hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Phone Scam Prevention Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2956
Sponsor: Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL]
Introduced: 2014-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Consumer affairs
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: 
Phone Scam Prevention Act of 2014 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require voice communications service providers to offer subscribers the option to designate a list of approved telephone numbers for which calls originating from those numbers are permitted to connect directly with the subscriber's telephone and other customer premises equipment.
 
 Requires providers to ensure that any call for termination that is not from a number on the subscriber's list is processed according to the subscriber's preferences, including by limiting or disabling the ability of an incoming call to connect with the subscriber's equipment. 
 
Exempts government and public interest calls from being subject to a subscriber's preferences. 
 
Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop authentication standards for providers to validate caller information so that subscribers may obtain secure assurances of a call's origin, including the calling party's number and identification. 
 
Extends the prohibition on the provision of inaccurate caller identification information to persons outside the United States if the recipient is within the United States.
 
Expands the definition &quot;caller identification information&quot; to include text messages.
 
Revises caller identification requirements to make standards applicable to voice communications using resources from the North American Numbering Plan (currently, the requirements apply to telecommunications or IP-enabled voice services).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6208-6209)
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6207-6208)
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Do Not Disturb Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2957
Sponsor: Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK]
Introduced: 2014-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Consumer affairs
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Tax-exempt organizations
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: 
Do Not Disturb Act of 2014 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to expand the list of entities prohibited from making telephone calls to numbers on the FTC's &quot;do-not-call&quot; registry to include: (1) political committees that accept donations or contributions that do not comply with contribution limits or source prohibitions (commonly known as Super PACs), and (2) tax exempt non-profit social welfare organizations engaged in political activities.
 
Requires the FTC to expand rules against abusive telemarking to prohibit: (1) computer-dialed telephone calls with prerecorded messages (robo-calls) to numbers on the registry, and (2) push-polling calls regarding a candidate for public office in which voters are asked certain questions about opposing candidates or are likely to construe the call as a survey for an independent organization.
 
Provides exceptions to allow robo-calls for emergencies or with the consent of the called party.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Guard and Military Reservist Pay Security Act

Bill: 113-s-2958
Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2014-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Income tax credits
Inflation and prices
Military personnel and dependents
National Guard and reserves
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: 
Guard and Military Reservist Pay Security Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for differential wage payments to active duty members of the Uniformed Services, to: (1) make such credit permanent; (2) increase the rate of such credit to 100%; (3) require an annual adjustment for inflation to credit amounts after 2015; and (4) make such credit available to all employers, not just small business employers. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide for rental assistance for homeless or at-risk Indian veterans.

Bill: 113-s-2960
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2014-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Homelessness and emergency shelter
Housing and community development funding
Indian social and development programs
Low- and moderate-income housing
Public housing
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs

Summary:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: 
Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a rental assistance and supportive housing program, in conjunction with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), for the benefit of Indian veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness and who are residing on or near Indian areas.
 
Requires rental assistance under such program to be: (1) made available to recipients eligible for housing assistance block grants under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996; and (2) awarded based on need, administrative capacity, and any other funding criteria established by the HUD Secretary in a notice published in the Federal Register after consulting with the VA Secretary.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation Act

Bill: 113-s-2961
Sponsor: Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK]
Introduced: 2014-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Department of Transportation
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Government studies and investigations
Railroads
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: 
Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish within the Office of the Secretary the Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation (Office), headed by the Assistant Secretary for Intercity Transportation Planning. 
 
Requires the Office to be composed of:
 
 
the Office of High-Speed Rail Policy,
 
the Office of High-Speed Planning, and 
 
the Office of High-Speed Rail Operations and Safety.
 
 
Requires the Assistant Secretary to oversee the planning, development, construction, financing, funding, and operation of high-speed rail in selected corridors throughout the United States.
 
Directs the Secretary to report to Congress the results of a feasibility study that identifies and prioritizes corridors that offer the best opportunity to provide point-to-point high-speed intercity passenger rail service.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Medical Expense Deduction Act

Bill: 113-s-2962
Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2014-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Health care costs and insurance
Income tax deductions

Summary:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: 
Medical Expense Deduction Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce from 10% to 7.5% of adjusted gross income the threshold after which medical expenses are fully deductible. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2965
Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2014-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Africa
Foreign aid and international relief
Income tax exclusion
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Military operations and strategy
Military personnel and dependents
Wages and earnings
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: 
Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act of 2014 - Provides for a tax exclusion of compensation paid to a member of the Armed Forces serving in Operation United Assistance in the Ebola virus disease outbreak area (i.e. Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and any other region designated as experiencing a widespread Ebola virus disease outbreak). Requires that such service member undergo a program of not less than 21 days of controlled monitoring upon return from the outbreak area. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Critical Care Assessment and Improvement Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2966
Sponsor: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
Introduced: 2014-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Department of Health and Human Services
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Executive agency funding and structure
Government studies and investigations
Health care quality
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health technology, devices, supplies
Medical research
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Public-private cooperation

Summary:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: 
Critical Care Assessment and Improvement Act of 2014 - Requires studies on critical care health services by the Institute of Medicine and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 
 
Directs HHS to establish the Critical Care Coordinating Working Group within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to: (1) advance research and research training in the critical care setting across NIH and HHS; (2) coordinate funding opportunities that involve multiple components of HHS; (3) catalyze the development of new funding opportunities; (4) inform investigators about funding opportunities; (5) represent NIH in government-wide efforts to improve the critical care system; (6) coordinate the collection and analysis of information on NIH research relating to critical care and identify gaps in this research; (7) report annually to the Director of NIH on NIH research efforts relating to critical care; and (8) make recommendations on how to strengthen partnerships within NIH and HHS and public and private entities to expand collaborative, cross-cutting research.
 
Requires HHS to carry out a demonstration project to improve the quality and efficiency of critical care in acute care hospitals.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate
Local Control of Education Act

Bill: 113-s-2967
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2014-12-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Intergovernmental relations
School administration
State and local government operations
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2014-12-02
text: 
Local Control of Education Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit the federal government from directly or indirectly mandating, directing, controlling, incentivizing, or conditioning federal support on a state's, local educational agency's (LEA's), or school's adoption of:
 
 
 the Common Core State Standards, any other academic standards common to a number of states, or any statewide or nationally recognized content standards; or 
 
 any assessment, instructional content, or curriculum aligned to, or based on, specific academic standards.
 
 
Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to make those prohibitions applicable to grants awarded under the Race to the Top program for innovations and reforms in elementary and secondary education.
 
Prohibits the Secretary of Education from conditioning the provision of a statutory or regulatory waiver under the ESEA on a state, LEA, Indian tribe, or school adopting any specific instructional content, academic standard, assessment, curriculum, or program of instruction. Makes that prohibition applicable to future and previously issued waivers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-12-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2014-12-02
text: Introduced in Senate
General of the Army Omar Bradley Property Transfer Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2969
Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2014-12-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Military history
Military personnel and dependents

Summary:
action_date: 2014-12-02
text: 
General of the Army Omar Bradley Property Transfer Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Omar Bradley Foundation, Pennsylvania, to transfer, without consideration, to the child of General of the Army Omar Nelson Bradley and his first wife, Mary Elizabeth Quayle Bradley, such items of the Omar Bradley estate under the control of the Foundation as the Secretary of the Army determines to be without historic value to the Army, provided a claim for such a transfer is submitted within 180 days after enactment of this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-12-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2014-12-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Military Justice Improvement Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2970
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2014-12-02 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Crime victims
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Government studies and investigations
Military command and structure
Military law
Military personnel and dependents

Summary:
action_date: 2014-12-02
text: 
Military Justice Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to direct the Secretaries of Defense (DOD) and Homeland Security (DHS) to require the Secretaries of the military departments to modify the process for determining whether to try by court-martial a member accused of: (1) certain UCMJ offenses for which the maximum punishment includes confinement for more than one year; or (2) a conspiracy, solicitation, or attempt to commit such offenses. 
 
 Requires courts-martial determinations for such offenses to be made by a commissioned officer available for detail as trial counsel who is outside the chain of command of the member subject to the charges. (Currently, courts-martial decisions are made by commanding officers of accused members.)
 
Excludes from the revised procedures that require counsel outside the chain of command to make such courts-martial determinations certain UCMJ offenses relating specifically to military service, including absence without leave, insubordination, and aiding the enemy. 
 
Prohibits an outside counsel's determination not to proceed to trial by general or special court-martial from altering the authority of commanding officers to: (1) refer noncapital offenses to summary courts-martial with limits on the punishments that may be imposed; or (2) impose non-judicial admonitions, reprimands, or disciplinary punishment for minor offenses. 
 
Requires military chiefs of staff to establish offices to convene general and special courts-martial. Prohibits officers in the chain of command of an accused or a victim from detailing members to serve on a resulting trial by court-martial. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-12-03
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 611.
action_date: 2014-12-02
text: Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
action_date: 2014-12-02
text: Introduced in Senate
Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2971
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2014-12-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Building construction
Congressional oversight
Energy efficiency and conservation
Environmental technology
General Services Administration
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Industrial facilities
Lighting, heating, cooling
Materials
Performance measurement
Public contracts and procurement
Public utilities and utility rates
Real estate business
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2014-12-03
text: 
Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015 - Better Buildings Act of 2014 - Requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to: (1) develop and publish model leasing provisions to encourage building owners and tenants to use greater cost-effective energy efficiency and water efficiency measures in commercial buildings, and (2) develop policies and best practices to implement the measures for the realty services provided by the GSA to federal agencies. 
 
Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a voluntary Tenant Star program within the Energy Star program to recognize tenants of spaces in commercial buildings that voluntarily achieve high levels of energy efficiency. Authorizes the EPA to develop a voluntary program to recognize commercial building owners and tenants that use high-performance energy efficiency measures in the design and construction of leased spaces.
 
Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to prescribe additional energy conservation standards for grid-enabled water heaters for use as part of an electric thermal storage or demand response program, which is a program that enables customers to reduce or shift their power use during peak demand periods.
 
Energy Efficient Government Technology Act - Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require: (1) each federal agency to coordinate with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the EPA to develop an implementation strategy for the maintenance, purchase, and use of energy-efficient and energy-saving information technologies; (2) DOE to maintain a data center energy practitioner program that leads to the certification of energy practitioners qualified to evaluate the energy usage and efficiency opportunities in federal data centers; and (3) DOE to establish an open data initiative to make information about federal data center energy usage available and accessible in a manner that encourages data center innovation, optimization, and consolidation. 
 
Requires DOE to maintain, and if necessary create, a database for storing and making available public energy-related information on commercial and multifamily buildings.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-12-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2014-12-03
text: Introduced in Senate
Christen O'Donnell Equestrian Helmet Safety Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2972
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2014-12-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Outdoor recreation
Product safety and quality

Summary:
action_date: 2014-12-03
text: 
Christen O'Donnell Equestrian Helmet Safety Act of 2014 - Requires equestrian helmets manufactured after a specified date to meet: (1) certain ASTM International standards if the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has not established a standard, and (2) CPSC standards incorporating those ASTM standards if the CPSC has established a standard.
 
Authorizes the CPSC to promulgate equestrian helmet standards incorporating ASTM standards. Exempts any such CPSC-promulgated standard from judicial review, a reliance on voluntary standards, and other procedural requirements that normally apply to such proceedings. 
 
Requires helmets that fail to meet standards required by this Act to be treated as a violation of a consumer product safety standard promulgated under the Consumer Product Safety Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-12-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2014-12-03
text: Introduced in Senate
National Laboratory Technology Maturation Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2973
Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
Introduced: 2014-12-04 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Energy research
Product development and innovation
Research administration and funding
Research and development
Small business
Technology transfer and commercialization

Summary:
action_date: 2014-12-04
text: 
National Laboratory Technology Maturation Act of 2014 - Requires the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to establish the National Laboratory technology maturation program to make grants of up to $5 million per fiscal year to National Laboratories to increase the successful transfer of technologies licensed from National Laboratories to small businesses by providing a link between an innovative process or technology and a practical application with potential to be successful in commercial markets.
 
Requires grant recipients to use the funds to provide vouchers of up to $250,000 each to small businesses that hold a technology license from a National Laboratory to pay the cost of providing assistance from its scientists and engineers to assist in the development of the licensed technology and further develop related products and services until they are market-ready or sufficiently developed to attract private investment.
 
Requires a National Laboratory that awards a voucher to carry out such a project to: (1) establish a procedure to monitor interim progress of the project toward commercialization milestones, and (2) discontinue providing such funding or assistance if it determines that a project is not making adequate progress toward such milestones under the procedure.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-12-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2014-12-04
text: Introduced in Senate
SPORTS Act

Bill: 113-s-2974
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2014-12-04 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Competition and antitrust
Government studies and investigations
Higher education
Legislative rules and procedure
Professional sports
School athletics
Television and film

Summary:
action_date: 2014-12-04
text: 
Sustained Promotion of Responsibility in Team Sports Act or the SPORTS Act - Amends the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 to repeal the existing antitrust exemption for agreements covering the telecasting of sports contests and the combining of professional football leagues with respect to professional football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. Removes specific mention of these four sports and applies the antitrust exemption to agreements for the telecasting of any professional sports contests. Delays the effective date of this repeal until one year after enactment.
 
Applies antitrust laws to any league of clubs participating in professional baseball in connection with any agreement relating to the sponsored telecasting of baseball games.
 
Establishes the Advisory Commission on Sports and the Public Interest.
 
Sets forth procedures for expedited consideration every five years of a joint resolution to extend the antitrust exemption for professional sports teams.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-12-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2014-12-04
text: Introduced in Senate