hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Small Business Banking Improvement Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-1984
Sponsor: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Business records
Criminal justice information and records
Government information and archives

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Small Business Banking Improvement Act of 2011 - Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from requiring any financial institution or any of its directors, officers, employees, or agents to report any suspicious transaction relevant to a possible violation of law or regulation if a person involved in such transaction is a legitimate business.
 
Deems a person a legitimate business if the governor of each state in which such person does business has certified to the Secretary that: (1) the person is a business engaged in activities currently legal under state law, and (2) the state has an interest in exempting such person from mandatory reporting of suspicious transactions.
 
Requires the Secretary to maintain a public website with a list of all persons deemed to be a legitimate business for purposes of this Act.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-07-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-1985
Sponsor: Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [D-CA-13]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Alternative treatments
Drug therapy
Income tax deductions
Retail and wholesale trades

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax deduction for expenses incurred in the trade or business of selling marihuana intended for patients for medical purposes pursuant to state law. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E953)
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Aged Distilled Spirits Competitiveness Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-1986
Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Geoff [R-KY-4]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Food industry and services
Income tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Aged Distilled Spirits Competitiveness Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from determination of the production period for distilled spirits any period allocated to the natural aging process for purposes of determining whether a taxpayer can expense, rather than capitalize, interest costs paid or incurred during the production period.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Ponzi Scheme Investor Protection Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-1987
Sponsor: Rep. Ackerman, Gary L. [D-NY-5]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Bankruptcy
Financial services and investments
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government corporations and government-sponsored enterprises
Government trust funds
Securities
User charges and fees
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Ponzi Scheme Investor Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970 with respect to the duties of a trustee appointed for a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-registered broker or dealer undergoing liquidation.
 
Instructs the trustee to take specified actions if the trustee determines that the debtor is a Ponzi scheme.
 
Establishes procedures for an indirect Ponzi scheme investor to file a claim.
 
Instructs the trustee to: (1) coordinate with Ponzi scheme investors to ensure proper payments to indirect Ponzi scheme investors, and (2) take specified actions to pay indirect Ponzi scheme investors.
 
Prescribes the maximum aggregate amount of all cash and securities that may be awarded to each indirect Ponzi scheme investor.
 
Prohibits the trustee of a Ponzi scheme from seeking to recover money and profits from any Ponzi scheme investor unless such investor was either: (1) complicit in the Ponzi scheme, or (2) registered, or should have been registered, with the SEC as an an investment adviser, broker, dealer, or other person with a fiduciary duty to its customers or investors.
 
Requires the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) to: (1) promulgate regulations to ensure that any required adjustment in the net equity of a Ponzi scheme investor is passed to the appropriate indirect Ponzi scheme investors, (2) advance to the trustee any moneys required to pay claims and implement this Act, and (3) promulgate regulations modifying SIPC Fund assessment levels to ensure they are adequate to cover the anticipated costs of implementing this Act.
 
Directs the court to award the amounts recommended by the SIPC if certain allowances are to be paid by the SIPC without reasonable expectation of recoupment and there is no difference between the amounts requested and the amounts recommended. 
 
Requires SIPC to select an independent public accountant to perform an annual audit of the trustee of the debtor in a liquidation proceeding for which SIPC does not have a reasonable expectation of recoupment of the advances it made for the proceeding.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-03-07
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2011-07-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-1988
Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Susan A. [D-CA-53]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Drug therapy
Health technology, devices, supplies
Income tax credits
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend for an additional five-year period the authority to invest in and allocate credit amounts for a qualifying therapeutic discovery project (a project that is designed to: (1) treat or prevent diseases by conducting pre-clinical activities, clinical trials, and clinical studies, or by carrying out research projects to approve new drugs or other biologic products; (2) diagnose diseases or conditions to determine molecular factors related to diseases or conditions; or (3) develop a product, process, or technology to further the delivery or administration of therapeutics). 
 
Extends for an additional five-year period the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to award grants for investment in a qualifying therapeutic discovery project in lieu of a tax credit and the funding for such grants.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Appropriations, and Energy and Commerce, 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: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Appropriations, and Energy and Commerce, 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: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Appropriations, and Energy and Commerce, 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: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-1989
Sponsor: Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Arizona
Land use and conservation
Mining

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act of 2011 - Withdraws federal lands and interests located in Pima and Santa Cruz Counties, Arizona, as well as all federally owned subsurface interests under the administrative jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in lands in Pima County, from: (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) operation of the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, and the mineral materials laws.
 
Withdraws all federally owned interests in BLM lands in Pima County from entry, location, or patent under the general mining laws.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Saguaro National Park Boundary Expansion and Study Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-1990
Sponsor: Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Arizona
Government studies and investigations
Land transfers
Parks, recreation areas, trails

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Saguaro National Park Boundary Expansion and Study Act of 2011 - Amends the Saguaro National Park Establishment Act of 1994 to modify further the boundaries of Saguaro National Park to include specified land. 
 
Allows the Secretary of the Interior, with the consent of the State of Arizona, to acquire from the state land or interests in land within the boundary of the Park. 
 
Directs the Secretary to conduct a study to identify lands that would be a part of any future boundary adjustments for the Park. Instructs that such study examine the natural, cultural, recreational, and scenic values and characters of the lands identified.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Cocopah Lands Act

Bill: 112-hr-1991
Sponsor: Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Arizona
Federal-Indian relations
Gambling
Indian lands and resources rights
Land transfers

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Cocopah Lands Act - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to take certain land in Yuma County, Arizona, into trust for the Cocopah Indian Tribe, if the Tribe transfers title of the land to the Secretary and there are no recognized environmental problems with, or adverse legal claims to, the land.
 
Considers such land to be part of the Tribe's initial reservation. 
 
Designates Yuma County, Arizona, as the Tribe's service area for the delivery of federal services to enrolled Tribe members. 
 
Prohibits using the trust land for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee Indian and Alaska Native Affairs.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Fair Allocation of Internal Revenue Credit for Renewable Electricity Distribution by Indian Tribes Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-1992
Sponsor: Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources
Electric power generation and transmission
Income tax credits
Indian lands and resources rights

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Fair Allocation of Internal Revenue Credit for Renewable Electricity Distribution by Indian Tribes Act of 2011 or the FAIR CREDIT Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, for purposes of the renewable electricity production tax credit, to allow an Indian tribe that has an ownership interest in the gross sales from a facility that uses a renewable energy resource to produce electricity to assign to any other person who has such an ownership interest any portion of the production from the facility that would, but for this Act, be allocated to such tribe.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
American Job Builders Tax Reform Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-1993
Sponsor: Rep. Herger, Wally [R-CA-2]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Building construction
Contracts and agency
Income tax rates
Inflation and prices
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
American Job Builders Tax Reform Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase from $10 million to $40 million the gross receipts threshold for determining whether a small contractor may adopt an accounting method for reporting income from a construction contract other than the percentage of completion method; (2) allow an annual inflation adjustment to such increased $40 million threshold amount, beginning after 2011; and (3) exempt construction contracts from alternative minimum tax rules for reporting income from long-term contracts under the percentage of completion accounting method.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Excellence and Innovation in Language Learning Act

Bill: 112-hr-1994
Sponsor: Rep. Holt, Rush [D-NJ-12]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Advisory bodies
Area studies and international education
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Foreign language and bilingual programs
State and local government operations
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Excellence and Innovation in Language Learning Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to undertake certain national activities at the elementary and secondary school level that include: (1) expanding the collection and dissemination of information on effective foreign language education, (2) encouraging states to adopt nationally recognized standards for foreign language education and effective assessments that are aligned to such standards, and (3) providing scholarships to students and their teachers for study-abroad opportunities.
 
Directs the Secretary to award competitive grants to states to improve their elementary and secondary school foreign language programs.
 
Requires each state grantee to use its grant to: (1) develop foreign language and international education policy and programs, (2) appoint a state foreign language and international education advisory council to assist it in doing so, (3) designate a state language and international education coordinator or coordinators, (4) adopt nationally recognized standards for foreign language education and effective assessments that are aligned to such standards, (5) implement in- and pre-service foreign language teacher training programs, (6) provide scholarships and incentives to recruit new teachers and encourage existing teachers to receive training, and (7) provide technical assistance to elementary and secondary schools.
 
Directs the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to partnerships between state or local educational agencies and institutions of higher education to develop and maintain, or improve and expand, model programs that ensure the continuity of student progress in foreign language proficiency from kindergarten through grade 12. Requires each model program to include a research and evaluation component.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Reducing Barriers to Learning Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-1995
Sponsor: Rep. Loebsack, David [D-IA-2]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Child health
Department of Education
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Executive agency funding and structure
Mental health
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Reducing Barriers to Learning Act of 2011 - Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to create an Office of Specialized Instructional Support within the Department of Education to improve specialized instructional support services in schools.
 
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a Reduced Barriers to Learning program authorizing the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to states to: (1) establish or expand specialized instructional support services and programs at the state level that are designed to provide technical assistance, coordination, and support to specialized instructional support services and programs addressing barriers to learning within local educational agencies and individual schools; and (2) hire and support specialized instructional support services coordinators to provide such assistance, coordination, and support.
 
Replaces references to pupil services and pupil services personnel with references to specialized instructional support services and specialized instructional support personnel.
 
Defines such services as those provided by school counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other qualified professionals that provide assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, therapeutic, and other necessary services as part of a comprehensive program to meet student needs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-09-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
Making Public Lands Public Access Act

Bill: 112-hr-1997
Sponsor: Rep. Miller, Jeff [R-FL-1]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Appropriations
Hunting and fishing
Land transfers
Land use and conservation
Outdoor recreation

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Making Public Lands Public Access Act - Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure, from amounts requested for the Land and Water Conservation Fund per fiscal year, that not less than the greater of 1.5% of the requested amounts or $10 million be made available for certain projects identified on an annual priority list to be developed pursuant to this Act. 
 
Requires projects identified on such a list to secure, through rights-of-way or the acquisition of lands or interests from willing sellers, recreational public access to existing federal public lands that have significantly restricted access to hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to permit the District of Columbia to impose a tax on income earned as a professional athlete by nonresidents of the District.

Bill: 112-hr-1998
Sponsor: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Athletes
District of Columbia
Professional sports
State and local taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to permit the District of Columbia Council to impose a tax on income earned as a professional athlete by nonresidents of the District.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E949-950)
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
To provide procedures for the selection of the Commandant of the Air Force Institute of Technology, and for other purposes.

Bill: 112-hr-1999
Sponsor: Rep. Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-3]
Introduced: 2011-05-25 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Department of Defense
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Higher education
Military education and training
School administration

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: 
Requires the Commandant of the United States Air Force Institute of Technology (Institute) to be selected by the Secretary of the Air Force. Outlines eligibility requirements and qualifications for such position. Allows a term of five years, with the authority to continue in such position for an additional five years. Establishes at the Institute the civilian positions of Provost and Academic Dean, to be appointed by such Secretary for five-year periods. Allows the person currently serving as the Institute's Commandant to serve as Acting Commandant until the appointment is made under this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-25
text: Introduced in House