hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Jury ACCESS Act

Bill: 113-s-38
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Federal district courts
Judicial procedure and administration
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Specialized courts

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Jury Access for Capable Citizens and Equality in Service Selection Act of 2013 or the Jury ACCESS Act - Amends the federal judicial code to prohibit the exclusion of citizens from service as a grand or petit juror in U.S. district courts or the Court of International Trade on account of sexual orientation or gender identity (thereby expanding the current prohibition on exclusion on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
American Liberty Restoration Act

Bill: 113-s-40
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
American Liberty Restoration Act - Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that require individuals to maintain minimum essential health care coverage. Applies the Internal Revenue Code as if such provisions had never been enacted.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide a permanent deduction for State and local general sales taxes.

Bill: 113-s-41
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Income tax deductions
Sales and excise taxes
State and local taxation

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the taxpayer election to deduct state and local general sales taxes in lieu of state and local income taxes. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Dollar-for-Dollar Deficit Reduction Act

Bill: 113-s-43
Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Budget deficits and national debt
Budget process
Executive agency funding and structure
Legislative rules and procedure
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Dollar-for-Dollar Deficit Reduction Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, in the event of a near breach of the current $14.294 trillion public debt limit, to issue a debt limit warning to the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Ways and Means that includes a determination as to when extraordinary measures may be necessary in order to prolong the funding of the federal government in the absence of a debt limit increase.
 
Requires any formal presidential request to increase the public debt limit to include the amount of the proposed debt limit increase and be accompanied by proposed legislation to reduce spending over the sum of the current and following 10 years by an amount equal to or greater than the amount of the requested debt limit increase. Prohibits net interest savings from being counted towards the spending reductions.
 
Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to make it out of order in both chambers to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report that increases the statutory debt limit unless it contains such net spending reductions.
 
Prohibits Congress from voting on any measure that increases the public debt limit unless the cost estimate of that measure prepared by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has been publicly available on the CBO website for at least 24 hours.
 
Permits waiver or suspension of this prohibition, or successful appeals from rulings of the Chair, only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60) of the Senate.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
MCAP Act

Bill: 113-s-44
Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration
Civil actions and liability
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Evidence and witnesses
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health personnel
Health technology, devices, supplies
Legal fees and court costs
Product safety and quality

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Medical Care Access Protection Act of 2013 or MCAP Act - Prescribes requirements for lawsuits for health care liability claims related to the provision of health care services.
 
Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions.
 
Requires a court to impose sanctions for the filing of frivolous lawsuits.
 
Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000 from the provider or health care institution, but no more than $500,000 from multiple health care institutions. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to its percentage of responsibility.
 
Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Limits the fees to a decreasing percentage based on the increasing value of the amount awarded.
 
Prescribes qualifications for expert witnesses.
 
Requires the court to reduce damages received by the amount of collateral source benefits to which a claimant is entitled, unless the payor of such benefits has the right to reimbursement or subrogation under federal or state law.
 
Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer, and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000.
 
Prohibits a health care provider from being named as a party in a product liability or class action lawsuit for prescribing or dispensing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription drug, biological product, or medical device for an approved indication. 
 
Provides for periodic payments of future damage awards.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-45
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: California
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Oil and gas
Oregon
Pacific Ocean
Washington State

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in any area of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, or Washington.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Ensuring the Full Faith and Credit of the United States and Protecting America's Soldiers and Seniors Act

Bill: 113-s-46
Sponsor: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Budget deficits and national debt
Congressional oversight
Military personnel and dependents
Social security and elderly assistance

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Ensuring the Full Faith and Credit of the United States and Protecting America's Soldiers and Seniors Act - Requires the following to take equal priority over all other federally incurred obligations in the event that the public debt reaches the statutory limit: (1) the authority of the Department of the Treasury to pay with legal tender the principal and interest on debt held by the public; (2) the authority of the Commissioner of Social Security to pay monthly Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance benefits under title II of the Social Security Act; and (3) the payment of pay and allowances for members of the Armed Forces on active duty.
 
Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, if the Secretary determines that incoming revenue will not be sufficient to finance the priorities described in this Act over the following two weeks, to: (1) notify Congress of the expected revenue shortfall, and (2) raise the debt limit by the amount necessary to cover the difference between incoming revenue and the revenue needed to finance such priorities on a two-week basis.
 
Prohibits such a debt limit increase from exceeding the difference between expected outlays for the listed priorities and expected revenue. Places in reserve and applies to the following two-week period any amount of incoming revenue in excess of the amount projected by the Secretary as necessary to finance such priorities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill for the relief of Genesio Januario Oliveira.

Bill: 113-s-48
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Private Legislation

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Provides for the relief of Genesio Januario Oliveira.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Veterans Health Equity Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-49
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Health care coverage and access
Hospital care
Public contracts and procurement
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Veterans Health Equity Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, with respect to each of the 48 contiguous states, to ensure that veterans who are eligible for hospital care and medical services through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have access to: (1) at least one full-service VA medical center in the state, or (2) hospital care and medical services comparable to that provided in full-service VA medical centers through contract with other health providers in the state. 
 
Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on compliance with such requirement, including its effect on improving the quality and standards of veterans' care. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-05-09
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-203.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Strengthening Protections for Children and Communities From Disease Clusters Act

Bill: 113-s-50
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Air quality
Cancer
Child health
Congressional oversight
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental health
Genetics
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Health information and medical records
Research administration and funding
Solid waste and recycling
Water quality
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Strengthening Protections for Children and Communities From Disease Clusters Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) develop, publish, and update guidelines on an approach to investigate suspected or potential disease clusters, environmental pollutants or toxic substances associated with such clusters, or potential causes of such clusters; (2) establish and operate Regional Disease Cluster Information and Response Centers and Regional Disease Cluster Information and Response Teams; (3) ensure that the Office of Children's Health Protection has a prominent role in developing and updating such guidelines and in establishing and operating such Centers and Teams; (4) establish Community Disease Cluster Advisory Committees to provide oversight, guidance, and advice relating to such investigations; (5) provide support to individuals on such Teams and Committees through grants and cooperative agreements with institutions of higher education; (6) compile and update a publicly available, online database that provides information relating to disease clusters; and (7) use available authorities and programs to compile, research, and analyze information generated by actions authorized under this Act.
 
Authorizes any person to submit a petition to the EPA Administrator, the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences that requests that a Response Team conduct an investigation or take action to address the potential causes of disease clusters.
 
Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to any group of individuals that may be affected by such clusters.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Promoting Efficiency and Savings in Government Act

Bill: 113-s-52
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources
Building construction
Congressional oversight
Energy efficiency and conservation
Environmental technology
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Lighting, heating, cooling
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Promoting Efficiency and Savings in Government Act - Requires each energy manager of a building owned by the General Services Administration (GSA) to carry out an audit of that building that: (1) identifies any modification necessary to improve energy efficiency that, within 10 years of implementation, will result in energy cost savings equal to the total investment made; and (2) quantifies the estimated cost-savings associated with any identified efficiency improvements. Requires the Administrator of GSA to report on all efficiency improvements identified in the audit, the total estimated cost-savings associated with the efficiency improvements, and the status of implementation of the efficiency improvements. 
 
Requires each lease of a building or space entered into by a federal department or agency to include: (1) a maximum energy intensity standard; (2) a lighting efficiency requirement, accounting for appropriate task lighting; and (3) an incentive structure that allows a department or agency leasing the building or space and the building owner to share the financial savings of efficiency investments and efficient operating practices. 
 
Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require the Federal Director of the Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings to include in the report to Congress a summary of the energy and water use of federal buildings.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Community Disease Cluster Assistance Act

Bill: 113-s-53
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Environmental health
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Community Disease Cluster Assistance Act - Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), to award grants to any individual or group of individuals that may be affected by a reported community-based disease cluster. Requires such grants to be used to obtain technical assistance in interpreting information regarding: (1) investigating such reported disease clusters associated with hazardous chemicals, (2) the potential hazardous chemicals associated with a reported disease cluster, (3) providing individuals or groups with community-based tools to educate them about the mitigation of hazardous chemicals associated with reported disease clusters, or (4) other scientific and technical issues related to reported disease clusters.
 
 
 
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to prohibit Members of Congress and the President from receiving pay during Government shutdowns.

Bill: 113-s-55
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Appropriations
Budget deficits and national debt
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Members of Congress
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Prohibits Members of Congress and the President from receiving basic pay for any period in which: (1) there is more than a 24-hour lapse in appropriations for any federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution, or (2) the federal government is unable to make payments or meet obligations because the public debt limit has been reached.
 
Prohibits retroactive payment of such forfeited pay.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
Right Start Child Care and Education Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-56
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Child care and development
Income tax credits
Income tax exclusion
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Right Start Child Care and Education Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the rates and maximum allowable amount of the tax credit for employer-provided child care facilities; (2) increase the eligibility threshold amount and rate of the household and dependent care tax credit and make such credit refundable; (3) allow a new $2,000 tax credit for child care providers who hold a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, child care, or a related degree and who provide at least 1,200 hours of child care services in a taxable year; and (4) increase the tax exclusion for employer-provided dependent care assistance. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
U.S.A. AAA Credit Restoration Act

Bill: 113-s-57
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Budget deficits and national debt
Congressional oversight
Department of the Treasury
Legislative rules and procedure

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
U.S.A. AAA Credit Restoration Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, on the same day the President submits an annual budget proposal to Congress, to submit to Congress a message on the public debt limit. Requires the Secretary to: (1) include an estimate of the amount that the public debt limit will need to be increased, if necessary, for the next year based on estimates of federal revenues and mandatory and discretionary expenditures; and (2) publish in the Federal Register the amount of the debt limit necessary to accommodate such requirements.
 
Allows the proposed debt limit increase to become law unless Congress disapproves.
 
Sets forth an expedited process for congressional consideration of a joint resolution to disapprove of the Secretary's exercise of authority to increase the debt limit (thereby replacing the current procedure for increasing the debt limit under the congressional budget process).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate
LINE Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-58
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2013-01-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Census and government statistics
Department of Justice
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Intergovernmental relations
State and local government operations
Voting rights

Summary:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: 
Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of 2013 or LINE Act of 2013 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require each state to provide for the minimum required number of voting systems, poll workers, and other election resources (including all other physical resources) for each voting site on the day of any federal election and on any days during which the state allows early voting for a federal election in accordance with standards established under this Act. 
 
Directs the Attorney General, to the maximum extent practicable in coordination with the Election Assistance Commission, to issue standards for a uniform and non-discriminatory distribution of such systems, workers, and other resources, taking into account with respect to any voting site, among other factors, the voting age population, the needs and numbers of disabled voters, and voters with limited English proficiency.
 
Requires the standards, to the extent possible, to provide for a distribution of voting systems, poll workers, and other election resources with the goal of: (1) ensuring an equal waiting time for all voters in the state, and (2) preventing a waiting time of over one hour at any polling place.
 
Requires each jurisdiction where a substantial number of voters waited more than 90 minutes to cast a vote in the federal election held on November 6, 2012, or any federal election held after that date, to comply with a state remedial plan to minimize voter waiting times. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
action_date: 2013-01-22
text: Introduced in Senate