or sustainment costs for purchased equipment related to preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism.
 
Prohibits the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from imposing: (1) a limit on the amount of any such award that may be used to pay for equipment purchase and maintenance costs; and (2) any additional limitation, including any fiscal year limitation, on the amount of any such award that may be used for a specific type, purpose, or category of equipment purchase or maintenance cost.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S11495)
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11495)
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for the donation of wild game meat.

Bill: 111-s-2794
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2009-11-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Food assistance and relief
Food industry and services
Income tax deductions
Income tax exclusion
Meat
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the tax deduction for charitable contributions of qualified wild game meat by the processing fees paid with respect to such contributions; and (2) exclude from the gross income of meat processors processing fees paid by a charitable organization for the processing of donated wild game meat. Defines &quot;qualified wild game meat&quot; as the meat of any animal typically used for human consumption if: (1) such animal is killed in the wild by the individual making the charitable contribution; and (2) the meat is apparently wholesome and processed in accordance with applicable laws.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Introduced in Senate
Stopping Criminal Trials for Guantanamo Terrorists Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2795
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2009-11-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Caribbean area
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Cuba
Detention of persons
Latin America
Law enforcement administration and funding
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: 
Stopping Criminal Trials for Guantanamo Terrorists Act of 2009 - Prohibits funding for prosecuting terrorists detained as of April 30, 2009, at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in a criminal court in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, or the District of Columbia.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to extend the authority of the Secretary of Education to purchase guaranteed student loans for an additional year, and for other purposes.

Bill: 111-s-2796
Sponsor: Sen. Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY]
Introduced: 2009-11-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Government lending and loan guarantees
Higher education
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: 
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend by one year, from July 2010 to July 2011, the Secretary of Education's authority to purchase or enter into forward commitments to purchase: (1) Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) from lenders, upon the determination that there is an inadequate availability of loan capital to meet the demand for such loans; and (2) rehabilitated loans that eligible lenders purchased under the FFEL default reduction program.
 
Extends by one year, from June 30, 2010 to June 30, 2011, the authority of institutions of higher education (IHEs), with the Secretary's approval, to participate in the FFEL lender-of-last-resort program for borrowers otherwise unable to obtain such loans (thereby requiring guaranty agencies serving as lenders-of-last-resort to make FFELs to student and parent borrowers of such IHEs, until such date, regardless of their ability to otherwise obtain such loans).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S11496)
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11495-11496)
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Introduced in Senate
Military Voter Compliant States Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2797
Sponsor: Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH]
Introduced: 2009-11-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Military personnel and dependents
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: 
Military Voter Compliant States Act of 2009 - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to exempt certain states from the requirement that a state transmit a validly requested absentee ballot to an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter not later than 45 days before a federal election if the voter's request is received at least 45 days before the election.
 
 
Requires a waiver of such requirement for any state where, in the regularly scheduled general election for federal office held in November 2008, less than 3% of all absentee ballots received by the state from absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters were not counted as a result of not being received in time to be so counted.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Introduced in Senate
Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2800
Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Introduced: 2009-11-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Child safety and welfare
Department of Education
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Executive agency funding and structure
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Preschool education
Right of privacy
Special education
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: 
Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act of 2009 - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act's program of grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for the education of homeless youths to: (1) raise the minimum allotment for each state; (2) elaborate on the functions of each state's Office of the Coordinator for Education of Homeless Children and Youths; (3) elaborate on required state procedures for resolving disputes regarding the educational placement of homeless youth; (4) ensure that homeless youth do not lose credits earned in other schools and are not segregated into separate schools or programs within schools; (5) require states, LEAs, and schools to promote success for homeless youth by holding them to the same achievement standards as other students and removing barriers to their full participation in all classes and school activities; (6) list student-centered factors to be considered before an LEA places a homeless youth in a school; (7) require such schools to immediately enroll homeless youth despite unpaid fees or missed application or enrollment deadlines; (8) protect the privacy of information about a homeless youth's living situation; (9) require LEAs to coordinate services provided to homeless and disabled youth; (10) add to the duties of, and funding available to, LEA liaisons for homeless youth; (11) provide for the enrollment of homeless children in preschool programs; (12) require the Secretary of Education to establish or designate a Federal Office of the Coordinator for Education of Homeless Children and Youths; (13) authorize the Secretary to award grants or enter into contracts for evaluation, dissemination, and technical assistance activities for educational programs for homeless youth; and (14) triple authorized FY2010 appropriations from those authorized for FY2009.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11595-11596)
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Introduced in Senate
Tom Lantos Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Education Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-2803
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2009-11-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Drug therapy
Government information and archives
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Medical education
Medical research

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: 
Tom Lantos Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Education Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, should continue aggressive work on pulmonary hypertension; and (2) the Director of the Institute should continue research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and to find a cure for, pulmonary hypertension.
 
Requires inclusion of information on the status of pulmonary hypertension research at NIH in biennial reports to Congress. 

Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to carry out an educational campaign to increase public awareness of pulmonary hypertension, which may include information on: (1) pulmonary hypertension and its symptoms; (2) the incidence and prevalence of pulmonary hypertension; (3) diseases and conditions that can lead to pulmonary hypertension as a secondary diagnosis; (4) the importance of early diagnosis; and (5) the availability of a range of treatment options.
 
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Director of CDC, to carry out an educational campaign to increase awareness of pulmonary hypertension among health care providers, which may include information on: (1) the symptoms of pulmonary hypertension; (2) the importance of early diagnosis; (3) current diagnostic criteria; and (4) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapies for the disease. Requires such campaign to target health care providers, including cardiologists, pulmonologists, rheumatologists, primary care physicians, pediatricians, and nurse practitioners.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Introduced in Senate
Employ America Act

Bill: 111-s-2804
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2009-11-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Labor
Foreign labor
Immigration status and procedures
Unemployment
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: 
Employ America Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) from approving an employer petition for any visa authorizing employment in the United States unless the employer has certified to the Secretary of Labor that the employer: (1) has not provided a notice of a mass layoff during the 12-month period immediately preceding the alien's scheduled hiring date; and (2) does not intend to provide a notice of a mass layoff.
 
States that if an employer provides a notice of a mass layoff after the approval of a visa any visas approved during the most recent 12-month period for such employer shall expire 60 days after the date on which such notice is provided and shall not be subject to judicial review. 
 
Exempts an employer from such requirements if the employer certifies to the Secretary of Labor that the total number of the employer's workers who are U.S. citizens working in the United States will not be reduced by a mass layoff. 
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to increase the amount made available to purchase commodities for the emergency food assistance program in fiscal year 2010.

Bill: 111-s-2805
Sponsor: Sen. Specter, Arlen [D-PA]
Introduced: 2009-11-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Food assistance and relief

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: 
Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2009 to increase the FY2010 amount for emergency food assistance program commodity purchases.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (text of measure as introduced: CR S11605)
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11604-11605)
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Introduced in Senate
Building Efforts for Wellness and Encouraging Longer Lives Act

Bill: 111-s-2806
Sponsor: Sen. Ensign, John [R-NV]
Introduced: 2009-11-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Disability and health-based discrimination
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Health care costs and insurance
Health promotion and preventive care

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: 
Building Efforts for Wellness and Encouraging Longer Lives Act or the BE WELL Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish standards for programs of health promotion and disease prevention (wellness programs), including a system of rewards and reimbursements for voluntarily adopting healthy behaviors, including participation in fitness and smoking cessation programs. Applies such standards to group plans under the Public Health Service Act and federal employee health benefit plans.
 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a 10-state demonstration project to apply wellness program standards to state health insurance plans.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2009-11-19
text: Introduced in Senate