hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Private Investment in Commuter Vanpooling Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-909
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2011-05-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Commuting
Intergovernmental relations
Motor carriers
Public transit
State and local finance
Transportation programs funding

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-05
text: 
Private Investment in Commuter Vanpooling Act of 2011 - Allows the local matching share of the cost of a public transportation capital project to include expenditures by a private commuter vanpooling service provider to acquire rolling stock (vans).
 
Authorizes such a private provider to use vanpool revenues exceeding operating costs to acquire such vans, if there is a binding agreement requiring the vans to be used in the state or local government's service area.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2011-05-05
text: Introduced in Senate
Veterans Health Equity Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-910
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Health care coverage and access
Hospital care
Public contracts and procurement
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
Veterans Health Equity Act of 2011 - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, with respect to each of the 48 contiguous states, to ensure that veterans eligible for hospital care and medical services through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have access to: (1) at least one full-service VA medical center in the state, or (2) hospital care and medical services comparable to that provided in full-service VA medical centers through contract with other health providers in the state. Makes such requirement effective only to the extent and in amounts provided in advance in appropriations Acts.
 
Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on compliance with such requirement, including its effect on improving the quality and standards of veterans' care. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-116.
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2780)
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2779-2780)
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Judgment Evading Foreign States Accountability Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-912
Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Business investment and capital
Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Foreign aid and international relief
Foreign and international banking
Foreign and international corporations
Foreign loans and debt
Government liability
Multilateral development programs
Sanctions
Securities
U.S. and foreign investments

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
Judgment Evading Foreign States Accountability Act of 2011 - States the policy of the United States regarding: (1) advocacy within the governing bodies of international organizations and other foreign policy settings for the full compensation and fair treatment of persons in whose favor judgments have been awarded by U.S. courts; (2) protection of economic interests of persons and nations that benefit from a reliable flow of foreign capital by restricting the access to U.S. capital markets of judgment evading foreign states (foreign states that fail to fully satisfy a final judgment exceeding a certain amount for more than two years) and their state-owned corporations, warning of the dangers of dealing financially with such states and state-owned corporations, and calling upon international financial institutions to vote against providing funding or foreign capital to judgment evading foreign states; and (3) further solidification of the authority of the U.S. courts by preventing such states from willfully flouting the judgments of those courts.
 
Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to: (1) deny a judgment evading foreign state access to U.S. capital markets; and (2) require all periodic filings made by such a state with the SEC to bear prominently a warning describing its failure to satisfy outstanding judgments. Imposes similar restrictions on state-owned corporations of such states.
 
Requires: (1) a proposal to extend bilateral or multilateral assistance to a judgment evading state to bear notice that such state is a judgment evading state; and (2) the Secretary of the Treasury to notify Congress promptly of the proposal.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-913
Sponsor: Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Civil actions and liability
Consumer affairs
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Federal preemption
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Right of privacy
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2011 - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate: (1) regulations that establish standards for the implementation of a mechanism by which an individual can indicate whether he or she prefers to have personal information collected by providers of online services, including by providers of mobile applications and services; and (2) rules that prohibit such providers from collecting personal information on individuals who have expressed a preference not to have such information collected.
 
Requires such rules to allow for the collection and use of personal information if: (1) the information is necessary to provide a service requested by the individual so long as identifying particulars are removed or the information is deleted upon the provision of such service; or (2) the individual receives clear, conspicuous, and accurate notice on, and consents to, such collection and use.
 
Provides for FTC and state enforcement of such rules and regulations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2781-2782)
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2780-2781)
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Surface Transportation Safety Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-918
Sponsor: Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Transportation
Fires
Government information and archives
Railroads
Roads and highways
Rural conditions and development
Transportation employees
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
Surface Transportation Safety Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to modify certain federal regulations to: (1) allow fire services personnel to wear high visibility apparel meeting certain requirements, and (2) ensure that positive protective measures (including temporary longitudinal traffic barriers) are used to separate workers on highway construction projects from motorized traffic.
 
Directs the Secretary to approve the use of federal-aid highway funds by a state for patented or proprietary items that further the goals of state strategic highway safety plans.
 
Directs the Secretary to revise the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices to include a standard for a minimum level of retroreflectivity for pavement markings on all public roads.
 
Revises requirements for the highway safety improvement program to count installation, replacement, and upgrade of highway signs and pavement markings as a highway safety improvement project. Authorizes: (1) states to obligate highway safety improvement program funds apportioned to them for projects to maintain minimum levels of retroreflectivity in highway signs or pavement markings on public roads, regardless of whether such projects are included in state plans; and (2) a federal share of costs of 100% for such projects.
 
Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a program to improve traffic signs and pavement markings for older drivers and pedestrians in all states; (2) review the safety of all highway-rail grade crossings in the United States and, based on such review, compile a list of the ten highway-rail grade crossings having the greatest need for safety improvements; (3) establish a national database of information on the safety of highway-rail grade crossings in the United States; and (4) allocate $20 million to each state with a population density of less than 20 persons per square mile for FY2012 and each subsequent fiscal year for rural highway safety improvement projects.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-919
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses
Child health
Child safety and welfare
Crimes against children
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Family relationships
Government information and archives
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Mental health
Nutrition and diet
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Violent crime

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to: (1) develop, improve, and implement state reporting and information systems that measure conditions for learning, based on surveys of school students and staff; and (2) award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or nonprofit organizations that use such measurement systems to make comprehensive improvements to school-level conditions for learning.
 
Identifies conditions conducive to learning as those that: (1) promote physical activity, education, fitness, and nutrition; (2) promote mental health; (3) prevent violence, harassment, and substance abuse among students; and (4) promote safe and supportive schools and communities. 
 
Conditions a state's grant eligibility on its: (1) having a statewide physical education requirement that is consistent with widely recognized standards; and (2) requiring its LEAs to establish policies that prevent and prohibit harassment in schools, notify students and parents of prohibited conduct each year, and provide students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct.
 
Directs the Secretary to evaluate the programs this Act funds and provide technical assistance to program applicants, grantees, and subgrantees.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2794-2797)
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2793-2794)
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
SDHV Energy Efficiency Standards for America Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-920
Sponsor: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Energy
Energy efficiency and conservation
Lighting, heating, cooling

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
SDHV Energy Efficiency Standards for America Act of 2011 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to revise energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and central air conditioning heat pumps by requiring: (1) the seasonal energy efficiency ratio of small-duct, high-velocity systems to be no less than 11.00 for products manufactured on or after January 23, 2006; and (2) the heating seasonal performance factor of such systems to be 6.8 for products manufactured on or after such date. 
 
Defines "small-duct, high-velocity systems" to mean a heating and cooling product that contains a blower and indoor coil combination that: (1) is designed for, and produces, at least 1.2 inches of external static pressure when operated at the certified air volume rate of 220-350 cubic feet per minute per rated ton of cooling; and (2) when applied in the field, uses high velocity room outlets generally greater than 1,000 feet per minute that have less than 6.0 square inches of free area.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to amend by rule the standards established for such systems. Prohibits amended standards from taking effect less than five years after the final rule making the amendment is published. Requires the Secretary, within 180 days of this Act's enactment, to publish a final rule to determine whether standards for such systems should be amended.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to allow otherwise eligible Israeli nationals to receive E-2 nonimmigrant visas if similarly situated United States nationals are eligible for similar nonimmigrant status in Israel.

Bill: 112-s-921
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Immigration status and procedures
Israel
Middle East
U.S. and foreign investments
Visas and passports

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
Makes Israeli nationals eligible to enter the United States as nonimmigrant traders and investors as provided for under the Immigration and Nationality Act if Israel provides reciprocal nonimmigrant treatment to U.S. nationals.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Urban Jobs Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-922
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Advisory bodies
Employment and training programs
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Language arts
Urban and suburban affairs and development
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
Urban Jobs Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Labor to make competitive grants to national private nonprofit community-based organizations to carry out Urban Jobs Programs to provide job training, education, and support services and activities for eligible urban youth to provide them with a pathway to employment, or education leading to employment. 
 
Defines "eligible youth" as individuals ages 18 to 24 who: (1) are not enrolled in secondary or post-secondary school, or (2) are or have been subject to the criminal justice process.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish a National Jobs Council Advisory Committee.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) community-based affiliates should establish local jobs council advisory committees to aid in establishing local community support for local implementation of the program; and (2) at least one-third of the members of the committee should be employers in high-impact, high-growth industries in the locality.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to withhold United States contributions to the United Nations until the United Nations formally retracts the final report of the "United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict".

Bill: 112-s-923
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Arab-Israeli relations
Budget deficits and national debt
Gaza Strip
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
International organizations and cooperation
Israel
Middle East
Military operations and strategy
Palestinians
United Nations
War crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
Expresses the sense of Congress that now that evidence is available that nullifies the most controversial aspects of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (the Goldstone Report) the United Nations (U.N.) should formally retract the Report.
 
Directs the Secretary of State to withhold U.S. contributions to the regularly assessed U.N. biennial budget until the U.N. formally retracts the Report. 
 
Defines &quot;formally retracts&quot; as a U.N.-adopted resolution stating that insufficient information relating to the Report's subject matter was available before its release and that the Report is annulled.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Family Account to Save on Transportation Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-924
Sponsor: Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Commuting
Employee benefits and pensions
Income tax exclusion
Transportation costs

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
Family Account to Save on Transportation Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain employer-provided transportation benefits (i.e., commuting and parking costs, transit passes) under tax-qualified flexible spending arrangements, for the two-year period beginning after the enactment of this Act..


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
COAST Anti-Drilling Act

Bill: 112-s-926
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2011-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Mining
Oil and gas

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: 
Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism Anti-Drilling Act or COAST Anti-Drilling Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in either the Mid-Atlantic or the North Atlantic planning areas. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate
Agency Overreach Moratorium Act

Bill: 112-s-927
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2011-05-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Government studies and investigations
Historic sites and heritage areas
Land use and conservation
Licensing and registrations
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Mining
Monuments and memorials
Oil and gas
Property rights

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-10
text: 
Agency Overreach Moratorium Act - Prohibits a federal agency from: (1) retroactively withdrawing any permit issued for federal land or any area of the outer Continental Shelf that would have been used to produce or harvest a domestic natural resource or to create one or more jobs, or (2) issuing a designation under any law that would restrict or prohibit access to those resources on such land or any such area, unless approved by an Act of Congress. 
 
Prohibits the implementation of a proclamation issued under the Antiquities Act of 1906 for the designation of a national monument unless approved by an Act of Congress. 
 
Bars a federal agency from taking any action to modify its authority with respect to issuing permits for natural resource development on federal lands or making federal land designations under any law until the Secretary of Commerce submits to Congress an economic analysis to determine: (1) whether the proposed action has the potential to reduce revenue to the Treasury, and (2) the potential impact of the action on property rights and existing contracts. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2011-05-10
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to limit the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use bid savings on major medical facility projects of the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand or change the scope of a major medical facility project of the Department, and for other purposes.

Bill: 112-s-928
Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]
Introduced: 2011-05-10 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Building construction
Health facilities and institutions
Public contracts and procurement
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-10
text: 
Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from using bid savings on a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) major medical facility project to expand or change the scope of a project unless the Secretary submits to the congressional veterans and appropriations committees a description of such expansion or change, along with notification of: (1) the project that is the source of the bid savings, (2) the project for which the expansion or change is to be used, and (3) the amounts which the Secretary intends to obligate for the expansion or change.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-08
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-116.
action_date: 2011-05-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2011-05-10
text: Introduced in Senate