hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Energy Consumers Relief Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1363
Sponsor: Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Economic performance and conditions
Electric power generation and transmission
Energy prices
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental regulatory procedures
General energy matters
Government studies and investigations
Public utilities and utility rates

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Energy Consumers Relief Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from promulgating a final rule that regulates any aspect of the production, supply, distribution, or use of energy (or that provides for such regulation by state or local governments) and that is estimated by the Administrator or the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to impose aggregate costs of more than $1 billion if the Secretary of Energy (DOE) determines that the rule will result in significant adverse effects to the economy.
 
Requires the Administrator, for each such rule, to submit a report that contains: (1) an estimate of the total costs and benefits of the rule, (2) an estimate of the increases in energy prices that may result from implementation or enforcement of the rule, and (3) a detailed description of the employment effects that may result from implementation or enforcement of the rule.
 
Requires the Secretary: (1) to prepare an independent analysis to determine whether such rule will cause any increase in energy prices for consumers, any impact on fuel diversity of the nation's electricity generation portfolio or on electric reliability, or any adverse effect on energy supply, distribution, or use; and (2) upon making such a determination, to determine whether the rule will result in significant adverse effects to the economy and publish such determination in the Federal Register.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1364
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Digital media
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Sales and excise taxes
State and local taxation
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act of 2013 - Prohibits a state or local jurisdiction from imposing multiple or discriminatory taxes on the sale or use of a digital good or service delivered or transferred electronically to a customer. Excludes from the definition of "digital service" a service that is predominantly attributable to the direct, contemporaneous expenditure of live human effort, skill, or expertise, a telecommunications service, an ancillary service, an Internet access service, an audio or video programming service, or a hotel intermediary service.
 
Restricts taxation of a digital good or service to taxation by a state or local jurisdiction whose territorial limits encompass a customer tax address, as defined by this Act. Makes the seller of digital goods or services responsible for obtaining and maintaining such address. Provides for the taxation of digital goods and services transactions that are aggregated and not separately stated.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Part D Beneficiary Appeals Fairness Act

Bill: 113-s-1365
Sponsor: Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Medicare
Prescription drugs

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Part D Beneficiary Appeals Fairness Act - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to a prescription drug plan (PDP) that provides for any tiered cost-sharing within a formulary (including a structure that provides for different co-payment or coinsurance amounts for drugs in different tiers included within the formulary), to authorize a Medicare part D eligible individual enrolled in the plan to request an exception to the tiered cost-sharing structure.
 
States that in no case may the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) allow a PDP sponsor to make any formulary tier of the tiered cost-sharing structure (including a formulary tier used for very high cost or unique items) ineligible for lower-cost sharing through an exception.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Verifying Agency Conduct and Needs Through (VACANT) Inspectors General Act

Bill: 113-s-1366
Sponsor: Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Government studies and investigations

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Verifying Agency Conduct and Needs Through (VACANT) Inspectors General Act - Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to: (1) require the President to fill a vacancy at the head of an Office of Inspector General at any agency or department defined as an establishment by such Act within 210 days after the declaration of such vacancy by the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency; and (2) require the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate, after considering recommendations from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Council, to appoint an Inspector General to fill a vacancy the President fails to fill within such 210-day period. 
 
Establishes a similar procedure for filling a vacant Inspector General position at any agency defined as a designated agency by such Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Helping Heroes Fly Act

Bill: 113-s-1367
Sponsor: Sen. Pryor, Mark L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Congressional oversight
Disability and paralysis
Military medicine
Military personnel and dependents
Transportation safety and security
Veterans' medical care
Veterans' organizations and recognition

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Helping Heroes Fly Act - Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration [TSA]) to develop and implement a process to ease travel and to the extent possible provide expedited passenger screening services for severely injured or disabled Armed Forces members and veterans, and their accompanying family members or nonmedical attendants.
 
Requires the Assistant Secretary also to maintain an operations center to provide for the movement of such members and veterans through screening before boarding a domestic or foreign passenger aircraft.
 
Directs the Assistant Secretary to establish and publish certain protocols for severely injured or disabled Armed Forces members and veterans or their family members and others to contact the operations center to request expedited screening services for the member or veteran.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Act

Bill: 113-s-1368
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Poverty and welfare assistance
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), to establish a Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Matching Grant Program (VITA grant program) for the development, expansion, or continuation of volunteer tax preparation programs to assist low-income taxpayers and members of underserved populations. 
 
Establishes the National Center to Promote Quality, Excellence, and Evaluation in Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Requires such Center to: (1) promote the adoption of a universally accessible volunteer training platform for the preparation of federal income tax returns, (2) provide technical assistance to tax return preparation program managers, (3) identify and disseminate best practices related to tax site management, (4) support outreach and marketing efforts, and (5) provide evaluation of programs and activities funded under this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to provide additional flexibility to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to establish capital standards that are properly tailored to the unique characteristics of the business of insurance, and for other purposes.

Bill: 113-s-1369
Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Insurance industry and regulation

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection to exclude insurers from bank capital rules.
 
Declares that a company is &quot;primarily engaged in the business of insurance&quot; if: (1) the annual gross revenues derived by it and all of its subsidiaries from the business of insurance represent at least 2/3 of its consolidated annual gross revenues, or (2) the consolidated assets of the company and its subsidiaries relating to the business of insurance represent at least 2/3 of its consolidated assets.
 
Exempts from minimum leverage capital requirements and minimum risk-based capital requirements any depository institution holding company that: (1) is primarily engaged in the business of insurance; (2) is an insurance underwriting company at the holding company level and was in existence on July 21, 2010; or (3) any nonbank financial company supervised by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System that, together with its subsidiaries, is primarily engaged in the business of insurance.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-03-11
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection. Hearings held.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Promoting Innovations to 21st Century Careers Act

Bill: 113-s-1370
Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Advisory bodies
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
Employment and training programs
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Higher education
Licensing and registrations
Performance measurement
Public-private cooperation
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Promoting Innovations to 21st Century Careers Act - Authorizes the Director of the National Academic and Career Innovation Center to award certain planning, implementation, transitional, and supplemental grants to state pathways partnerships to carry out activities that will create and enhance educational and career pathways for high school students to postsecondary schools (including registered apprenticeship programs) and to 21st century careers, particularly in high skill, high demand industries.
 
Requires the state partnerships to be appointed by state governors and include representatives from educational, business, labor, workforce, and economic development entities in their respective states.
 
Establishes the National Academic and Career Innovation Center to: (1) support the efforts of the state partnerships and regional partnerships (which are to receive competitive implementation subgrants from state partnerships) to offer career pathways of proven effectiveness; (2) design and conduct performance evaluations of career pathways activities; and (3) administer, oversee, and evaluate all career pathways grants.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Rebuilding American Homeownership Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1373
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Government corporations and government-sponsored enterprises
Housing finance and home ownership
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Rebuilding American Homeownership Act of 2013 - Requires the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (Government sponsored enterprises or GSEs) to establish a program to provide for the refinancing of eligible mortgages. Authorizes a GSE to purchase, guarantee, service, sell, lend on the security of, refinance, or otherwise deal in eligible mortgages in carrying out such program.
 
Defines eligible mortgage as an existing first mortgage: (1) made for purchase of, or refinancing of another first mortgage, on a 1- to 4-family owner-occupied dwelling; (2) with a current loan-to-value ratio between 80% and 140%; (3) originated on or before May 31, 2009; and (4) not owned or guaranteed by a GSE. Requires the mortgagor to be a current borrower. Excludes from eligibility any mortgage insured or guaranteed by any program of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
 
Requires that an eligible mortgage with existing credit coverage, in order to participate in the refinancing program, must continue to maintain or otherwise transfer such coverage to the new mortgage.
 
Sets the maximum term of the new mortgage at 30 years, and the maximum original principal obligation at the legal limit for conventional mortgages a GSE may purchase or guarantee.
 
Requires each GSE to charge a fee for any guarantee of the new mortgage.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Traditional Foods Nourishment Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1374
Sponsor: Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Aging
Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Child care and development
Food assistance and relief
Food industry and services
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Health facilities and institutions
Hunting and fishing
Indian social and development programs
Meat
Minority health
Nutrition and diet
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Traditional Foods Nourishment Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to allow the donation to and serving of traditional food through a food service program at a public or nonprofit facility that primarily services Indians if the food service program operator takes specified measures to ensure the safe preparation, processing, and labeling of such food.
 
Includes wild game meat, fish, seafood, marine mammals, plants, and berries as traditional food.
 
States that the United States and an Indian tribe or tribal organization shall not be liable in any civil action for any damage, injury, or death caused to any person by the donation to or serving of traditional foods through a food service program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Rebuilding Equity Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1375
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Consumer credit
Government corporations and government-sponsored enterprises
Housing finance and home ownership
Legal fees and court costs

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Rebuilding Equity Act of 2013 - Directs the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (government sponsored enterprises or GSEs) to each establish a voluntary program for eligible borrowers under which the GSE shall pay $1,000 toward the closing costs associated with applying for and receiving the refinancing when the borrower agrees to refinance into a fully amoritizing loan with a term not longer than 20 years.
 
Prohibits the amount of the closing costs that each GSE pays under the program during the 12 months following enactment of this Act from varying based on the term of the mortgage that the borrower agrees to refinance into.
 
 Requires the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, for each of the next two 12-month periods, to: (1) adjust the amount of the portion of the closing costs that each GSE will pay in accordance with specified requirements.
 
Makes eligible for the program borrowers: (1) who qualify for the Home Affordable Refinance Program carried out by the GSEs, (2) whose subject property has a loan-to-value ratio of at least 105%, and (3) who refinances from a loan with an original 30-year term to a loan with a term of 20 years or less.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Citizen Empowerment Act

Bill: 113-s-1377
Sponsor: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Civil actions and liability
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Evidence and witnesses
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
 
Citizen Empowerment Act - Requires any executive agency employee who is conducting an in-person or a telephonic interview, audit, investigation, inspection, or other official interaction with an individual relating to a possible violation of federal law that could result in the imposition of civil or criminal fines or penalties or the collection of unpaid tax to allow such individual to make an audio recording of the interaction. 
Permits the employee conducting the interaction to record it if the employee: (1) informs the individual of the recording prior to or at the initiation of the interaction, and (2) provides the individual with a transcript of the recording at such individual's expense. 
 
Requires the employee conducting an initial in-person or telephonic interview or other interaction to provide to the individual a verbal or written notice of such individual's rights.
 
Exempts from the application of this Act any in-person or telephonic interview or other interaction that: (1) is likely to include the discussion of classified material or information that would endanger public safety if released publicly; or (2) if released, would endanger an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by a federal law enforcement officer.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate
Government Employee Accountability Act

Bill: 113-s-1378
Sponsor: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO]
Introduced: 2013-07-25 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Congressional oversight
Employee leave
Federal officials
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government studies and investigations
Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: 
Government Employee Accountability Act - Sets forth guidelines for placing career employees of the Senior Executive Service (SES) on investigative leave. Defines "investigative leave" as a temporary absence without duty for disciplinary reasons, for not more than 90 days.
 
Authorizes a federal agency to: (1) place an SES employee on investigative leave, without loss of pay and without charge to annual or sick leave, only for alleged misconduct, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or misappropriation of funds; (2) place such employee on leave without pay if such employee's alleged conduct is determined to be serious or flagrant; or (3) remove such employee if such employee acted in a manner that endangers the interest of the agency mission. 
 
Requires an agency to periodically review the investigation into the conduct of an SES employee placed on investigative leave and take certain actions with respect to such employee at the end of a period of investigative leave, including removal, suspension without pay, or reinstatement to duty. Grants an employee placed on investigative leave certain rights, including: (1) advance written notice of, and a reasonable time (not less than seven days) to answer, charges; (2) the right to be represented by an attorney; and (3) the right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). 
 
Includes misappropriation of funds as a ground in suspending or reinstating an SES employee or placing such employee in another civil service position.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2013-07-25
text: Introduced in Senate