hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
American Specialty Agriculture Act

Bill: 112-hr-2847
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Civil actions and liability
Department of Agriculture
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Foreign labor
Immigration status and procedures
Labor-management relations
Lawyers and legal services
Migrant, seasonal, agricultural labor
Transportation costs
User charges and fees
Visas and passports
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
American Specialty Agriculture Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish an H-2C nonimmigrant visa for an alien having a residence in a foreign country which he or she has no intention of abandoning and who is coming temporarily (10-month maximum per contract period) to the United States to perform agricultural labor or services, including the pressing of apples for cider on a farm.
 
Requires an employer or employer association to file an H-2C petition with the Department of Agriculture (USDA) which shall include specified employment-related attestations. 
 
Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) penalties; (2) working conditions, wages, and transportation reimbursement; (3) admissions and extensions of stay; (4) abandonment of employment and worker replacement; (5) legal assistance; and (6) arbitration and mediation.
 
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct investigations and random audits of employer work sites.
 
Requires an employer to guarantee to offer the worker employment for the hourly equivalent of at least 50% of the work hours during the total anticipated period of employment.
 
Limits the number of annual fiscal year H-2C admissions. Prohibits the admission of spouses and children of H-2C workers.
 
Extends coverage under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act to H-2C workers.
 
Makes the provisions of this Act effective two years after its enactment. Terminates authority to petition for H-2A temporary agricultural workers two years after enactment of this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
action_date: 2011-09-08
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Veterans' Religious Freedom Act

Bill: 112-hr-2848
Sponsor: Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Cemeteries and funerals
Congressional oversight
Department of Veterans Affairs
First Amendment rights
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Religion
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Veterans' Religious Freedom Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that: (1) the family members of each veteran who is buried in a national cemetery or is eligible for certain veterans' burial benefits are informed of all options available for the funeral or memorial service for such veteran, and (2) the director of each national cemetery is a qualified veteran.
 
Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) prescribing regulations to censor or otherwise limit the type of religious speech that may be performed by a member of a veterans service organization at the funeral or memorial service of a veteran, or (2) censoring or otherwise limiting the type of religious speech of private speakers who have been invited to speak on property of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Disability Integration and Coordination Improvement Act

Bill: 112-hr-2849
Sponsor: Rep. Richardson, Laura [D-CA-37]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Department of Homeland Security
Disability and paralysis
Emergency planning and evacuation
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Performance measurement

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Disability Integration and Coordination Improvement Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) establish an Office of Disability Integration and Coordination; (2) use such Office to implement strategies and activities in support of the responsibilities of the Disability Coordinator, who shall serve as the head of the Office; and (3) establish specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant performance measures for the Office, including to ensure the integration of people with disabilities into emergency, preparedness, protection, mitigation, evacuation, sheltering, transition, resiliency, and recovery plans.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Communication and Alert Maintenance Program for Early Response Act

Bill: 112-hr-2850
Sponsor: Rep. Richardson, Laura [D-CA-37]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Emergency communications systems
Natural disasters
Parks, recreation areas, trails
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Communication and Alert Maintenance Program for Early Response Act or CAMPER Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) provide technical assistance to a state or local government to develop and implement an emergency notification system to warn persons using public recreational lands administered by such government of emergency situations, and (2) make grants to state and local governments to procure and install such systems. 
 
Limits a grant to $100,000. Requires a recipient to match not less than 5% of the federal funds provided. Authorizes the Secretary to establish conditions under which the cost-sharing requirement may be reduced or waived.
 
Directs the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees, for each fiscal year such assistance is provided, regarding: (1) the state of preparedness of state park and recreation departments to provide adequate emergency notification, and (2) recommendations for appropriate additional legislative action.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications.
action_date: 2011-09-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, 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: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, 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: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish a technical school training subsidy program.

Bill: 112-hr-2851
Sponsor: Rep. Barrow, John [D-GA-12]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Employment and training programs
Student aid and college costs
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require the Secretary of Labor to award competitive grants to states to provide funds to local boards for provision of technical school training subsidies in local areas through one-stop delivery systems to pay tuition costs for the career and technical education of unemployed individuals enrolled or accepted at a technical school. Limits the aggregate amount of subsidies to an individual to $2,000. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Action Plan for Public Lands and Education Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2852
Sponsor: Rep. Bishop, Rob [R-UT-1]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Government trust funds
Hawaii
Idaho
Land transfers
Mining
Montana
New Mexico
Oregon
State and local finance
Utah
Washington State
Wyoming

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Action Plan for Public Lands and Education Act of 2011 - Makes grants of land to the following states in lieu of receiving, for the support of the common schools, 5% of the proceeds of the sales of federally owned land within such states which have not been sold by the United States as of January 1, 2011: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. 
 
Makes the amount of land granted to each state 5% of the number of acres of federally owned land within that state as of January 1, 2011. Requires land selected to be held in trust to be sold or leased and the proceeds to be used only for the support of public education.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-22
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2011-09-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2011-09-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Emergency Medic Transition (EMT) Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2853
Sponsor: Rep. Capps, Lois [D-CA-23]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Allied health services
Education programs funding
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employment and training programs
First responders and emergency personnel
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Licensing and registrations
Medical education
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Emergency Medic Transition (EMT) Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to state emergency medical services offices or other state entities with jurisdiction over emergency medical personnel to provide for the expedited training and licensing, as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), of veterans who received training as EMTs while serving in the Armed Forces. 
 
Directs an eligible entity to give priority to providing training to individuals who will serve as EMTs in areas that provide a high volume of emergency medical services and trauma care.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Employer Free Choice Act

Bill: 112-hr-2854
Sponsor: Rep. DesJarlais, Scott [R-TN-4]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Labor-management relations
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Employer Free Choice Act - Repeals the final rule on &quot;Notification of Employee Rights under the National Labor Relations Act&quot; published by the National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) in the Federal Register on August 30, 2011.
 
Prohibits the NLRB from promulgating or enforcing any rule that requires employers to post notices informing employees of their rights to bargain collectively under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) on or after enactment of this Act.
 
Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit an employer from voluntarily posting such notices.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Emergency Jobs Now Act

Bill: 112-hr-2855
Sponsor: Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Budget deficits and national debt
Congressional committees
Congressional operations and organization
Employment and training programs
Legislative rules and procedure
Unemployment

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Emergency Jobs Now Act - Amends the Budget Control Act of 2011 to rename the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction as the Joint Select Committee on Emergency Job Creation and Deficit Reduction.
 
Requires the Joint Committee to recommend legislative language to: (1) enact emergency jobs legislation that will create an additional three million jobs during each of calendar years 2012 and 2013, thereby reducing unemployment rates over the short-term and long-term; and (2) reduce the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion over FY2014-FY2021, as under current law.
 
Prescribes legislative procedures for expedited consideration in both chambers of the Joint Committee's recommendations.
 
 Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to repeal the discretionary spending limits (spending caps) on new budget authority for security and nonsecurity categories for FY2012-FY2013, including those for: (1) continuing disability reviews and redeterminations under the Social Security Act, (2) the health care fraud abuse control program at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and (3) disaster relief funding.
 
Amends the Budget Control Act of 2011 to increase the public debt limit by an amount equal to the new budget authority provided in any emergency jobs legislation approved by the Joint Committee and enacted into law.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, and Ways and Means, 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: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, and Ways and Means, 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: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, and Ways and Means, 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: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
To provide assistance for agricultural producers adversely affected by damaging weather and other conditions relating to Hurricane Irene.

Bill: 112-hr-2856
Sponsor: Rep. Gibson, Christopher P. [R-NY-20]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural conservation and pollution
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Disaster relief and insurance
Natural disasters
Watersheds

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to provide emergency conservation program assistance and emergency watershed protection program assistance to agricultural producers in qualifying counties adversely affected by Hurricane Irene and related weather conditions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Prioritize Emergency Job Creation Act

Bill: 112-hr-2857
Sponsor: Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Appropriations
Budget deficits and national debt
Employment and training programs
Unemployment

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to require that, if for FY2012-FY2021 appropriations for discretionary accounts are enacted that Congress and the President designate as being for emergency job creation, the adjustment to discretionary spending limits for a fiscal year shall be the total of such appropriations for the fiscal year in discretionary accounts designated for emergency job creation.
 
 
 
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Rural Microbusiness Investment Credit Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2858
Sponsor: Rep. Kind, Ron [D-WI-3]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Income tax credits
Rural conditions and development
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Rural Microbusiness Investment Credit Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business-related tax credit for 35% of new investment in a rural microbusiness. Imposes limits on such credit for businesses and individual taxpayers. 
 
Defines: (1) "rural microbusiness" as a trade or business that employs not more than 5 full-time employees in a taxable year and is carried on, and physically located, in a distressed rural area; and (2) "distressed rural area" as an area that has lost at least 5% of its population over the last 10 years or 10% of its population over the last 20 years, that has a median family income below 85 % of the national median family income, that has a poverty rate that exceeds 12.5%, or where average unemployment in the preceding year exceeds 120% of the national average.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force

Bill: 112-hr-2859
Sponsor: Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-9]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Terrorism
War and emergency powers

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force - States that the Authorization for Use of Military Force (P.L. 107-40) has been used to justify an open-ended authorization for the use of military force and such an interpretation is inconsistent with the authority of Congress to declare war and make all laws for executing powers vested by the Constitution in the U.S. government.
 
Repeals the Authorization for Use of Military Force (P.L. 107-40), effective 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
Deficit Committee Transparency Act

Bill: 112-hr-2860
Sponsor: Rep. Loebsack, David [D-IA-2]
Introduced: 2011-09-07 in the House
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Budget deficits and national debt
Congressional committees
Congressional elections
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Legislative rules and procedure
Members of Congress
News media and reporting
Public participation and lobbying

Summary:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: 
Deficit Committee Transparency Act - Amends the Budget Control Act of 2011 to require any member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, and any individual on the committee staff or the personal staff of a committee member, to disclose any meeting, within 48 hours after it takes place, with any other individual relating to matters before the committee if the individual: (1) is a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal; (2) has any direct personal or pecuniary interest in any legislative measure pending before the House of Representatives or the Senate or reported by a committee of either chamber; or (3) is in the employ of or represents any party or organization for the purpose of influencing, directly or indirectly, the passage, defeat, or amendment of any legislative proposal.
 
 Requires any member of the Joint Committee who is a candidate with an authorized committee or who is a candidate or an individual holding federal office affiliated with a leadership political action committee (PAC) to disclose, within 48 hours of receipt, any contribution such committee or leadership PAC receives from an individual, or any entity, which: (1) is a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal; (2) the authorized committee or leadership PAC, using its best efforts, determines is in the employ of or represents any party or organization for the purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the passage, defeat, or amendment of any legislative proposal; or (3) makes a single contribution in excess of $500.
 
Requires the Co-Chairs of the Joint Committee, before its first meeting, to establish a public website containing: (1) such disclosures of lobbying activities and meetings, and of campaign or Member-designated leadership PAC contributions; (2) the final report on specified activities and contributions; and (3) such other information the Joint Committee or its staff deems necessary and beneficial to inform the public of its proceedings, deliberations, and deadlines.
 
Requires the Joint Committee's proposed report and legislative language to be made publicly available on its website at least 72 hours before the vote on such measures.
 
Requires any hearing of the Joint Committee open to the public to be open to coverage by audio and visual means, including in a format that is streaming on the Internet via the Joint Committee's website. 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Rules.
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-09-07
text: Introduced in House