hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Terminating the Expansion of Too-Big-To-Fail Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3497
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Commodities markets
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Federal Reserve System
Financial services and investments
Insurance industry and regulation
Securities
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Terminating the Expansion of Too-Big-To-Fail Act of 2012 - Amends the Financial Stability Act of 2010, title I of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank), the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, and the Federal Reserve Act to eliminate all supervision by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) of domestic and foreign nonbank financial companies, including new or heightened standards and safeguards and minimum leverage capital requirements.
 
Eliminates the duty of the Financial Stability Oversight Council to identify systemically important financial market utilities and payment, clearing, and settlement activities.
 
Repeals the authority of the Council, acting through the Office of Financial Research, to: (1) require the submission of periodic and other reports from any domestic or foreign nonbank financial company, or (2) request the Board to examine a U.S. nonbank financial company for the sole purpose of determining whether it should be Board-supervised.
 
Repeals specified additional Board authority to supervise certain nonbank financial companies, including the prohibition against management interlocks between such companies and certain other financial companies.
 
Repeals the requirement that the Board study and report to Congress on: (1) specified issues with respect to the resolution of financial companies under chapter 7 (Liquidation) or 11 (Reorganization) of the Bankruptcy Code, and (2) international coordination relating to the resolution of systemic financial companies under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and applicable foreign law.
 
Repeals the authority of the Council to recommend to the Board: (1) prudential standards and reporting and disclosure requirements for Board-supervised nonbank financial companies, and (2) any requirement that each nonbank financial company report periodically the company's credit exposure as well as its plan for rapid and orderly resolution in the event of material financial distress or failure.
 
Repeals the requirement that the Council study the feasibility, benefits, costs, and structure of a contingent capital requirement for Board-supervised nonbank financial companies.
 
Eliminates reporting requirements for such companies.
 
Repeals the Payment, Clearing, and Settlement Supervision Act of 2010 (title VIII of Dodd-Frank).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Syria Humanitarian Support and Democratic Transition Assistance Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3498
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Arms control and nonproliferation
Chemical and biological weapons
Conflicts and wars
Congressional oversight
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Foreign aid and international relief
Human rights
International organizations and cooperation
Iraq
Jordan
Lebanon
Middle East
Multilateral development programs
Protest and dissent
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Religion
Rule of law and government transparency
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
Syria
Terrorism
Turkey
United Nations

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Syria Humanitarian Support and Democratic Transition Assistance Act of 2012 - Directs the President to appoint a Special Envoy for Syria to coordinate U.S. engagement with the country and to ensure U.S. support for efforts to bring about a democratic transition in Syria.
 
Urges the President to: (1) support humanitarian activities taking place in and outside Syria, (2) support efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria, and (3) contribute to future capacity building for governing institutions after a political transition takes place in Syria. 
 
Urges: (1) the allocation of funding for bilateral assistance programs in Syria; and (2) the United States to work with other donor nations to increase international contributions for the people of Syria; (3) the President to increase bilateral funding to countries, including Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, that have experienced an influx of Syrian refugees; and (4) the United States to work with regional partners to secure conventional and unconventional weapons stockpiles in Syria and prevent their illicit sale or transfer out of Syria. 
 
Directs the President to instruct the Secretary of State to work with the appropriate United Nations (U.N.) agencies, regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the broader international community to establish an international donors group to provide humanitarian assistance for the people of Syria.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5984-5986)
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act to clarify how the Act applies to condominiums.

Bill: 112-s-3499
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Cooperative and condominium housing
Housing finance and home ownership
Real estate business

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Amends the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act to exempt from certain registration and disclosure requirements the sale or lease of a condominium unit not already exempt from coverage under such Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to establish a procedure for approval of certain settlements.

Bill: 112-s-3500
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
Civil actions and liability
Endangered and threatened species
Government information and archives
Intergovernmental relations
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the Secretary of the Interior, within 30 days after being served with a complaint in an action alleging a failure to perform an act or duty related to an endangered species or threatened species determination, to publish the complaint. Prohibits the failure of the Secretary to meet such deadline from being the basis for such an action. Sets forth requirements concerning the intervention in such actions by affected parties and referral to a mediation program. 
 
Authorizes the court, in issuing any final order in such an action, to award litigation costs to any party. Prohibits the court from: (1) awarding litigation costs in any proposed covered settlement, (2) granting a motion that is based on a proposed covered settlement or other consent decree that includes payment for litigation costs, (3) approving a proposed covered settlement unless each state and county in which the Secretary believes a species occurs approves it, or (4) granting a motion that is based on a proposed covered settlement unless such settlement is approved by each such state and county. Requires the courts to ensure that such a settlement is approved by each such state and county. 
Requires the Secretary to provide notice of a proposed covered settlement to each such state and county. Authorizes a court to approve such a settlement or grant such a motion if, within 45 days of notification, a: (1) state or county fails to respond, and (2) each state or county that responds approves the covered settlement, or (3) all of the states and counties fail to respond.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3501
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Horticulture and plants
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2012 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of &quot;marihuana.&quot; Defines &quot;industrial hemp&quot; to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-nine tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. Deems Cannabis sativa L. to meet that concentration limit if a person grows or processes it for purposes of making industrial hemp in accordance with state law.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3502
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Consumer affairs
Department of Transportation
Lease and rental services
Motor vehicles
Product safety and quality
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2012 - Requires a rental company that receives a Secretary of Transportation (DOT) ordered notification from the manufacturer of a covered rental vehicle of equipment defect, or noncompliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards, during the vehicle rental period to contact the renter and any authorized driver of the vehicle about the defect or noncompliance.
 
Covers a rental vehicle: (1) rated at 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or less, (2) rented without a driver for an initial term of under 4 months, and (3) that is part of a motor vehicle fleet of 5 or more motor vehicles used for rental purposes by a rental company.
 
Authorizes a rental company that receives notification of a defect or the noncompliance of a new vehicle or new replacement vehicle equipment in the company's possession to rent such vehicle or equipment only if the defect or noncompliance is remedied.
 
Prohibits a rental company from knowingly making inoperable any safety devices or elements of design installed on or in a compliant motor vehicle or vehicle equipment unless the company reasonably believes such vehicle or equipment will not be used when the devices or elements are inoperable.
 
Authorizes the Secretary, upon request, to inspect records of a rental company with respect to a safety investigation. Authorizes the Secretary to require a rental company to keep records or make reports for purposes of compliance with federal motor vehicle safety orders or regulations.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to study the effectiveness of the amendments made by this Act and of other activities of rental companies.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of work-study allowances by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to individuals who are pursuing programs of rehabilitation, education, or training under laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes.

Bill: 112-s-3503
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Higher education
State and local government operations
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Revises the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide a work-study allowance for certain activities of individuals receiving educational assistance through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to direct the Secretary to utilize the services of at least one such individual at each educational institution that has an office established to provide assistance to veterans enrolled in an approved program of education at the institution.
 
Includes as a qualifying work-study activity: (1) any activity of a local government veterans agency related to providing assistance in obtaining benefits under the VA or the laws of that state; and (2) any federal, state, or local government entity, as the Secretary considers appropriate.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Native American Indian Education Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3504
Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Appropriations
Education programs funding
Higher education
Indian social and development programs
Minority education
Student aid and college costs

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Native American Indian Education Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Education to pay four-year Native American-serving nontribal institutions of higher education the out-of-state tuition of their Indian students if those schools are required to provide a tuition-free education, with the support of their state, to Indian students in fulfillment of a condition under which the college or state received its original grant of land and facilities from the federal government.
 
Limits that payment each fiscal year to the institution's total out-of-state tuition for Indian students in academic year 2012-2013.
 
Treats such payments as reimbursements to such institutions from their states.
 
Rescinds unobligated discretionary appropriations to offset the costs of this program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Afghanistan Contractor Accountability Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3505
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Afghanistan
Asia
Congressional oversight
Executive agency funding and structure
Foreign aid and international relief
Government studies and investigations
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Afghanistan Contractor Accountability Act of 2012 - Requires the head of an executive agency that fails to respond to a covered final audit report issued by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or that responds with a non-concur or partial concur response, to report to Congress with an explanation of the failure to respond or the non-concur or partial concur response. 
 
Defines "covered final audit report" as a final audit report issued by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction that includes a recommendation for an executive agency to seek reimbursement for failure by a contractor or subcontractor to successfully complete a construction contract due to poor contractor performance, cost-overruns, or other reasons that would, if implemented, result in at least $500,000 in savings.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Ethical Pathway Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3506
Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Government information and archives
Human rights
Licensing and registrations
Medical ethics
Medical research

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Ethical Pathway Act of 2012 - Directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs (FDA) to establish a mechanism by which an applicant to sell any new pharmaceutical drug, vaccine, biologic product, or medical device that requires regulatory approval by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) (regulated product) may request a cost-sharing arrangement under which the applicant shall: (1) verify that intended clinical investigations involving humans or vertebrate animals have not been performed or initiated by another person; (2) make reasonable efforts to obtain voluntary agreements to use existing evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of new pharmaceutical drugs or biological products used to obtain marketing approval for use in humans or vertebrate animals (regulatory test data); and (3) notify the Commissioner if there is a failure to reach a voluntary agreement, at which point the Commissioner shall ask the parties to agree to binding arbitration to determine the reasonable and fair fee for relying upon relevant regulatory test data. 
 
Permits such applicant to request such arrangement if, but for the arrangement: (1) the applicant would be required to conduct clinical investigations involving human subjects that violate Article 20 of the Declaration of Helsinki on Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects in order to obtain regulatory approval of the regulated product, or (2) the duplication of the clinical investigations required for such application would violate other applicable ethical standards concerning the testing of products on humans or other vertebrate animals.
 
Requires the fee for reliance by the applicant on such regulatory test data to be determined after considering: (1) the actual out-of-pocket costs of the applicable clinical investigations; (2) the risks of the investigations; (3) any federal grants, tax credits, or other subsidies; (4) the expected share of the global market for the product involved; and (5) the amount of time the holders of the relevant applications or licenses have benefited from exclusive rights and the cumulative revenue earned on the products that relied upon the data at issue. Directs the Secretary to adopt procedures and rules under which sufficient information about costs and fees will be made public.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to renew the temporary suspension of duty on ceiling fans for permanent installation.

Bill: 112-s-3507
Sponsor: Sen. Hagan, Kay R. [D-NC]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Tariffs

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to extend the temporary suspension of duty on ceiling fans for permanent installation. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
SCORE for Small Business Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3508
Sponsor: Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Executive agency funding and structure
Minority and disadvantaged businesses
Right of privacy
Small Business Administration
Small business
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
SCORE for Small Business Act of 2012 - Amends the Small Business Act to reauthorize for FY2013-FY2015 the SCORE program (the Service Corps of Retired Executives, which provides free mentoring and related services to small businesses).
 
Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure that SCORE volunteers are adequately oriented and trained in areas and disciplines necessary to ensure successful, outcome-oriented interactions relating to services provided by the SCORE program.
 
 Directs the Administrator to ensure that the SCORE program and each SCORE chapter develop and implement plans and goals: (1) for outreach to individuals in rural, ethnically diverse, minority, and underserved communities; and (2) to more effectively and efficiently provide services to individuals in such communities.
 
Requires the SCORE Association to report annually to the Administrator on SCORE counseling and training, as well as on the number of small businesses created or expanded with SCORE assistance.
 
Outlines privacy requirements of the Administrator and the SCORE Association with respect to the disclosure of information concerning businesses assisted under the SCORE program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Everglades for the Next Generation Act

Bill: 112-s-3509
Sponsor: Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Everglades
Florida
Water quality
Water storage
Water use and supply
Wetlands

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Everglades for the Next Generation Act - Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 to authorize the Secretary of the Army, after completing a project implementation report prepared for a project under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and without any further congressional authorization, to carry out projects for: (1) the Caloosahatchee River (C-43) West Basin Storage Reservoir; (2) the Biscayne Bay coastal wetland; (3) Broward County water preserve areas; (4) the C-111 Spreader Canal; (5) any other project identified in the Plan for which a project implementation report is completed that is in accordance with an integrated delivery schedule approved by the Chief of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District, provided that the report is completed not later than five years after this Act's enactment; and (6) any group of projects under the Plan that the Secretary determines will provide regional or watershed ecosystem or water supply benefits if the group of projects is constructed in accordance with a project implementation report approved by the Chief and the District within that time frame.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transport individuals to and from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, and care, and for other purposes.

Bill: 112-s-3511
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2012-08-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Transportation costs
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: 
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transport individuals to and from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in connection with vocational rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, or care.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2012-08-02
text: Introduced in Senate