hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal certain communications taxes, and for other purposes.

Bill: 112-s-1934
Sponsor: Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV]
Introduced: 2011-12-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Intergovernmental relations
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Retail and wholesale trades
Sales and excise taxes
State and local taxation
Telephone and wireless communication
Transportation costs
Travel and tourism

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the excise tax on communication services (i.e., local telephone service, toll telephone service, and teletypewriter exchange service). 
 
Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the moratorium on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
 
Prohibits states, local governments, and private owners of airports from imposing any tax, fee, or other charge on amounts charged or retained for facilitating the booking of air transportation, hotel accommodations, car rental or other travel-related services.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Introduced in Senate
March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1935
Sponsor: Sen. Hagan, Kay R. [D-NC]
Introduced: 2011-12-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Child health
Currency
Health programs administration and funding
Hereditary and development disorders
Medical research
Sex and reproductive health
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: 
March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011- Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 500,000 $1 coins emblematic of the mission and programs of the March of Dimes.
 
Permits issuance of such coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2014.
 
 Requires all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of such coins to be promptly paid to the March of Dimes to help finance research, education, and services aimed at improving the health of women, infants, and children.
 
Subjects the March of Dimes to federal audit requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8151)
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the nonbusiness energy property credit to include the insulation component of insulated siding.

Bill: 112-s-1937
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2011-12-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Building construction
Energy efficiency and conservation
Environmental technology
Income tax credits
Residential rehabilitation and home repair

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonbusiness energy tax credit for the insulation portion of any building cladding system that has a minium thermal resistance of R-2 (including vinyl siding) and for integral insulation material.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1939
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2011-12-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Roads and highways
Telecommunication rates and fees
Telephone and wireless communication
Transportation programs funding

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: 
Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to require states to install broadband conduits (conduits for fiber optic cables that support broadband or wireless facilities for broadband service) in certain highway construction projects.
 
Requires the Secretary to ensure that any requesting broadband provider has access to such installed broadband conduit on a competitively neutral and nondiscriminatory basis, for a charge not to exceed a cost-based rate.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the securities laws to establish certain thresholds for shareholder registration, and for other purposes.

Bill: 112-s-1941
Sponsor: Sen. Hutchison, Kay Bailey [R-TX]
Introduced: 2011-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Government information and archives
Securities
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: 
Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 regarding registration of securities to modify the registration threshold for an issuer that is either a bank or a bank holding company as well as for an issuer that is neither a bank nor a bank holding company. 
Raises from $1 million to $10 million the threshold for total assets of an issuer that requires registration of a certain class of equity security. Divides the holding threshold that requires registration of such a class of equity security, however, into: (1) 2,000 holders of record if the issuer is a bank or a bank holding company, and (2) 500 holders of record if the issuer is neither. 
Requires termination of a security registration in the case of a bank or a bank holding company if the number of holders of record of the class of security is reduced to less than 1,200. 
Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to promulgate implementing regulations.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Senior Transportation and Mobility Improvement Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1942
Sponsor: Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI]
Introduced: 2011-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Aging
Disability and paralysis
Government information and archives
Public transit
Regional and metropolitan planning
Transportation programs funding

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: 
Senior Transportation and Mobility Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the program providing formula grants to states for the special public transportation needs of older individuals and the disabled to allow states to use a portion of those grants to operate and maintain the capital assets acquired under that program.
 
Sets the federal share of the costs of the mobility management activities such grants may cover at 90%. (Mobility management activities are designed to improve coordination among public and other transportation service providers.)
 
Requires the National Transit Database to include information on the public transportation formula grant program for older individuals and the disabled, and the public transportation formula grant program for nonurban areas.
 
Requires metropolitan planning organizations and states to involve older individuals and the disabled in metropolitan and statewide transportation planning. 
 
Directs the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Center on Senior Transportation to: (1) provide technical assistance to transit and human services organizations, (2) disseminate best practices regarding transportation for older individuals, and (3) make grants to nonprofit organizations to test innovative and replicable approaches for addressing the mobility needs of older individuals.
 
Requires the FTA to make grants to nonprofit aging services organizations to offer mobility management services, and develop and implement enhanced technology to support those services.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8184-8185)
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Novel Device Regulatory Relief Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1943
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Scott P. [R-MA]
Introduced: 2011-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Department of Health and Human Services
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Health technology, devices, supplies

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: 
Novel Device Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow a person to request the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to classify a device regardless of whether the person has received written notice of classification into class III (premarket approval) under the initial classification procedures applicable to devices introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce before May 28, 1976.
 
Allows a person that is required to submit a report preceding the introduction of device into interstate commerce, and determines that there is no legally marketed device upon which to base a determination of substantial equivalence, to request an initial classification of the device and to recommend to the Secretary a classification. Allows the Secretary to decline to undertake such a request when the Secretary identifies a legally marketed device that would permit a determination of substantial equivalence.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings.

Bill: 112-s-1945
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2011-12-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies
Due process and equal protection
Supreme Court
Television and film

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: 
Requires the Supreme Court to permit television coverage of all open sessions of the Court unless it decides by majority vote that allowing such coverage in a particular case would violate the due process rights of any of the parties involved.

action_date: 2012-02-13
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Requires the Supreme Court to permit television coverage of all open sessions of the Court unless it decides by majority vote that allowing such coverage in a particular case would violate the due process rights of any of the parties involved.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-02-13
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 319.
action_date: 2012-02-13
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2012-02-13
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2012-02-09
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2011-12-06
text: Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-584.
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8186)
action_date: 2011-12-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1947
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2011-12-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Crimes against animals and natural resources

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-06
text: 
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit any person from knowingly attending an animal fighting venture or causing a minor (a person under the age of 18) to attend such a venture. 
 
Subjects any person who: (1) knowingly attends such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to a year for each violation, and (2) causes a minor to attend such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to three years for each violation.

action_date: 2012-12-04
text: 
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit any person from knowingly attending an animal fighting venture or knowingly causing a minor (a person under the age of 18) to attend such a venture. 
 
Subjects any person who: (1) knowingly attends such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to a year for each violation, and (2) knowingly causes a minor to attend such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to three years for each violation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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: 2012-12-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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: 2012-12-07
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2012-12-06
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2012-12-04
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote. (text: CR S7393-7394)
action_date: 2012-12-04
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.(text: CR S7393-7394)
action_date: 2012-12-04
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S7393-7397)
action_date: 2012-12-04
text: Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry discharged by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2012-12-04
text: Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry discharged by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2011-12-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2011-12-06
text: Introduced in Senate
WIN Jobs and Applied Education Act

Bill: 112-s-1948
Sponsor: Sen. Pryor, Mark L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2011-12-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Employment and training programs
Government information and archives
Higher education
Income tax credits
Public-private cooperation
State and local government operations
Student aid and college costs
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-06
text: 
Workforce Innovation for New Jobs and Applied Education Act or WIN Jobs and Applied Education Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to establish the Innovation in Investment pilot program in order to make competitive grants to eligible consortia (i.e. businesses and institutions of higher education) in covered states to establish state Innovation in Investment pilot programs to provide training and educational assistance to unemployed individuals, or postsecondary students not seeking a baccalaureate degree, that lead to a degree or industry or professional certification or licensure and eventually to employment.
 
Defines &quot;covered state&quot; to mean a state: (1) in which the percentage of individuals with household incomes at or below the poverty line is greater than the percentage of individuals in the United States in such households, (2) in which the percentage of the adult population with a baccalaureate degree is not more than 25%, and (3) that meets such other measures determined by the Secretary.
 
Amends the National Apprenticeship Act to direct the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Office of Apprenticeship of the Department of Labor, to: (1) increase public awareness of the national apprenticeship program through the dissemination of certain apprenticeship information, and (2) establish a pilot program to expand such program.
 
 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an apprenticeship program expenses tax credit for a qualified employer equal to the amount of taxes and educational assistance paid or incurred by the employer on behalf of a qualified employee that works at least 20 hours per week. Authorizes the Secretary or the Secretary of Education to approve a covered registered apprenticeship program or a cooperative program as a level 1 or level 2 creditable program for purposes of the tax credit. Limits such credit to 3 years.
 
Requires states to establish Workforce Education and Training Advisory Committees.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-12-06
text: Introduced in Senate
Families First Immigration Enforcement Act

Bill: 112-s-1949
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2011-12-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Aging
Border security and unlawful immigration
Child health
Child safety and welfare
Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Detention of persons
Disability and paralysis
Foreign labor
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Immigrant health and welfare
Immigration status and procedures
Lawyers and legal services
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: 
Families First Immigration Enforcement Act - Requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in a workplace enforcement operation that is calculated to apprehend or does apprehend at least 50 aliens, to do the following: (1) give state agencies sufficient notice to arrange for representatives who speak the detainees' language and to provide for any special needs; (2) afford access to state social service agencies to screen and interview detainees to determine if medical risks or risks to relatives exist; (3) consider, upon recommendation, the release of detainees on age, medical, or family related humanitarian grounds; and (4) provide a toll-free number for families of detainees to report their relationship to DHS or state social services. 
 
Requires that such aliens have access to legal orientation presentations through the Executive Office for Immigration Review's legal orientation program. 
 
States that detainees should be held within the jurisdiction of the local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office to the extent that space allows.
 
 Requires a detainee's release within 72 hours of apprehension if such alien is not subject to mandatory detention, does not pose a flight risk, or is subject to humanitarian release. States that such alien shall be released: (1) on his or her own recognizance, (2) by posting a minimum bond, (3) on parole under the Immigration and Nationality Act, or (4) through the intensive supervision appearance or similar program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to restore the exemption from fees for certain customs services for passengers arriving from Canada, Mexico, and islands adjacent to the United States.

Bill: 112-s-1951
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2011-12-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Bahamas
Barbados
Bermuda
Canada
Caribbean area
Cuba
Customs enforcement
Dominican Republic
Haiti
Jamaica
Latin America
Martinique
Mexico
Travel and tourism
Trinidad and Tobago
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: 
Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to restore the exemptions from the payment of customs users for arriving passengers whose journey originated in, or originated in the United States and was limited to, Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands. (Retains the current customs user fee exemptions for arriving passengers whose journey originated in, or originated in the United States and was limited to, a U.S. territory and possession.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Introduced in Senate
Risk-Based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act

Bill: 112-s-1954
Sponsor: Sen. Hutchison, Kay Bailey [R-TX]
Introduced: 2011-12-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Military personnel and dependents
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: 
Risk-Based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act - Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration [TSA]) to develop and implement a plan for expedited security screening services for a uniformed Armed Forces member and, to the extent possible, accompanying family, if the member presents documentation indicating official orders for air transportation departing from a primary airport.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to authorize the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products that are packaged for direct human consumption.

Bill: 112-s-1955
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2011-12-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Agricultural marketing and promotion
Civil actions and liability
Food supply, safety, and labeling

Summary:
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: 
 Prohibits a federal department, agency, or court from taking any action that would prohibit, regulate, or otherwise restrict the interstate traffic of milk or a milk product that is unpasteurized and packaged for direct human consumption, if such restriction is based on the determination that solely because of being unpasteurized the milk or milk product is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise in violation of federal law.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2011-12-07
text: Introduced in Senate