hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-474
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Business records
Congressional oversight
Economic performance and conditions
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Government information and archives
Judicial review and appeals
Small Business Administration
Small business
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Unemployment

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act of 2011 - Amends the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) to revise the regulatory process (rulemaking) with respect to small entities (i.e., small businesses, small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions). 
 
Defines &quot;economic impact&quot; with respect to a proposed or final rule to mean: (1) any direct economic effect of a rule on small entities, and (2) any indirect economic effect on such entities, including potential job creation or job loss.
 
Expands judicial review of agency rulemaking to permit small entities to seek judicial review of initial regulatory flexibility analyses and to obtain an injunction of a proposed rule that is noncompliant with RFA requirements.
 
Requires each agency to establish a plan for the periodic review (every eight years) of: (1) its rules that have a significant adverse economic impact on small entities, and (2) any small entity compliance guide required to be published by an agency. Sets forth criteria for review of a rule, including the continued need for the rule, the complexity of the rule, and the impact of the rule on small entities. Terminates any rule if the issuing agency has failed to complete a required periodic review. 
 
Expands to all agencies the procedures for gathering comments on rules that will have a significant economic impact on small entities.
 
Extends RFA requirements to informal agency guidance documents.
 
Amends the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 to require each agency to review on a periodic basis its policies or programs for imposing regulatory penalties on small entities.
 
Imposes certain additional requirements on agencies prior to the issuance of a final rule, including requirements for: (1) publication of an initial regulatory flexibility analysis, (2) a determination of the average cost of a rule for affected small entities and the number of small entities affected or reasonably presumed to be affected, and (3) consultation with the Chief Counsel for Advocacy for the Small Business Administration (SBA). Requires the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the SBA to be an attorney with business experience and expertise in or knowledge of the regulatory process.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1225-1228)
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1224-1225)
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Broadcast Savings Act

Bill: 112-s-476
Sponsor: Sen. Pryor, Mark L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Caribbean area
Cuba
International exchange and broadcasting
Latin America

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Broadcast Savings Act - Repeals: (1) the Radio Broadcasting to Cuba Act, and (2) the Television Broadcasting to Cuba Act. (Thus eliminating Voice of America: Radio/Television Marti broadcasts to Cuba.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Government Excess Prevention Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-477
Sponsor: Sen. Pryor, Mark L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Appropriations
General Services Administration
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Performance measurement
Public contracts and procurement
Transportation costs
Travel and tourism

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Government Excess Prevention Act of 2011 - Directs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to coordinate with federal agencies to: (1) determine which government publications could be published on government websites and devise a strategy to reduce government printing costs over the 10-year period beginning with FY2012, (2) issue on OMB's public website the results of a cost-benefit analysis for monitoring government printing, and (3) establish guidelines on employee printing and for disclosing the cost of printing government publications. 
 
Imposes limitations on government travel and subsistence expenses, except for expenses incurred for threatened law enforcement personnel and for other expenses related to national security or public safety. 
 
Rescinds in FY2011 20% of the funding for the acquisition of new vehicles for the federal fleet by the General Services Administration (GSA). Imposes limitations on such funding in FY2012 and subsequent fiscal years.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Federal Contractors Accountability Act

Bill: 112-s-478
Sponsor: Sen. Pryor, Mark L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Medicare
Public contracts and procurement
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Federal Contractors Accountability Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the 100% continuous tax levy for delinquent taxes to include payments to Medicare providers and suppliers and payments due to vendors of real property sold or leased to the federal government.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Federal Real Property Disposal Enhancement Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-479
Sponsor: Sen. Pryor, Mark L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Executive agency funding and structure
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Land transfers

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Federal Real Property Disposal Enhancement Act of 2011- Requires the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to: (1) issue guidance for federal agency real property plans, including recommendations on how to identify and dispose of excess properties, evaluate disposal costs and benefits, and prioritize disposal decisions based on agency missions and anticipated future need for holdings; (2) report to specified congressional committees annually for five years after 2011 on agency efforts to reduce their real property assets; and (3) assist agencies in the identification and disposal of excess real property. Sets forth agency duties with respect to its properties, including maintaining adequate inventory controls and reporting excess property to the Administrator.
 
Includes among the amounts the Administrator is authorized to obligate from proceeds from the disposition of excess real property: (1) amounts to pay the costs related to identifying and preparing properties to be reported excess by another agency; and (2) amounts to pay the costs associated with the reversion, custody, and disposal of reverted real property. Revises requirements for federal agency retention of proceeds from the transfer or sale of excess real property.
 
Provides that requirements under the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act for the use of public buildings and real property to assist the homeless shall not apply in FY2012 and FY2013 to certain non-excess federal buildings or real property selected for demolition.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Haitian Emergency Life Protection Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-480
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Caribbean area
Evidence and witnesses
Family relationships
Haiti
Immigration status and procedures
Latin America
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Haitian Emergency Life Protection Act of 2011 or the H.E.L.P. Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to V- visa nonimmigrants (spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents who come to the United States to wait for completion of the immigrant visa process) to include certain Haitian nationals whose petition for a family-sponsored immigrant visa was approved on or before January 12, 2010.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of State to use secondary evidence to verify eligibility for such status or for immediate relative status.
 
Sunsets the provisions of this Act two years after its enactment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act

Bill: 112-s-481
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Advisory bodies
Department of Health and Human Services
Digestive and metabolic diseases
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Executive agency funding and structure
Government studies and investigations
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Higher education
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Nutrition and diet
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate eating disorder research. Authorizes the Director to award grants for consortia in eating disorder research.
 
Establishes the Interagency Eating Disorders Coordinating Council within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
 
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) improve the collection, analysis and reporting of state epidemiological data on eating disorders; (2) study the economic costs of eating disorders; and (3) award grants for programs to prevent eating disorders and obesity and to promote health body image and appropriate eating behaviors.
 
Directs the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics to study jointly the impact eating disorders have on educational advancement and achievement.
 
Requires the Director of CDC to study mandatory reporting of body mass index.
 
Requires the Secretary to provide for public service announcements on eating disorders.
 
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award grants for training and education programs to provide health professions students or residents with an understanding of, and clinical skills pertinent to identifying and treating, eating disorders.
 
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to permit funds made available to local education agencies for innovative assistance programs to be used for eating disorder programs.
 
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to expand coverage for eating disorders.
 
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to award grants for patient advocacy to help individuals with eating disorders obtain adequate health care services and insurance coverage.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1228-1232)
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1228)
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-482
Sponsor: Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Air quality
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Energy efficiency and conservation
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental regulatory procedures
Government information and archives
Motor vehicles

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 - Amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from promulgating any regulation concerning, taking action relating to, or taking into consideration the emission of a greenhouse gas (GHG) to address climate change. Excludes GHGs from the definition of &quot;air pollutant&quot; for purposes of addressing climate change.
 
Exempts from such prohibition: (1) implementation and enforcement of the rule, &quot;Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards&quot; and finalization, implementation, enforcement, and revision of the proposed rule, &quot;Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles&quot;; (2) implementation of the renewable fuel program; (3) statutorily authorized federal research, development, and demonstration programs addressing climate change; (4) implementation and enforcement of stratospheric ozone protection to the extent that such implementation or enforcement only involves class I or II substances; and (5) implementation and enforcement of requirements for monitoring and reporting of carbon dioxide emissions. Provides that none of such exemptions shall cause a GHG to be subject to regulations relating to prevention of significant deterioration of air quality or considered an air pollutant for purposes of air pollution prevention and control permits.
 
Repeals and makes ineffective specified rules and actions concerning permit requirements or emission standards for GHGs to address climate change.
 
Prohibits the Administrator from waiving, and invalidates waivers given by the Administrator before the enactment of this Act, the ban on states from adopting or enforcing standards relating to the control of emissions from new motor vehicles or engines with respect to GHG emissions for model year 2017 or any subsequent model year.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-03-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1517-1518)
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Medicare Mental Health Access Act

Bill: 112-s-483
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health personnel
Medicare
Mental health

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Medicare Mental Health Access Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to treat as a physician, for Medicare purposes, a clinical psychologist acting within the scope of a psychologist's license (or other state law authorization), but only with respect to the furnishing of clinical psychologists services which the psychologist is legally authorized to perform by the state. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to pay to Fort Lewis College in the State of Colorado an amount equal to the tuition charges for Indian students who are not residents of the State of Colorado.

Bill: 112-s-484
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Colorado
Education programs funding
Federal-Indian relations
Higher education
Indian social and development programs
Intergovernmental relations
Minority education
State and local finance
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Requires the Secretary of Education, beginning in FY2011, to pay to Fort Lewis College in Colorado an amount equal to the charges for tuition for enrolled Indian students who are not Colorado residents.
 
Limits the amount paid to Fort Lewis College per fiscal year to an amount equal to the charges for tuition for Indian students who were non-Colorado residents and were enrolled for the academic year 2010-2011. 
 
Treats amounts received under this Act as a reimbursement from Colorado to Fort Lewis College for complying with federal law requiring the admission of Indian students at the College free of charge of tuition. 
 
Prohibits anything in this Act from being construed as relieving Colorado from reimbursing Fort Lewis College for each academic year: (1) with respect to enrolled Indian students who are not Colorado residents, any amount of the charges for their tuition which exceeds the amount received under this Act; and (2) with respect to enrolled Indian students who are Colorado residents, an amount equal to the charges for their tuition.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act

Bill: 112-s-485
Sponsor: Sen. Levin, Carl [D-MI]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Great Lakes
Historic sites and heritage areas
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Michigan
Parks, recreation areas, trails

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act - Expands the boundaries of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve in Lake Huron to encompass the offshore waters of Presque Isle and Alcona Counties, Michigan, and outward to the international border between the United States and Canada.

action_date: 2012-01-26
text: 
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act - (Sec. 4) Expands the boundaries of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve (the Sanctuary) in Lake Huron to encompass the offshore waters of Presque Isle and Alcona Counties, Michigan, and outward to the international border between the United States and Canada, for the purpose of providing the underwater cultural resources of those areas equal protection to that currently afforded to the Sanctuary.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make minor adjustments to the boundary to facilitate enforcement and clarify the boundary to the public if the resulting boundary is consistent with the purposes of this Act.
 
Requires the resulting area to be managed as part of the National Marine Sanctuary System. 
 
(Sec. 5) Sets forth applicable regulations. Directs the Secretary, to the extent practicable, to apply the management plan in effect on the date of enactment of this Act to the added geographic area. 
 
(Sec. 6) Prohibits anything in this Act from being construed as increasing, or requiring an increase of, the amount of funds appropriated or authorized for the Sanctuary.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-01-26
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 299.
action_date: 2012-01-26
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 112-134.
action_date: 2012-01-26
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 112-134.
action_date: 2011-05-05
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Protecting Servicemembers from Mortgage Abuses Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-486
Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced: 2011-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Housing finance and home ownership
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: 
Protecting Servicemembers from Mortgage Abuses Act of 2011 - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend from 9 months to 24 months after military service the period of protection for a servicemember against mortgage sale or foreclosure, as well as the stay of proceedings, in the case of an obligation on real property of a servicemember that originated before the period of military service.
 
Repeals the sunset date for such periods of relief under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. 
 
Increases criminal and civil penalties for mortgage abuses, including felonies for unlawful eviction or distress or for unlawful sale, foreclosure, or seizure. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-116.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2011-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate