hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Sound Recording Simplification Act

Bill: 112-hr-2933
Sponsor: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2]
Introduced: 2011-09-14 in the House
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Intellectual property
Sound recording

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-14
text: 
Sound Recording Simplification Act - Amends federal copyright law to remove a provision that, with respect to sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, prohibits: (1) any rights or remedies under the common law or statutes of any state from being annulled or limited by federal copyright law until February 15, 2067; and (2) subjecting such sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, to federal copyright before, on, or after February 15, 2067.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet.
action_date: 2011-09-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2011-09-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-14
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify the treatment of certain retirement plan contributions picked up by governmental employers.

Bill: 112-hr-2934
Sponsor: Rep. Sanchez, Loretta [D-CA-47]
Introduced: 2011-09-14 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Employee benefits and pensions
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Income tax deferral

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-14
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit the treatment of certain employer contributions made to public retirement plans as picked up by an employing unit regardless of whether the participating employee is allowed to make an irrevocable election between the application of two alternative benefit formulas involving the same or different levels of employee contributions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2011-09-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-14
text: Introduced in House
Defending Special Education Students and Families Act

Bill: 112-hr-2935
Sponsor: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Defense spending
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Military procurement, research, weapons development
Special education

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Defending Special Education Students and Families Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to reauthorize appropriations for the grant program to assist states, outlying areas, and Freely Associated States to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities. 
 
Authorizes specified appropriations for FY2012-FY2016, and sets forth a formula for determining the authorization of appropriations for FY2017 and thereafter.
 
Terminates funding for the F-35B and F-35C Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft and the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle.
 
Limits the naval combat forces of the Navy, beginning on October 1, 2013, to no more than 10 operational aircraft carriers and 9 carrier air wings.
 
Requires the Secretary of Defense to decommission the U.S.S. George Washington during 2016.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Small Business Administration Express Loan Extension Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2936
Sponsor: Rep. Boren, Dan [D-OK-2]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Government lending and loan guarantees
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Small Business Administration Express Loan Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 to extend through September 27, 2012 (under current law, until September 27, 2011) a temporary increase from $350,000 to $1 million in the maximum loan amount under the Express Loan Program of the Small Business Administration (SBA).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Startup Expansion and Investment Act

Bill: 112-hr-2941
Sponsor: Rep. Quayle, Benjamin [R-AZ-3]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Business records
Corporate finance and management
Financial services and investments
Securities
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Startup Expansion and Investment Act - Amends the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to revise an exception to rules prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that require the annual reports of certain publicly traded securities issuers to contain: (1) an assessment of the issuer's internal control structure and procedures for financial reporting, and (2) an attestation to such assessment by each registered public accounting firm that prepares or issues an audit report for the issuer.
 
Permits an issuer to elect not to provide such an assessment and attestation if the issuer: (1) has a total market capitalization for the relevant reporting period of less than $1 billion; and (2) is not subject to the annual reporting requirement under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or has been subject to such requirement for a period fewer than 10 years. (Current law exempts issuers with an aggregate worldwide market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by its non-affiliates of below $75 million, as of the last business day of the issuer's most recently completed second fiscal quarter.)
 
Requires an issuer electing not to provide such assessment and attestation to disclose that decision in its next annual report.
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-10-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
To direct the Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers to revise the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System Master Water Control Manual to ensure greater storage capacity to prevent serious downstream flooding.

Bill: 112-hr-2942
Sponsor: Rep. King, Steve [R-IA-5]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Floods and storm protection
Government information and archives
Lakes and rivers
Water storage

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Directs the Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers to revise the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System Master Water Control Manual to ensure that the System's flood control storage allocation has been: (1) recalculated so that it is based on the vacated space required to control the largest flood experienced in the System and the associated serious downstream flooding; and (2) adjusted, prior to each runoff season, such that the space allocated for flood control purposes in the Exclusive Flood Control Zone and the Annual Flood Control and Multiple Use Regulation Zone is increased by an amount necessary to ensure that the storage capacity of the two zones is adequate to avoid contributing to serious downstream flooding.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Capital Gains Inflation Relief Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2945
Sponsor: Rep. Walsh, Joe [R-IL-8]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Capital gains tax
Inflation and prices

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Capital Gains Inflation Relief Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an inflation adjustment based upon the gross domestic product deflator to the adjusted basis of certain assets (including C corporation common stock and tangible property used in a trade or business) held by a taxpayer for more than three years for purposes of determining gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of such assets.
 
Sets forth rules for applying such inflation adjustment to short sales, regulated investment companies and real estate investment trusts, partnerships and other pass-thru entities, and dispositions of assets between related persons. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
American Coastal Waters and Shorelines Protection Act

Bill: 112-hr-2946
Sponsor: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Licensing and registrations
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine and inland water transportation
Oil and gas

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
American Coastal Waters and Shorelines Protection Act - Requires all vessels engaged in drilling for oil or gas in ocean waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, or in the support of such drilling, to be documented with a registry endorsement (current law refers only to mobile offshore drilling units).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Fix America's Schools Today (FAST) Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2948
Sponsor: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Buy American requirements
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
Energy efficiency and conservation
Environmental technology
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Higher education
Labor standards
Public contracts and procurement
Vocational and technical education
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Fix America's Schools Today (FAST) Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Education to allocate grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to modernize, renovate, or repair early learning or elementary or secondary education facilities.
 
Requires the Secretary to allocate grants directly to the 100 LEAs with the largest numbers of children aged 5-17 living in poverty to modernize, renovate, or repair such facilities. Requires allocation of such funds among these LEAs in proportion to each LEA's respective share of school improvement funds under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
 
Requires states to give subgrant priority to projects that comply with certain green building standards.
 
Prohibits the use of such grants for new construction or routine maintenance costs.
 
Reserves funds for a survey, by the National Center for Education Statistics, of nationwide public school construction, modernization, renovation, and repair needs.
 
Directs the Secretary to allocate grants to states to modernize, renovate, or repair existing facilities at community colleges.
 
Prohibits the use of such grants: (1) for routine maintenance costs, (2) on facilities used for events for which the public is charged admission, or (3) on facilities which are used for sectarian purposes.
 
Requires states, in providing assistance to community college projects, to consider the extent to which the project complies with certain green building standards.
 
Limits the amount of time states and LEAs have to obligate this Act's grants and subgrants.
 
Requires, with certain exceptions, the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in projects funded by this Act to be domestic. 
 
Applies the prevailing wage rate requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act to projects assisted pursuant to this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Small Business Opportunity Expansion Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2949
Sponsor: Rep. Donnelly, Joe [D-IN-2]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Public contracts and procurement
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Small Business Opportunity Expansion Act of 2011 - Amends the Small Business Act to increase the government-wide goal for awards to small businesses from 23% to 24% of the total value of all federal prime procurement contracts and subcontracts awarded in a fiscal year. Increases from: (1) 3% to 4% the goal for award to small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, and (2) 5% to 6% the goal for award to small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and by women. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Small Business Administration 504 Loan Refinancing Extension Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2950
Sponsor: Rep. Donnelly, Joe [D-IN-2]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Government lending and loan guarantees
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Small Business Administration 504 Loan Refinancing Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 to extend through September 27, 2013 (under current law, through September 27, 2012) the authority for Small Business Administration (SBA) refinancing of small business debt not involving business expansion under the SBA's local development business loan program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Patients First Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2951
Sponsor: Rep. Forbes, J. Randy [R-VA-4]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Cell biology and embryology
Department of Health and Human Services
Government studies and investigations
Medical ethics
Medical research
Research administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Patients First Act of 2011

 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support basic and applied research to develop techniques for the isolation, derivation, production, testing, and human clinical use of stem cells that may result in improved understanding of, or treatments for, diseases and other adverse health conditions, including pluripotent stem cells that have the flexibility of embryonic stem cells (whether or not such pluripotent stem cells have an embryonic source), provided that such techniques will not involve: (1) the creation of a human embryo for research purposes; (2) the destruction or discarding of, or risk of injury to, a living human embryo; or (3) the use of any stem cell the derivation or provision of which would be inconsistent with this Act.
 
Requires the Secretary to issue guidelines implementing this Act to ensure that any research (including any clinical trial) supported under this Act: (1) is clearly consistent with the standards established in this Act, if conducted using human cells; and (2) is prioritized in terms of potential for near-term clinical benefit in human patients.

Requires the Secretary to report on peer reviewed stem cell research proposals that were not funded.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Immigration Backlog Reduction Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2952
Sponsor: Rep. Hunter, Duncan D. [R-CA-52]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Border security and unlawful immigration
Department of Homeland Security
Immigration status and procedures
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Immigration Backlog Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to set forth provisions regarding the expedited removal of: (1) inadmissible arriving aliens, and (2) criminal aliens.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Foster Youth Financial Security Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2953
Sponsor: Rep. Langevin, James R. [D-RI-2]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Child safety and welfare
Consumer credit
Elementary and secondary education
Financial literacy
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Higher education
Housing finance and home ownership
Licensing and registrations
Motor vehicles
Student aid and college costs
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
 Foster Youth Financial Security Act of 2011 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of the Social Security Act, with respect to the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, to: (1) require states to take certain additional steps to assist children in foster care in making the transition to independent living, such as providing credit reports and helping a child age 14 or older obtain a driver's license; (2) establish individual development accounts and custodial accounts; (3) require state evaluations of specific services provided to assist the transition to independent living; (4) eliminate the use of a Social Security number as an identifier for a foster child; and (5) authorize additional appropriations to enable states to take such additional steps.
 
Directs the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to develop a process for the assignment of alternative taxpayer identification numbers for foster children for use in tax returns in a manner similar to those used in the case of adopted children.
 
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), on request, to provide the state agency with technical assistance in carrying out this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to and enter into contracts with qualified nonprofit or other community-based service providers with substantive expertise to provide the assistance.
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-26
text: Referred for a period ending not later than September 26, 2011, (or for a later time if the Chairman so designates) to the Subcommittee on Human Resources, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee concerned.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
American Shoes for American Servicemembers Act

Bill: 112-hr-2955
Sponsor: Rep. Michaud, Michael H. [D-ME-2]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Buy American requirements
Military procurement, research, weapons development

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
American Shoes for American Servicemembers Act - Includes footwear within the prohibition against the use of Department of Defense (DOD) funds to procure certain items not grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Fair and Equitable Postal Service Access Act

Bill: 112-hr-2956
Sponsor: Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Postal service
U.S. Postal Service

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Fair and Equitable Postal Service Access Act - Expands the criteria that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) must consider in determining whether to close or consolidate a post office to include: (1) whether such closing or consolidation will decrease access to postal or nonpostal services by individuals who are elderly, economically disadvantaged, limited in mobility, or without reliable and affordable Internet access; and (2) during the previous five years, the number of, and revenue derived from, money-order transactions, the volume of processed international mail, and the number of customers served at such post office.
 
Prohibits the USPS from closing or consolidating a post office if it would result in a disproportionate, unreasonable, or undue burden on a class of individuals who are elderly, economically disadvantaged, limited in mobility, or without reliable and affordable Internet access.
 
Applies this Act to any post office: (1) determined necessary for closing or consolidation under existing criteria, or (2) included in a proposal to change the nature of postal services on a nationwide or substantially nationwide basis and for which the USPS has requested a related advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-10-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service, and Labor Policy     .
action_date: 2011-09-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1661)
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
Senior Citizenship Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2957
Sponsor: Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-8]
Introduced: 2011-09-15 in the House
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Aging
Citizenship and naturalization
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Language arts
U.S. history

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: 
Senior Citizenship Act of 2011 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) exempt certain persons over the age of 75 from the U.S. history, government, and English language naturalization examination requirements; and (2) permit certain persons over the age of 65 to take such history and government examination in a language other than English.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-15
text: Introduced in House