hyperdemocracy/usc-billstatus huggingface dataset:
Preserving American Access to Information Act

Bill: 113-s-1464
Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Congressional oversight
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Preserving American Access to Information Act - Directs federal agency heads with authority to classify information to: (1) specify the types of information with short-lived sensitivity that could be automatically declassified without further review, and (2) consult with the Information Security Oversight Office of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in the declassification process. Exempts from such automatic declassification: (1) information on sources, methods, tactics, tradecraft, and procedures of members of the Armed Forces, the intelligence community, and other personnel performing similar security functions; and (2) any other information that could endanger military, intelligence, diplomatic, or law enforcement personnel, operations, or capabilities. 
 
Directs the President to take appropriate actions to enhance the authority and capacity of the National Declassification Center under Executive Order 13526 to promote a government-wide strategy for the declassification of information. 
 
Requires the Director of the National Declassification Center to provide for consultation between the Center's Advisory panel and the public on a regular basis. Extends authority for the Public Interest Declassification Board until December 31, 2018. 
 
Requires federal agencies to identify and designate historically valuable records as soon as possible after their creation to ensure the preservation and future accessibility of such records. 
 
Requires federal agency heads that classify information to report to Congress on: (1) options for pilot programs to assess the feasibility and advisability of mechanisms to improve the current declassification capabilities of federal agencies; and (2) the feasibility and advisability of replacing the current agency classification systems and of declassifying records with Formerly Restricted Date (FRD) that have no national security value. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to establish a regulatory review process for rules that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency plans to propose, and for other purposes.

Bill: 113-s-1466
Sponsor: Sen. Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Agricultural conservation and pollution
Department of Agriculture
Economic performance and conditions
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental regulatory procedures
General agriculture matters
Government information and archives

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to review each notice issued by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and published in the Federal Register relating to the preparation of any guidance, policy, memorandum, regulation, or statement of general applicability and future effect that may have a significant impact on a substantial number of agricultural entities.
 
Requires the Secretary, for each publication item determined to have a possible significant impact, to: (1) solicit from the EPA Administrator information to facilitate a review of the item, (2) produce an economic impact statement, (3) identify representatives of potentially affected agricultural entities to obtain advice and recommendations about the potential impacts of the item, and (4) convene a review panel that includes the Secretary to analyze the publication item.
 
Provides procedures for submission by the Secretary of comments to the Administrator for inclusion in the administrative record and for waiver of a panel's initiation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
FISA Court Reform Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1467
Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Constitution and constitutional amendments
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
Judicial review and appeals
Right of privacy
Specialized courts
Supreme Court

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
FISA Court Reform Act of 2013 - Establishes as an independent establishment in the executive branch an Office of the Special Advocate to protect individual rights by advocating in cases before courts established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) in support of legal interpretations that minimize the scope of surveillance and the extent of data collection and retention. 
 
Directs the presiding judge of the FISA Court of Review to appoint a Special Advocate to serve as the head of such Office from a list of candidates submitted by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
 
Requires the Special Advocate to: (1) review each application to the FISA Court by the Attorney General and each decision of the FISA Court or the FISA Court of Review, and (2) participate in proceedings before the FISA Court when appointed to participate by such Court.
 
Permits the Special Advocate to request to participate in such proceedings, request reconsideration of FISA Court decisions, and appeal or seek review of FISA Court or FISA Court of Review decisions.
 
Directs such Courts to promulgate rules to provide the public with information sufficient to allow interested parties to participate as amicus curiae. 
 
Authorizes the Special Advocate to seek a writ of certiorari from the Supreme Court for review of any decision of the FISA Court of Review.
 
Requires the Attorney General to publicly disclose: (1) all decisions issued by the FISA Court or the FISA Court of Review after July 10, 2003, that include a significant construction or interpretation of law, (2) any decision of the FISA Court appealed by the Special Advocate, and (3) any FISA Court of Review decision issued after an appeal by the Special Advocate. Provides for the release of as much information regarding the facts and analysis in such decisions as is consistent with legitimate national security concerns. 
 
Permits the Special Advocate to petition the FISA Court or FISA Court of Review for the public disclosure of decisions and related documents previously designated as classified or for the release of an unclassified summary of such materials.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Congressional Health Care for Seniors Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1469
Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Employment taxes
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Medicare

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Congressional Health Care for Seniors Act of 2013 - Allows access to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) beginning in 2015 for persons who would have been entitled to, or could have enrolled in part A (Hospital Insurance) Medicare benefits, or who could have enrolled in part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) Medicare.
 
States that a covered individual who elects to enroll in such program shall enroll as an individual and not as self and family.
 
Bases monthly premiums on adjusted gross income.
 
Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish procedures to ensure that health benefits plans coordinate with state Medicaid programs regarding cost-sharing and other medical assistance for covered individuals enrolled in health benefit plans who are also eligible for medical assistance and enrolled in a state Medicaid program.
 
Requires OPM, at the end of each contract year, to identify high risk individuals and pay to a carrier contracting to provide a health benefits plan to a high risk individual 90% of the benefits paid by the carrier for such individual.
 
Defines &quot;high risk individual&quot; as an enrolled individual who, of all individuals enrolled in a health benefits plan for the contract year, is in the highest 5% in terms of benefits paid by a carrier for the contract year.
 
Exempts health benefits plans from specified insurance requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
 
Amends the Social Security Act to incrementally increase the Medicare qualifying age from 65 years to 70 years, by 2034, plus the number of months in a specified age increase factor.
 
Sunsets Medicare, on January 1, 2014, with a transition to FEHBP coverage. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make available to states recommendations with respect to specified requirements for health care entities and individuals under Medicare that will no longer apply but that should be considered on the state level.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read the second time and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1470
Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Aquatic ecology
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental regulatory procedures
Industrial facilities
Licensing and registrations
Solid waste and recycling
Water quality

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prevent guidelines applicable to permits for the discharge of dredged or fill material into the navigable waters at disposal sites from prohibiting specification of a site due to the lack of a final site plan resulting from the lack of an identified end user or industry or industrial classification when determining whether there is a practicable alternative to a proposed discharge that would result in less adverse impact on the aquatic ecosystem.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6235)
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Strengthening Congressional Oversight of Regulatory actions for Efficiency

Bill: 113-s-1472
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Congressional agencies
Congressional oversight
Economic performance and conditions

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Strengthening Congressional Oversight of Regulatory actions for Efficiency - Requires the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to establish and maintain a separate Regulatory Analysis Division within CBO responsible for assessing the impact of federal rules and regulations.
 
Requires the Division to provide analysis:
 
 
during the public comment period, of the prospective economic impact of economically significant proposed rules having an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or an adverse effect in a material way on the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or state, local, or tribal governments or communities; and
 
of economically significant regulations that have been in effect for five years, including an analysis of costs and benefits to determine if the regulation is meeting the stated goals it was intended to meet.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Long-Term Care Insurance Consumer Right-to-Know Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1473
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of the Treasury
Health care costs and insurance
Insurance industry and regulation
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Marketing and advertising
Medicaid

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Long-Term Care Insurance Consumer Right-to-Know Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to request the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to issue a white paper with its results from the following activities: (1) review and describe disclosure requirements for long-term care insurance policies under the long-term care insurance model regulation and model act promulgated by NAIC (as adopted as of October 2000 and December 2006), (2) review and describe disclosure requirements for long-term care insurance policies under state laws, (3) review and describe differences in long-term care services among states and develop a standardized definition of long-term care services, and (4) identify and describe key issues to consider in the development of a proposed model form for marketing long-term care insurance policies.
 
Directs the Secretary to request NAIC to: (1) establish a Working Group to develop and issue a model disclosure form for marketing long-term care insurance policies, and (2) amend the model regulation and model act to require the use of such form.
 
Requires the Secretaries of the Treasury and HHS to promulgate regulations requiring issuers of a qualified long-term care insurance contract under certain tax-qualified or Medicaid Partnership policies to use the model form for marketing such contracts.
 
Directs each state to require any issuer of a long-term care insurance policy to use the model form for marketing a policy.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
National Nurse Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1475
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Department of Health and Human Services
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health promotion and preventive care
Nursing
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
National Nurse Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to designate the Chief Nurse Officer of the Public Health Service as the National Nurse for Public Health within the Office of the Surgeon General.
 
Includes among the duties of such position providing leadership and coordination of Public Health Service nursing professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and other agencies of the Public Health Service, conducting outreach and education, and providing guidance and leadership for activities that will increase public safety and emergency preparedness. 
 
Requires the National Nurse for Public Health to: (1) participate in identification of national health priorities, (2) encourage volunteerism of nurses and strengthen the relationship between government agencies and health-related national organizations, and (3) promote the dissemination of evidence-based practice in educating the public on health promotion and disease prevention activities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act

Bill: 113-s-1476
Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Corporate finance and management
Department of the Treasury
Income tax deductions
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the $1 million limitation on the deductibility of employee compensation, to: (1) extend such limitation to any individual who is a current or former officer, director, or employee of a publicly-held corporation; (2) eliminate the exemption from such limitation for compensation payable on a commission basis or upon the attainment of a performance goal; and (3) make such limitation applicable to all publicly-held corporations that are required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to register securities and provide periodic reports to their investors. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6235-6236)
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1477
Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Federal-Indian relations
Indian lands and resources rights
Labor-management relations

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2013 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that any enterprise or institution owned and operated by an Indian tribe and located on its lands is not considered an employer (thus excluding such enterprises or institutions from coverage by such Act).
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
PACES Act

Bill: 113-s-1478
Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Civil actions and liability
Emergency communications systems
Intellectual property
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Protect Advanced Communications for Emergency Services Act of 2013 or the PACES Act - Requires any patent infringement action against certain wireless carriers (excluding mobile satellite service operators) or IP-enabled voice service providers based on their use of technologies complying with requirements of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide 9-1-1, enhanced 9-1-1, or other emergency communications services (such as the delivery of 9-1-1 calls with next generation text, picture, and video technologies capable of automatically identifying number and location information to emergency service personnel) to be filed in accordance with federal judicial code procedures under which a patent or copyright owner's remedy is by an action against the United States in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. (Thus, specifies that such 9-1-1 services are provided by or for the United States with authorization or consent of the United States.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1479
Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Agriculture
Department of the Interior
Endangered and threatened species
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Fires
Forests, forestry, trees
Watersheds
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
 Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to National Forest System lands, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public lands, to implement authorized wildfire prevention projects in at-risk forests and on threatened and endangered species habitat in a manner that focuses on surface, ladder, and canopy fuels reduction activities. 
 
Requires projects carried out on threatened and endangered species habitat to: (1) provide enhanced protection from wildfire, including catastrophic wildfire, for the endangered species, threatened species, or their habitat; and (2) comply with applicable recovery plan guidelines. 
 
Requires projects carried out in at-risk forests to move the federal land from condition class II or III toward condition class I, as those classes were developed by the Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station in a specified general technical report. 
 
Permits use in a project of: (1) domestic livestock grazing to reduce surface fuel loads and to recover burned areas; and (2) timber harvesting and thinning to reduce ladder and canopy fuel loads for the prevention of wildfire, including catastrophic wildfires. 
 
Directs the Secretaries to review public petitions for, and make determinations with respect to, the designation of federal lands as at-risk forests or as threatened and endangered species habitats. 
 
Requires notice in the Federal Register of proposed projects and final designated projects and permits public comment on projects as specified. 
 
Instructs the Secretaries to prepare an environmental assessment for projects that include timber harvesting or grazing. 
 
Instructs the Secretaries to research what impact any listing of a species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 would have on both forage and timber forest fuel loads. Requires endangered species recovery plans and critical habitat determinations to include a wildfire risk assessment analysis. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-11-20
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-342.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate
A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide assistance for condominiums and  housing cooperatives damaged by a major disaster, and for other purposes.

Bill: 113-s-1480
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Cooperative and condominium housing
Disaster relief and insurance
Housing and community development funding

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include a condominium or housing cooperative association as an &quot;individual&quot; or &quot;household&quot; for purposes of the provision of federal disaster assistance (thus authorizing assistance for condominiums and housing cooperatives damaged by a major disaster).
 
Requires the President to determine the maximum amount of assistance that any such association may receive under such Act for a single disaster.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in Senate