hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Infant and Toddler Care Improvement Act

Bill: 113-s-1065
Sponsor: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Child care and development
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Employment and training programs
Preschool education
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Infant and Toddler Care Improvement Act - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to enable eligible states (including Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) to improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers, especially those from low-income families.
 
Authorizes the use of grant funds to: (1) make grants to organizations with expertise in providing child care and related technical assistance, to establish new staffed family child care networks or to operate existing staffed family child care networks or systems that offer, to family child care providers who are eligible infant and toddler care providers, technical assistance, training, administrative support, or direct services including monitoring visits to providers; (2) support a statewide network of infant and toddler care specialists; and (3) support initiatives to improve the quality of the provider workforce.
 
Allows the use of such funds also to: (1) develop infant and toddler components for the State's Quality Rating and Improvement System or a similar rating system, child care licensing regulations, or voluntary early learning guidelines; (2) improve the ability of parents to obtain information about high-quality infant and toddler care; or (3) assist eligible infant and toddler care providers seeking to increase their ranking on the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System or similar rating system, meet performance standards applicable to an Early Head Start agency, or become accredited by a national accrediting body.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act

Bill: 113-s-1066
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Government lending and loan guarantees
Higher education
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Student aid and college costs
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow borrowers that received loans under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (DL) or Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program on or after July 1, 2006, to consolidate those loans as Federal Direct Consolidation Loans. 
 
Directs the Secretary of Education to consolidate DLs, and send a completed loan consolidation application to FFEL borrowers, within 90 days of this Act's enactment. Gives FFEL borrowers six months after their receipt of such application to endorse it and submit it to the Secretary if they wish to consolidate their loans.
 
Sets the interest rate on Federal Direct Consolidation Loans at 4% or, if the weighted average of the interest rates of the loans being consolidated is less than 4%, the lesser of: (1) that weighted average, or (2) an interest rate equal to 0.4% of the principal balance of the consolidation loan at the time of consolidation.
 
Adds an origination fee equal to 0.4% of the principal balance of the consolidation loan at the time of consolidation if an FFEL is being consolidated.
 
Reduces the interest rate on a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan by 0.25% if one or more of the loans being consolidated is an FFEL held by an eligible lender.
 
Prohibits any benefit a borrower is receiving or earning when issued a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan from being affected by the consolidation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Innovation Inspiration School Grant Program Act

Bill: 113-s-1067
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Government information and archives
Science and engineering education
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Women's education

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Innovation Inspiration School Grant Program Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to: (1) promote science, technology, engineering (including robotics), and mathematics (STEM) in secondary schools and after school programs; (2) support the participation of secondary school students in nontraditional STEM teaching methods; and (3) broaden secondary school students' access to STEM careers.
 
Gives priority to grant applications that target: (1) a rural or urban school, (2) a low-performing school or LEA, or (3) an LEA or school that serves students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches under the school lunch program.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to waive all or part of the matching requirement for financially-strapped LEAs.
 
Directs the Secretary to evaluate the efficacy of the grant program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Every Child Deserves a Family Act

Bill: 113-s-1069
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Congressional oversight
Marriage and family status
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Every Child Deserves a Family Act - Prohibits an entity that receives federal assistance and is involved in adoption or foster care placements from discriminating against prospective adoptive or foster parents solely on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identification, or marital status or on the basis of the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child involved.
 
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in order to ensure compliance with, and ensure understanding of the legal, practice, and culture changes required by this Act in making foster care and adoption placement decisions, to provide specified technical assistance to all entities covered by this Act.
 
Requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study of whether states have substantially complied with this Act in eliminating policies, practices, or statutes that deny adoption rights on the basis of these criteria.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Mobile Device Theft Deterrence Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1070
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Crimes against property
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Mobile Device Theft Deterrence Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit knowingly: (1) removing, obliterating, tampering with, or altering a mobile device identification number; or (2) using, producing, trafficking in, having control or custody of, or possessing hardware or software, knowing it has been configured to engage in such conduct. 
 
Exempts the manufacturer of a mobile device, a person that engineers, tests, repairs, or refurbishes a mobile device, or a person that implements technologies for the purpose of protecting the security and privacy of mobile device end users while allowing the transmission of the mobile device identification number to service providers, unless such manufacturer or person knows that the mobile device or part involved is stolen.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make improvements to support facilities for National Historic Sites operated by the National Park Service, and for other purposes.

Bill: 113-s-1071
Sponsor: Sen. Udall, Mark [D-CO]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Government buildings, facilities, and property
Historic sites and heritage areas
Travel and tourism

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the National Park Service (NPS), to make improvements to a support facility, including a visitor center, for a National Historic Site operated by the NPS if such project: (1) is conducted using amounts included in the budget of the NPS in effect on the date on which the project is authorized, (2) is subject to a 50% non-federal cost sharing requirement, and (3) is conducted in an area in which the NPS was authorized by law to establish such a facility. 
 
Allows the Secretary to operate and use all or part of a support facility, including a visitor center, for such a Site: (1) to carry out the duties associated with the operation and support of such Site, and (2) only in accordance with an agreement between the Secretary and the local government in which the facility is located.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-31
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-93.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Gas Price and Refinery Capacity Relief Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1073
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Energy prices
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Government information and archives
Oil and gas

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Gas Price and Refinery Capacity Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require a refinery owner or operator to report to the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration (EIA): (1) at least one year in advance the schedule for any planned removal from service for maintenance, repair, or modification of any refinery or a unit (planned refinery outage); and (2) as soon as practicable any unplanned refinery outages.
 
Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) review, analyze, and make available to refinery operators information on unplanned refinery outages in order to prevent significant market disruptions; and (2) analyze the costs and benefits of creating a national strategic refined petroleum products reserve for refined petroleum products.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
SHORE Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1075
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Disaster relief and insurance
Floods and storm protection

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Saving Homeowners from Onerous Rate Escalations Act of 2013 or SHORE Act of 2013 - Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to phase in, over an eight-year period, any increase in the flood insurance risk premium rate caused by the prohibition against extending subsidies to new or lapsed policies.
 
Extends from a 5-year to a 10-year period the phase-in period for premium adjustment increases in the flood insurance risk rate. Prescribes a phase-in rate of: (1) 5% for each of the first 5 years after the effective date of an update, and 15% for each of the 5 ensuing years; and (2) 5% for each of the first 5 years following the effective date of designation as a special flood area of any area not previously so designated, and 15% for each of the 5 ensuing years. 

 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Disabled Military Child Protection Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1076
Sponsor: Sen. Hagan, Kay R. [D-NC]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Disability assistance
Military personnel and dependents
Veterans' pensions and compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
 Disabled Military Child Protection Act of 2013 - Authorizes monthly annuity payments under the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) to a supplemental or special needs trust established for the sole benefit of a disabled dependent child who is incapable of self-support because of mental or physical incapacity.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Reauthorization Act

Bill: 113-s-1077
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Chesapeake Bay
Historic sites and heritage areas
Historical and cultural resources
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Parks, recreation areas, trails
Watersheds

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Reauthorization Act - Amends the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 to reauthorize through FY2018 the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network. 

action_date: 2014-06-05
text: 

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

 
Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Reauthorization Act - Amends the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 to reauthorize through FY2018 the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-06-05
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 420.
action_date: 2014-06-05
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 113-189.
action_date: 2014-06-05
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 113-189.
action_date: 2014-02-06
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3859)
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3858-3859)
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to direct the Secretary of Defense to provide certain TRICARE beneficiaries with the opportunity to retain access to TRICARE Prime.

Bill: 113-s-1078
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Military medicine
Military personnel and dependents

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 to direct the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to ensure that each beneficiary other than an active-duty beneficiary who is enrolled in TRICARE Prime (a DOD managed health care program) as of September 30, 2013, may make a one-time election to continue such enrollment, notwithstanding that an existing TRICARE contract does not allow for such enrollment based on the location in which the beneficiary resides. Allows the beneficiary to continue in such enrollment while residing in the same ZIP Code in which the beneficiary resided at the time of election.
 
Allows such a beneficiary to elect, at any time, to instead enroll in TRICARE Standard.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Artificial Reef Promotion Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1079
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Alabama
Army Corps of Engineers
Department of the Interior
Florida
Gulf of Mexico
Hunting and fishing
Licensing and registrations
Louisiana
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Mississippi
Oil and gas
Texas
Water quality

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Artificial Reef Promotion Act of 2013 - Amends the National Fishing Enhancement Act of 1984 to require the Secretary of the Army, in issuing a permit for artificial reefs, to ensure that a state assuming liability for future damages has established an artificial reef maintenance fund.
 
Requires the Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to promulgate regulations that expedite the review of a final application submitted to dispose of or remove an offshore oil and gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico for use as an artificial reef by requiring that a decision be made within 150 days after the submission of such application. Requires the Commanding General of the Corps of Engineers to promulgate regulations that expedite the review of a final application by the Secretary by requiring a decision to be given within 120 days after the submission of such application.
 
Directs the Commanding General to designate no fewer than 20 artificial reef planning areas. Specifies location and depth requirements for such artificial reefs, including the number of areas that should be located outside the seaward boundary of each of the Gulf states. Revises siting compliance requirements imposed upon permittees.
 
Prohibits regulations from requiring an artificial reef planning area to be filled to capacity with offshore oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico before another artificial reef planning area is established. Requires the Regional Supervisor to give preference to a final application submitted to dispose of or remove a platform for use as an artificial reef.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Military Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1081
Sponsor: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses
Congressional oversight
Crimes against women
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Evidence and witnesses
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government studies and investigations
Military law
Military personnel and dependents
Personnel records
Sex offenses

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Military Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2013 - Revises provisions concerning protected communications from members of the Armed Forces (members) to specified military and government officials (military whistleblower provisions) to include communications made to a court, grand jury, or court-martial proceeding or to an authorized official of the Department of Justice (DOJ) or another law enforcement agency.
 
Includes as additional protected communications any alleged violation of law, rule, or regulation, including those prohibiting rape, sexual assault, or other sexual misconduct under provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
 
Provides that neither an initial determination of whether a prohibited personnel retaliatory action was taken against a member for such a communication nor a subsequent investigation is required in the case of an allegation made more than one year (under current law, 60 days) after the member first becomes aware of the personnel action.
 
Requires reports by inspectors general of the military departments concerned on prohibited retaliatory personnel actions to: (1) be submitted to such department's Secretary (under current law, to the Secretary of Defense [DOD]); and (2) include an explicit determination as to whether a prohibited personnel action has occurred and recommendations for disposition of the complaint, including appropriate corrective action for the member. Requires any such corrective action to occur within 30 days after the receipt of such report. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) (with respect to the Coast Guard) and the Secretary concerned, upon determining that an order for corrective or disciplinary action is not appropriate, to notify the Secretary of Defense, the congressional defense committees, and the member of such determination and the reasons for not taking action. Requires (under current law, allows) the appropriate correction of military records upon the request of a member for whom a prohibited action determination has been made.
 
Establishes the member's and agency's burden of proof with respect to military whistleblower protection investigations and determinations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate
Accelerated Learning Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1082
Sponsor: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN]
Introduced: 2013-05-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Higher education
Performance measurement
Teaching, teachers, curricula
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: 
Accelerated Learning Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Education to allot grants to states, based on their share of low-income elementary and secondary school students, to cover part or all of the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) examination fee low-income students incur.
 
Directs the Secretary to award renewable competitive matching grants to states, local educational agencies (LEAs), or partnerships between a nonprofit organization and a state or LEA for activities that increase: (1) the number of qualified teachers at high-need schools who are teaching AP or IB courses, (2) the number of AP or IB courses offered at high-need schools, and (3) the number of students at high-need schools who enroll and succeed in such courses. 
 
 Gives priority, in awarding the competitive grants, to applicants that: (1) have a state-wide or district-wide strategy for increasing the availability of AP or IB courses, and pre-AP or pre-IB courses, in high-need schools; (2) focus on increasing AP or IB courses in the core academic subjects; and (3) target high-need schools.
 
Defines a &quot;high-need school&quot; as a secondary school that has a demonstrated need for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses and that: (1) has a high concentration of low-income students; or (2) is designated with a school locale code of 41, 42, or 43. 
 
Directs the Secretary, through the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, to evaluate the implementation and impact of the activities supported by the competitive grant program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2013-05-23
text: Introduced in Senate