hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3699
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2012-12-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Government information and archives
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health promotion and preventive care
Medicare
Nutrition and diet
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: 
Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2012 -Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to include information on the coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity in the &quot;Medicare and You Handbook.&quot;
 
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to give Medicare beneficiaries, primary care physicians, and other appropriate service providers and suppliers distinct, written notification regarding the coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity under Medicare as an additional preventive service.
 
Directs the Secretary to develop and implement a plan to coordinate the efforts of all HHS offices and agencies to treat, reduce, and prevent obesity and overweight in the adult population.
 
Authorizes the Secretary, in addition to qualified primary care physicians and other primary care practitioners, to allow other appropriate health care providers, instructors trained in lifestyle counseling programs such as the Diabetes Prevention Program, and programs recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide intensive behavioral therapy for obesity.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to cover chronic weight management drugs under SSA title XVIII part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) if the Secretary determines that such coverage is appropriate.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Vested Employee Pension Benefit Protection Act

Bill: 112-s-3700
Sponsor: Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO]
Introduced: 2012-12-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Building construction
Employee benefits and pensions
Income tax deferral

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: 
Vested Employee Pension Benefit Protection Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employees in the building and construction industry to make distributions from their tax-exempt employer pension plans at age 55 if they are not separated from service at the time of such distributions and were participants in such plan on or before January 1, 2013. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Lyon County Economic Development and Conservation Act

Bill: 112-s-3701
Sponsor: Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV]
Introduced: 2012-12-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Land transfers
Nevada
Water use and supply
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: 
Lyon County Economic Development and Conservation Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the city of Yerington, Nevada, identified federal land in Lyon and Mineral Counties.
 
Designates identified federal land in Nevada managed by the Forest Service, to be known as the Wovoka Wilderness, as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. 
 
Sets forth provisions for the management of the Wovoka Wilderness, including regarding livestock grazing, overflights, wildfire, insects, and diseases, water rights, and fish and wildlife. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Introduced in Senate
SERV Act

Bill: 112-s-3702
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2012-12-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Criminal procedure and sentencing
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Law enforcement administration and funding
Mental health
Specialized courts
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: 
Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for Veterans Act or the SERV Act - Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to delegate to the Department of Justice (DOJ) the authority to administer the veteran's treatment courts program established by this Act.
 
Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to states and other entities: (1) to develop, implement, or enhance veteran's treatment courts or to expand operational drug courts to serve veterans; and (2) for programs that involve continuing judicial supervision over nonviolent offenders with substance abuse or mental health problems who have served in the U.S. military. Requires such programs to include mandatory periodic testing for the use of drugs, substance abuse and mental health treatment, opportunities for diversion, probation, or supervised release, and programmatic, offender management, and aftercare services. 
 
Directs the National Drug Court Institute to conduct national training programs for state and local communities to improve the professional skills of drug court practitioners and provide comprehensive technical assistance to adult, juvenile, and family dependency drug courts.
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Data Cap Integrity Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3703
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2012-12-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Budget deficits and national debt
Consumer affairs
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Right of privacy

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: 
Data Cap Integrity Act of 2012 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should continue its work to ensure that consumers of Internet services are clearly and consistently provided information describing the purchased services, including: (1) the cost of services; (2) the rate of upload and download speed for which the consumer is paying; (3) the service limits the Internet service provider (ISP) establishes for purposes of network management, including bandwidth throttling or rate limiting; (4) contract terms; and (5) legal and privacy policies.
 
Prohibits an ISP from imposing a data cap on consumers unless the ISP is certified by the FCC.
 
Defines &quot;data cap&quot; as a limit on, or a fee-based structure with the purpose of limiting, the amount of bits a consumer may download or upload during a period of time specified by the ISP.
 
Directs the FCC, after considering any public comment, to establish standards for ISPs to accurately measure household data usage of consumers. 
 
Requires the FCC to certify an ISP if it determines that: (1) the ISP is accurately measuring household data usage consistent with such standards, and (2) the data cap proposed by the ISP functions to reasonably limit network congestion without unnecessarily restricting Internet use.
 
Prohibits an ISP that imposes a data cap on consumers from providing preferential treatment based on the source or the content of the data. Directs such an ISP to identify commercially available tools allowing the consumer to: (1) monitor the amount of bits that the consumer has uploaded or downloaded and the relationship such information has to the terms of the data cap, and (2) control uploads and downloads on all wireline and wireless devices accessing the consumer's Internet network.
 
Directs the FCC to establish enforcement procedures enabling individuals to file a complaint with the FCC to investigate the accuracy of an ISP's data use measurements. Authorizes the FCC to impose civil penalties on ISPs for inaccurate measurements in relation to a data cap.
 
Establishes the Data Cap Integrity Fund for the FCC to deposit such civil penalties and make payments to complainants. Requires any specified excess amounts to be transferred to the Treasury's general fund for deficit reduction.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8303)
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to clarify the authorized uses of funds in the Crime Victims Fund.

Bill: 112-s-3704
Sponsor: Sen. Kyl, Jon [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2012-12-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Crime victims
Government trust funds
Judicial procedure and administration
Law enforcement administration and funding

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: 
Amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to permit sums in the Crime Victims Fund that are not used for child abuse prevention and treatment grants to be used only to improve services for the benefit of crime victims in the federal criminal justice system and for a Victim Notification System.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8304)
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8303-8304)
action_date: 2012-12-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Protect our Kids Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3705
Sponsor: Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT]
Introduced: 2012-12-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Appropriations
Child care and development
Child health
Child safety and welfare
Domestic violence and child abuse
Family relationships
Government studies and investigations
Health information and medical records
Poverty and welfare assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-21
text: 
Protect Our Kids Act of 2012 - Establishes the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities to: (1) study the use of child protective services and child welfare services under titles IV and XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to reduce fatalities from child abuse and neglect; (2) develop recommendations to reduce such fatalities for federal, state, and local agencies, and private sector and nonprofit organizations, including recommendations to implement a comprehensive national strategy for such purpose; and (3) develop guidelines for the type of information that should be tracked to improve interventions to prevent such fatalities. 
 
Requires any federal agency affected by a recommendation to report to Congress its response and plans to address it.
 
Amends SSA title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to make an adjustment to the Contingency Fund for State Welfare Programs with respect to deposits for FY2013-FY2014, reserving a specified amount for Commission activities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2012-12-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8364-8365)
action_date: 2012-12-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Utility Employee Background Check Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3707
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2012-12-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Criminal justice information and records
Electric power generation and transmission
Employee hiring
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Industrial facilities
Nuclear power
Personnel records
Public utilities and utility rates

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-21
text: 
Utility Employee Background Check Act of 2012 - Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to establish procedures for regional entities or users, owners, or operators of the bulk-power system under the Federal Power Act, owners and operators of a facility licensed pursuant to and covered by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, and owners and operators of a chemical facility subject to the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards to obtain national criminal history background checks, including a search of the Interstate Identification Index of the National Crime Information Centers, for employees who have access to the most sensitive areas of operation. Authorizes the Director to collect fees for such checks.
 
Amends the Federal Power Act to direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to order the Electric Reliability Organization to submit a proposed reliability standard that would require each such regional entity or user, owner, or operator of the bulk-power system to obtain a background check for every such employee. 
 
Amends the Atomic Energy Act to direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to require each such licensed facility to obtain a background check for every such employee. 
 
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to require each such chemical facility to obtain a background check for every such employee.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2012-12-21
text: Introduced in Senate
SAFE Child Act

Bill: 112-s-3708
Sponsor: Sen. Kyl, Jon [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2012-12-21 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Child safety and welfare
Crime prevention
Crime victims
Criminal justice information and records
Domestic violence and child abuse
Government trust funds
Judicial procedure and administration
Legal fees and court costs

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-21
text: 
Stop Abuse For Every Child Act of 2012 or the SAFE Child Act - Amends the federal criminal code to require the court to impose an additional special assessment equal to three times the amount assessed under current law on persons convicted of specified offenses (other than individuals convicted of an offense against the United States). 
 
Establishes a Surcharge Fund, to be administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), into which such assessments shall be deposited and from which the Secretary shall make a competitive grant every three years to a private nonprofit organization to operate a national child abuse hotline, encourage reporting of child abuse, and conduct public education on child abuse. Requires unobligated funds to be transferred to the Crime Victims Fund.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8365)
action_date: 2012-12-21
text: Introduced in Senate
Career And Technical Innovation Fund Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3710
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2012-12-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Employment and training programs
Performance measurement
Rural conditions and development
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-27
text: 
Career And Technical Innovation Fund Act of 2012 - Amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to authorize the Secretary of Education to reserve a specified amount of funds appropriated for FY2013-FY2017 for certain activities of national significance, including: (1) capacity building, (2) technical assistance, (3) evaluation, and (4) dissemination of best practices.
 
Directs the Secretary to award competitive grants, for a period of three years, to local educational agencies, area career and technical education schools, postsecondary vocational institutions and institutions of higher education, entities that carry out apprenticeship programs, and other partners to carry out specified programs and activities that meet certain performance standards to improve the effectiveness of career and technical education programs and teachers as well as increase student achievement to meet the needs of the future workforce.
 
Requires the Secretary to set aside a specified amount of funds awarded to eligible entities for any fiscal year for projects to improve student outcomes in rural areas.
 
Prescribes grant eligibility requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2012-12-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Student Internship Opportunity Act

Bill: 112-s-3711
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2012-12-27 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Elementary and secondary education
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-27
text: 
Student Internship Opportunity Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award renewable, competitive grants to certain eligible entities for the development and implementation of districtwide opportunities for secondary school students to participate in an internship program as the culminating experience of a broader work-based learning continuum.
 
Defines an &quot;eligible entity&quot; as one or more local educational agencies or area career and technical education schools that has entered into a memorandum of understanding with at least one business or industry partner in an in-demand industry sector or occupation, a state or local workforce board, a community-based or nonprofit organization, or a qualified intermediary. Allows the inclusion of an institution of higher education in such an entity.
 
Requires the internships to: (1) reinforce students' academic and technical coursework and promote their development of college and career readiness skills; (2) compensate students for their work by providing them with secondary or postsecondary academic credit, payment for postsecondary education, a wage or stipend, payment for certification exams, or a combination thereof; and (3) provide a meaningful contribution to the organizational goals of the internship provider.
 
Requires each grant applicant to identify program goals and performance indicators and have a plan to assess: (1) the performance of interns against college and career readiness skills and attributes; and (2) the quality of each internship program in the areas of internship experience, preparation, connection to an in-demand industry sector or occupation, responsibilities, and engagement.
 
Directs each grantee to make an annual report available to the Secretary and the public, for each grant year, that includes information assessing the impact of the grant program on student learning and achievement.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2012-12-27
text: Introduced in Senate
Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act

Bill: 112-s-3712
Sponsor: Sen. Nelson, Ben [D-NE]
Introduced: 2012-12-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Child care and development
Child safety and welfare
Commemorative events and holidays
Currency
Nebraska
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-28
text: 
Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 350,000 $1 coins to commemorate the centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town.
 
Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the 100 years of Boys Town, one of the largest nonprofit child care agencies in the United States.
 
Permits issuance of such coins only between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018.
 
Requires all such coin sales to include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
 
Requires all surcharges received by the Secretary from coin sales to be paid to Boys Town to: (1) promote and provide for the cause of Boys Town, and (2) care and assist children and families in underserved communities across America.
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2012-12-28
text: Introduced in Senate
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Technical Corrections Act of 2012

Bill: 112-s-3713
Sponsor: Sen. Shelby, Richard C. [R-AL]
Introduced: 2012-12-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Consumer credit
Financial services and investments
Government studies and investigations

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-28
text: 
 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Technical Corrections Act of 2012 - Makes technical corrections to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, including certain Acts within it as well as other specified Acts, regarding definitions affecting regulation of advisers to hedge funds.
 
Extends for one year the deadline for issuance of any rule or regulation, conduct of any study, or submission of any report required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, except any rules already finalized.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2012-12-28
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8507-8508)
action_date: 2012-12-28
text: Introduced in Senate
CALM Act

Bill: 112-s-3714
Sponsor: Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV]
Introduced: 2012-12-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Budget deficits and national debt
Budget process
Capital gains tax
Congressional oversight
Income tax rates
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Legislative rules and procedure
Medicare
Tax reform and tax simplification
Transfer and inheritance taxes

Summary:
action_date: 2012-12-30
text: 
Cliff Alleviation at Last Minute Act or the CALM Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide for a phased increase in income and capital gain tax rates beginning in 2013 through 2015, and (2) establish a permanent maximum estate tax rate of 45% and a unified estate and gift tax credit of $3.5 million.
 
Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to authorize the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to determine which defense and nondefense accounts will be reduced in FY2013-FY2021 to meet deficit reduction requirements and to report to Congress on its recommendations. Sets forth a congressional disapproval procedure for overriding OMB's recommendations.
 
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement reforms under Medicare that result in reduced expenditures equal to $40 billion in each of FY2014-FY2023.
 
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should address comprehensive tax reform in the 113th Congress.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2012-12-30
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8548-8549)
action_date: 2012-12-30
text: Introduced in Senate