hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide that agencies may not deduct labor organization dues from the pay of Federal employees, and for other purposes.

Bill: 112-s-1143
Sponsor: Sen. DeMint, Jim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2011-06-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Labor-management relations

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: 
Prohibits federal agencies, including executive, legislative, and judicial agencies, the United States Postal Service (USPO), the Postal Regulatory Commission, and the government of the District of Columbia, from deducting labor organization fees from the salaries of their employees. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Soda Ash Competition Act

Bill: 112-s-1144
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2011-06-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Mining
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: 
Soda Ash Competition Act - Amends the Soda Ash Royalty Reduction Act of 2006 to extend from October 12, 2011, through October 12, 2016, the reduced (2%) royalty rate for soda ash. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-08-03
text: Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-226.
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3499-3500)
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Alaska Hero's Card Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1146
Sponsor: Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK]
Introduced: 2011-06-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Alaska
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Hospital care
Indian social and development programs
Medicaid
Medicare
Military medicine
Minority health
Rural conditions and development
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: 
Alaska Hero's Card Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a two-year pilot program assessing the feasibility and advisability of carrying out a program by which certain veterans entitled to VA services residing in communities in the state of Alaska that are inaccessible by motor vehicle can, subject to exceptions, receive necessary hospital care or medical services at any hospital or medical facility or from any medical provider eligible to receive payments under: (1) titles XVIII (Medicare) or XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, (2) the TRICARE program (a Department of Defense [DOD] managed health care program), or (3) the Indian health program.
 
Requires the cost of any hospital care or medical service provided under the pilot program to be borne by the United States from amounts other than amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for an Indian health program. Directs the Secretary to take measures ensuring that covered veterans are not billed for hospital care and medical services received under the pilot program.
 
Requires the Secretary, in carrying out the pilot program, to issue to each covered veteran a card to be known as an &quot;Alaska Hero Card&quot; that such veteran may present to an authorized provider to establish the covered veteran's eligibility for hospital care and medical services under the pilot program.
 
 
Authorizes the Secretary to establish a list of authorized providers from whom a covered veteran may receive hospital care and medical services under the pilot program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-116.
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1147
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2011-06-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Alternative treatments
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health promotion and preventive care
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Musculoskeletal and skin diseases
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: 
Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act of 2011 - Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 to require a program under which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs provides chiropractic care and services to veterans through Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and clinics to be carried out at: (1) no fewer than 75 medical centers by December 31, 2012; and (2) all medical centers by December 31, 2014.
 
Includes chiropractic examinations and services within required VA medical, rehabilitative, and preventive health care services.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-116.
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area Act

Bill: 112-s-1150
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2011-06-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Historic sites and heritage areas
Historical and cultural resources
Outdoor recreation
Pennsylvania

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-07
text: 
Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania. Requires the Susquehanna Heritage Corporation, as the local coordinating entity for the Area, to prepare and submit a management plan for such Area.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-03-07
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-401.
action_date: 2011-06-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-06-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1153
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2011-06-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Government information and archives
Intergovernmental relations
Land use and conservation
State and local finance
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-07
text: 
Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop a multipurpose cadastre (an inventory) of federal land to assist with federal land management, resource conservation, environmental protection, and use of such land. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cost-sharing agreements with states to include any non-federal land in a state in such cadastre. Limits the federal share of any such agreement to 50% of the total cost to a state for including in the cadastre the non-federal land in the state. 
 
Requires the Secretary to submit a report describing: (1) any existing land inventories or components of a cadastre, (2) the consolidation of any inventories or components, (3) the use of existing inventories or components of a cadastre, (4) the cost-savings that would be achieved, and (5) recommendations for legislation. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-06-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Honoring Promises to Service-Disabled Veterans Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1154
Sponsor: Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT]
Introduced: 2011-06-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Disability and paralysis
Government information and archives
Public contracts and procurement
Small business
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-07
text: 
Honoring Promises to Service-Disabled Veterans Act of 2011 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the head of each executive department to submit a quarterly report to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) containing the percentage of the total value of all prime contracts awarded by the executive department during the preceding three-month period to small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, including, along with other specified percentages, for contracts awarded to certain contractors required to submit a subcontracting plan, the negotiated percentage goal for utilization of such subcontractors and the total value of subcontracts entered into by the contractor awarded to service-disabled veteran small business concerns.
 
Requires the Administrator to: (1) annually rank the executive departments and contractors concerned based on specified contracting and subcontracting percentages; (2) publish and update at least quarterly, on a publicly accessible website, subject to exceptions for information detrimental to national security, such information reported by the executive departments and the Administrator's annual rankings; and (3) submit to Congress an annual report on the progress of each executive department toward meeting the government-wide goal for service-disabled veterans (a government-wide goal that at least 3% of the total value of all prime contracts and subcontracts be awarded to small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans each fiscal year) established in the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3552)
action_date: 2011-06-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Starting Early Starting Right Act

Bill: 112-s-1155
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2011-06-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Child care and development
Licensing and registrations
State and local finance
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: 
Starting Early Starting Right Act - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to authorize appropriations to carry out the Child Care and Development Block Grant program for FY2012-FY2016.
 
Requires the state plan under the Act to certify that the state has in effect: (1) licensing requirements applicable to child care providers within the state that include one annual announced and one annual unannounced visit to each site at which the provider provides child care services, and (2) licensing or registration requirements pertaining to training.
 
Requires the state plan to: (1) demonstrate the manner in which the state will meet the specific child care needs of low-income and working families and how it is implementing practices and procedures to help ensure that children receive continuous care from the same provider, (2) provide information demonstrating that the state is ensuring that payment rates for the provision of child care services for which assistance is provided are equal to or exceed the 75th percentile of the current market rate for all types of child care, and (3) describe efforts to address the need for child care for special populations.
 
Increases from 4% to 15% the maximum amount of child care and development block grant funds that a state may use for specified activities designed to improve the quality of child care. Provides for minimum funding set-asides for: (1) extension of full-day care, and (2) high-quality care for infants and toddlers.
 

 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Prepare All Kids Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1156
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2011-06-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Child care and development
Education programs funding
Government trust funds
Preschool education
School administration
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: 
Prepare All Kids Act of 2011 - Creates a part I (High Quality Prekindergarten Programs) under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Implements such part by requiring the Secretary of Education to establish a Prekindergarten Incentive Fund from which matching grants shall be awarded to states and, through them, subgrants to qualified prekindergarten providers to establish, expand, or enhance voluntary high quality full-day prekindergarten programs serving children ages three through five.
 
Directs state grantees to set aside: (1) at least 15% of their grant for quality early childhood development programs for children ages zero through three, and (2) at least 10% of their grant to extend the hours of early childhood programs to create extended day and year programs.
 
Requires prekindergarten subgrantees to: (1) maintain a maximum class size of 20 children, with at least 1 prekindergarten teacher per classroom; and (2) ensure that the ratio of children to prekindergarten teachers and teacher aides does not exceed 10 to 1.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Foodborne Illness Reduction Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1157
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2011-06-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural trade
Business records
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Government information and archives
Intergovernmental relations
Meat
Retail and wholesale trades
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: 
Foodborne Illness Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), In the case of any Class I recall, to distribute to each retail grocery or other establishment that sells food directly to customers in the United States a summary notice containing product information about each food or food product subject to such recall.
 
Defines &quot;Class I recall' as a food recall classification that covers a health-hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of the food or food product being recalled will cause a serious, adverse health consequence or death.
 
Amends the Poultry Products Inspection Act to consider a poultry product adulterated if it is contaminated with Salmonella or Campylobacter.
 
Amends the the Federal Meat Inspection Act to consider any carcass, part thereof, meat, or meat food product adulterated if it is contaminated with Salmonella, Toxoplasma gondii, or enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) Shiga toxin-producing serotypes of Escherichia coli (E. coli)
 
Requires that specified slaughterhouses, processing establishments, and grinding facilities perform specified tests for the presence of E. coli in ground beef.
 
Subjects imported trim, bench trim, and ground beef to the same testing requirements as domestic trim, bench trim, and ground beef. Requires domestic facilities to conduct secondary testing of such meat before processing into a final ground beef product.
 
Requires the Secretary, through the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), to redesign FSIS E. coli sampling and verification programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Introduced in Senate
English Learning and Innovation Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1158
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2011-06-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Family relationships
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Performance measurement
School administration
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: 
English Learning and Innovation Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award renewable, competitive Innovation grants to states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and public charter schools or charter school management organizations to carry out activities that result in English learners becoming proficient in English so that they can access the knowledge needed to meet state college and career readiness standards.
 
Includes among those activities: (1) improving instructional programs, including through the use of dual-language or bilingual education; (2) ensuring that English learners are taught by effective teachers at schools administered by effective principals; (3) increasing the ability of the families of English learners to engage in their child's education and development; and (4) expanding best practices to other schools or LEAs.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive Capacity Building grants to states and LEAs that have experienced a significant increase in English learners for use in building their capacity to provide quality instruction to English learners and become competitive in applying for an Innovation grant.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish indicators to measure the success of this Act's grant programs.
 
Requires this Act's grantees to: (1) develop, and submit for the Secretary's approval, quantifiable benchmarks for evaluating their grant activities; and (2) provide the Secretary with an annual report on their progress toward those benchmarks.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Cyberspace Warriors Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1159
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2011-06-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Computers and information technology
Department of Defense
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government studies and investigations
Military procurement, research, weapons development

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: 
Cyberspace Warriors Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to contract with an independent entity to study the availability of personnel for Department of Defense (DOD) defensive and offensive cyberspace operations, identifying any gaps in meeting personnel needs, and recommending available mechanisms to fill such gaps, including permanent and temporary positions.
 
Requires the Secretary to submit a report to Congress on the results of the study including: (1) a statement of capabilities and number of cyberspace operations personnel required to meet DOD defensive and offensive cyberspace operation requirements; (2) an assessment of the sufficiency of the numbers and types of personnel available for cyberspace operations, including the balance of military personnel, DOD civilian employees, contractor positions, and non-DOD personnel with cyberspace operations expertise; (3) an exploration of recruitment and retention obstacles and mechanisms and a description of incentives encouraging individuals from outside the DOD to affiliate with the Armed Forces and civilian DOD employees; and (4) identification of legal, policy, or administrative impediments including recommendations for legislative or policy changes.
 
Defines &quot;cyberspace operations personnel&quot; as members of the Armed Forces and civilian DOD employees involved with the operations and maintenance of a computer network connected to the global information grid, as well as offensive, defensive, and exploitation functions of such a network.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Introduced in Senate
Rural America Preservation Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1161
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2011-06-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Agricultural marketing and promotion
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Corporate finance and management
Department of Agriculture
U.S. and foreign investments

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: 
Rural America Preservation Act of 2011 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to cap maximum annual direct and counter-cyclical payments to an individual (for covered commodities and peanuts) at $20,000 and $30,000, respectively. Revises limitation provisions for marketing loan gains, loan deficiency payments, and commodity certificate transactions, and establishes an annual combined limitation of $75,000 for such payments. Doubles payment limitations for single farming operations. Limits an individual or a legal entity to a combined annual payment of $250,000. 
 
Revises provisions respecting limitation of benefits to active farmers.
 
Makes foreign individuals and foreign entities ineligible for agricultural program benefits.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3687-3688)
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3686)
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Removing Hurdles for American Manufacturers Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1162
Sponsor: Sen. DeMint, Jim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2011-06-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Inflation and prices
Public participation and lobbying
Tariffs
U.S. International Trade Commission

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: 
 Removing Hurdles for American Manufacturers Act of 2011 - Directs the International Trade Commission (ITC) to propose to Congress temporary duty suspensions or duty reductions under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).
 
Prohibits the ITC from recommending any suspension or reduction in duty if: (1) an interested federal agency determines it is not in the U.S. interest and that determination is included in the agency public hearing record; (2) a domestic producer objects to the suspension or reduction, demonstrating that there is domestic production of the article concerned in commercially available quantities; (3) the loss in revenue to the United States from the duty suspension or reduction exceeds $500,000 annually (adjusted for inflation); or (4) the duty suspension or reduction is for more than three years.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Streamlining Partnerships to Enhance Economic Development Act

Bill: 112-s-1163
Sponsor: Sen. DeMint, Jim [R-SC]
Introduced: 2011-06-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Floods and storm protection
Navigation, waterways, harbors
State and local finance
Transportation programs funding

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: 
Streamlining Partnerships to Enhance Economic Development Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to receive and expend funds from: (1) private parties and local interests for planning and design and studies of authorized work or projects for river and harbor improvement, and (2) states and political subdivisions for authorized flood-control or environmental restoration studies or projects.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: Introduced in Senate