hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the Operation Hero Miles program to include the authority to accept the donation of travel benefits in the form of hotel points or awards for free or reduced-cost accommodations.

Bill: 112-s-1776
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2011-11-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Military medicine
Military operations and strategy
Military personnel and dependents
Transportation costs
Travel and tourism

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-01
text: 
 Expands the authority of the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to accept travel benefits to facilitate the travel of members of the Armed Forces during leave from active duty to include, as part of such benefits, points or awards for free or reduced-cost hotel accommodations.
 
Includes as benefits purposes: (1) providing humanitarian support to members and eligible beneficiaries receiving care through the military health care system, and (2) support to allow participation by members and their families in DOD-sponsored and authorized programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7007)
action_date: 2011-11-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7007)
action_date: 2011-11-01
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require Comptroller General of the United States reports on the major automated information system programs of the Department of Defense.

Bill: 112-s-1777
Sponsor: Sen. Coburn, Tom [R-OK]
Introduced: 2011-11-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Department of Defense
Government information and archives
Performance measurement

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-01
text: 
Directs the Comptroller General, annually from 2013 through 2018, to submit to Congress an assessment of the performance of the major automated information system programs of the Department of Defense (DOD). Requires a preliminary report by the end of FY2012.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2011-11-01
text: Introduced in Senate
DIAPER Act

Bill: 112-s-1778
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2011-11-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Child care and development
Child health
Poverty and welfare assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-01
text: 
Diaper Investment and Aid to Promote Economic Recovery Act or DIAPER Act - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to include a state's provision under a child care and development block grant of diapers and diapering supplies to enrolled child care providers as covered child care assistance to parents with children under age three.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2011-11-01
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require the United States Trade Representative to notify the World Trade Organization if any member of the World Trade Organization fails during 2 consecutive years to disclose subsidies under the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, and for other purposes.

Bill: 112-s-1779
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Free trade and trade barriers
Trade agreements and negotiations

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
Directs the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to identify and report to the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures of the World Trade Organization (WTO) any WTO member with which this country maintains a material and persistent trade deficit that, for two consecutive years, fails to submit a notification of subsidies under the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, or omits information or includes inaccurate information in a notification material to the totality of the member's subsidies.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1780
Sponsor: Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Competition and antitrust
Congressional oversight
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Government information and archives
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act of 2011 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish on its website and submit to Congress a biennial report on the state of the communications marketplace assessing: (1) competition, including intermodal, facilities-based, and new and emergent services competition and addressing the provision of content and communications using the Internet; (2) deployment of communications capabilities, including whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion; and (3) whether laws, regulations, or regulatory practices pose a barrier to competitive entry or expansion of existing providers of communications services.
 
Requires the FCC to compile a list of geographic areas that are not served by any provider of advanced telecommunications capability.
 
Repeals and consolidates various FCC reports including reports on satellite competition, international broadband, video programming, cable industry prices, small business entry barriers, commercial mobile radio, and several other existing reports under such Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Civil Rights Tax Relief Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1781
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Income tax exclusion
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
Civil Rights Tax Relief Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) an exclusion from gross income for amounts received on account of an unlawful discrimination claim, (2) income averaging for backpay and frontpay amounts received from such claims, and (3) an exemption from the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for any tax benefit resulting from the income averaging of amounts received from an unlawful discrimination claim.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
American Mariners Job Protection Act

Bill: 112-s-1783
Sponsor: Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Government information and archives
Marine and inland water transportation
Military readiness
Transportation safety and security
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
 
 American Mariners Job Protection Act - Amends federal shipping laws that require a determination by the Administrator of the Maritime Administration regarding the non-availability of qualified U.S. flag capacity to meet national defense requirements before the head of an agency responsible for the administration of navigation or vessel-inspection laws is authorized on its own initiative to waive compliance with such laws when it considers it necessary in the interest of national defense. Requires the Administrator, in making such determinations, to: (1) identify any actions that could be taken to enable such flag capacity to meet the national defense requirements, (2) provide each such determination to the Secretary of Transportation and the head of the agency for which the determination is made, and (3) publish each such determination on the Internet site of the Department of Transportation (DOT) within 48 hours after it is provided to the Secretary. 
 
 Directs the Secretary to notify Congress of any waiver requests or issuances. Requires the notification of the issuance of a waiver to include the reasons why: (1) the waiver is necessary, and (2) specified actions are not feasible. 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1784
Sponsor: Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Census and government statistics
Congressional oversight
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Government information and archives
Performance measurement

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
 
 Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2011 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to establish procedural requirements for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concerning: (1) the issuance of proposed rulemaking notices, including the time periods for comments and replies and any necessary findings, background information, or performance measures that must be contained in such notices; (2) the circumstances under which the FCC is authorized to adopt or amend a rule; and (3) the disclosure of closed meetings held by a bipartisan majority of FCC Commissioners. 
 
 Requires the FCC, before adopting or amending a rule that may have an economically significant impact, to: (1) analyze the specified market failure, actual consumer harm, burden of existing regulation, or failure of public institutions that warrants the rule or amendment; and (2) determine that the benefits justify its costs. 
 
 Directs the FCC to establish rules for: (1) Commissioners' deliberations including procedures for initiating agenda items and approving orders; and (2) the publication of the status of open rulemakings and all proposed orders, decisions, reports, or actions on circulation for review. 
 
 Prohibits the FCC, without providing an opportunity for public review, from relying on unpublished reports to Congress or ex parte FCC communications or filings under specified circumstances. 
 
 Directs the FCC to publish on its website and in other required formats: (1) each order, decision, report, or action within seven days of its adoption; and (2) an anticipated release schedule for all statistical reports and reports to Congress. 
 
 Sets forth standards that restrict the FCC's authority to conditionally approve line and license transfers and other transactions. Prohibits the FCC from considering a voluntary commitment of a party to such transfer or transaction unless the FCC could adopt that commitment as a condition under such standards. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Back to Work Tax Credit

Bill: 112-s-1785
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Employee hiring
Employment taxes
Higher education
Income tax credits
Social security and elderly assistance
Tax-exempt organizations
U.S. territories and protectorates
Unemployment
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
Back to Work Tax Credit - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an increased work opportunity tax credit for the hiring of a qualified long-term unemployed individual. Defines &quot;qualified long-term unemployed individual&quot; as any individual who was not a student for at least six months during the one-year period ending on the hiring date and is certified as having aggregate periods of unemployment during the one-year period ending on the hiring date which equal or exceed six months. Allows tax-exempt charitable organizations or public institutions of higher education to claim the lesser of the amount of the work opportunity credit or the amount of payroll taxes paid during the calendar year for hiring qualified long-term unemployed individuals. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax Act

Bill: 112-s-1787
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Financial services and investments
Sales and excise taxes
Securities

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a .03% excise tax on the purchase of a security: (1) if such purchase occurs on a trading facility located in the United States, or (2) the purchaser or seller is a U.S. person. 
 
Defines "security" to include: (1) stocks, partnership interests, notes, bonds, debentures, or other evidences of indebtedness; and (2) interests in a derivative financial instrument (i.e., any option, forward contract, futures contract, notional principal contract, or any similar financial instrument). 
 
Exempts from such tax: (1) initial issues of securities; (2) any note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness which has a fixed maturity of not more than 100 days; and (3) securities traded pursuant to certain lending arrangements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Pine Forest Range Recreation Enhancement Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1788
Sponsor: Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Forests, forestry, trees
Land transfers
Nevada
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
Pine Forest Range Recreation Enhancement Act of 2011- Designates specified federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Humboldt County, Nevada, and to be known as the Pine Forest Range Wilderness, as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). 
 
Sets forth provisions for the management of such land, including regarding livestock grazing, water rights, Native American tribal rights and cultural and religious uses, fish and wildlife management, and climate data collection. 
 
Releases BLM land in any part of the Blue Lakes and Alder Creek wilderness study areas not designated as wilderness by this Act from further study for wilderness designation. 
 
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to take necessary measures to control fire, insects, and diseases in the wilderness designated by this Act. 
 
Authorizes land exchanges involving identified federal and non-federal lands in Humboldt County. Incorporates acquired lands and interests in or adjoining the Pine Forest Range Wilderness Area into and administered as part of such wilderness area.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-03-22
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-642.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7068-7070)
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7067-7068)
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Department of Defense Audit Readiness Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1790
Sponsor: Sen. Ayotte, Kelly [R-NH]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Defense spending
Department of Defense
Executive agency funding and structure

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
Department of Defense Audit Readiness Act of 2011 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 to require the Department of Defense (DOD) Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness Plan to describe specific actions for ensuring that a complete and validated full statement of DOD budget resources is ready by no later than September 30, 2014.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Democratizing Access to Capital Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1791
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Scott P. [R-MA]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Financial services and investments
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Securities
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
State and local government operations
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
Democratizing Access to Capital Act of 2011 - Amends the Securities Act of 1933 to exempt from its prohibitions against use of interstate commerce and the mails for sale (or delivery after sale) of unregistered securities, including unregistered security-based swaps, any transactions involving the issuance of securities through a crowdfunding intermediary, whether or not the transaction involves a public offering, for which: (1) the aggregate annual amount raised through the issue of the securities during any 12-month period by an incorporated entity formed under state law is $1 million or less, and (2) individual investments in the securities are limited to a maximum aggregate annual amount of $1,000.
 
(Crowdfunding is a method of capital formation where groups of people pool money, typically composed of very small individual contributions, and often via internet platforms, to invest in a company or otherwise support an effort by others to accomplish a specific goal.)
 
Sets forth criteria for the crowdfunding exemption.
 
Amends the Securities Act of 1934 to exclude: (1) persons holding crowdfunded securities under this Act from application of the 500-to-750 shareholder "held of record" criterion for a class of equity security subject to mandatory registration, and (2) crowdfunding intermediaries from regulation under such Act as &quot;brokers&quot; or &quot;dealers.&quot;
 
Amends the Securities Act of 1933 to preempt state law with respect to regulation of crowdfunded securities. Subjects crowdfunding intermediaries, however, to state authority to investigate and bring enforcement actions with respect to fraud, deceit, or unlawful conduct in connection with securities or securities transactions.
 
Limits authority to impose fees on crowdfunded securities to: (1) the securities commission of the issuer's state of organization, or (2) any state in which purchasers of 50% or greater of the aggregate amount of the issue are residents.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-444.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Strengthening Investigations of Sex Offenders and Missing Children Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1792
Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Child safety and welfare
Crimes against children
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Sex offenses

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
Strengthening Investigations of Sex Offenders and Missing Children Act of 2011 - Amends the federal judicial code to authorize the United States Marshals Service to investigate, at the request of another federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, cases involving: (1) a sex offender who violates a sex offender registration requirement, or (2) a missing child.

action_date: 2011-12-01
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Strengthening Investigations of Sex Offenders and Missing Children Act of 2011 - Amends the federal judicial code to authorize the United States Marshals Service to investigate, at the request of another federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, cases involving: (1) a sex offender who violates a sex offender registration requirement, or (2) a missing child.

action_date: 2012-12-17
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Strengthening Investigations of Sex Offenders and Missing Children Act of 2011 - Amends the federal judicial code to authorize the United States Marshals Service to investigate, at the request of another federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, cases involving: (1) a sex offender who violates a sex offender registration requirement, or (2) a missing child.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-12-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2012-12-18
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2012-12-18
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2012-12-17
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8086-8087; text as passed: CR S8087)
action_date: 2012-12-17
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S8086-8087; text as passed: CR S8087)
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 246.
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2011-12-01
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to require the Corps of Engineers to revise the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System Master Water Control Manual to ensure greater storage capacity to prevent serious downstream flooding.

Bill: 112-s-1795
Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
Introduced: 2011-11-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Floods and storm protection
Missouri River
Water storage

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-03
text: 
Directs the Chief of Engineers to revise the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System Master Water Control Manual to ensure that the System's flood control storage allocation has been: (1) recalculated so that the flood control storage allocation is based on the vacated space required to control the largest flood experienced in the System and the associated serious downstream flooding; and (2) adjusted, prior to each runoff season, such that the space allocated for flood control purposes in the exclusive flood control zone and the annual flood control and multiple use regulation zone is increased by a quantity necessary to ensure that the storage capacity of the zones is adequate to avoid contributing to serious downstream flooding.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2011-11-03
text: Introduced in Senate